Automatic door system, sensor for automatic door, control method for automatic door, and control program for automatic door

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic door technology that can improve the accuracy of detecting people or objects in an automatic door using infrared sensors and image sensors. [Solution] The automatic door device comprises an infrared sensor 31A that detects within an infrared detection area, an image sensor 31B that detects within an image detection area, an infrared detection determination unit 103 that determines the detection state by the infrared sensor 31A, an image detection determination unit 104 that determines the detection state by the image sensor 31B, a determination unit 105 that determines the door opening operation based on each determination result, and a control unit 106 that opens the door based on the determination result that the door should be opened. The image detection area has an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area, and the device further comprises an illuminance measuring unit that measures the illuminance around the door. The determination unit 105 does not make a decision to open the door based solely on the determination result by the image detection determination unit 104 when the illuminance measured by the illuminance measuring unit is below a predetermined threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic door device, a sensor for an automatic door, a method for controlling an automatic door, and a control program for an automatic door.

Background Art

[0002] In an automatic door, a technique for detecting an object such as a person by reflection of infrared rays irradiated using an infrared sensor in a predetermined area near the automatic door is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an automatic door, it is conceivable to detect a person or an object using an image sensor in addition to an infrared sensor. In the technique of detecting a person or an object by using an infrared sensor and an image sensor in combination, there is room for improvement in the detection accuracy.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for an automatic door that can improve the accuracy of detecting a person or an object in an automatic door using an infrared sensor and an image sensor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an automatic door device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within an infrared detection area provided around a door in an opening, an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area provided around the door, an infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the infrared sensor, an image detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the image sensor, a determination unit that determines whether or not to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit, and a control unit that opens the door based on the determination result of performing the opening operation, wherein the image detection area has an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area, and further includes an illuminance measuring unit that measures the illuminance around the door, and the determination unit does not make a decision to open the door based solely on the determination result of the image detection determination unit when the illuminance measured by the illuminance measuring unit is below a predetermined threshold.

[0007] An automatic door device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within an infrared detection area provided around a door in an opening; an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area provided around the door; an infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the infrared sensor; an image detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the image sensor; a determination unit that determines whether or not to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit; and a control unit that opens the door based on the determination result of performing the opening operation, wherein the image detection area is The device further includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area, and an illuminance measuring unit which measures the illuminance around the door. The image detection determination unit classifies the image-limited detection area into one of three states: an ON state which determines that a person or object is present, a provisional ON state which reserves judgment on whether a person or object is present, and an OFF state which determines that no person or object is present. The determination unit decides to open the door when the illuminance exceeds a predetermined threshold, according to the determination result of the image detection determination unit which determines it to be the ON state. When the illuminance is below the threshold, the determination unit considers the determination result of the image detection determination unit which determines it to be the provisional ON state or the OFF state.

[0008] An automatic door sensor according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within an infrared detection area provided around a door in an opening; an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area provided around the door; an infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the infrared sensor; an image detection determination unit that determines the detection state of a person or object by the image sensor; and a transmission determination unit that determines whether or not to transmit an open operation signal to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit, wherein the image detection area has an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area, and further comprises an illuminance measurement unit that measures the illuminance around the door, wherein the transmission determination unit does not make a decision to transmit the open operation signal based solely on the determination result of the image detection determination unit when the illuminance measured by the illuminance measurement unit is below a predetermined threshold.

[0009] An automatic door device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within an infrared detection area comprising a plurality of infrared detection blocks around a door provided in an opening; an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area which at least partially overlaps with the infrared detection area and comprises a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of pixels; and for each of the plurality of infrared detection blocks, the device determines whether a person or object is present or not based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for each infrared detection block. The system includes: an infrared detection determination unit; an image detection determination unit that determines whether or not detection is performed for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the image detection blocks; a determination unit that determines whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit; a control unit that performs the door opening operation based on the determination result of performing the opening operation; a relearning unit that causes the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as ON for a predetermined relearning time; and an instruction unit that instructs the relearning time in the ON infrared detection block to be shortened when the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block at the position corresponding to the ON infrared detection block is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0010] An automatic door sensor according to one aspect of the present invention includes an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within an infrared detection area comprising a plurality of infrared detection blocks around a door provided in an opening; an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area which at least partially overlaps with the infrared detection area and comprises a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of pixels; and an ON state which determines whether a person or object is present or not based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for each of the plurality of infrared detection blocks. The system includes: an infrared detection determination unit that classifies an infrared detection block into an off state; an image detection determination unit that determines whether or not detection is present for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the image detection blocks; a transmission determination unit that determines whether or not to transmit an open operation signal to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit; a relearning unit that causes the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as on for a predetermined relearning time; and an instruction unit that instructs the relearning time of the infrared detection block in the on state to be shortened when the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block at the position corresponding to the infrared detection block in the on state is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0011] Furthermore, any combination of the above, or any substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, apparatus, programs, temporary or non-temporary storage media recording programs, systems, etc., are also valid embodiments of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic door technology that can improve the accuracy of detecting people or objects in an automatic door using an infrared sensor and an image sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a front view schematically showing an automatic door according to a first example of the basic configuration. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram schematically showing the functions of the automatic door. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing the detection areas of the infrared sensor and the image sensor. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a plurality of infrared detection blocks in a part of the detection area. [Figure 5] It is a functional block diagram of a controller according to a first example of the basic configuration. [Figure 6] It is a functional block diagram of a door sensor according to a second example of the basic configuration. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of a determination unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a functional block diagram of a controller according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a functional block diagram of a processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of an instruction unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] In the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a part of the detection area including the protection area. [Figure 12] In the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a part of the detection area including the protection area. [Figure 13] In the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of a part of the detection area including the protection area. [Figure 14] It is a functional block diagram of a controller according to a modification example of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a functional block diagram of a processing device according to a modification example of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of an instruction unit according to a modification example of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] In a modification example of the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the protection area of the detection area. [Figure 18] In a modification of the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged protection area of the detection area. [Figure 19] In a modification of the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged protection area of the detection area. [Figure 20] In a modification of the second embodiment, it is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged protection area of the detection area.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those composed of a plurality of objects may integrate the plurality of objects, and conversely, those composed of one object may be divided into a plurality of objects. Whether integrated or not, it may be configured to achieve the object of the invention.

[0015] Among the embodiments disclosed in this specification, those in which a plurality of functions are provided dispersedly may provide some or all of the plurality of functions in an aggregated manner, and conversely, those in which a plurality of functions are provided in an aggregated manner may be provided such that some or all of the plurality of functions are dispersed. Whether the functions are aggregated or dispersed, it may be configured to achieve the object of the invention.

[0016] Also, for separate components with common points, they are distinguished by attaching "first", "second", etc. at the beginning of the name, and these are omitted when collectively referred to. Also, terms including ordinals such as first and second are used to describe various components, but this term is only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another, and the components are not limited by this term.

[0017] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, based on preferred embodiments. In embodiments and modifications, the same or equivalent components and members will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of members in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Furthermore, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments will be omitted from the drawings.

[0018] [Basic configuration] First, the basic configuration common to each embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an overview of the automatic door 100 according to the first example of the basic configuration will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing the automatic door 100 according to the first example of the basic configuration. The automatic door 100 mainly comprises a door section 10 that is driven to open and close, a controller 20 that controls the entire automatic door 100, a door sensor 30 for detecting passersby, a door engine 40 that generates power, and a power transmission section 50 that transmits power to the door section 10. The automatic door 100 in this example is an example of an automatic door device. In the following description, the left-right direction in Figure 1 is defined as the horizontal direction (opening and closing direction of the automatic door), the up-down direction in Figure 1 is defined as the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right and up-down directions in Figure 1 is defined as the depth direction. However, the automatic door 100 can be installed in any orientation, and its installation direction is not limited to the following example.

