Method and apparatus for detecting an object

Abstract: A thermal object detecting method for ; obtaining a thermal image of a measuring space by two-dimensional thermal image detecting method for detecting two-dimensional thermal image information, obtaining position information of an object in the measuring space by object position detecting device, obtaining distance data between said two-dimensional thermal image detecting device and said object from the position information, and correcting the temperature level of the object in the thermal image in the measuring space or correcting the size of the object in the thermal image in said measuring space, using the distance data from the object as correction factor.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting an object, in particular a human body. Recently there is a growing need for means of detecting human body without making any contact in the field of air-conditioning, lighting, security and others. As means for detecting human bodies existing in the space, various methods have been used or proposed so far, including a method of using a CCD camera and picking up the human body from the obtained image, a method of detecting a human body by detecting an infrared ray by using a quantum type infrared ray camera, and a method of detecting a voltage output generated while a thermal object moves by installing a Fresnel lens before the sensor, by using an inexpensive pyroelectric type infrared ray sensor. However, in the method using CCD camera mentioned above, the detection algorithm for picking up a human body from the image is very complicated, and the apparatus is huge, the processing time is long, and the system was very expensive. In the method of using the quantum type infrared ray sensor, the sensor must be cooled during operation, and the apparatus is large and expensive, and it is not practical for general use. The method of using the pyroelectric type sensor solves the problems of the size and price of the quantum type sensor, but a still human body cannot be detected, and errors are caused by wind or the like. By installing a chopper before the sensor, a still human body can be measured, but other heat source having a similar radiation temperature and area may be mistook as a human body. As the distance sensor for measuring the distance to the object, methods of using ultrasonic waves, millimeter waves, and laser radar are known. In the method of using ultrasonic waves, it is practical at a distance of about 5 m, but at a further distance it is hard to enhance the directivity up to the precision for detecting the human body. The methods of using millimeter waves and laser radar are actually used in the field of measuring the bumper-to-bumper distance of vehicles, and the apparatus is very large and expensive, and it is harmful to the eyes, and there were many restrictions for use. Reference US-A-4 914 734 describes a map-matching radar navigation system for aircraft. In order to provide an independent form of navigation, not being dependent upon external sources of information, this reference describes to combine different detection mode maps to provide an accurate and highly jam persistent position determination for navigation update. The described three-mode map-matching navigation system combines intensity area correlation with terrain height radar and infrared systems. H.D. Arlowe and D.E. Coleman describe in the article "The mobile intrusion detection and assessment system (MIDAS)" in International Carnahan Conference on Security-Technology Crime Countermeasures, 1999 a security system for detecting intruders within an outside area, in particular intended for mobile military applications. The security system comprises plural detection sensors, in particular a high resolution infrared imager and a laser range finder. Further, the system comprises a low light level television camera. The images from the infrared imager and the low light level television camera are displayed on the video monitors. By comparing a current image with the corresponding image from a previous scan, intruders are detected based on differences in the images. The distance of the intruder can be determined by using the laser range finder. GB-A-2 250 117 describes an apparatus for detecting an audience watching a television program in a household. The detection result is reported via a telephone line to a host computer. The audience has first to identify itself by operating specified switches provided on a television remote control. For validating the manual input an existence sensor is employed to count the number of persons sitting in front of the television receiver. The sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor and, in addition, a heat sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is first operated to obtain a first echo reflecting a no-man state inside the room. The no-man state represents the distance characteristics of the room with no audience in front of the television. A second echo is obtained during operation for detecting the number of persons. Based on both detection results, the audience state is calculated by subtracting the no-man state from the second echo. This ultrasonic