Electronic device with pyroelectric infrared sensor for detecting object

• US 9,160,876 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanisaki, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cato, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US14/041,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 350/348, 350/347
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0029 Sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/047 Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements
• 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 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/34 using capacitors, e.g. pyroelectric capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4055 Managing power consumption, e.g. standby mode computer driven power saving management for a printer G06F3/1221; power saving in a data processing device in general G06F1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a sensor section, an oscillation mechanism, a control section, and an object determination section. The sensor section has a pyroelectric infrared sensor detecting presence of an object based on an infrared ray change. The oscillation mechanism turns the sensor section. The control section, upon the detection of the object by the sensor section, makes the oscillation mechanism start the turning operation. The object determination section, after the turning operation of the sensor section starts from a predefined initial position, determines that the object exists in a case where a state in which the object is detected by the sensor section continues for a predefined first period of time, and determines that the object does not exist in a case where the state in which the object is detected does not continue for the first period of time.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor section including a pyroelectric infrared sensor detecting presence of an object based on an infrared ray change;

an oscillation mechanism configured to cause the sensor section to turn in both directions, by a predefined angle in each direction, from a predefined initial position at which a view angle of the sensor section is directed ahead of front of the electronic device;

a control section, upon the detection of the object by the sensor section, configured to cause the oscillation mechanism to start turning operation; and

an object determination section, after the turning operation of the sensor section by the control section starts from the initial position, determining that the object is an operator in a case where a state in which the object is detected by the sensor section continues for a predefined first period of time, and determining that the object is a passenger in a case where the state in which the object is detected does not continue for the first period of time,

wherein the predefined initial position is a turning center position in a turning direction of the sensor section, and

when the sensor section at the turning center position turns from the turning center position to a limited spot of the turning operation in a direction towards one side or a direction towards the other side as a result of the turning operation by the oscillation mechanism, an object located in a still state ahead of front of the turning center position is out of the detection regions of the sensor section, and

the predefined first period of time is a period of time at which the object located in the still state ahead of front of the turning center position is assumed to be continuously detected in a case where the sensor section at the turning center position turns from the turning center position to the limited spot of the turning operation in the direction towards one side or the direction towards the other side as the result of the turning operation by the oscillation mechanism.