[0019] The door section 10 comprises a first movable door 11L and a second movable door 11R, which are provided to move horizontally, a first fixed door 12L and a second fixed door 12R, which are provided in positions that overlap with the first movable door 11L and the second movable door 11R when they are open, and a guide mechanism 13 that guides the horizontal movement of the first movable door 11L and the second movable door 11R. The first movable door 11L, the second movable door 11R, the first fixed door 12L, and the second fixed door 12R are configured in a vertically elongated rectangular shape, with the vertical dimension being larger than the horizontal dimension. When the door section 10 is driven to open, the first movable door 11L, shown on the left in Figure 1, is driven to the left, and the second movable door 11R, shown on the right in Figure 1, is driven to the right. Furthermore, when the door section 10 is driven to close, the first movable door 11L is driven to the right and the second movable door 11R is driven to the left, the opposite of when it is driven to open. Note that the number and shape of the doors constituting the door section 10 are not limited to those described above and can be designed as appropriate to the needs of the installation location. Similarly, the direction of movement of the door section 10 is not limited to the horizontal direction, but may be in an inclined direction from the horizontal direction.

[0020] The guide mechanism 13 comprises a running rail 131, door rollers 132, a guide rail 133, and a sway-preventing section 134. The running rail 131 is a columnar rail member that extends horizontally over the entire range of motion of the movable doors 11L and 11R above them. Two door rollers 132 are provided on the upper part of each of the movable doors 11L and 11R, suspending each of the movable doors 11L and 11R from the running rail 131. When each of the movable doors 11L and 11R is driven to open and close horizontally, the door rollers 132 roll along the running rail 131, enabling smooth opening and closing operation. The guide rail 133 is a groove-shaped rail member that extends horizontally over the entire range of motion of the movable doors 11L and 11R below them. The sway-preventing section 134 protrudes from the lower part of the movable doors 11L and 11R and fits into the groove-shaped guide rail 133. When each of the movable doors 11L and 11R is driven to open and close horizontally, the anti-sway part 134 moves along the guide rail 133, thereby suppressing vibrations of each of the movable doors 11L and 11R in the depth direction.

[0021] The controller 20 can set various parameters related to the opening and closing of the door section 10. For example, the controller 20 can adjust settings such as opening and closing speed, opening and closing strength, and opening width. The opening and closing speed is the horizontal speed of the first movable door 11L and the second movable door 11R, and the directions of the speeds of the two doors are opposite to each other. In addition, different values ​​may be set for normal opening and closing and for other situations. For example, in the case of a so-called reversal, where the drive is switched to open during the normal closing drive of the door section 10 to emergency avoid trapping a passerby between the closing first and second movable doors 11L and 11R, the speed of the first and second movable doors 11L and 11R during the open drive may be set to a different value than the speed during normal opening drive.

[0022] The opening and closing strength is the magnitude of the force applied when opening and closing the movable doors 11L and 11R, and is controlled by the torque value generated by the motor 42, which will be described later. Similar to the opening and closing speed described above, it is generally preferable to have the same opening and closing strength for the movable doors 11L and 11R. Alternatively, different opening and closing strengths may be set for normal opening and closing and for other times. The opening width is the horizontal distance between the first movable door 11L and the second movable door 11R when the door section 10 is fully open. As shown in Figure 1, if W1 is the distance traveled between the fully closed position and the fully open position of the first movable door 11L, and W2 is the distance traveled between the fully closed position and the fully open position of the second movable door 11R, then the opening width is expressed as W1 + W2.

[0023] Refer to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the automatic door 100. Each functional block shown in the following figures can be implemented in hardware terms using electronic elements and circuits such as a computer processor, CPU, and memory, as well as mechanical parts, and in software terms using computer programs, etc. However, here we depict functional blocks that are implemented through the coordination of these elements. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be implemented in various ways through combinations of hardware and software.

[0024] The controller 20 comprises a control device 21, a storage device 22, a communication device 23, and a data processing device 24. The control device 21 is implemented as an arithmetic processing device mounted on a microcontroller and is responsible for various information processing and control of the automatic door 100. The control device 21 controls the door engine 40 to open and close the door section 10 based on the detection results of the door sensor 30. The control device 21 can also open and close the automatic door 100 in response to receiving open / close command signals for opening and closing the automatic door 100 from a worker's work terminal or a remote computer via the communication device 23.

[0025] The storage device 22 is a general-purpose memory that stores various data of the automatic door 100.

[0026] The communication device 23 exchanges various information with external communication devices of the automatic door 100 via wired or wireless connection. For example, the communication device 23 can communicate with a work terminal used by workers who visit the site for installation or maintenance of the automatic door 100. This allows workers to check information about various parts of the automatic door 100 and input various data about the automatic door 100 on the work terminal. If the communication device 23 has a communication function via a public information communication network such as the Internet, information about the automatic door 100 and data input can be performed from a remote computer.

[0027] The data processing device 24 processes the infrared data from the infrared sensor 31A and the image data from the image sensor 31B in the sensor unit 31 (described later), and transmits the processing results to the control device 21.

[0028] Refer to Figure 1 again. The door sensor 30 includes a sensor unit 31 and an auxiliary sensor 32. The sensor unit 31 includes an infrared sensor 31A for detecting people or objects within the infrared detection area 71 defined later on the automatic door 100, and an image sensor 31B for detecting people or objects within the image detection area 73 defined later on the automatic door 100. The sensor unit 31 is provided on the indoor side (for example, the front side of the paper in Figure 1) and the outdoor side (for example, the back side of the paper in Figure 1), and can detect passersby approaching from either side. The sensor unit 31 functions, for example, as an activation sensor for activating the automatic door 100.

[0029] The infrared sensor 31A is positioned on the surface of the transom 60 above the door section 10. The infrared sensor 31A includes a light-emitting unit that emits infrared light toward the floor and a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light from the floor. The infrared sensor 31A emits and receives light near the opening of the automatic door 100 and transmits the amount of received light as infrared data to the data processing unit 24. When a person or object, such as a passerby or object, approaches the automatic door 100 and blocks the light, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit changes. Therefore, a person or object is detected based on the change in the amount of received light. When a person or object is detected based on the amount of light received by the infrared sensor 31A, the door engine 40 is driven by the controller 20 and the door section 10 opens. The infrared detection area 71 (see Figure 3), which is the detection area of ​​the infrared sensor 31A, is set based, for example, on its installation location, the arrangement and type of the light-emitting and light-receiving units, and the direction of light emission and reception.

[0030] The image sensor 31B is an imaging device such as a CMOS, CCD, or TOF (Time Of Flight) camera. The image sensor 31B is positioned, for example, on the surface of the transom 60 above the door section 10, with the optical axis oriented diagonally downward from its position, and captures images of the area in front of the automatic door 100. The image sensor 31B acquires images of people or objects entering the automatic door 100, including the background, in real time, and transmits the acquired image data of the vicinity of the opening to the data processing device 24. The data processing device 24 performs image recognition of people or objects based on the image data. When a person or object is detected based on the image data from the image sensor 31B, the controller 20 drives the door engine 40 and opens the door section 10. The image detection area 73 (see Figure 3), which is the detection area of ​​the image sensor 31B, is set based on its installation location, imaging direction, and field of view.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the sensor unit 31 may include a touch plate 31C provided on at least one of the movable doors 11L and 11R, and the door unit 10 may be driven when the touch plate 31C is pressed by a passerby. In addition, in tourist facilities and amusement parks, etc., it is also conceivable that the door unit 10 may be driven by operation by a facility staff member in addition to or instead of detection and operation by passersby. In this case, the facility staff member can drive the door unit 10 remotely using an operation panel located away from the door unit 10 or an operation terminal capable of communicating with the automatic door 100.

[0032] The sensor unit 31 may also function as a protective sensor to protect people or objects present in a predetermined protected area around the automatic door 100. When the sensor unit 31 functions as a protective sensor, if it detects a person or object within the protected area during the closing operation of the movable doors 11L and 11R, the controller 20 performs a closing protection operation. The closing protection operation involves stopping the closing drive and performing inversion control, such as switching to an opening drive, stopping, or reducing the drive speed. Also, when the sensor unit 31 functions as a protective sensor, if it detects a person or object within the protected area during the opening operation of the movable doors 11L and 11R, the controller 20 performs an opening protection operation. The opening protection operation involves stopping the opening drive and performing inversion control, such as switching to a closing drive, stopping, or reducing the drive speed. This prevents people or objects from being caught in the movable doors 11L and 11R.

