JP2875638B2 - Object detection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic cashier (AT)
M), an object detection device for detecting an object such as a human body approaching an operation device such as a cash dispenser (CD), and in particular, an object that performs highly reliable object detection by combining a passive sensor and an active sensor. It relates to a detection device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ATM or the like, it is desired to utilize a power supply of an operation device such as a display only when a user approaches the vicinity of the ATM from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption. For that purpose, it is necessary to accurately detect that the user has approached the ATM.

Conventionally, various active sensors or passive sensors have been used as sensors for detecting a human body. As a passive sensor, an infrared sensor, a pyroelectric sensor, and the like are known, and as an active sensor, a sensor combining an LED and a photodiode is known.

[0004]

However, when these sensors are used alone, there are advantages and disadvantages, and it is possible to reliably detect that an object such as a human body has entered or exited an area. Have encountered the problem of not being able to. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that accurately and reliably detects whether an object has entered or exited a predetermined area.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a passive sensor for detecting an object entering a wide area and an active sensor for detecting that an object enters a narrow area within the wide area. Based on the concept of accurately detecting when an object enters or exits a narrow area by combining with a sensor. That is, the object detection device of the present invention includes a passive sensor that detects radiation from an object located in a wide range, an active sensor that detects reflected light for an object located in a narrow range included in a wide range,
A signal processing unit that outputs a signal indicating the presence of an object when the detection signal of the active sensor exists within a predetermined time after the generation of the detection signal of the passive sensor. The signal processing means stops outputting a signal indicating the presence of the object when the detection signal of the active sensor is lost. Preferably, the active sensor system is operated after the passive sensor system is operated.

[0006]

The presence of an object located in a wide area is covered by a passive sensor, and an object further entering a narrow area of the wide area is detected by an active sensor different from the passive sensor. The signal processing means outputs a detection signal indicating that the object has entered the narrow area when the object enters the wide area and enters the narrow area within a predetermined time. The active sensor outputs a detection signal as long as an object exists in the narrow area. Therefore, even after the signal from the passive sensor is lost, as long as the detection signal from the active sensor exists, the signal processing means continues to output the detection signal assuming that the object exists in the narrow area, and outputs the detection signal from the active sensor. When the detection signal is lost, the output of the detection signal is stopped assuming that the object has left the narrow area. Passive sensors operate on radiation from an object and do not require a power supply. Active sensors, on the other hand, require power supply to drive them. Therefore, the passive sensor covers a wide area, and first, when the passive sensor outputs a detection signal, the signal processing unit supplies power to the active sensor. Thereby, the power consumption to the active sensor is reduced.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an object detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to an ATM. In this ATM object detection device, a pyroelectric sensor system 1, an optical sensor system 2, a signal processing circuit 3, and a drive transistor 4 are connected as shown in the figure to detect a human body 6. Pyroelectric sensor system 1 as a passive sensor
Is composed of a pyroelectric sensor 11 and an amplification / comparison circuit 12 for the pyroelectric sensor. The optical sensor system 2 as an active sensor includes an infrared light emitting diode (LED) 2
1. Silicon photodiode (SPD) 23, LED driver / transmitter 2 for driving infrared LED 21
2, an amplifier 24 for amplifying an output signal from the SPD 23,
Also, a gate circuit 25 is connected as shown. The signal processing circuit 3 is connected to a first timer 31, a second timer 32, an AND gate 33, and a set / reset (RS) flip-flop 34 as shown in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the ATM
The pyroelectric sensor 11 that generates an instantaneous pulse signal in response to the infrared light emitted by the human body 6 approaching the body 5 covers the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1 having a large area, and emits infrared light from the infrared LED 21 to the human body 6. Project the reflected wave into SPD2
3 receives the optical sensor system 2 in the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z.
1 is an optical sensor detection area Z2 which is a narrow area included in
To cover. As an example of the ATM object detection device, the optical sensor detection distance L2 is 50 to 80 cm, the pyroelectric sensor detection distance L1 is 1 to 2 m, and the height H of the optical sensor system 2 in the vertical direction (floor surface) To the lower part of the operation panel of the ATM 5) is about 60 cm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the optical sensor detection area Z2 includes an LED cover area Z21 in which the infrared LED 21 emits infrared light, and an S in which the SPD 23 can receive a reflected wave.
This is an area overlapping with the PD cover area Z23.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the pyroelectric sensor 11 includes a pair of pyroelectric elements 111 , 1 made of LiTaO ₃ .
12 are arranged adjacent to each other, and as shown in FIG. 4B, these pyroelectric elements are connected in opposite polarities to operate differentially, and as a background noise existing in the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1. It is configured to compensate for ambient temperature.
The differential output is amplified via the FET and output to the pyroelectric sensor amplification / comparison circuit 12. The pyroelectric sensor system 1 and the optical sensor system 2 are mounted at almost the same position of the ATM 5, and the signal processing circuit 3 and the drive transistor 4 are mounted inside the ATM 5.

