Monitoring apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A monitoring device comprising:
- a distance sensor installed facing monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target;
a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the output of said distance sensor; and
a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated change over time,wherein said detection processor determines the condition of said monitored target based on either or both of the period and amplitude of periodic changes in said detected changes in shape.
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Abstract
To provide a monitoring device which can detect conditions of a sleeping person reliably and which is simple. A monitoring device comprising: multiple independent distance sensors 11 installed facing different positions in a monitored target area 50 to be monitored for measuring a distance to a monitored target 2, a calculating unit 22 for calculating changes over time in the outputs of the distance sensors 11, and a detection processor 23 for detecting changes in shape of the monitored target 2 based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple distance sensor 11 among the multiple distance sensors 11.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A monitoring device comprising:
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a distance sensor installed facing monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the output of said distance sensor; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated change over time, wherein said detection processor determines the condition of said monitored target based on either or both of the period and amplitude of periodic changes in said detected changes in shape.
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2. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor selects an output which showed the largest change over time within a predetermined period of time in the immediate past and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on change over time in said output.
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3. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor selects all of said multiple distance sensors, obtains the total of changes over time in the distances, and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on said total.
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4. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor calculates the frequency spectra of all the outputs from said multiple distance sensors, selects a distance sensor whose output has a frequency spectrum with a peak having a sharpness which is a predetermined value or higher and the highest among the calculated frequency spectra, and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on changes over time in the selected distance sensor.
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5. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitorecPtarget based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor calculates the frequency spectra of outputs from the distance sensors which detected a change over time having an absolute value within a predetermined range, selects a distance sensor whose output has a frequency spectrum with a peak having a sharpness which is a predetermined value or higher and the highest among the calculated frequency spectra, and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on changes over time in the selected distance sensor.
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6. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor calculates the frequency spectra of outputs from a plurality of the distance sensors which detected a change over time having one of the largest absolute values, selects a distance sensor whose output has a frequency spectrum with a peak having a sharpness which is a predetermined value or higher and the highest among said calculated frequency spectra, and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on changes over time in the selected distance sensor.
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7. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor selects changes over time having absolute values which are larger than a predetermined value and detects change in shape of said monitored target based on the average of said selected changes over time.
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8. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor selects changes over time having absolute values which are larger than a predetermined value and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on the average of said absolute values of the selected changes over time.
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9. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said detection processor compares the phases of changes over time relating to a plurality of the selected distance sensors each other, classifies said changes over time into groups according to the similarity of said phases, obtains the total of said changes over time in each group, calculates the difference between the totals of groups, the groups having approximately opposite phases each other, and detects changes in shape of said monitored target based on the value obtained by said calculation.
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10. A monitoring device comprising:
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a distance sensor installed facing monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the output of said distance sensor; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated change over time, wherein said distance sensor has light emitting means for emitting a light flux to said monitored target and an imaging optical system for forming an image of a light emission pattern generated on said monitored target by said light emitting means, and obtains an output corresponding to the distance by trigonometry based on the position where imaging pattern light is formed into an image by said imaging optical system.
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11. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said distance sensor has light emitting means for emitting a light flux to said monitored target and an imaging optical system for forming an image of a light emission pattern generated on said monitored target by said light emitting means, and obtains an output corresponding to the distance by trigonometry based on the position where imaging pattern light is formed into an image by said imaging optical system.
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12. A monitoring device comprising:
- a distance sensor installed facing monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target;
a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the output of said distance sensor; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated change over time, wherein said distance sensor has at least two imaging units for forming images of said monitored target with individual optical axes and obtains an output corresponding to the distance by trigonometry based on information on the position where said images are formed from said imaging units.
- a distance sensor installed facing monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target;
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13. A monitoring device comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring a distance to a monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in the outputs of each of the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distance sensors among the multiple sensors, wherein said distance sensor has at least two imaging units for forming images of said monitored target with individual optical axes and obtains an output corresponding to the distance by trigonometry based on information on the position where said images are formed from said imaging units.
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14. A monitoring method comprising the steps of:
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measuring a distances to multiple different positions within a monitored target area to measure the distances to a monitored target changing in shape within said monitored area; calculating changes over time in the multiple distances; and detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distances among changes over time, wherein an output which showed the largest change over time within a predetermined period of time in the immediate past is selected and changes in shape of said monitored target are detected based on change over time in said output in said step of detecting.