[0033] The auxiliary sensor 32 is a photoelectric sensor installed on the first fixed door 12L and the second fixed door 12R of the door section 10. The auxiliary sensor 32 comprises a light-emitting unit installed on one of the first fixed door 12L and the second fixed door 12R, and a light-receiving unit installed on the other. The light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are installed at the same height from the floor, and the light-receiving unit receives light such as infrared rays emitted horizontally from the light-emitting unit. When the door section 10 is open, if a passerby passes through the opening and blocks the light, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit changes, so the passerby can be detected. The main purpose of the auxiliary sensor 32 is to prevent passersby from being caught in the closing door (closed protection), and when the auxiliary sensor 32 detects a passerby during the closing operation of the movable doors 11L and 11R, the controller 20 performs inversion control, stopping the closing drive and switching to the opening drive. This prevents passersby from being caught in the closing movable doors 11L and 11R.

[0034] The auxiliary sensor 32 may be configured to detect passersby by reflecting radio waves such as microwaves or ultrasonic waves. Furthermore, the auxiliary sensor 32 may be installed in a location different from the fixed doors 12L and 12R. For example, the auxiliary sensor 32 may be installed on the transom 60 or on the ceiling near the automatic door 100. While installing multiple such auxiliary sensors 32 would increase costs, it would dramatically improve safety.

[0035] The door engine 40 comprises a motor drive unit 41, a motor 42, and a drive pulley 43. The motor drive unit 41 is composed of an intelligent power module (IPM) and generates a voltage or current to drive the motor 42 under the control of the controller 20. The motor 42, which serves as a power source for generating rotational power, can be configured as various known motors, but as an example, a brushless motor equipped with an encoder 42A using a Hall element is used. The position of the rotor of the motor 42 detected by the encoder 42A is input to the motor drive unit 41, and a corresponding drive voltage or drive current is applied to the motor 42 to generate the desired rotational power. The drive pulley 43, which is rotationally driven by the motor 42, is connected to the rotor of the motor 42 via a gear mechanism or the like (not shown) and rotates in conjunction with it.

[0036] The power transmission unit 50 transmits power generated by the door engine 40 to the door unit 10, driving the movable doors 11L and 11R to open and close. The power transmission unit 50 includes a power transmission belt 51, a driven pulley 52, and a connecting member 53. The power transmission belt 51 is an annular timing belt with numerous teeth formed on its inner circumference, and is wrapped around the drive pulley 43 on the right side of Figure 1 and around the driven pulley 52 on the left side of Figure 1. In this state, the horizontal dimension of the power transmission belt 51 is equal to the horizontal distance between the drive pulley 43 and the driven pulley 52, and is also approximately the same as the horizontal dimension of the range of motion of the movable doors 11L and 11R. When the drive pulley 43 rotates due to the motor 42, the driven pulley 52 rotates in conjunction via the power transmission belt 51.

[0037] The connecting member 53 connects the movable doors 11L and 11R to the power transmission belt 51, respectively, and drives them to open and close. Here, one movable door is connected to the upper side of the power transmission belt 51, and the other movable door is connected to the lower side of the power transmission belt 51. In the example shown in Figure 1, when the power transmission belt 51 rotates counterclockwise, the first movable door 11L moves to the left and the second movable door 11R moves to the right, resulting in an opening operation. When the power transmission belt 51 rotates clockwise, the first movable door 11L moves to the right and the second movable door 11R moves to the left, resulting in a closing operation.

[0038] In the automatic door 100 configured as described above, when a passerby is detected based on the detection result of the door sensor 30, and if predetermined sensing conditions are met, the door engine 40 generates counterclockwise rotational power under the control of the controller 20, and drives the door section 10 to open. Furthermore, if no passerby is detected for a predetermined period of time after the door has been opened, the door engine 40 generates clockwise rotational power under the control of the controller 20, and drives the door section 10 to close. If the door sensor 30 detects a passerby while the door is being closed, the controller 20 performs inversion control, switching from closing drive to opening drive.

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the detection areas of the infrared sensor 31A and the image sensor 31B. The detection area 70 has a three-dimensional range from the floor to the transom 60 where the sensor unit 31 is located and to the ceiling. For simplicity, only the floor is shown in Figure 3 of the detection area 70. The detection area 70 includes the infrared detection area 71, which is the detection area of ​​the infrared sensor 31A, and the image detection area 73, which is the detection area of ​​the image sensor 31B. In this example, the entire infrared detection area 71 overlaps with a part of the image detection area 73. The image detection area 73 also has an image-only detection area 90, which is an area outside the infrared detection area 71.

[0040] The infrared detection area 71 in Figure 3 is composed of multiple infrared detection blocks 72 arranged in 11 rows parallel to the opening and closing direction of the automatic door 100 and in 5 rows in the depth direction. Each infrared detection block 72 is assigned an address 1C, 1D, ..., 5L, 5M corresponding to its position in the arrangement. Each assigned address corresponds to the position information of each infrared detection block 72. The shape of each infrared detection block 72 and the overall shape of the infrared detection area 71 may be a polygon other than a circle, ellipse, rectangle, or rectangle. The shape of the infrared detection block 72 varies depending on its installation location, the arrangement and type of light emitter and receiver, and the direction of light emission and reception.

[0041] The image detection area 73 in Figure 3 is composed of multiple image detection blocks 74 arranged in 15 rows parallel to the opening and closing direction of the automatic door 100 and 10 rows in the depth direction. Each image detection block 74 is assigned an address 1A, 1B, ..., 10N, 10O corresponding to its position in the arrangement. Each assigned address corresponds to the position information of each image detection block 74. In this example, the shape and size of the image detection blocks 74 are set to match the shape and size of the infrared detection blocks 72. The shape of the image detection blocks 74 may vary depending on their installation location, imaging direction, and field of view.

[0042] Hereinafter, the infrared detection block 72 and the image detection block 74 may be collectively referred to as detection blocks. The assignment of various numbers to each detection block shown above is merely an example, and other configurations are also possible. Furthermore, the number of detection blocks in the detection area 70 is arbitrary, and the detection blocks in the detection area 70 can be divided into any shape, not limited to a matrix or grid.

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of multiple infrared detection blocks 72 in a portion of the detection area 70. Each of the multiple infrared detection blocks 72 contains one infrared detection spot (hereinafter simply referred to as "detection spot 76"). When the infrared sensor 31A detects a person or object located at a detection spot 76, it sets the infrared detection block 72 corresponding to that detection spot 76 to a detection state. One detection spot 76 is smaller than one infrared detection block 72. In other words, an infrared detection block 72 includes areas other than the detection spot 76. It can also be said that there is a gap between adjacent detection spots 76. Therefore, even if a person or object is located within an infrared detection block 72, the infrared sensor 31A may miss detection.

[0044] Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the controller 20 according to the first example of the basic configuration. The controller 20 comprises an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and judgment unit 103, an image detection and judgment unit 104, a determination unit 105, a control unit 106, and a storage unit 107.

[0045] The infrared data acquisition unit 101 acquires infrared data supplied from the infrared sensor 31A. The image data acquisition unit 102 acquires image data supplied from the image sensor 31B. The infrared detection determination unit 103 determines whether or not a person or object has been detected by the infrared sensor 31A. The image detection determination unit 104 determines whether or not a person or object has been detected by the image sensor 31B. The infrared detection determination unit 103 and the image detection determination unit 104 together constitute a detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object in at least one of the infrared detection area 71 and the image detection area 73 based on the detection information from the infrared sensor 31A and the image sensor 31B.

[0046] Here, the details of the judgment process of the image detection judgment unit 104 will be explained. Based on the image data, the image detection judgment unit 104 classifies the state of each image detection block 74 into one of the following states: ON state, provisional ON state, and OFF state. Here, the ON state is a state in which it is determined that a person or object is present in that detection block, the provisional ON state is a state in which the determination of whether or not a person or object is present in that detection block is postponed, and the OFF state is a state in which it is determined that no person or object is present in that detection block.

