High performance human information sensor

High performance human information sensing system, which can monitor the hu man conditions in a room, especially the number of occupants, their locatio ns and activities, has been developed. The sensor head module of this sensi ng system consists of a vertical one-dimensional 16-element array detector fabricated by sheet forming method of pyroelectric PbTiO3 ceramics, an IR-t ransparent spherical lens, a horizontal scanning mechanical part and a cyli ndrical mechanical chopping part, The IR lens characteristics have been det ermined to optimize the sensor output. The sensor is able to detect a two-d imensional thermal distribution (16 x 60) and the human condition informati on in a room. The sensor is cost-effective and the sensor head module is sm all (64 mm in diameter and 79 mm in height) with high resolution. Furthermo re, nine times higher resolution with 48 x 180 thermal distribution was acc omplished by the neighbor output averaging scheme, By using this sensing sy stem with high sensitivity and high resolution, the small thermal object su ch as a lighted cigarette as well as the number of persons in a room can be detected accurately. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.