Active IR intrusion detector

• US 5,675,150 A
• Filed: 01/30/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cerberus ABP Investor LLC (Cerberus Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Cerberus ABP Investor LLC (Cerberus Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Kunz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Application Number:
  US08/592,363
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 250/341.1, 250/341.8
• US Class Current: 250/341.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/187 by interference of a radiation field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/183 Single detectors using dual technologies G08B13/1672, G08B13/2448, G08B13/2494 take precedence

Abstract

The infrared detector contains an emitter (4), a receiver (5) and an analysis circuit (2'"'"') for obtaining a working signal (Un). The analysis circuit (2'"'"') contains a controller (29) for outputting a compensating signal (Ik) superimposed over the incoming signal (Ie), which on the one hand receives the working signal (Un) and on the other hand is connected to the output of the receiver (5). The compensating signal (Ik) is selected so that the working signal (Un) is corrected to the value zero so that the maximum sensitivity is retained at all times.

Claims

1. Active infrared detector for detecting movements in a monitored room, having an emitter for emitting modulated infrared radiation into the monitored room, having a receiver for the infrared radiation reflected from the monitored room, and having an analysis circuit connected to the receiver and containing means for obtaining a working signal, characterised in that the analysis circuit (2, 2'"'"') has a controller for outputting a compensating signal (I_k) which is superimposed over the incoming signal (I_e), which on the one hand receives the working signal (U_n) and on the other hand is connected to the output of the receiver (5), and that the compensating signal is selected so that the working signal is corrected to the value zero.

2. Infrared detector according to claim 1, characterised in that a common optical system (8) is provided for the emitter (S, 4) and receiver (E, 5).

3. Infrared detector according to claim 2, characterised in that the analysis circuit (2, 2'"'"') has a first modulator (11), connected to a control stage (12, 26), for the pulse-shaped modulation of the signal emitted by the emitter (S, 4), a controlled separating filter (16) connected to the control stage, two integrators (17, 17'"'"') connected downstream of the separating filter, and a means (18) for calculating the difference between the output signals of the integrators.

4. Infrared detector according to claim 3, characterised in that the incoming signal (U_e) is routed to the integrators (17, 17'"'"'), via the separating filter (16), at the clock pulse for the modulation of the emission signal so that integration of the incoming signal over the duration of the pulse takes place in one of the integrators (17), and integration of the incoming signal over the gaps between pulses takes place in the other integrator (17'"'"').

5. Infrared detector according to claim 4, characterised in that the means (18) for calculating the difference is connected downstream of at least one comparator (20, 20'"'"') in which the working signal (U_n) is compared with at least one limit value.

6. Infrared detector according to claim 5, characterised in that two comparators (20, 20'"'"') are provided in which the working signal (U_n) is compared with an upper and a lower limit value.

7. Infrared detector according to claim 6, characterised in that the output signals from both comparators (20, 20'"'"') are tested for their sign in order to determine the direction of movement of an object detected in the monitored room.

8. Infrared detector according to claim 3, characterised in that a second modulator (21), controlled by the control stage (12), is connected downstream of the controller (19), the modulator (21) superimposing, in phase opposition, the compensating signal (I_k) over the incoming signal (I_e).

9. Infrared detector according to claim 8, characterised in that the control behaviour of the controller (19) is approximately logarithmic.

10. Infrared detector according to claim 8, characterised by a third, modulator (22) for generating an additional compensating signal (I_k'"'"') for compensating for reflections caused by the optical system (8) or by an infrared-permeable window (7) of the detector (1).

11. Infrared detector according to claim 8, characterised in that the receiver is formed by a first diode and that a second diode with identical data is connected, with reverse polarity, in parallel to the first diode, and that the difference between the photoelectric currents of the two diodes forms the incoming signal (Ie).

12. Infrared detector according to claim 11, characterised in that the first diode (5) receives the infrared radiation reflected from the monitored room and the interference radiation optionally reflected by the optical system (8) or by an infrared-permeable window (7) of the detector (1), and that the second diode (5'"'"') only receives the aforementioned interference radiation.

13. Infrared detector according to claim 12, characterised in that the first diode (5) is arranged in the focal point of the common optical system (8) and the second diode (5'"'"') is arranged outside the focal point.

14. Infrared detector according to claim 1, characterised in that the analysis circuit (2'"'"') has an analogue/digital converter (26, 30) connected downstream of the controller (29), at one of the outputs of which the digitised controller signal is obtainable and the other output of which is connected to a digital/analogue converter (25, 32) for generating a voltage corresponding to the digital signal value in each case, and that this voltage is used to generate the compensating signal (I_k).

15. Infrared detector according to claim 14, characterised in that one of the outputs of the analogue/digital converter (26, 30) is connected to a microprocessor (33).