[0047] Referring to Figure 3, the ON state, provisional ON state, and OFF state will be explained. For example, if people 81A and 81B are in the image detection area 73, the image data of the corresponding image detection block 74 (for example, the image detection block 74 to which addresses 3F~5F, 3G~5G and 3I~5I, 3J~5J are assigned) will be clearly different from the reference image depending on the presence or absence of people 81A and 81B. As a result, these corresponding image detection blocks 74 are classified as the ON state. For example, if there is a person's shadow 82 in the image detection area 73, the image data of the corresponding image detection block 74 (for example, the image detection block 74 to which addresses 4M~4O, 5M~5O are assigned) will be different from the reference image depending on the presence or absence of the person's shadow 82. However, since the person's shadow 82 is not as clearly visible in the image data as when person 81A is actually present, the difference between the image data and the reference data in the area of ​​the person's shadow 82 is relatively small. As a result, these corresponding image detection blocks 74 are classified as the provisional ON state. For example, an image detection block 74 in which there are no people, objects, shadows, etc., and the image data is nearly identical to the reference image, is classified as being in the off state.

[0048] Specifically, the image detection determination unit 104 compares the reference image with the image data and determines the number of pixels in the image data for each image detection block 74 whose difference from the brightness value of the reference image is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. For example, if the number of pixels is greater than the first pixel count threshold, the image detection determination unit 104 classifies the image detection block 74 into an ON state. If the number of pixels is less than the second pixel count threshold, which is less than the first pixel count threshold, the image detection determination unit 104 classifies the image detection block 74 into an OFF state. If the number of pixels is less than or equal to the first pixel count threshold and greater than or equal to the second pixel count threshold, the image detection determination unit 104 classifies the image detection block 74 into a provisional ON state.

[0049] Next, the details of the determination process of the infrared detection determination unit 103 will be explained. Based on the infrared data, the infrared detection determination unit 103 classifies the state of each infrared detection block 72 into one of the following: ON state, temporary ON state, or OFF state. Refer to Figure 3 again. For example, if there is a person 81B in the infrared detection area 71, the amount of light received in the infrared data of the corresponding infrared detection block 72 (for example, the infrared detection block 72 to which addresses 3I~5I, 3J~5J are assigned) will be greater than the reference value for that infrared detection block. As a result, that infrared detection block 72 is classified as ON state. In the case of an infrared detection block 72 where there is no person, object, puddle, etc., the amount of light received in the corresponding infrared detection block 72 will not deviate much from the reference value for that infrared detection block 72. As a result, that infrared detection block 72 is classified as OFF state. If, for example, there is a puddle 83 in the infrared detection area 71, the amount of light received in the infrared data of the corresponding infrared detection block 72 (for example, the infrared detection block 72 to which addresses 3C to 3E are assigned) will fluctuate from the reference value of that infrared detection block 72, but will be smaller than the amount of light received when a person 81B is detected. As a result, that infrared detection block 72 is classified as being in a provisional ON state.

[0050] Specifically, the infrared detection determination unit 103 calculates the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block 72 and a reference value for each infrared detection block 72, based on the infrared data. If the difference is greater than the first light reception threshold, the infrared detection block 72 is classified as ON. If the difference is less than the second light reception threshold, which is less than the first light reception threshold, the infrared detection block 72 is classified as OFF. If the difference is less than or equal to the first light reception threshold and greater than or equal to the second light reception threshold, the infrared detection block 72 is classified as provisionally ON. In this embodiment, the second light reception threshold is set so that the amount of light received by a person's shadow 82 is less than or equal to the second light reception threshold. Therefore, infrared detection blocks 72 in which a person's shadow 82 is present are classified as OFF.

[0051] The decision unit 105 decides whether or not to open the movable door 11 of the automatic door 100 based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit 103 and the image detection determination unit 104. The control unit 106 opens the movable door 11 based on the decision result of the decision unit 105, which is to open the door.

[0052] The memory unit 107 stores various data of the automatic door 100. For example, the memory unit 107 stores the reference light reception amount for each infrared detection block 72, which is the amount of light reflected by each infrared detection block 72 and received by the infrared sensor 31A, and a reference image of the image detection area 73. These reference light reception amounts for each infrared detection block 72 and reference images of the image detection area 73 may be generated by machine learning from time-series data of infrared data and image data when there is no object to be detected in the detection area 70, or predetermined values ​​may be used. The memory unit 107 also stores various threshold values. Furthermore, the memory unit 107 stores infrared data and image data in time series.

[0053] The storage unit 107 may further store information for a predetermined setting area. In this case, the storage unit 107 functions as an area setting unit for setting a predetermined setting area. The setting area may be, for example, the protection area described above, or it may be any other area that is set specifically for detecting a person or object.

[0054] The following describes a second example of the basic configuration. In the drawings and description of this example, components and members that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first example are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first example will be omitted as appropriate, and the explanation will focus on the configurations that differ from the first example.

[0055] In the first example of the basic configuration, the controller 20 determines whether it has detected a person or an object, but is not limited to this. In the second example, the door sensor 30 determines whether it has detected a person or an object.

[0056] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of a door sensor 30 according to a second example of the basic configuration. The door sensor 30 in this example includes an infrared sensor 31A, an image sensor 31B, and a processing unit 35. The processing unit 35 includes an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and determination unit 103, an image detection and determination unit 104, a storage unit 107, a transmission determination unit 108, and a transmission unit 109. The controller 20 includes a control unit 106 and a receiving unit 110.

[0057] The transmission decision unit 108 decides whether or not to transmit a detection signal to the controller 20 indicating that a person or object has been detected, based on the determination results of the infrared detection decision unit 103 and the image detection decision unit 104. In this example, the detection signal is an example of an open operation signal for opening the movable door 11. The transmission unit 109 transmits the detection signal to the controller 20 according to the decision of the transmission decision unit 108.

[0058] The receiving unit 110 receives the detection signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 109 and supplies it to the control unit 106. In response to the detection signal, the control unit 106 controls the door engine 40 to open the movable door 11.

[0059] [First Embodiment] The first embodiment of this disclosure will be described below. In the drawings and description of the first embodiment, components and members that are the same or equivalent as those in the basic configuration described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions that overlap with the basic configuration will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that are added to the basic configuration and the configurations that differ from the basic configuration.

[0060] First, let's explain the problems that this embodiment aims to solve. When the illuminance in the image detection area 73 is relatively low, the ratio of noise to effective signals increases due to the decrease in photons reaching the image sensor 31B, thus reducing the accuracy of the image sensor 31B in detecting people or objects within the image detection area 73. In the image-limited detection area 90 shown in Figure 3, that is, the area of ​​the image detection area 73 outside the infrared detection area 71, the information from the infrared sensor 31A cannot be used, so the decrease in detection accuracy of the image sensor 31B can be particularly problematic.

[0061] In view of the above issues, the objective of this embodiment is to provide a technology that reduces the risk of false detection due to a decrease in illumination in an automatic door device using an infrared sensor 31A and an image sensor 31B.

[0062] The configuration of the automatic door device according to this embodiment differs only in that it includes an illuminance measuring unit (not shown) in addition to the automatic door 100 according to the first example of the basic configuration described above. Similarly, the configuration of the door sensor according to this embodiment differs only in that it includes an illuminance measuring unit (not shown) in addition to the door sensor 30 according to the second example of the basic configuration described above. Of the processing of the determination unit 105 in this embodiment, processing that was not described in the basic configuration will be described later.

[0063] The illuminance measuring unit measures the illuminance around the door section 10. The illuminance measuring unit measures the illuminance of at least the image-limited detection area 90 shown in Figure 3. The illuminance measuring unit may be, for example, a function of the image sensor 31B, or it may be a separate illuminance sensor from the image sensor 31B.

[0064] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the determination unit 105 in the first embodiment. The determination unit 105 determines whether the illuminance around the door section 10, measured by the illuminance measuring unit, is below a predetermined threshold (S10). The threshold here is a preset value, stored, for example, in the storage unit 107. The determination unit 105 reads out the threshold information as needed. The threshold is arbitrarily set as a value at which a decrease in the detection accuracy of the image sensor 31B is considered unacceptable if the illuminance falls below that threshold.

