Thermal image sensor and user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939164-B2
Application number	US-201414414711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2014
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A thermal image sensor including: a plurality of infrared detector elements that detect infrared light in a detection area; and rotors that scan the detection area in a scanning direction to detect, with the plurality of infrared detector elements, infrared light in an area to be captured as a single thermal image. The plurality of infrared detector elements include infrared detector elements arranged in mutually different positions in a rotational direction corresponding to the scanning direction of the plurality of infrared detector elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal image sensor comprising:
a plurality of infrared detector elements that detect infrared light in a detection area; and
a scanning device that scans the detection area in a predetermined direction to generate a thermal image based on information obtained by each of the plurality of infrared detector elements,
wherein the plurality of infrared detector elements include a first infrared detector element and a second infrared detector element arranged in mutually different positions in the predetermined direction, and
the first infrared detector element and the second infrared detector element are arranged such that a portion of a first detection area and a portion of a second detection area overlap, the first detection area being an area in which the first infrared detector element detects infrared light by scanning by the scanning device, and the second detection area being an area in which the second infrared detector element detects infrared light by scanning by the scanning device, and
the plurality of infrared detector elements each have a square shape, and the plurality of infrared detector elements are arranged such that a first diagonal line of each of the plurality of infrared detector elements is parallel to the predetermined direction,
the plurality of infrared detector elements are arranged such that a second diagonal line of each of the plurality of infrared detector elements is perpendicular to the predetermined direction such that (i) the second diagonal line of the first infrared detector element is aligned in a first line extending in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction and (ii) the second diagonal line of the second infrared detector element is aligned in a second line extending in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction,
the first line and the second line are adjacent to one another in the predetermined direction,
the plurality of infrared detector elements are arranged in a plurality of element lines, and
the plurality of element lines are arranged in mutually different positions in the predetermined direction.

2. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of infrared detector elements are aligned in a third line extending in an intersecting direction intersecting both the predetermined direction and the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

3. The thermal image sensor according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first infrared detector element and the second infrared detector element are adjacent elements in the third line.

4. The thermal image sensor according to claim 2 ,
wherein, relative to the predetermined direction, an angle of the intersecting direction in which the plurality of infrared detector elements are aligned is 45 degrees.

5. The thermal image sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising
a structure that adjusts an angle of the intersecting direction relative to the predetermined direction by rotating the plurality of infrared detector elements.

6. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of element lines include a first element line and a second element line arranged in mutually different positions in the predetermined direction,
the first infrared detector element is included in the first element line, and
the second infrared detector element is included in the second element line.

7. The thermal image sensor according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first element line further includes a third infrared detector element that is arranged in a different position than the first infrared detector element and detects infrared light in a third detection area by scanning by the scanning device, and
the third infrared detector element is arranged such that a portion of the third detection area and a portion of the second detection area overlap.

8. The thermal image sensor according to claim 6 ,
wherein the plurality of element lines include a third element line arranged in a different position in the predetermined direction than the first element line and the second element line,
the first element line, the second element line, and the third element line are arranged in stated order, and
a distance between the first element line and the second element line is different from a distance between the second element line and the third element line.

9. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of element lines is configured of infrared detector elements aligned in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

10. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of element lines include:
an element line of infrared detector elements aligned in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and
an element line of infrared detector elements aligned in an intersecting direction intersecting both the predetermined direction and the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

11. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein a number of infrared detector elements constituting one element line included in the plurality of element lines is different from a number of infrared detector elements constituting another element line included in the plurality of element lines.

12. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of infrared detector elements include two types of infrared detector elements different in at least one of shape, thermal capacity, size, or material.

13. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the scanning device scans the detection area in the predetermined direction by moving the plurality of infrared detector elements in the predetermined direction.

14. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
an optical system that introduces infrared light from a target object to the plurality of infrared detector elements,
wherein the scanning device scans the detection area in the predetermined direction by moving the optical system.

15. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising
a perpendicular scanning device that scans the detection area in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

16. The thermal image sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the thermal image sensor detects a change in the thermal image by comparing first infrared information detected for the first detection area at a first point in time by the first infrared detector element and second infrared information detected for the first detection area at a second point in time by the second infrared detector element.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Kusukame Koichi
• Shikii Shinichi
• Silawan Nawatt
• Itoh Tatsuo
• Funase Kazuki
• Yoneda Aki

Classifications

• F24F2120/14

  Activity of occupants · CPC title

• G01B11/026

  by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2120/12

  Position of occupants · CPC title

• G01B11/0608

  Height gauges · CPC title

• B60H1/00742

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title