Control apparatus and control method to control external device depending on motion of human body

• US 9,659,546 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Calvin C
• Application Number:
  US14/650,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345172-174
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/30 Electrical features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3696 Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a detector configured to detect an infrared ray emitted from a human body; a state signal generator configured to generate a state signal including at least one of a first state signal component indicating that the human body is approaching the detector and a second state signal component indicating that the human body is leaving from the detector in response to an intensity variance of the infrared ray detected with the detector; and a controller configured to start controlling an external device upon detecting the first state signal component from the state signal generated by the state signal generator but to stop controlling the external device upon detecting the second state signal component from the state signal.

Claims

1. A control apparatus configured to control an external device, the control apparatus comprising:

a detector configured to detect an infrared ray emitted from a human body;

a state signal generator configured to generate a state signal based on an intensity of the infrared ray detected by the detector, wherein the state signal includes a first state signal component having a positive polarity indicating the human body approaching the external device or a second state signal component having a negative polarity indicating the human body leaving from the external device; and

a controller configured to start controlling the external device upon detecting the first state signal component from the state signal and to stop controlling the external device upon detecting the second state signal component from the state signal.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller stops controlling the external device when a first time elapses from a timing of starting controlling the external device while the controlling the external device after a lapse of a second time, shorter than the first time, upon detecting the second state signal component.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects the infrared ray having a predetermined wavelength emitted from the human body.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises:

an infrared detection element detecting the infrared ray emitted from the human body to generate a current depending on the intensity of the infrared ray;

a current-voltage conversion circuit receiving the current from the infrared detection element;

an inversion circuit receiving an output of the current-voltage conversion circuit; and

an analog to digital (AD) conversion circuit receiving an output of the inversion circuit.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the current-voltage conversion circuit receives an offset current, supplied from the controller through a plurality of partial resistors, to apply an offset voltage.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the offset voltage limits an input level of the AD conversion circuit to a fraction of a dynamic range.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the current-voltage conversion circuit receives the offset voltage to generate a detection voltage, depending on a feedback resistance to supply the detection voltage to the inversion circuit.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the inversion circuit inverts a polarity of the detection voltage supplied from the current-voltage conversion circuit.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the AD conversion circuit receives an analog infrared detection signal, supplied from the inversion circuit, to convert the analog infrared detection signal into a digital infrared detection signal, and to supply the digital infrared detection signal to the state signal generator and the controller.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the state signal generator comprises:

a high-pass filter that receives the digital infrared detection signal, supplied from the AD conversion circuit, to transmit signal components of a frequency band, higher than a predetermined cutoff frequency, and to block signal components of a frequency band below the cutoff frequency;

an absolute value circuit receiving an output of the high-pass filter; and

a comparison circuit receiving an output of the absolute value circuit.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the high-pass filter supplies a motion detection signal to the absolute value circuit and the controller.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the absolute value circuit receives the motion detection signal, supplied from the high-pass filter, to convert a negative-polarity state signal component to a positive-polarity state signal component, and to generate a switching trigger signal supplied to the comparison circuit.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the comparison circuit compares the switching trigger signal supplied from the absolute value circuit to a comparison reference voltage supplied from the controller.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the comparison circuit generates a pulse signal which becomes a high level in response to a higher signal component of the switching trigger signal than the comparison reference voltage or which becomes a low level in response to a lower signal component of the switching trigger signal than the comparison reference voltage, for supplying the pulse signal, serving as a switching timing signal, to the controller.

15. A control method for controlling an external device, the control method comprising:

detecting an infrared ray emitted from a human body;

generating a state signal based on an intensity of the infrared ray being detected, wherein the state signal includes a first state signal component having a positive polarity indicating the human body approaching the external device or a second state signal component having a negative polarity indicating the human body leaving from the external device; and

starting controlling the external device upon detecting the first state signal component from the state signal and stopping controlling the external device upon detecting the second state signal component from the state signal.

16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the infrared ray having a predetermined wavelength emitted from the human body.

17. A display apparatus, comprising:

a detector configured to detect an infrared ray emitted from a human body;

a state signal generator configured to generate a state signal based on an intensity of the infrared ray detected by the detector, wherein the state signal includes a first state signal component having a positive polarity indicating an approach of the human body or a second state signal component having a negative polarity indicating a deflection of the human body;

a controller configured to start outputting a control signal upon detecting the first state signal component from the state signal and to stop outputting the control signal upon detecting the second state signal component from the state signal;

a power source configured to generate power based on the control signal output from the controller; and

a display configured to carry out a display operation based on the power of the power source being controlled by the controller.

18. The display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controller starts outputting the control signal to switch the power source to an ON state from a standby state upon detecting the first state signal component or the second state signal component from the state signal,

wherein the controller switches the power source to the standby state from the ON state after a lapse of a first time when the first state signal component is detected from the state signal, and

wherein the controller switches the power source to the standby state from the ON state after a lapse of a second time, shorter than the first time, when the second state signal component is detected from the state signal.

19. The display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the detector detects the infrared ray having a predetermined wavelength emitted from the human body.