[0065] When it is determined that the illuminance is below a threshold (Y in S10), the decision unit 105 disables the opening operation of the movable door 11 based solely on the detection information from the image sensor 31B (S12). In other words, the decision unit 105 allows the opening operation to be performed based on the detection information from both the infrared sensor 31A and the image sensor 31B, but does not allow the opening operation to be performed based solely on the detection information from the image sensor 31B without using the detection information from the infrared sensor 31A. Note that in the image-limited detection area 90, the detection information from the infrared sensor 31A cannot be used, so if the illuminance is below a threshold, the movable door 11 will not open even if a person or object is detected in the image-limited detection area 90.

[0066] The determination unit 105 determines whether or not an image detection block 74 exists within the image-limited detection area 90 that has been determined to be in the ON state by the image detection judgment unit 104 (S14). If it does not exist (N in S14), the determination unit 105 terminates processing. If it does exist (Y in S14), the determination unit 105 considers the image detection block 74 to be in a temporary OFF state or OFF state based on the invalidation in step S12 (S16). The determination unit 105 may, instead of processing in step S16, instruct the image detection judgment unit 104 to change the determination result of the image detection block 74 from ON state to a temporary OFF state or OFF state.

[0067] As step S16 indicates that there are no ON image detection blocks 74 within the image-limited detection area 90, the decision unit 105 decides not to open the movable door 11 (S18) and terminates the process.

[0068] In step S10, if it is determined that the illuminance exceeds a threshold (N in S10), the decision unit 105 activates an opening operation based solely on the detection information from the image sensor 31B (S20). The decision unit 105 determines whether or not there are image detection blocks 74 that have been determined to be in the ON state by the image detection judgment unit 104 within the image-limited detection area 90 (S22). If they are not present (N in S22), the decision unit 105 terminates processing. If they are present (Y in S22), the decision unit 105 determines whether or not other conditions for opening operation are met (S24). Other conditions for opening operation include, for example, the detection that multiple image detection blocks 74 that have been determined to be in the ON state are moving together toward the door section 10 over time.

[0069] If it is determined that the conditions for other opening operations are not met (N in S24), the decision unit 105 terminates processing. If it is determined that the conditions for other opening operations are met (Y in S24), the decision unit 105 decides to perform the opening operation of the movable door 11.

[0070] As described above, the automatic door device of this embodiment includes an infrared detection area 71 around the door provided in the opening, an infrared sensor 31A that detects people or objects within the infrared detection area 71, an image detection area 73 around the door, an image sensor 31B that detects people or objects within the image detection area 73, an infrared detection determination unit 103 that determines the detection status of people or objects by the infrared sensor 31A, an image detection determination unit 104 that determines the detection status of people or objects by the image sensor 31B, and an infrared detection determination unit 103 The system includes a decision unit 105 that determines whether or not to open the door based on the judgment results of the image detection decision unit 104, and a control unit 106 that opens the door based on the decision result to open the door. The image detection area 73 has an image-limited detection area 90 which is outside the infrared detection area 71, and the system further includes an illuminance measuring unit that measures the illuminance around the door. The decision unit 105 does not make a decision to open the door based solely on the judgment result of the image detection decision unit 104 if the illuminance measured by the illuminance measuring unit is below a predetermined threshold.

[0071] As a result, when the illuminance decreases, the decision to open the door is not made based solely on the detection information from the image sensor 31B, thus reducing the risk of false detection due to decreased illuminance.

[0072] Furthermore, the automatic door device of this embodiment includes an infrared detection area 71 around the door provided in the opening, an infrared sensor 31A that detects people or objects within the infrared detection area 71, an image detection area 73 around the door, an image sensor 31B that detects people or objects within the image detection area 73, an infrared detection determination unit 103 that determines the detection status of people or objects by the infrared sensor 31A, an image detection determination unit 104 that determines the detection status of people or objects by the image sensor 31B, a determination unit 105 that determines whether or not to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit 103 and the image detection determination unit 104, and a control unit 106 that opens the door based on the determination result that the door should be opened. The system includes an image detection area 73 which has an image-limited detection area 90 which is outside the infrared detection area 71, and an illuminance measuring unit which measures the illuminance around the door. The image detection determination unit 104 classifies the image-limited detection area 03 into one of three states: an ON state which determines that a person or object is present, a provisional ON state which suspends the determination of whether a person or object is present or not, and an OFF state which determines that no person or object is present. The determination unit 105 decides to open the door when the illuminance exceeds a predetermined threshold, according to the determination result of the image detection determination unit 104 which determines it to be an ON state, and when the illuminance is below the threshold, it considers the determination result of the image detection determination unit 104 which determines it to be an ON state which is a provisional ON state which is an OFF state. This makes it possible to obtain the same effect as described above.

[0073] [Second Embodiment] The following describes a second embodiment of this disclosure. In the drawings and description of the second embodiment, components and members that are the same or equivalent as those in the basic configuration and the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions that overlap with the basic configuration and the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that are added to the basic configuration and the first embodiment, as well as configurations that differ from them.

[0074] First, let's explain the problem that this embodiment aims to solve. As described above, the infrared detection and determination unit 103 classifies each infrared detection block 72 into an on state, an off state, etc., based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block 72 and a reference value set for each infrared detection block 72. Here, for infrared detection blocks 72 classified as on, if the detected object is a stationary object, etc., it is necessary to treat it as background, so the reference value is relearned. Relearning takes a certain amount of time. During that time, the door section 10 is held in the fully open position for safety.

[0075] Thus, during relearning, the door section 10 is held in the fully open position for a certain period of time. On the other hand, the infrared detection and judgment unit 103 may detect small objects that should not be turned on, such as reflections from fallen leaves or puddles. In such cases, holding the door section 10 in the fully open position for a certain period of time is undesirable from the viewpoint of air conditioning efficiency, etc.

[0076] In view of the above issues, the objective of this embodiment is to provide a technology that can shorten the time required for relearning of the infrared sensor 31A while ensuring safety in an automatic door device using an infrared sensor 31A and an image sensor 31B.

[0077] The configuration of the automatic door device according to this embodiment differs from the configuration of the automatic door 100 according to the first example of the basic configuration described above, except for the configuration of the controller 20. Furthermore, the configuration of the door sensor according to this embodiment differs from the configuration of the door sensor 30 according to the second example of the basic configuration described above, except for the configuration of the processing unit 35.

[0078] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of the controller 20A according to the second embodiment. The controller 20A includes an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and determination unit 103, an image detection and determination unit 104, a determination unit 105, a control unit 106, a storage unit 107, a relearning unit 112, an output unit 114, and an instruction unit 116. Of these, the components other than the relearning unit 112, the output unit 114, and the instruction unit 116 are common to the components of the controller 20 according to the first example of the basic configuration, so the explanation of similar functions will be omitted.

[0079] The relearning unit 112 causes the infrared sensor 31A to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block 72 classified as ON for a predetermined relearning period. The relearning period is a preset value, stored, for example, in the memory unit 107.

[0080] The instruction unit 116 instructs the relearning unit 112 to shorten the relearning time for infrared detection blocks 72 that meet predetermined conditions among the infrared detection blocks 72 classified as ON. The predetermined conditions will be described later.

[0081] The memory unit 107 stores information about the infrared sensor 31A before and after relearning by the infrared sensor 31A based on the instruction by the instruction unit 116 to shorten the relearning time. This information includes, for example, information on the reference values ​​set for each infrared detection block 72 before and after correction. The memory unit 107 may further store information about the image sensor 31B before and after relearning by the infrared sensor 31A based on the instruction by the instruction unit 116 to shorten the relearning time. This information includes, for example, information on the size of the pixel group detected within each image detection block 74 (hereinafter also referred to as the "detected pixel group") before and after correction. Information on the size of the detected pixel group will be described later.

[0082] The output unit 114 outputs information about the infrared sensor 31A before and after relearning by the infrared sensor 31A based on the instruction unit 116 to shorten the relearning time. The output unit 114 may further output information about the image sensor 31B before and after relearning by the infrared sensor 31A based on the instruction unit 116 to shorten the relearning time. This information can be used by an external computer or the like for purposes such as analysis.