detection result of the audience state is combined with a heat sensor detection result. These detection results are compared with the audience state result from the ultrasonic sensors. It is the object of the present invention to provide a reliable method and apparatus for object detection. This is achieved by the features of claim 1 for an object detection method and by the features of claim 4 for an object detecting apparatus. The invention hence enables to detect, for example, the human body at high precision by specifying the size of the thermal object and temperature level of the thermal object detected from the two-dimensional thermal image and object position information. Fig. 1 is a structural diagram showing an outline of a thermal object measuring apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a time chart of sensor signal of distance sensor in the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an output waveform of infrared ray sensor and a distance distribution measured by the distance sensor in the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a viewing field distribution of infrared ray sensor in the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a viewing field distribution of distance sensor in the second embodiment. Fig. 7 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a third embodiment. Fig. 8 is a time chart of sensor signal of distance sensor in the third embodiment. Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a fourth embodiment. Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a fifth embodiment. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a measuring state in the fifth embodiment. Fig. 12 is a pattern diagram showing results of measurement in the fifth embodiment. Fig. 13 (A) is an outline structural diagram of distance sensor in an eighth embodiment, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing its detection viewing field distribution. Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a sixth embodiment. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing a seventh embodiment. Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing a ninth embodiment. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of measuring space in a tenth embodiment. Fig. 18 is a two-dimensional thermal image in a measuring space in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a graph showing the relation between detecting area (a) in thermal image and sensor-object distance (r). Fig. 20 is a graph showing the relation between infrared ray sensor output (b) and sensor-object distance (r). Fig. 21 shows the mode after correction of thermal image in Fig. 18 by distance factor. Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of measuring space in an eleventh embodiment. Fig. 23 shows a thermal image after correction by distance factor in the measuring space in Fig. 22. Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of measuring space in a twelfth embodiment. Fig. 25 is an echo pattern (a) by ultrasonic sensor in the measuring space in Fig. 24. Fig. 26 is a two-dimensional thermal image (b) by infrared ray sensor in the measuring space in Fig. 24. Fig. 27 is a schematic diagram of measuring space in a thirteenth embodiment. Fig. 28 is a two-dimensional thermal image in the measuring space in Fig. 27. Fig. 29 shows the relation between the detected area per human body in two-dimensional thermal image and sensor-human distance. Fig. 30 is a schematic diagram of human body detecting apparatus in a fourteenth embodiment. Fig. 31 is a perspective view showing the two dimensional infrared ray sensor and the two dimensional infrared LED and the two dimensional photo diode, PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below. (Embodiment 1) Fig. 1 is a structural diagram showing an outline of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a first embodiment. In Fig. 1, on the front side of a pyroelectric type infrared ray sensor 1 as infrared ray detecting means, a chopper 6 is provided for connecting and disconnecting the infrared ray entering a photo sensor, and a distance sensor 4 as distance detecting means is composed of an infrared LED 2 which is an infrared ray emitting element and a photo diode 3 which is a light receiving element. The infrared ray sensor 1 and distance sensor 4 are connected to a motor 7 as rotary scanning means so as to be free to rotate right and left about a rotary shaft 5. Herein, the confronting direction of the infrared ray sensor 1 and the confronting direction of the distance sensor 4 are adjusted to face the same direction. In the thermal object measuring apparatus of the first embodiment, the operation is described below. Suppose the motor 7 is driven to rotate the infrared ray sensor 1 about the rotary shaft 5, then a sensor output corresponding to the temperature difference of the chopper 6 and an object is obtained when the infrared ray sensor 1 confronts the object of which radiation temperature is different from that of the chopper 6. The distance sensor 4, as shown in the time chart in Fig. 2, projects an amplitude-modulated light (near infrared ray) from the infrared LED 2, and the returning light reflected by the object is received by