[0011] The operation of the above-described ATM object detection device is as follows.
This will be described with reference to the signal timing diagram of FIG. 5 and the trajectory of the human body in FIG. At time t1, when the human body 6 as a user enters the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1, the pyroelectric sensor 11 outputs a pulse signal S1 in response to infrared rays emitted from the human body 6. The pulse signal S1 is amplified by the pyroelectric sensor amplifying / comparing circuit 12, and is compared with a threshold value.
Is output from the pyroelectric sensor amplification / comparison circuit 12. The first timer 31 outputs a "high" level first timed signal S5 at the rise of the pyroelectric human body detection pulse signal S3, starts time counting, and when the first time T1 elapses, the first time T1 elapses. Is set to the "low" level. This first time T1 is one minute in the present embodiment. The first timer 31 is provided with a pyroelectric human body detection pulse signal S.
Each time 3 is input, the first timed signal S5 is continuously output,
Repeat the above time counting from the beginning. Therefore, the human body 6
There long as there is a change in its movement enters the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1 is, each of its, pyroelectric body detection pulse signal S3 is outputted. In this embodiment, the optical sensor system 2 is always operating, but the human body 6 is in the optical sensor detection area Z2.
During this time, the optical human body detection signal S2 is not output from the SPD 23.

[0012] If the human body 6
From the wide area Z1 to the narrower optical sensor detection area Z
2, the infrared ray emitted from the infrared LED 21 is reflected by the human body 6, the reflected wave is received by the SPD 23, and the SPD 23 outputs the SPD human body detection signal S2. Infrared LED 21 is LED driver / oscillator 22
A predetermined oscillation frequency (oscillation cycle), for example, 1
It is continuously oscillated every second, and the output light of the infrared LED 21 is a continuous pulse. Therefore, the reflected light also becomes a pulse signal, and the SPD human body detection signal S from the SPD 23 is output.
2 is also a pulse signal. The SPD human body detection signal S2 is amplified by the amplifier 24. The output of the amplifier 24 is output from the gate circuit 25 by the LED driver /
While the ED 21 is turned on, the gate is turned on by the gate signal at the “high” level, and the optical human body detection signal S4
Is output as This gate processing is performed by the infrared LED 2
This is because the detection output of the SPD 23 is enabled only when 1 is turned on, and the optical human body detection signal S4 is not output due to noise when the infrared LED 21 is not operating. When the optical human body detection signal S4 is input to the second timer 32, the second timer 32 outputs the high-level 2-1 time signal S6 and the 2-1 time signal S6. And outputs a 2-2 timed signal S7 having a polarity opposite to the above. The 2-1 time signal S6 and the 2-2 time signal S7 are the optical human body detection signal S6.
After the lapse of a predetermined time (second time T2) longer than 1 second from the oscillation cycle of the infrared LED 21 after the loss of 4, for example, 5 seconds later, at time t3, the "low" level and the "high" level, respectively. Become a level.