16. Infrared detector according to claim 15, characterised in that the controller (29) receiving the working signal (U_n) is formed by a PID controller.

17. Infrared detector according to claim 16, characterised in that the working signal (U_n) is routed, in parallel to the PID controller (29), to a differential controller (31) for the differential part of the signal, and that the output of the differential controller is connected to the pulse-width/voltage converter (32).

18. Infrared detector according to claim 14 characterised in that the analogue/digital converter is formed by a signal converter (30) for converting the controller signal into a pulse-shaped signal and by a stage (26), connected downstream of the signal converter, for obtaining numerical values corresponding the magnitude of the individual pulses.

19. Infrared detector according to claim 18, characterised in that the signal converter (30) is formed by a voltage/pulse-width converter which generates a pulse-shaped signal from the analogue output signal from the controller, in which the pulse plus pause between pulses is constant and the width of the pulse is proportional to the controller signal.

20. Infrared detector according to claim 19, characterised in that the stage (26) connected downstream of the signal converter (30) has a counter (27) and a clock pulse encoder (13), wherein clock pulses corresponding to the width of the individual signal pulses are counted by the counter.

21. Infrared detector according to claim 20, characterised in that the digital/analogue converter is formed by a pulse-width/voltage converter (32) connected to a reference voltage source (25), each value of the counter (27) being converted into a voltage in the pulse-width/voltage converter (32).

22. Apparatus for detecting movements in a monitored space, comprising an infrared radiation emitter for emitting modulated infrared radiation into the monitored space, a receiver for receiving infrared radiation reflected from the monitored space and producing a corresponding incoming signal;

a circuit for receiving said incoming signal and producing a working signal; and

a compensation signal generator connected to said circuit for receiving said working signal and producing a compensating signal for adjusting said incoming signal so that said working signal is corrected substantially to zero to maximize the sensitivity of the apparatus.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22, including a common optical system for radiation from said emitter and to said receive.

24. Apparatus according to claim 22 for detecting movements in a monitored space, comprising a common optical system for radiation passing from said infrared radiation emitter into the monitored space and for radiation passing from said monitored space to said receiver.

25. Apparatus according to claim 22 for detecting movements in a monitored space, comprising an analysis circuit having a first modulator, a control unit connected to said first modulator for modulating the pulse shape of the radiation emitted by said emitter, a separating filter having an input connected to said control unit, first and second integrators each having an input connected to said separating filter, and means for calculating the difference between the output signals from said integrators.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said control unit receives clock pulses for modulating the emissions from said emitter, and wherein clock pulses are routed also through said separating filter to said first and second integrators so that integration of a signal incoming from said receiver takes place in said first integrator during the pulse and takes place in said second integrator during the gaps between pulses.

27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said means for calculating the difference is connected downstream of at least one comparator in which a working signal is compared with at least one limit value.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein two of said comparators are provided, one for comparing the working signal with an upper limit and one for comparing the working signal with a lower limit.

29. Apparatus according to claim 25, including a controller and a second modulator connected to receive inputs from both said controller and said control unit, said second modulator superimposing in phase opposition a compensating signal over the incoming signal from said receiver.

30. Apparatus according to claim 29, additionally including means for generating an additional compensating signal to compensate for incoming radiation attributable to reflections from parts of the apparatus.

31. Apparatus according to claim 22, including an analysis circuit having an analogue/digital converter for producing a digitized controller signal, a controller connected to one output of said analogue/digital converter and a digital/analogue converter connected to another output of said analogue/digital converter, said analogue/digital converter generating a voltage corresponding to the digital signal value, and means for generating a compensating signal from such voltage.

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said controller is formed by a microprocessor.

33. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said analogue/digital converter is formed by a signal converter for convening the controller signal into a pulse-shaped signal and wherein a unit downstream of the signal converter produces numerical values corresponding to the magnitude of the individual pulses.

34. Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said signal converter is formed by a voltage/pulse-width converter which generates a pulse-shaped signal from an analogue output signal from the controller, in which the pulse plus the pause between pulses is constant and the width of the pulse is proportional to the controller signal.

35. Apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said unit connected downstream of the signal converter has a counter and a clock pulse encoder, and wherein clock pulses corresponding to the width of the individual signal pulses are counted by the counter.

36. Apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said digital/analogue converter is formed by a pulse-width/voltage converter connected to a reference voltage source, and wherein each value of said counter is converted into a voltage in the pulse-width/voltage converter.

37. Apparatus for monitoring a space, comprising an infrared emitter for emitting modulated radiation into the monitored space, means for receiving infrared radiation from the monitored space and producing corresponding incoming signals;

and means for producing signals for balancing said incoming signals substantially to zero to maximize the sensitivity of the apparatus.

38. Apparatus for monitoring a space according to claim 37, including a common optical system for radiation passing from said emitter and for radiation passing to said means for receiving radiation.