the photo diode 3, and therefore the distance from the sensor to the object can be determined on the basis of the time difference between the projecting waveform and the receiving waveform and the light speed. Fig. 3 shows the output waveform (top) of the infrared ray sensor 1 when measuring a person standing before the apparatus, and the distance distribution (bottom, solid circle) from sensor to person measured by the distance sensor 4. Herein, the optical axes of the infrared ray sensor 1 and distance sensor 5 are adjusted parallel to the floor. As the rotation of the motor 1 starts, a sensor output corresponding to the temperature difference between the confronting viewing field and chopper 6 is thereby generated in the infrared ray sensor 1. The distance sensor 4 emits light to the confronting viewing field from the infrared LED 2, receives the reflected light from the object in the photo diode 3, and calculates the distance from the time difference. The motor 7 is operated, and the motor 7 is stopped in the next viewing field, and emission from the infrared LED 2, reception by the photo diode 7, and distance calculation are repeated. As clear from Fig. 3, it is known that an object of high temperature is present in the ninth viewing field from start of rotation of the motor 7, and is located before toward the apparatus from the wall. (Embodiment 2) Fig. 4 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a second embodiment. In Fig. 4, the infrared ray radiated from the thermal object is intermittently interrupted of its optical path by a cylindrical chopper 9. The light is further condensed by an infrared ray condenser lens 11, and is focused on the photo sensor inside an infrared ray array sensor 8 through a slit 13 of the infrared ray array sensor 8. The infrared ray condenser lens 11 and infrared ray array sensor 8 are supported by a sensor fixing unit 12. In this embodiment, the infrared ray array sensor 8 comprises eight photo sensors, and the viewing field distribution in the vertical direction with the sensor installed as a height of 1.2 m is shown in Fig. 5. The viewing field that can be detected by one photo sensor is a range from a sold line to a solid line, at 6 degrees in the vertical direction. Therefore, the total of eight photo sensors is 48 degrees. On the other hand, the distance sensor 5 is installed beneath the infrared ray sensor 10, and the optical axes in the horizontal direction are adjusted to be in same direction. The near infrared ray emitted from the infrared LED 2 is condensed into a beam of angle of 1 degree by a lens 15 for infrared LED, and is projected on the object. The returning beam reflected by the object is condensed by a lens 14 for photo diode and enters the photo diode 3. In this embodiment, the number of infrared LEDs 2 and photo diodes 3 is four respectively, and the viewing field distribution in the vertical direction by installing the sensor at a height of 1.2 m is shown in Fig. 6. The single-dot chain line refers to the optical axes of near infrared ray, and they are arranged in the vertical direction so as to detect a lying person on the floor, a sitting person, and a standing person by the window. Of course, the optical axes in the vertical direction of each pair of infrared LED 2 and photo diode 3 are in coincidence. The infrared ray sensor 10 and distance sensor 4 are fixed on a sensor turntable 20. When a stepping motor 21 rotates, its driving force is transmitted to the sensor turntable 20 through a rotary belt 22. In the first viewing field, a cylindrical chopper 9 is rotated by the infrared ray sensor 10, and the one-dimensional temperature distribution of the space is measured, while, at the same time, the one-dimensional distance distribution of the space is measured by the distance sensor 4. Consequently, rotating the stepping motor 21 by a specific angle, the sensor is directed to the next viewing field and is stopped. Herein, at every 3 degrees in the horizontal direction, the one-dimensional temperature distribution and distance distribution of the space are measured in the same manner as mentioned above. Similarly, continuous viewing fields are measured, and by connecting the information, two-dimensional temperature distribution and distance distribution of the space are obtained. (Embodiment 3) Fig. 7 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a third embodiment, modifying the thermal object measuring apparatus of embodiment 2. The measuring procedure is same as explained in embodiment 2, but this embodiment is simplified in structure of apparatus by using only one lens 14 for photo diode and one photo diode 3. In order not to sacrifice the precision, the lens 14 for photo diode is wider in area. Eight infrared LEDs 2 are used. The method of calculating the distance by receiving the near infrared ray from the plurality of infrared LEDs 2 by one photo diode 3 is explained below. A time chart of sensor signal of the distance sensor 4 is shown in Fig. 8. When the emission by the first infrared LED 2 and emission by the second infrared LED 2 (similarly hereinafter, emission by the n-th infrared LED 2 and emission by the n+1-th infrared LED 2) are delayed by 10 µsec each, if the distance