As shown by the broken line, the first timed signal S5 needs to be at the "high" level when at least the (2-1) th timed signal S6 is at the "high" level. FIG.
Solid line indicates an example of the “high” level until time t3 or later. While the first timed signal S5 is at the “high” level, the second
When the time signal S6 of −1 becomes “high” level, AND
The logical product (AND) of the first timed signal S5 and the (2-1) th timed signal S6 at the gate 33 is “1”, and the “high” level AND output S8 is set at the set terminal S of the RS flip-flop 34. To set the RS flip-flop 34. This RS flip-flop 3
4, the "high" level drive output signal S9 is applied from the Q output terminal to the base of the drive transistor 4, turning on the drive transistor 4 and causing the collector C
, A current flows from the current source to the emitter E to operate a subsequent circuit connected to the collector C, for example, a solenoid coil. By turning on the solenoid coil, the power of the operation part including the CRT in the ATM 5 is turned on, and the operation part becomes operable. That is, the human body 6
From the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1 to the optical sensor detection area Z
Only when the vehicle enters the position 2 and reaches the front of the ATM 5, the above-mentioned operation portion becomes operable.

As shown by the flow line locus C1 in FIG. 6, when the human body 6 within the optical sensor detection area Z2 comes out of the optical sensor detection area Z2 and the optical human body detection signal S4 is lost, the second After a lapse of the second time T2, for example, 5 seconds, the timer 32 sets the (2-1) th timed signal S6 to a "low" level and sets the (2-2) th timed signal S7 to a "high" level. The fact that the second-second timed signal S7 has become "high" level indicates that the human body 6 has deviated from the optical sensor detection area Z2. Since the (2-2) th time signal S7 is input to the reset terminal R of the RS flip-flop 34, the RS flip-flop 34 is reset. As a result, the driving transistor 4 is turned off. As a result, the solenoid coil at the subsequent stage of the drive transistor 4 is also turned off, and the power supply to the operation portion is stopped.

The case where the human body 6 normally enters the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1 and enters the optical sensor detection area Z2 has been described above. The signal waveform at time t5 in FIG. The case where the SPD human body detection signal S2 and the optical human body detection signal S4 are generated without generating the signal S3 is shown. Since such a form is not a normal approach of the human body 6 to the ATM 5, the "high" level signal S8 is not output from the AND gate 33, and the RS flip-flop 34
Is not set.

Further, as shown by a flow line locus C2 in FIG. 6, the human body 6 enters the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1, and the pyroelectric human body detection pulse signal S3 is output (not shown). When the human body 6 does not enter the optical sensor detection area Z2 and the optical human body detection signal S4 is not output while the human body detection pulse signal S3 is at the "high" level, the RS flip-flop 3
4 is not set.

On the other hand, at time t6 in FIG. 5, a pyroelectric human body detection pulse signal S3 is output, and within a first time T1,
If the optical human body detection signal S4 is output at the time point t7, then, even if the first timed signal S5 goes to the "low" level, the output signal of the "high" level from the AND gate 33 during the period t7 to t8. Since S8 is output, R-
The S flip-flop 34 continues to be set, and the driving transistor 4 continues to be turned on. And the human body 6 is A
After moving away from the TM5 and the optical human body detection signal S4 goes to the "low" level, the second time T2 elapses until the second time T2 elapses.
The "high" level of the timed signal S6 at 1 continues at time t9.
In the above, resetting the RS flip-flop 34 by setting the (2-2) th timed signal S7 to the "high" level is the same as in the normal operation.

As described above, the passive sensor is used.
By combining the pyroelectric sensor system 1 and the optical sensor system 2 which is an active sensor, and by covering these areas with a wide range and a narrow range included in the wide range, the pyroelectric sensor detection area is sequentially determined. The human body 6 moving from Z1 to the optical sensor detection area Z2 can be accurately detected.
And only while the human body 6 is operating in front of the ATM 5,
Since power is supplied to the operation portion of the ATM 5, power consumption in the ATM 5 is significantly reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the optical sensor system 2 is always operable has been described. However, the relationship between the pyroelectric sensor detection area Z1 and the optical sensor detection area Z2 indicates that the optical sensor system 2 is normally operated. First, a pyroelectric sensor system 1 as a passive sensor operates first, and then an optical sensor system 2 as an active sensor operates. Therefore, the optical sensor system 2 may be operated after the pyroelectric sensor system 1 detects the human body 6. Then, the power supply to the optical sensor system 2 is reduced. The power of the optical sensor system 2 can be reduced by setting the signal processing circuit 3 and the optical sensor system 2 and the pyroelectric sensor system 1 very far apart from each other. This is a system in which the detection signal of the pyroelectric sensor system 1 is sent to the signal processing circuit 3 side, and power cannot be supplied from the signal processing circuit 3 to drive the optical sensor system 2, In a system in which the optical sensor system 2 is driven by a battery, it is particularly effective in extending the life of the battery for driving the optical sensor system 2.

