Apparatus and method for detecting tampering with an infra-red motion sensor

• US 9,123,222 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ninve JR. Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ninve JR. Inc.
• Inventors: Shpater, Pinhas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Christine
• Application Number:
  US13/570,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20130240739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.1, 250/353, 250/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/193 using focusing means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/046 prevention of tampering with detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

An infra-red motion detector for monitoring motion in a monitored space is described. The motion detector includes, within a housing, an infra-red radiation sensor sensitive to infra-red radiation incident through a window. A refractive optical system within the housing selects incident infra-red radiation for redirection onto the infra-red sensor. An external light source mounted externally of the housing directs external light through the window providing a recognizable light input. A refractive Fresnel patch mounted externally to the window selects incident light from the external light source and redirects it to a tamper sensor within the housing. A detection controller processes signals output by both sensors in monitoring the space. The detection controller detects incident light from the external light source and trips a tamper alarm in failing detection, and further detects changes in infra-red radiation in the monitored space and trips an intrusion alarm upon detecting changes.

Claims

1. An infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet body comprising:

an array of Fresnel lenslets provided on said Fresnel lenslet body, each of said Fresnel lenslets corresponding to a motion detection zone for collecting and focusing light onto a passive infrared sensor target, said array of Fresnel lenslets being provided on a first side of said body to act as internal side Fresnel lenslets; and

at least one anti-masking optical structure provided on said Fresnel lenslet body within said array of Fresnel lenslets, said at least one anti-masking optical structure having an optical property that changes in the presence of a masking material, said at least one anti-masking optical structure is provided on a second side of said body to act as at least one external side anti-masking optical structure.

2. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anti-masking optical structure comprises at least one patch of refractive lenslets configured to capture light incident on said second side at a low angle from an active light source and redirect light to said first side.

3. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 2, wherein said patch of refractive lenslets do not participate in said collecting and focusing light onto said passive infrared sensor target.

4. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 2, wherein said patch of refractive lenslets participate in said collecting and focusing light onto said passive infrared sensor target.

5. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anti-masking optical structure comprises at least one external side structure for capturing incident light and at least one corresponding internal side structure for focusing captured light onto a sensor location.

6. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said anti-masking optical structure comprises one or more patches.

7. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lenslet body is essentially smooth on said second side except for said anti-masking optical structure.

8. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one optical structure is at least partly inset within said internal side Fresnel lenslets on said body.

9. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 8, wherein said optical structure occupies a central portion of a row of said internal side Fresnel lenslets.

10. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one optical structure is located on said body between two or more of said Fresnel lenslets.

11. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one optical structure is located on said body to be surrounded by said Fresnel lenslets.

12. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said passive infrared sensor target comprises is a single PIR sensor target, said Fresnel lenslets are configured for collecting and focusing light onto said single PIR sensor target.

13. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Fresnel lenslets are configured for collecting and focusing light onto two PIR sensor targets.

14. The lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one anti-masking optical structure is configured to resist water retention by said optical structure.

15. A passive infrared (PIR) motion detector comprising:

a lenslet body as claimed in claim 1;

a housing having said lenslet body mounted thereon;

at least one passive infra-red radiation sensor within said housing substantially opposite said lenslet body to receive IR light collected from said zones, said infra-red sensor being sensitive to infra-red radiation wavelengths including infra-red radiation wavelengths emanated by a human body;

at least one active light source for projecting light onto said anti-masking optical structure; and

at least one tamper sensor for detecting said light source light redirected from said anti-masking optical structure.

16. The PIR detector as claimed in claim 15, wherein said active light source is configured to project proximity detection light in front of said lenslet body, and said tamper sensor is configured to detect proximity detection light reflected from an object placed near said lenslet body.

17. The PIR detector as claimed in claim 16, wherein said active light source comprises at least one anti-masking light source directed onto said anti-masking optical structure and at least one proximity light source directed in front of said lenslet body to provide said proximity detection light.

18. The PIR detector as claimed in claim 17, wherein said anti-masking light source and said proximity light source are driven at different modulation frequencies.

20. The infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said Fresnel lenslet body comprises a sheet portion and wherein said array is formed on said sheet portion.

21. The infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet body as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical property is refraction.

19. A passive infrared (PIR) motion detector comprising:

a. an infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet body comprising;

i. an array of Fresnel lenslets provided on said body and corresponding to motion detection zones in a monitored space for collecting and focusing light onto a passive infrared sensor target; and

ii. at least one anti-masking optical structure provided on said body,

b. a housing having said lenslet body mounted thereon;

c. at least one passive infra-red radiation sensor within said housing substantially opposite said lenslet body to receive IR light collected from said zones in said monitored space, said infra-red sensor being sensitive to infra-red radiation wavelengths including infra-red radiation wavelengths emanated by a human body;

d. at least one active light source for projecting light onto said anti-masking optical structure; and

e. at least one tamper sensor for detecting said light source light redirected from said anti-masking optical structure,

wherein said active light source is configured to project proximity detection light in front of said lenslet body, and said tamper sensor is configured to detect proximity detection light reflected from an object placed near said lenslet body.

22. An infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet sheet comprising:

an arrangement of Fresnel lenslets formed in at least one surface of the lenslet sheet, each of said lenslets corresponding to a motion detection zone for collecting and focusing light onto a passive infrared sensor target,

wherein, the at least one surface of the Fresnel lenslet sheet includes at least two projecting surface portions separated by a gap, the at least two projecting surface portions and the gap being configured to refract a beam of light from outside the detector to inside the detector in a first manner when the gap is filled with a masking material and to refract the beam of light from outside the detector to inside the detector in a second manner different than the first manner when the gap is filled with ambient air such that the at least two projecting surface portions and the gap form an anti-masking optical structure.

23. The infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet sheet as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least two projecting surface portions are located between a first lenslet and a second lenslet of said arrangement of Fresnel lenslets.

24. The infra-red motion detector Fresnel lenslet sheet as claimed in claim 22, wherein the at least two projecting surface portions are surrounded by a plurality of the Fresnel lenslets.