Effective quad-detector occupancy sensors and motion detectors

• US 6,756,595 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electro-Optic Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Electro-Optic Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Barone, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Application Number:
  US09/952,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 250/DIG.1, 250/353, 250/349
• US Class Current: 250/349
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0266 Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/07 Arrangements for adjusting the solid angle of collected radiation, e.g. adjusting or orienting field of view, tracking position or encoding angular position optical collimating elements G01J5/0806
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0846 having multiple detectors for performing different types of detection, e.g. using radiometry and reflectometry channels
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0875 Windows; Arrangements for fastening thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improving the sensitivity, angular resolution and range of motion detectors, occupancy sensors and similar systems are described. Specifically, an improved infrared input and detection section is described which utilizes two dual-detectors configured to optimally operate equivalent to a single quad-detector.

Claims

1. A radiation detection system, comprising:

a housing including a surface having an opening for receiving incident radiation;

an array of lens elements disposed across said opening of said housing;

a first radiation detector including a pair of sensitive areas; and

a second radiation detector including a pair of sensitive areas, wherein said first and second radiation detectors are positioned so that as the direction of the incident radiation varies, at least one element of the lens array at least partially focuses the incident radiation successively onto at least three of four sensitive areas,

each of said sensitive areas generating an abrupt change in electrical output to activate an alarm in response to focused incident radiation moving onto or off of any one of the at least three of four sensitive areas.

2. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, wherein said lens array is a Fresnel lens array.

3. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, wherein said first detector is positioned adjacent to said second detector.

4. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, wherein each of said sensitive areas for each of said first and second detectors is about 1 mm wide and separated from one another by about 1 mm.

5. The radiation detection system according to claim 4, wherein said lens array has a center line and wherein said first detector is disposed on a first side of the center line and said second detector is disposed on a second side of the center line.

6. The radiation detection system according to claim 5, wherein said pair of sensitive areas of said first detector are separated a distance of about 5 mm from said pair of sensitive areas of said second detector.

7. The radiation detection system according to claim 5, wherein a sensitive area of said pair of sensitive areas of said first detector is separated by about 5 mm from a sensitive area of said pair of sensitive areas of said second detector.

8. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means disposed within the housing adjacent to the opening and structured and arranged for directing radiation received thereon to the interior of the housing.

9. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, wherein said first detector in combination with said second detector define a quad-detector.

10. The radiation detection system according to claim 1, wherein said lens array further comprises:

at least one additional element configured and adapted to at least partially focus incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector for at least some angles of the incident radiation between those angles for which the at least one lens element at least partially focuses incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector.

11. A radiation detection system, comprising:

a housing including a surface having an opening for receiving incident radiation;

an array of Fresnel lens elements disposed across said opening of said housing; and

a radiation detector including at least four sensitive areas positioned so that as the direction of the incident radiation varies, at least one element of the lens array at least partially focuses the incident radiation successively onto at least three of the four sensitive areas

each of said sensitive areas generating an abrupt change in electrical output to activate an alarm in response to focused incident radiation moving onto or off of any one of the at least three of four sensitive areas.

12. The radiation detection system according to claim 11, wherein the radiation detector comprises:

a first sensitive area;

a second sensitive area spacially separated from said first sensitive area;

a third sensitive area spacially separated from said second sensitive area on a side opposite said first sensitive area; and

a fourth sensitive area spacially separated from said third sensitive area on a side opposite said second sensitive area.

13. The radiation detection system according to claim 12, wherein said spacial separation between said first and second sensitive areas is about 1 mm.

14. The radiation detection system according to claim 12, wherein said spacial separation between said second and third sensitive areas is about 5 mm.

15. The radiation detection system according to claim 12, wherein said spacial separation between said third and fourth sensitive areas is about 1 mm.

16. The radiation detection system according to claim 15, wherein said first, second, third and fourth sensitive areas are arranged symmetrically about a center line of the lens array.

17. The radiation detection system according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of sensitive areas define a quad-detector.

18. The radiation detection system according to claim 12, wherein said spacial separation between said first and second sensitive areas is about 1 mm, said spacial separation between said second and third sensitive areas is about 5 mm, and said spacial separation between said third and fourth sensitive areas is about 1 mm.

19. The radiation detection system according to claim 11, further comprising:

directing means disposed within the housing adjacent to the opening and structured and arranged to direct radiation received thereon to the interior of the housing.

20. The radiation detection system according to claim 19, wherein said directing means includes at least one mirror disposed adjacent an edge of the opening.

21. The radiation detection system according to claim 11, wherein said lens array further comprises:

at least one additional element configured and adapted to at least partially focus incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector for at least some angles of the incident radiation between those angles for which the at least one lens element at least partially focuses incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector.

22. A radiation detection system, comprising:

a housing including a surface having an opening for receiving incident radiation;

an array of Fresnel lens elements disposed across said opening of said housing, wherein said lens array includes a center line; and

a pair of dual detectors, wherein each of said pair of dual detectors includes a pair of sensitive areas separated by about 1 mm and wherein the pair of sensitive areas of a first of said pair of dual detectors is separated from the pair of sensitive areas of a second of said pair of dual detectors by about 5 mm, whereby said pair of dual detectors defines a quad-detector, wherein the detectors are positioned so that as the direction of the incident radiation varies, at least one element of the lens array at least partially focuses the incident radiation successively onto at least three of the four sensitive areas

each of said sensitive areas generating an abrupt change in electrical output to activate an alarm in response to focused incident radiation moving onto or off of any one of the at least three of four sensitive areas.

23. The radiation detection system according to claim 22, wherein said lens array further comprises:

at least one additional element configured and adapted to at least partially focus incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector for at least some angles of the incident radiation between those angles for which the at least one lens element at least partially focuses incident radiation onto a sensitive area of a detector.

24. A radiation detection system, comprising:

a housing including a surface having an opening for receiving incident radiation;

an array of lens elements disposed across said opening of said housing;

four independent, radiation-detecting sensitive areas positioned so that as the direction of the incident radiation varies, at least one element of the lens array at least partially focuses the incident radiation successively onto at least three of the four sensitive areas,

each one of the four independent, radiation-detecting sensitive areas generating an abrupt change in electrical output to activate an alarm in response to focused incident radiation moving onto or off of any one of the four sensitive areas.