to the object is not more than scores of meters, the reflected light returning from the object arrives at a delay of within 100 nsec, and hence it is easy to measure by sampling by measuring the timing. (Embodiment 4) Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a fourth embodiment, modifying the thermal object measuring apparatus of embodiment 3. The measuring procedure is same as explained in embodiment 2 and embodiment 3, but this embodiment is simplified in structure of apparatus by using one lens 15 for infrared LEd disposed on the front side of the infrared LEDs 2 disposed in an array. So as not to sacrifice the precision, the lens 15 for infrared LED is wider in area. Of course, each optical axis of the arrayed infrared LEDs 2 is adjusted. In this method, the number of parts can be curtailed and the size is reduced without lowering the precision. (Embodiment 5) Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a thermal object measuring apparatus in a fifth embodiment. In Fig. 10, an analog signal obtained from the infrared sensor 10 is A/D converted in an infrared ray sensor signal processor 25. On the other hand, the sensor signal obtained from the distance sensor 4 is A/D converted as distance information in a distance sensor signal processor 26. The two-dimensional temperature distribution information of the space outputted from the distance sensor signal processor 25 is displayed in a thermal image display unit 27 by using a color display suited to each temperature. The two-dimensional distance distribution outputted from the distance sensor signal processor 26 is displayed in a distance distribution display unit 38 by using a color display suited to each distance. Herein, the infrared ray sensor signal processor 25 and the distance sensor signal processor 26 compose sensor signal processing means, and the thermal image display unit 27 and distance distribution display unit 28 compose image display means. As the infrared ray sensor 10 and distance sensor 4, any corresponding unit disclosed in embodiment 1 to embodiment 4 may be used. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a mode of measurement by using the thermal object measuring apparatus in the fifth embodiment. In the room shown in Fig. 11, there are closet 33 and sofa 32, and a sensor unit of the thermal object measuring apparatus of this embodiment is installed on the wall. Suppose the condition in which sunlight 35 enters from outside, and the sofa 32 in the room is warmed. First, the distance image of an unmanned room is preliminarily measured by the distance sensor. When a person carrying a bag enters the room, the sensor unit 31 is actuated to measure the two-dimensional thermal image by the infrared ray sensor and the distance image of the object by the distance sensor. The distance image cuts out the newly emerging object image by the difference from the distance image of the initial state measured preliminarily. Therefore, the sofa 32 is initially present and is not produced as object image. The result is shown in Fig. 12 together with the thermal image obtained by the infrared sensor. The dark area indicates the thermal image, and the shaded area is the object pattern cut out from the distance image. The thermal image is recognized at the position of the human body 34 and near the sofa 32, and in the object pattern cutout from the distance image, the position of the human body 34 and the position of bag 36 are confirmed. When detecting an invading human body, if judged by the thermal image only, two persons are judged at the position of the actual human body 34 and at the position of the sofa 32, and if judged by the data of the distance sensor only, two persons are also newly judged at the position of the actual human body 34 and at the position of the bag 36 as invading objects. However, by combining the thermal image and object detection, of the newly invading objects, only the human body overlaps with the thermal image, so that one human body is judged, and thereby the human body can be detected precisely. Moreover, supposing there are plural human bodies, when one person is present nearby, and when plural people are present at one remote place, it is hard to judge by one measured temperature distribution alone, but it is possible to judge empirically from the time-course change values of the take-in temperature distribution. By introducing the fuzzy theory using membership function in the judgment, it is possible to judge at higher precision. Such information may be applied, for example, in the viewer survey and control of air-conditioning and lighting system. (Embodiment 6) Fig. 14 is a plan view explaining a sixth embodiment. In the apparatus of the first embodiment, the infrared ray sensor 1 and distance sensor 4 rotate on a same rotary shaft, but in this embodiment they are fixed in the upper part of a sensor fixing table on each independent rotary shaft. When a DC servo motor 21 rotates, its driving force is transmitted to the sensor fixing table 20 through a rotary belt 22. Since the infrared ray sensor 1 and distance sensor 4 are mounted on independent rotary shafts, the infrared ray sensor 1 is less affected by the thermal generation of the distance