[0083] Figure 9 is a functional block diagram of the processing device 35A according to the second embodiment. The processing device 35A includes an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and determination unit 103, an image detection and determination unit 104, a storage unit 107, a transmission determination unit 108, a transmission unit 109, a relearning unit 112, an output unit 114, and an instruction unit 116. Of these, the configurations other than the relearning unit 112, the output unit 114, and the instruction unit 116 are common to the configurations of the processing device 35 according to the second example of the basic configuration, so the explanation of similar functions is omitted. Also, the explanation of each configuration described above for the controller 20A is the same for the processing device 35A, so the explanation is omitted.

[0084] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the instruction unit 116 according to the second embodiment. The instruction unit 116 determines whether or not an ON infrared detection block 72 exists within the protected area (S40). If it does not exist (N in S40), the instruction unit 116 terminates processing. If it does exist (Y in S40), the process proceeds to step S42.

[0085] Figures 11 to 13 are schematic diagrams showing enlarged views of multiple infrared detection blocks 72 and image detection blocks 74 in a portion of the detection area 70, including the protection area 80, in the second embodiment. The protection area 80 is set, for example, within the range of the movable door 11's position and its vicinity. As described in the basic configuration's storage unit 107, the protection area 80 is an example of a setting area. Note that in Figures 11 to 13, the infrared detection blocks 72 are shown as circles, but this is a convenient drawing to distinguish them from the image detection blocks 74 and does not represent the detection spots 76 described in Figure 4.

[0086] In Figures 11 to 13, the numbers written inside the infrared detection block 72 are examples of set relearning times. In the example shown in Figure 11, the relearning time inside the protection area 80 is 30 seconds, and the relearning time outside the protection area 80 is 5 seconds. The reason why the relearning time inside the protection area 80 is set longer than the relearning time outside the protection area 80 is that the door section 10 is required to be stopped for a longer period of time inside the protection area 80 to ensure safety. However, the relearning time outside the protection area 80 may be set longer than the relearning time inside the protection area 80, or the relearning times inside and outside the protection area 80 may be the same.

[0087] In Figure 11, the ON state infrared detection block 72 and the ON state image detection block 74 are indicated by hatching. Regarding step S40 described above, in the example shown in Figure 11, there are two ON state infrared detection blocks 72 within the protected area 80.

[0088] Returning to Figure 10, the instruction unit 116 determines whether the size of the detection pixel group detected in the image detection block 74 located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block 72 determined in step S40 is less than or equal to a threshold (S42). If it is greater than the threshold (N in S42), the instruction unit 116 terminates the process. If it is less than or equal to the threshold (Y in S42), the instruction unit 116 instructs to shorten the retraining time in the ON state infrared detection block 72 determined in step S40 (S44). The detection pixel group refers to a collection of multiple pixels that are connected to each other and are detected within the image detection block 74. The size of the detection pixel group is proportional to the number of pixels that make up the detection pixel group.

[0089] In Figure 11, an image detection block 74 in which the size of the detected pixel group is below a threshold is shown as a small object detection block 84. In the example in Figure 11, there is one small object detection block 84 in the protected area 80 at a position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block 72. Therefore, the relearning time for the ON state infrared detection block 72 (the first block 86 shown in Figure 12) at the position corresponding to the small object detection block 84 is shortened. As a result, the relearning time for the first block 86 is shortened from 30 seconds to 5 seconds, as shown in Figure 12.

[0090] In Figure 11, there is also a small object detection block 84 outside the protected area 80, but because it is outside the protected area 80, the corresponding ON infrared detection block 72 (the second block 88 shown in Figure 12) is excluded from the reduction of the retraining time. Also, as mentioned above, the protected area 80 is just one example of a setting area. In other words, areas other than the protected area 80 may also be set as areas subject to the reduction of the retraining time.

[0091] Returning to Figure 10, the instruction unit 116 determines whether the relearning in the infrared detection block 72, which was instructed to shorten the relearning time, has been completed (S46). If it has not been completed (N in S46), the process returns to step S46. If it has been completed (Y in S46), the instruction unit 116 instructs the end of shortening the relearning time (S48) and terminates the process.

[0092] As shown in Figure 13, after the instruction to end the reduction of the retraining time is given, the retraining time setting returns to the state shown in Figure 11.

[0093] As described above, the automatic door device of this embodiment includes an infrared detection area 71 surrounding a door provided in an opening, which includes a plurality of infrared detection blocks 72, and an infrared sensor 31A that detects people or objects within the infrared detection area 71; an image detection area 73 that overlaps with the infrared detection area 71 in at least part, which includes a plurality of image detection blocks 74, each of which contains a plurality of pixels, and an image sensor 31B that detects people or objects within the image detection area 73; and for each of the plurality of infrared detection blocks 72, an ON state which determines that a person or object is present, or an ON state which determines that a person or object is not present, based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block 72 and a reference value for each infrared detection block 72. The system includes an infrared detection determination unit 103 that classifies the infrared detection block 72 into an off state, an image detection determination unit 104 that determines whether or not detection is performed for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the image detection blocks 74, a decision unit 105 that determines whether or not to perform a door opening operation based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit 103 and the image detection determination unit 104, a control unit 106 that performs a door opening operation based on the decision result that the door should be opened, a relearning unit 112 that causes the infrared sensor 31A to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block 72 classified as on for a predetermined relearning time, and an instruction unit 116 that instructs to shorten the relearning time for the infrared detection block 72 in the on state when the size of the group of detected pixels detected in the image detection block 74 at the position corresponding to the infrared detection block 72 in the on state is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0094] As a result, in the image detection block 74 located at the position corresponding to the ON-state infrared detection block 72 that is subject to relearning, the relearning time is shortened if there is a high probability that the object to be detected is a small object. This shortens the time required for relearning the infrared sensor 31A while ensuring safety.

[0095] In the automatic door device of this embodiment, the instruction unit 116 may exclude the infrared detection block 72 from the reduction of the relearning time if the ON state of the infrared detection block 72 is included in a predetermined area. This allows areas where a relatively short relearning time is set, or areas where the possibility of detecting small objects is low, or other areas where the effect of reducing the relearning time is low, to be excluded from the target.

[0096] In the automatic door device of this embodiment, the instruction unit 116 may instruct the end of shortening the relearning time once the relearning by the infrared sensor 31A, based on the instruction to shorten the relearning time, has finished. This returns the relearning time to the initially set time, allowing for appropriate response to subsequent detections.

[0097] The following describes modifications of this embodiment. In this embodiment, it was explained that the retraining time in the ON-state infrared detection block 72 is shortened when the size of the detection pixel group detected in the image detection block 74 located at the position corresponding to the ON-state infrared detection block 72 is below a predetermined threshold. However, when a small object is located very close to the movable door 11, the small object to be detected and a part of the movable door 11 may be recognized as a single unit in the image and detected as one detection pixel group. In that case, the size of the detection pixel group may exceed the predetermined threshold, and the retraining time for that detection pixel group may not be shortened. This modification addresses this problem.

[0098] Figure 14 is a functional block diagram of a modified controller 20B according to the second embodiment. The controller 20B includes an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and judgment unit 103, an image detection and judgment unit 104, a determination unit 105, a control unit 106, a storage unit 107A, a relearning unit 112, an output unit 114, an instruction unit 116A, and a door position acquisition unit 118. Of these, the components other than the storage unit 107A, the instruction unit 116A, and the door position acquisition unit 118 are common to the components of the controller 20A according to this embodiment, so the explanation of similar functions will be omitted.

[0099] In addition to the information stored by the controller 20A's storage unit 107, the memory unit 107A stores information about the range of positions in which the movable door 11 can move during opening and closing operations (hereinafter referred to as the "door movable range").

[0100] The door position acquisition unit 118 acquires the current position of the movable door 11. The door position acquisition unit 118 acquires the current positions of the movable doors 11L and 11R, respectively, based on the position of the rotor of the motor 42 detected by the encoder 42A of the door engine 40 shown in Figure 2. The current position of the movable door 11 includes information on the range of position occupied by the movable door 11 at the time the door position acquisition unit 118 acquires the information.

