Environment monitor
First Claim
1. An environment monitoring apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of sensors for separating incident infrared radiation into a plurality of wavelength bands, sensing the intensity of infrared radiation of each separated wavelength band, and enabling detecting of a temperature of a monitored area on the basis of outputs of the sensors;
a disc having a plurality of radially aligned slits, each slit having approximately the same width as a diameter of a photoreceptor of a sensor anda rotary chopper being arranged to coaxially rotate with said disc, wherein when one of the slits faces a sensor, the disc and the chopper are rotated at a rotational speed so that the incident infrared radiation into each sensor is chopped 2 to 16 times by the chopper; and
wherein said plurality of sensors are arranged in at least two sets, each set of which comprises a plurality of sensors for sensing infrared radiation at different wavelength bands relative to one another, the sensors being arranged behind the chopper and the disc along a radial direction centered at a rotational axis of the chopper.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disc having a plurality of slits radially each of which have approximately the same width as a diameter of a photoreceptor of the sensor, and a rotary chopper, are arranged to coaxially rotate. When one of the slits faces a sensor, the disc and the chopper are rotated at a rotational speed so that the incident infrared radiation into the sensor is chopped 2-16 times by the chopper. At least two sets of sensors, each set of which comprises a plurality of sensors for sensing infrared radiation of different wavelength bands to one another, the sensors being arranged behind the chopper and the disc along a radial direction centered at the rotational axis of the chopper, are provided. Accordingly, because detection signals by scanning a monitored area in a X-direction and a Y-direction respectively are obtained, it is possible to easily recognize the position where the disastrous fire occurs in the visual field and to detect positions of disastrous fires in distinction from one another even if those occur at a plurality of positions.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. An environment monitoring apparatus comprising:
-
a plurality of sensors for separating incident infrared radiation into a plurality of wavelength bands, sensing the intensity of infrared radiation of each separated wavelength band, and enabling detecting of a temperature of a monitored area on the basis of outputs of the sensors; a disc having a plurality of radially aligned slits, each slit having approximately the same width as a diameter of a photoreceptor of a sensor and a rotary chopper being arranged to coaxially rotate with said disc, wherein when one of the slits faces a sensor, the disc and the chopper are rotated at a rotational speed so that the incident infrared radiation into each sensor is chopped 2 to 16 times by the chopper; and wherein said plurality of sensors are arranged in at least two sets, each set of which comprises a plurality of sensors for sensing infrared radiation at different wavelength bands relative to one another, the sensors being arranged behind the chopper and the disc along a radial direction centered at a rotational axis of the chopper. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of monitoring an environment comprising the steps of:
-
arranging a plurality of sensors into at least two sets; rotating a rotary chopper and a disc at a rotational speed whereby incident infrared radiation into each sensor is chopped 2 to 16 times; separating incident infrared radiation into a plurality of wavelength bands; sensing said infrared radiation by said sensors at different wavelength bands relative to each sensor; sensing the intensity of said infrared radiation of each separated wavelength band by said sensors; and detecting temperature of said environment on the basis of outputs of said sensors. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
Specification