sensor 4, and the height of the apparatus itself can be lowered, too. Therefore, this apparatus can be easily incorporated into television or other appliances. Incidentally, the means for transmitting the driving force of the DC servo motor 21 is not limited to belt, but gear or others may be also used. (Embodiment 7) Fig. 15 is a diagram explaining a seventh embodiment, in which an analog signal obtained from the infrared ray sensor 10 is A/D converted in the infrared ray sensor signal processor 25. On the other hand, the sensor signal obtained from the distance sensor 4 is A/D converted as the distance information by the distance sensor signal processor 26. Moreover, by using a signal from a temperature detector 40 for measuring the temperature of the distance sensor 4, a temperature characteristic compensation unit 41 provided in the apparatus compensates for temperature of the distance sensor 4. That is, the temperature characteristic compensation unit 41 compensates for the distance data in the distance sensor signal processor 26. This compensation enhances the detection precision. Others are same as in other embodiments. (Embodiment 8) Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining an eighth embodiment, in which (A) is an outline structural diagram showing the distance sensor in the thermal object measuring apparatus of the embodiment, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing the detected viewing field distribution of the distance sensor. The distance sensor in this embodiment comprises a plurality (eight in this example) of pairs of infrared LEDs 2 and photo diodes 3, disposed in a horizontal direction., and the detecting direction of each pair of infrared LED 2 and photo diode 3 is set at an interval of, for example, 5 degrees within the horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 13 (B). On the other hand, as the infrared ray sensor as thermal sensor, any one of infrared ray sensors disclosed in embodiment 1 to embodiment 7 may be incorporated. This embodiment is effective when information at a certain height can be obtained in the vertical direction, and rotary scanning is not necessary as the distance sensor, so that the measuring time is short. Moreover, since the infrared ray is used for distance detection, as compared with the distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, a distance distribution within a horizontal plane can be obtained in an extremely short time up to a long distance. Herein, the interval in the detecting direction is 5 degrees, but it may be freely adjusted to the rotary scanning interval of the infrared ray sensor. Thus, since the distance distribution up to a long distance can be obtained in a very short time, it may be also considered to be applied as a distance detector, by making use of the distance sensor only, for detecting distance of, for example, plural moving objects, or separating individual moving objects. (Embodiment 9) Fig. 16 is a diagram explaining a viewer survey system in a ninth embodiment. The thermal object measuring apparatus is placed on a television or the like, and its people counter 42 counts the number of human bodies in the sensor detection range on the basis of the signal from the infrared ray sensor 10 and distance sensor 4. A television data processor 44 outputs the television on/off state, and the channel and time zone of the program being presently broadcast. On the other hand, the people before the television enter the status of viewing by using the individual remote controllers through a data input unit 43. Judging means 46 enters the output from the data input unit 43 and output from the people counter 42, and judges if the both coincide or not. As a result, if coinciding, a data transmitter 45 transmits the information from the television data processor 44 to the viewer survey center through telephone circuit or the like. If not coinciding, the judging means 46 warns the people before the television by sounding the buzzer or flickering the LED, urging the input of the status of viewing. The viewer manipulates the data input unit 43 in reaction to the warning. In this way, by rotating and scanning the pyroelectric type infrared ray sensor with chopper and distance sensor composed of infrared LED and photo diode, two-dimensional temperature distribution and the distance information of the object in the space can be obtained, so that the human body can be detected at high precision. Furthermore, using near infrared ray in distance detection, and further enhancing the directivity by lens, as compared with the conventional ultrasonic method, it is easy to identify the objects by the difference in distance even in a long distance, and when counting plural people moving in overlapped positions, for example, if there is a slight deviation between people, if they may be recognized by one person by infrared ray sensor, they can be separated by detecting the distance in distance in the longitudinal direction as seen from the apparatus. In the foregoing embodiments, infrared LEDs are used as infrared ray emitting devices, but not limited to them, for example, infrared ray laser diode and others may be also used. In the above embodiments, photo diodes