[0101] The instruction unit 116A, similar to the instruction unit 116 of the controller 20A, instructs the relearning unit 112 to shorten the relearning time for infrared detection blocks 72 that meet predetermined conditions among the infrared detection blocks 72 classified as ON state. The predetermined conditions here are different from those used by the instruction unit 116. For example, in an image detection block 74 corresponding to an ON state infrared detection block 72, if at least a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to pixels corresponding to the current position of the movable door 11, the instruction unit 116A excludes pixels corresponding to the door's movable range from the detection pixel group. Here, pixels corresponding to the door's movable range are all pixels that can be detected within the door's movable range. When the size of the detection pixel group after excluding pixels corresponding to the door's movable range is below a threshold, the instruction unit 116 instructs the relearning unit 112 to shorten the relearning time for the ON state infrared detection block 72. Details of the predetermined conditions used by the instruction unit 116A will be described later.

[0102] Figure 15 is a functional block diagram of the processing device 35B according to a modified example of the second embodiment. The processing device 35B includes an infrared data acquisition unit 101, an image data acquisition unit 102, an infrared detection and determination unit 103, an image detection and determination unit 104, a storage unit 107A, a transmission determination unit 108, a transmission unit 109, a relearning unit 112, an output unit 114, an instruction unit 116A, and a door position acquisition unit 118. Of these, the configurations other than the storage unit 107A, the instruction unit 116A, and the door position acquisition unit 118 are the same as the configurations in the processing device 35A according to this embodiment, so the explanation of similar functions will be omitted. Also, the explanation of each configuration of the controller 20B described above is the same for the processing device 35B, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0103] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the instruction unit 116A according to a modified example of the second embodiment. Steps S40 to S48 in this flowchart, other than steps S50, S52, and S54, are the same as steps S40 to S48 in the flowchart shown in Figure 10, and therefore their explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0104] If an ON state infrared detection block 72 exists within the protected area (Y in S40), the instruction unit 116A determines whether at least a portion of the detection pixel group detected within the image detection block 74 located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block 72 is a pixel corresponding to the door movable range stored in the storage unit 107A (S50). If the instruction unit 116A determines that at least a portion of the detection pixel group is a pixel corresponding to the door movable range (Y in S50), the process proceeds to step S52. If the instruction unit 116A determines that none of the detection pixel group is a pixel corresponding to the door movable range (N in S50), the process proceeds to step S42.

[0105] The instruction unit 116A determines whether at least a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to the current position of the movable door 11 acquired by the door position acquisition unit 118 (S52). If the instruction unit 116A determines that at least a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to the current position of the movable door 11 (Y in S52), it removes the pixels corresponding to the door's movable range from the detection pixel group (S54) and proceeds to step S42. If the instruction unit 116A determines that none of the detection pixel group corresponds to the current position of the movable door 11 (N in S52), it proceeds to step S42. The processing from step S42 onward is the same as in Figure 10.

[0106] Figures 17 to 20 are schematic diagrams showing an enlarged view of the protective area 80 of the detection area 70 in a modified example of the second embodiment. A portion of the protective area 80 overlaps with the door movable range 98, which is the range of positions in which the movable door 11 can move during opening and closing operations. The movable door 11 is movable within the door movable range 98. In the examples shown in Figures 17 to 19, the position of the movable door 11 is the fully closed position, and in the example shown in Figure 20, the position of the movable door 11 is a position between the fully open position and the fully open position. In Figures 17, 18, and 20, the area corresponding to the detection pixel group detected within the image detection block 74 corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block 72 is shown as the detection pixel group area 92 with hatching.

[0107] Figure 17 shows an example where the small object 96 is located within the protected area 80, away from the door's movable range 98. In this example, no objects other than the small object 96 are detected in the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located, so the detection pixel group area 92 coincides with the area occupied by the small object 96. Therefore, the size of the detection pixel group is less than or equal to the threshold. In other words, the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located is the small object detection block 84, and the instruction unit 116A can appropriately instruct the reduction of the retraining time.

[0108] Figure 18 shows an example where a small object 96 is close to the movable door 11 within the protected area 80. In this example, the small object 96 and a portion of the movable door 11 are detected together in the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located. Therefore, the detection pixel group area 92 is wider than the area occupied by the small object 96. Thus, the size of the detection pixel group may exceed the threshold. In this case, since a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to the current position of the movable door 11 (Y in S52 of Figure 16), the instruction unit 116A excludes the pixels corresponding to the door's movable range 98 from the detection pixel group (S54 in Figure 16). As a result, as shown in Figure 19, the detection pixel group area 94 after exclusion coincides with the area occupied by the small object 96. Therefore, similar to Figure 17, the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located becomes the small object detection block 84, and the instruction unit 116A appropriately instructs to shorten the retraining time. This reduces the risk of a portion of the movable door 11 being falsely detected as a detection target.

[0109] Figure 20 shows an example where, within the protected area 80, the small object 96 is close to the door's movable range 98 but not close to the movable door 11. Specifically, the small object 96 is located on the fully closed side (towards the center of the figure) of the leading edge of the movable door 11. In this example, the small object 96 and other objects are detected together in the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located. Therefore, the detection pixel group area 92 is wider than the area occupied by the small object 96. In this case, none of the detection pixel groups correspond to the current position of the movable door 11 (N in S52 of Figure 16), so the instruction unit 116A does not give an instruction for retraining time if the size of the detection pixel group exceeds the threshold (N in S42 of Figure 16). This allows for the appropriate detection of objects that may collide with the closing operation of the movable door 11.

[0110] Figure 20 shows an example where the small object 96 is located on the fully closed side of the leading edge of the movable door 11, but the small object 96 may also be located on the fully open side of the trailing edge of the movable door 11. Even in that case, if the small object 96 and other objects are detected together in the image detection block 74 where the small object 96 is located, objects that may collide with the opening operation of the movable door 11 can be appropriately detected in the same manner as described above.

[0111] In Figure 16, the instruction unit 116A does not need to perform the process in S52. In this case, if the result in step S50 is Y, the process proceeds directly to step S54 without going through step S52. As a result, if at least a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to the door movable range 98, the instruction unit 116A will exclude the pixels corresponding to the door movable range 98 from the detection pixel group regardless of the current position of the movable door 11, thereby reducing the processing burden.

[0112] In the examples shown in Figures 17 to 20, the small object 96 and the door's movable range 98 are described as being included in the same image detection block 74. However, the small object 96 and the door's movable range 98 do not necessarily have to be included in the same image detection block 74. Even in that case, the risk of the movable door 11 itself being falsely detected can be reduced by excluding the pixels corresponding to the door's movable range 98 from the detection pixel group for the image detection block 74 that includes at least a part of the door's movable range 98.

[0113] As described above, the automatic door device of this modified embodiment has the same configuration as the automatic door device of the second embodiment, but the instruction unit 116A excludes pixels corresponding to the door's movable range 98 from the detection pixel group 92. This reduces the risk of a portion of the movable door 11 being falsely detected as the target of detection.

[0114] Furthermore, in addition to having the same configuration as the automatic door device of the second embodiment, the modified automatic door device further includes a door position acquisition unit 118 that acquires the current position of the movable door 11, and the instruction unit 116A may exclude pixels corresponding to the door movable range 98 from the detection pixel group 92 if at least a portion of the detection pixel group 92 are pixels corresponding to the current position of the movable door 11. As a result, even if at least a portion of the detection pixel group 92 are pixels corresponding to the door movable range 98, those pixels will not be excluded from the detection pixel group 92 if they are not pixels corresponding to the current position of the movable door 11. Thus, the risk of a portion of the movable door 11 being falsely detected as a detection target is reduced, while objects that may collide with the opening and closing operation of the movable door 11 can be appropriately detected.

[0115] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. The embodiments described above are merely examples of how to implement the present invention. The contents of the embodiments do not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and many design changes, such as changes, additions, and deletions of components, are possible as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims. In the embodiments described above, such design changes are described with notations such as "of the embodiments" or "in the embodiments," but design changes may also be permitted in contents without such notations.

[0116] Any combination of the embodiments and modifications described above is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. The new embodiments resulting from these combinations possess the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications.

