Patent ID: 8018338

Claim:
A detection process performed in a detector, comprising the steps of: a. operating the detector in an active detection mode where the detector actively monitors a surrounding area to obtain a first detected value therefor, and temporarily storing the first detected value in a memory unit to serve as an initial environmental parameter; b. switching from the active detection mode to an passive detection mode where the detector is adapted for outputting a signal for operating a downstream device upon detecting the entry of a living object into the surrounding area monitored by the detector; and c. intermittently switching from the passive detection mode to the active detection mode where the detector actively monitors the surrounding area to obtain a second detected value therefor, and comparing the second detected value with the initial environmental parameter that is temporarily stored in the memory unit, and outputting a signal for operating the downstream device when the second detected value substantially deviates from the initial environmental parameter while outputting a signal for bringing the downstream device out of operation only when the second detected value does not substantially deviate from the initial environmental parameter.