Infrared detection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11204282-B2
Application number	US-201916596208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

A lens allows infrared light to pass therethrough. An infrared sensor includes infrared detection elements arranged in two or more columns. The infrared sensor is rotated around a scan rotation axis that passes through part of the lens to scan a detection range, and outputs an output signal indicating a thermal image of the detection range. At least two infrared detection elements in the infrared sensor are located at positions displaced from each other with respect to the scan rotation axis. Among the infrared detection elements, the number of first infrared detection elements having a smaller half-width of a point spread function in a scan direction than that in the direction of the scan rotation axis is larger than the number of second infrared detection elements having a larger half-width of a point spread function in the scan direction than that in the direction of the scan rotation axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An infrared detection apparatus comprising:
a lens that allows infrared light to pass therethrough; and
an infrared sensor that includes a plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in a matrix having two or more columns, the infrared sensor being configured to be:
rotated around a scan rotation axis that passes through part of the lens to scan a temperature detection range, and
output an output signal indicating a thermal image of the temperature detection range,

wherein the infrared sensor is placed so that the matrix of the plurality of infrared detection elements is inclined at a first predetermined angle with respect to a predetermined direction,
wherein at least two of the plurality of infrared detection elements in the infrared sensor are located at positions displaced from each other, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the scan rotation axis, and
first infrared detection elements
being included in the plurality of infrared detection elements,
being arranged in two or more columns of the matrix, and
have a smaller half-width of a point spread function in a scan direction than a half-width of a point spread function in a direction of the scan rotation axis, and second infrared detection elements
being included in the plurality of infrared detection elements,
being arranged in the two or more columns of the matrix, and
have a larger half-width of a point spread function in the scan direction than a half-width of a point spread function in the direction of the scan rotation axis,
wherein a number of the first infrared detection elements is larger than a number of the second infrared detection elements.

2. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first diameter of the lens and a second diameter of the lens are configured such that the number of the first infrared detection elements that are included in the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the two or more columns of the matrix and that have a smaller half-width of a point spread function in a scan direction than a half-width of a point spread function in a direction of the scan rotation axis is larger than the number of the second infrared detection elements that are included in the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the two or more columns of the matrix and that have a larger half-width of a point spread function in the scan direction than a half-width of a point spread function in the direction of the scan rotation axis, and
wherein the first diameter of the lens is a diameter of the lens in the direction of the scan rotation axis and the second diameter of the lens is a diameter of the lens in the scan direction, and the first diameter of the lens is larger than the second diameter of the lens.

3. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of infrared detection elements are arranged in two or more rows as the matrix, and
wherein a difference in the half-width of the point spread function in the scan direction between an infrared detection element at a first position and an infrared detection element at a second position among infrared detection elements at both ends in adjacent rows among the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the two or more columns of the matrix and in the in two or more rows of the matrix is smaller than a difference in the half-width of the point spread function in the scan direction between the infrared detection element at the first position and an infrared detection element at a third position among infrared detection elements in the adjacent rows or among infrared detection elements at both ends in adjacent columns among the two or more columns of the matrix,
the infrared detection element at the first position and the infrared detection element at the second position are consecutive in a scan order,
the infrared detection element at the first position and the infrared detection element at the third position are not consecutive in the scan order.

4. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lens has a shape in which end portions of the lens having substantially identical lengths in the direction of the scan rotation axis and the scan direction are cut away in the scan direction.

5. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lens comprises a cylindrical lens.

6. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a signal processor that performs signal processing on an output signal of the infrared sensor to compute a temperature of an object present in the temperature detection range,
wherein the infrared sensor and the signal processor are arranged substantially side-by-side in a direction along the scan rotation axis around which the infrared sensor is rotated.

7. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lens is disposed to be displaced from an arrangement surface of the infrared sensor on which the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the two or more columns of the matrix are arranged so that an angle defined by a line connecting a center of the infrared sensor and an optical center of the lens and a line perpendicular to the arrangement surface of the infrared sensor is a second predetermined angle.

8. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second predetermined angle is greater than or equal to 10 degrees and less than or equal to 60 degrees.

9. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the infrared sensor, one or more of the plurality of infrared detection elements detect infrared radiation in the temperature detection range, whereas others are unable to detect the infrared radiation in the temperature detection range.

10. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the infrared sensor, the plurality of infrared detection elements are placed in the matrix with eight rows and eight columns, and
the first predetermined angle is 7.125 or 9.462 degrees.

11. The infrared detection apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the infrared sensor, one or more of the plurality of infrared detection elements detect infrared radiation in the temperature detection range, whereas others are unable to detect the infrared radiation in the temperature detection range,
wherein, the others include one or more of the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the first column, and one or more of the plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in the eighth column, and
the first predetermined angle is 9.462 degrees.

12. An infrared detection apparatus for attachment to a housing installed in a space on an installation surface of the space, the installation surface being substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the space and being at a predetermined height from the bottom surface, the infrared detection apparatus comprising:
a lens that allows infrared light to pass therethrough; and
an infrared sensor that includes a plurality of infrared detection elements arranged in two or more columns of a matrix, the infrared sensor being configured to be rotatable around a scan rotation axis that passes through part of the lens to scan a temperature detection range, and output an output signal indicating a thermal image of the temperature detection range,
wherein the infrared sensor is placed so that the matrix of the plurality of infrared detection elements is inclined at a first predetermined angle with respect to a predetermined direction,
wherein an arrangement surface, on which the plurality of infrared detect

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kusukame Koichi
• Yoneda Aki
• Silawan Nawatt

Classifications

• G01V8/20

  using multiple transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• G01J5/07

  Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position (optical collimating elements G01J5/0806) · CPC title

• G01J5/047 Primary

  Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements · CPC title

• G01J5/0806 Primary

  Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors · CPC title

• G01J5/10 Primary

  using electric radiation detectors · CPC title