are used as light receiving elements, but photo transistors and others may be similarly used. In the embodiments, the number of infrared LEDs in the distance sensor was either four or eight, but the number of infrared LEDs is not particularly limited. Fig. 31 shows the two dimensional type apparatus. That is 1' is a two dimensional infrared ray sensor and 2' is a two dimensional infrared LED and 3' is a two dimensional photo diode. Such apparatus can get thermal image without rotation of the apparatus. Further embodiments are described below. (Embodiment 10) Fig. 17 shows an outline of a tenth embodiment, in which the measuring space is seen from above. Two thermal objects are identical objects and the surface temperature is supposed to be same. In this space, the thermal image by the pyroelectric type two-dimensional infrared ray detecting apparatus is as shown in Fig. 18. It shows the output of the infrared ray sensor is greater when the color is deeper. The thermal object A closer to the position of the detecting apparatus is detected as being larger, and the remote thermal object B as being smaller. The output or temperature level of the infrared ray sensor element is high in the thermal object A closer to the detecting apparatus, and lower in the remote thermal object B. Such relation is expression in Fig. 19. The detection area (a) of thermal image of two-dimensional thermal image of a thermal object of a certain size is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r) from the sensor. On the other hand, as for the output temperature of the infrared ray sensor element, since this detecting apparatus operates by light condensation by the lens, the period in which the portion having a certain surface temperature is out of the viewing field of the sensor because it is close to the sensor as shown in Fig. 20 is constant (left side of the diagram). However, where (r) is greater, it becomes a mean output in the entire detected region, and hence the temperature output of the infrared ray sensor element decreases (right side of the drawing). In other words, by correcting the size or temperature output of the object thermal image in the two-dimensional thermal image by the infrared ray detecting apparatus, by the position information of the object, the size or surface temperature of the thermal object can be specified accurately. Fig. 21 shows correction of thermal image in Fig. 18 by the distance information by the object detecting means. After correction, both were detected at same size and same temperature level. (Embodiment 11) Fig. 23 shows a thermal image obtained by correction of the two-dimensional thermal image by the infrared ray detecting apparatus in the measuring space in Fig. 22 by using the distance information obtained by using the object position detecting means. Reference numeral 1 denotes an infrared ray detecting apparatus, 62 is a portable computer, 63 is a human body, and 64 is a heating unit. Object (a) is similar to the human body in the temperature level, but is very small in size as compared with human body (b). Since it is corrected, (a) is judged not to be a human body. In addition, by considering the corrected temperature level of thermal object, for example, a very hot object such as the heating unit 64 and the human body (a) can be distinguished, and the human body can be judged at higher precision. In this method, an object over 50 degrees Celsius can be judged. (Embodiment 12) In Fig. 24, as an infrared ray detector, a plurality of pyroelectric type infrared ray sensor elements 81 disposed in an array are used, and an ultrasonic sensor 82 for transmitting ultrasonic waves and receiving reflected waves is used as object position detecting means, and their directions are continuously rotated. Two-dimensional thermal images and ultrasonic echo patterns obtained by such apparatus are shown in Fig. 25 and Fig. 26. Reference numeral 83 is a thermal object. By the ultrasonic echo pattern (Fig. 25), the position of the thermal object in the two-dimensional thermal image can be identified, and by correcting the thermal image (Fig. 26) by the distance between the sensor 81 and object 83 obtained therefrom, the size and temperature level of the thermal object can be determined precisely. Alternatively, by preliminarily detecting the background object position in the measuring state in an unmanned state by a signal from the ultrasonic sensor 82, and comparing with the signal from the detecting means when measuring, the newly entering object can be detected, and it is possible to decrease the judging errors of taking non-human objects as human bodies. (Embodiment 13) Fig. 28 shows a two-dimensional thermal image by infrared ray detecting means in the measuring space in Fig. 27. Plural human bodies 47 are very close to each other, and they are detected as one big thermal image (area A) in the thermal image. As the countermeasure, preliminarily, the relation between the distance between the infrared ray detecting apparatus 1 and human body 47, and the detection area (a) per human body 47 is investigated, and a curve as shown in Fig. 29 is plotted. When measuring the number of people existing in the room, the detecting area per human body 