In implementing the object detection device of the present invention,
Various modifications other than those described above can be taken. For example, the processing of the signal processing circuit 3 in FIG.
The processing can be performed by using a computer system for performing various arithmetic and control processes in 5, or a dedicated control microcomputer. Instead of the pyroelectric sensor system as a passive sensor and the optical sensor system 2 as an active sensor, other various sensors can be used. Examples of such a sensor include an infrared sensor as a passive sensor and an ultrasonic sensor as an active sensor. In such a sensor combination, it is preferable to increase the area covered by the passive sensor and narrow the area covered by the active sensor. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the object detection apparatus of the present invention is applied to an ATM has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the ATM but may be applied to an ATM.
The present invention can be applied to various other devices or systems that separate a large area and a narrow area, such as a CD or a security system, and detect an object that sequentially moves in these areas. In such a system, as described above, the pyroelectric sensor system 1 and the optical sensor system 2 may be installed at a location remote from the signal processing circuit 3 and may be wirelessly connected therebetween.

[0021]

As described above, according to the object detection device of the present invention, two kinds of sensors of different types, and a wide area and a narrow area included in the area are monitored by these sensors. Therefore, highly reliable object detection becomes possible. Since the object detection signal is output while the object exists in a narrow area, the object detection apparatus of the present invention is applied to an ATM, a CD, etc., and only when the object (user) exists in the narrow area, the internal detection signal is output. Power can be supplied to the operating part, and power consumption of such a device can be reduced. In addition, the passive sensor covers a wide area, the active sensor covers a narrow area, and the active sensor is operated after the passive sensor is activated, so that the power consumption of the active sensor can be significantly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an object detection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the object detection method of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detection area of the optical sensor system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the pyroelectric sensor system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing operation timings of the signal processing circuit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating detection logic of the object detection device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1. pyroelectric sensor system, 2. optical sensor system, 3. signal processing circuit, 4. driving transistor, 5. ATM,
6 ・ ・ Human body, 11 ・ ・ Pyroelectric sensor, 12 ・ ・ Amplification / comparison circuit for pyroelectric sensor, 21 ・ ・ Infrared LED, 22 ・ ・
LED driver / transmitter, 23 SPD, 24 amplifier, 25 gate circuit, 31 first timer, 3
2 ··· second timer, 33 ··· AND gate, 34 ···
RS flip-flop, Z1 ··· pyroelectric sensor detection area, Z2 ··· optical sensor detection area, Z21 · LED
Cover area, Z22 ... SPD cover area.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01S 3/00-3/86 G01S 7/00-17/95 G01V 11/00 G08B 13/18 G08B 15 / 20

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A passive sensor for detecting radiation from an object located in a wide range, an active sensor for detecting reflected light on an object located in a narrow range included in the wide range, and a detection signal generation of the passive sensor. Sutra from
Time measuring means for measuring the overtime, and detection of the active sensor.
The measured passive when an outgoing signal occurs
The elapsed time since the detection signal of the sensor
Determining means for determining whether or not the elapsed time is longer than the predetermined time.
An object detection device comprising: a signal processing unit that outputs a signal indicating the presence of an object when the time is within a fixed time . 2. The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing means stops outputting a signal indicating the presence of said object when the detection signal of said active sensor is lost. 3. The object detection device according to claim 1, wherein the active sensor system is operated after the passive sensor system is operated.