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15. A monitoring method comprising the steps of:
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measuring a distances to multiple different positions within a monitored target area to measure the distances to a monitored target changing in shape within said monitored area; calculating changes over time in the multiple distances; and detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distances among changes over time, wherein changes over time having absolute values which are larger than a predetermined value are selected and changes in shape of said monitored target are detected based on the average of the selected changes over time in said step of detecting.
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16. A monitoring method comprising the steps of:
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measuring a distances to multiple different positions within a monitored target area to measure the distances to a monitored target changing in shape within said monitored area; calculating changes over time in the multiple distances; and detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distances among changes over time, wherein changes over time having absolute values which are larger than a predetermined value are selected and changes in shape of said monitored target are detected based on the average of said absolute values of said selected changes over time in said step of detecting.
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17. A monitoring method comprising the steps of:
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measuring a distances to multiple different positions within a monitored target area to measure the distances to a monitored target changing in shape within said monitored area; calculating changes over time in the multiple distances; and detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time in one or multiple selected distances among changes over time, wherein each of the phases of changes over time relating to the multiple distances are compared to each other, said changes are classified into groups according to the similarity of said phases, the total of said changes over time in each group is obtained, the difference between the totals of groups, the groups having approximately opposite phases each other, is calculated, and changes in shape of said monitored target are detected based on the value obtained by the calculation in said step of detecting.
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18. A monitoring device comprising:
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a distance sensor for measuring a distance to a monitored target in a monitored target area; a calculating unit for calculating changes in output from said distance sensor over time; and detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time; wherein said distance sensor has light emitting means for emitting a light flux to said monitored target, an imaging optical system for forming an image of a light emission pattern generated on said monitored target by said light emitting means, and a light receiving surface installed in the vicinity of the position where said imaging optical system forms an image and divided into a plurality of light receiving regions for receiving imaging pattern light from said formed image of said light emission pattern; and
further has a position information output unit for receiving signals from said light receiving regions, comparing the intensities of imaging pattern light incident on said light receiving regions each other based on the receive signals, and outputting information on the position where an imaging pattern is formed corresponding to the distance to said monitored target. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A monitoring device comprising:
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a distance sensor for measuring a distance to a monitored target in a monitored target area; a calculating unit for calculating changes in the output from said distance sensor over time; and detection processor for detecting changes in shape of said monitored target based on the calculated changes over time; wherein said distance sensor has light emitting means for emitting a light flux to said monitored target, an imaging optical system for forming an image of a light emission pattern generated on said monitored target by said light emitting means, light receiving means disposed in the vicinity of the position where said imaging optical system forms an image for receiving imaging pattern light from said formed image of said light emission pattern; and
a position information output unit for outputting information on the position where an imaging pattern is formed corresponding to the distance to said monitored target based on the position where imaging pattern light is formed into an image on said light receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A monitoring device, comprising:
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a sensor for detecting a variable correlating to a distance to an monitored target in a monitored target area; a calculating unit for calculating a distance-related value based on said variable output from said sensor; a determination unit for determining if there are changes in the shape of said monitored target based on the calculated distance-related value; wherein said determination unit determines that said monitored target has had a first change in shape when said distance-related value is the same or larger than a first threshold, and lower than a second threshold, with said second threshold being larger than said first threshold; and wherein said determination unit determines that said monitored target has had a second change in shape, which is different from said first change in shape, when said distance-related value is the same or larger than a second threshold value, and lower than a third threshold, with said third threshold being larger than said second threshold. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A monitoring device, comprising:
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a sensor for detecting a variable correlating to the distance to a monitored target in a monitored target area; a calculating unit for calculating a distance-related value based on said variable output from said sensor; a determination unit for determining if there are changes in the shape of said monitored target based on said calculated distance-related value; wherein said determination unit determines that said monitored target has deviated from said monitored target area when no change in shape of said monitored target can be detected within a first predetermined period of time after said distance-related value has exceeded a third threshold. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A monitoring device, comprising:
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multiple independent distance sensors installed facing different positions respectively within a monitored target area for measuring the distances to an monitored target; a calculating unit for calculating changes over time in respectively the outputs from the multiple distance sensors; and a detection processor for selecting the distance sensor which detected the largest change over time within a predetermined period of time in the immediate past, and detect changes in shape of said monitored target based on changes over time detected by said selected distance sensor; wherein said detection processor selects a distance sensor which detected the largest change over time within a predetermined period of time after said monitored target has been in a quiet state, and detects changes in the shape of said monitored target based on changes over time detected by the selected distance sensor when movement of said monitored target has been detected.
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Specification