Pyroelectric infrared detector

• US 5,468,960 A
• Filed: 05/10/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Optex Company Limited (OPTEX GROUP Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Tadashi, Amano, Hiroyuki, Ohkawa, Shingo, Murata, Norikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US08/241,222
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.2, 250/338.3, 250/342, 250/349, 250/DIG. 1, 340/567, 340/600
• US Class Current: 250/338.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/34 using capacitors, e.g. pyroelectric capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/191 using pyroelectric sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 15/10 Thermoelectric devices using thermal change of the dielectric constant, e.g. working above and below the Curie point
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

A pyroelectric infrared detector used in the intrusion detection system, the detector including a housing having an opening, at least two infrared transmissive pyroelectric layers spaced to be mutually free from thermal influence; and a plurality of electrodes formed on the surfaces of each of the pyroelectric layer, the electrodes electrically connected to each other.

Claims

1. A pyroelectric infrared detector used in an intrusion detection system, the detector comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a light transmissive filter covering the opening in the housing;

a group of at least two infrared transmissive pyroelectric layers, each layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of each layer facing the opening, and each layer in the group of layers disposed in layered relation with respect to each other layer;

a substrate layer electrically connected to each pyroelectric layer in the group of layers, the substrate layer located such that the group of layers is between the substrate layer and the opening, the substrate layer comprising an electric circuit including a field-effect transistor for converting an impedance;

a plurality of electrodes, at least one electrode formed on each of the top and bottom surfaces of each of the pyroelectric layers for transmitting electric charges occurring on each of the top surfaces caused by thermal changes due to infrared incidence on each top surface; and

means for supporting the group of pyroelectric layers and the substrate layer at spaced intervals so that the substrate layer and the group of pyroelectric layers are free from mutual thermal influence.

2. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 1, wherein each layer of the group of pyroelectric layers is an infrared transmissive polymetric layer.

3. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 1, wherein each layer of the group of pyroelectric layers is an infrared transmissive ceramic.

4. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 1, wherein each layer in the group of layers includes a first electrode on the top surface thereof and a second electrode on the bottom surface thereof, each such first and second electrodes at least partly overlapping each other to form a column infrared ray accepting area in one layer and a row infrared ray accepting area in the other layers of the group of layers, wherein each of the column and row infrared ray accepting areas is associated with a field-effect transistor and an output terminal connected to the transistor.

5. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 4, wherein each of the column and row infrared ray accepting areas is divided into at least two portions.

6. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 5, wherein the at least two portions of infrared ray accepting areas in each column are connected to each other with the same polarity and wherein the at least two portions of infrared ray accepting areas in each row are connected to each other with opposite polarity so as to cancel changes in ambient temperature and brightness.

7. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 4, wherein the column infrared ray accepting area comprises at least two columns connected to each other with opposite polarity and wherein each row infrared ray accepting area comprises at least two rows connected to each other with opposite polarity so as to cancel changes in ambient temperature and brightness.

8. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 7, wherein each of the column and row infrared ray accepting areas is divided into at least two portions.

9. The pyroelectric infrared detector according to claim 8, wherein the at least two portions of infrared ray accepting areas in each column are connected to each other with the same polarity and wherein the at least two portions of infrared ray accepting areas in each row are connected to each other with opposite polarity so as to cancel changes in ambient temperature and brightness.

10. A pyroelectric infrared detector used in an intrusion detection system, the detector comprising:

a housing having an opening for admitting light into the housing;

a light transmissive filter for filtering the light entering the housing;

at least two infrared sensors, each sensor comprising an infrared transmissive pyroelectric layer, wherein each layer has a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of each layer facing the opening and receiving the light thereon, and wherein the sensors are in layered relationship to each other within the housing;

a substrate layer comprising an electrical circuit, the substrate layer located beyond the at least two sensors and electrically connected to each of the sensors for providing a detection signal; and

means for supporting the at least two sensors and the substrate layer at spaced intervals so that the substrate layer and the at least two sensors are free from mutual thermal influence.

11. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 10 wherein each infrared sensor further comprises a base plate for supporting its infrared transmissive pyroelectric layer.

12. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 11 wherein each base plate includes an aperture for allowing light to pass therethrough.

13. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 11 wherein each infrared transmissive pyroelectric layer is constructed from a ceramic material.

14. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 11 wherein each infrared sensor includes at least two infrared ray receiving areas.

15. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 11 wherein the at least two infrared sensors comprise a first sensor disposed above a second sensor, wherein the second sensor placed at a 90°

angular displacement with respect to the first sensor.

16. The pyroelectric infrared detector of claim 15 wherein the second sensor receives light through an aperture in the first sensor.