47 is obtained from the distance (r) obtained by the object position detecting means, and the area of the detected thermal image is divided (A/a), so that the number of human bodies 47 contained in the thermal image can be calculated. (Embodiment 14) Fig. 30 shows an outline of a detecting system of the number and position of people existing in a room composed of an infrared ray detecting apparatus 91 as infrared ray detecting means and an ultrasonic detecting apparatus as object position detecting means. Output signals from the infrared ray detecting apparatus 91 and ultrasonic wave detecting apparatus 92 are recomposed into two-dimensional thermal image and ultrasonic echo pattern by a signal processing apparatus 93, and sent into a data processing apparatus 94. In the data processing apparatus 94 as correcting means, the transmitted two-dimensional thermal image is corrected by distance factor, and the human body is extracted by the detecting method from the corrected thermal image, and the number of people in the room is calculated. The result is displayed in a display device 95, and is recorded in a stationary memory or the like by a recording apparatus 96. By transmitting the output information from this system to the communication system, moreover, it can be utilized in monitoring system and others. The object position detecting means of the invention may be means for measuring the distance by transmitting electromagnetic waves and receiving reflected waves. Of course it may be means for measuring the distance by making use of the infrared ray sensor. In the foregoing embodiments, the sensor signal processing means, thermal object detecting means, and other means are composed of exclusive hardware, but instead similar functions may be also composed in the software by using computers. As clear from the description herein, according to the invention, the apparatus for detecting thermal object can be manufactured at low cost and in small size, and the detecting precision can be enhanced. It is also possible to detect the number and position of human bodies accurately.

Claims: A method for detecting an object, comprising the steps of: detecting two-dimensional thermal image information for a measuring space representing temperature levels produced by a thermal image detecting means (92), and detecting distance data indicating a distance between said thermal image detecting means (92) and an object within said measuring space characterized by the step of correcting either a temperature level or a size of an object in said thermal image information by employing said distance data as correction factor. A method for detecting a human body comprising the steps according to claim 1. A method for detecting a human body according to claim 2, wherein a number of persons is calculated by dividing an area of said detected thermal image by an area per person employing a detected distance between said image detecting means (92) and a human body. > An apparatus for detecting an object, comprising: image detecting means (92, 93) for detecting two-dimensional thermal image information representing temperature levels within a measuring space, and distance detecting means (91, 93) for detecting distance data indicating a distance between said image detecting means (92) and an object within said measuring space characterized by correcting means (94) for correcting a temperature level or a size of an object in said two-dimensional thermal image information by employing said distance data as a correction factor. An apparatus for detecting an object according to claim 4, wherein said image detecting means (92) is an infrared ray detecting means (10) capable of obtaining a two-dimensional thermal image information by continuously rotating an infrared ray array sensor element (8) having a plurality of detectors disposed in an array. An apparatus for detecting an object according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said distance detecting means (91) is an ultrasonic detecting means capable of obtaining distance information by continuously rotating an ultrasonic sensor adapted for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving a reflected wave. An apparatus for detecting an object according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said distance detecting means (91) is measuring a distance by transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving a reflected wave. An apparatus for detecting a human body, comprising an apparatus for detecting an object according to an of claims 4 to 7 and further comprising: judging means (94) for judging, based on the corrected thermal image information, whether or not an object represents a human body, and calculation means (94) for calculating a number of persons by dividing an area of said detected two-dimensional thermal image information by an area per person using a distance between said image detecting means (92, 93) and a human body.

Inventors: HASHIMOTO KAZUHIKO, KAWAI TETSUYA, MORINAKA KATSUYA, YOSHIIKE NOBUYUKI, HASHIMOTO, KAZUHIKO, KAWAI, TETSUYA, MORINAKA, KATSUYA, YOSHIIKE, NOBUYUKI
Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G01S17
IPC codes: G01S17, G06K9, G08B29, G08B13, G01S15