[0117] In the embodiments disclosed herein, those in which multiple functions are provided in a distributed manner may have some or all of those multiple functions integrated into a single unit, and conversely, those in which multiple functions are integrated may have some or all of those functions provided in a distributed manner. Whether the functions are integrated or distributed, the configuration should be such that the objective of the invention can be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10...Door section, 31A...Infrared sensor, 31B...Image sensor, 70...Detection area, 71...Infrared detection area, 72...Infrared detection block, 73...Image detection area, 74...Image detection block, 80...Protection area, 84...Small object detection block, 100...Automatic door, 101...Infrared data acquisition unit, 102...Image data acquisition unit, 103...Infrared detection judgment unit, 104...Image detection judgment unit, 105...Decision unit, 107...Storage unit, 108...Transmission decision unit, 112...Relearning unit, 114...Output unit, 116...Instruction unit.

Claims

1. An infrared detection area is provided around a door installed in an opening, and an infrared sensor detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The door is provided with an image detection area, and an image sensor that detects a person or object within the image detection area. An infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the infrared sensor, An image detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the image sensor, A decision unit that determines whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit, The system includes a control unit that opens the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation, The aforementioned image detection area includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area. The system further includes an illuminance measuring unit for measuring the illuminance around the aforementioned door, The determination unit shall not make a decision on opening the door based solely on the determination result of the image detection determination unit when the illuminance measured by the illuminance measuring unit is below a predetermined threshold. Automatic door system.

2. An infrared detection area is provided around a door installed in an opening, and an infrared sensor detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The door is provided with an image detection area, and an image sensor that detects a person or object within the image detection area. An infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the infrared sensor, An image detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the image sensor, A decision unit that determines whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit, The system includes a control unit that opens the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation, The aforementioned image detection area includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area. The system further includes an illuminance measuring unit for measuring the illuminance around the aforementioned door, The image detection determination unit classifies the image into one of the following states: an ON state in which it determines that a person or object is present in the limited detection area of ​​the image; a provisional ON state in which it reserves judgment on whether or not a person or object is present; and an OFF state in which it determines that no person or object is present. The determination unit decides to open the door when the illuminance exceeds a predetermined threshold, according to the determination result of the image detection determination unit as the ON state, and when the illuminance is below the threshold, it considers the determination result of the image detection determination unit as the ON state as the temporary ON state or the OFF state. Automatic door system.

3. An infrared detection area is provided around a door installed in an opening, and an infrared sensor detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The door is provided with an image detection area, and an image sensor that detects a person or object within the image detection area. An infrared detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the infrared sensor, An image detection determination unit that determines the detection status of a person or object by the image sensor, The system includes a transmission decision unit that determines whether or not to transmit an opening operation signal to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection decision unit and the image detection decision unit, respectively. The aforementioned image detection area includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area. The system further includes an illuminance measuring unit for measuring the illuminance around the aforementioned door, The transmission decision unit does not decide to transmit the open operation signal based solely on the judgment result of the image detection decision unit when the illuminance measured by the illuminance measurement unit is below a predetermined threshold. Sensor for automatic doors.

4. The process involves providing an infrared detection area around a door installed in an opening, and acquiring infrared data from an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The door is provided with an image detection area, and the image data is acquired from an image sensor that detects a person or object within the image detection area. A step of determining the detection status of a person or object based on the infrared data, A step of determining the detection status of a person or object based on the aforementioned image data, A step of determining whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the judgment result based on the infrared data and the judgment result based on the image data, The step of opening the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation, The aforementioned image detection area includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area. The further step includes measuring the illuminance around the door, In the aforementioned determination step, if the measured illuminance is below a predetermined threshold, the decision to open the door is not made solely based on the judgment result based on the image data. Automatic door control methods.

5. The process involves providing an infrared detection area around a door installed in an opening, and acquiring infrared data from an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The door is provided with an image detection area, and the image data is acquired from an image sensor that detects a person or object within the image detection area. A step of determining the detection status of a person or object based on the infrared data, A step of determining the detection status of a person or object based on the aforementioned image data, A step of determining whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the judgment result based on the infrared data and the judgment result based on the image data, An automatic door control program for causing a processor to perform the steps of opening the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation, The aforementioned image detection area includes an image-limited detection area which is an area outside the infrared detection area. The processor is further instructed to perform the step of measuring the illuminance around the aforementioned door. In the aforementioned determination step, if the measured illuminance is below a predetermined threshold, the decision to open the door is not made solely based on the judgment result based on the image data. Control program for automatic doors.

6. An infrared detection area is provided around a door installed in an opening, including multiple infrared detection blocks, and an infrared sensor detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. An image detection area that overlaps with the infrared detection area in at least part, comprising an image detection area including a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which includes a plurality of pixels, and an image sensor for detecting a person or object within the image detection area. An infrared detection determination unit classifies each of the aforementioned plurality of infrared detection blocks into an ON state, which determines that a person or object is present, or an OFF state, which determines that a person or object is not present, based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for that infrared detection block. An image detection determination unit determines whether or not detection is present for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the aforementioned image detection blocks, A decision unit that determines whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the determination results of the infrared detection determination unit and the image detection determination unit, A control unit that opens the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation, A relearning unit that causes the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as ON for a predetermined relearning period, When the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, an instruction unit instructs the reduction of the retraining time in the ON state infrared detection block, An automatic door system equipped with the following features.

7. The instruction unit excludes pixels corresponding to the movable range of the door from the group of detected pixels. The automatic door device according to claim 6.

8. The system further includes a door position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the aforementioned door. The instruction unit excludes pixels corresponding to the movable range of the door from the detection pixel group if at least a portion of the detection pixel group corresponds to the current position of the door. The automatic door device according to claim 6.

9. The instruction unit excludes the infrared detection block from the reduction of the relearning time if the ON state infrared detection block is included in a predetermined area. The automatic door device according to claim 6.

10. When the relearning by the infrared sensor based on the instruction to shorten the relearning time is completed, the instruction unit will instruct the termination of the shortening of the relearning time. The automatic door device according to claim 6.

11. The system further includes a storage unit that stores information about the infrared sensor before and after relearning by the infrared sensor based on the instruction to shorten the relearning time. The automatic door device according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

12. The system further includes an output unit that outputs information about the infrared sensor before and after relearning by the infrared sensor based on the instruction to shorten the relearning time. The automatic door device according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

13. An infrared detection area is provided around a door installed in an opening, including multiple infrared detection blocks, and an infrared sensor detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. An image detection area that overlaps with the infrared detection area in at least part, comprising an image detection area including a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which includes a plurality of pixels, and an image sensor for detecting a person or object within the image detection area. An infrared detection determination unit classifies each of the aforementioned plurality of infrared detection blocks into an ON state, which determines that a person or object is present, or an OFF state, which determines that a person or object is not present, based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for that infrared detection block. An image detection determination unit determines whether or not detection is present for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the aforementioned image detection blocks, A transmission decision unit that determines whether or not to transmit an open operation signal to open the door based on the determination results of the infrared detection decision unit and the image detection decision unit, A relearning unit that causes the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as ON for a predetermined relearning period, When the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, an instruction unit instructs the reduction of the retraining time in the ON state infrared detection block, A sensor required for automatic doors.

14. The process involves providing an infrared detection area around a door installed in an opening, which includes multiple infrared detection blocks, and acquiring infrared data from an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The steps include acquiring image data from an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area, the image detection area comprising a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of pixels, and which overlaps with the infrared detection area in at least a portion of the image detection area; For each of the aforementioned multiple infrared detection blocks, the step of classifying them into an ON state, where it is determined that a person or object is present, or an OFF state, where it is determined that a person or object is not present, based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for that infrared detection block, The steps include determining whether or not detection is present for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the aforementioned image detection blocks, A step of deciding whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the classification result in the classification step and the determination result in the determination step, The steps include: opening the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation; The steps include: causing the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as ON for a predetermined relearning period; When the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the step of instructing the reduction of the retraining time in the ON state infrared detection block, Automatic door control method including

15. The process involves providing an infrared detection area around a door installed in an opening, which includes multiple infrared detection blocks, and acquiring infrared data from an infrared sensor that detects a person or object within the infrared detection area. The steps include acquiring image data from an image sensor that detects a person or object within an image detection area, the image detection area comprising a plurality of image detection blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of pixels, and which overlaps with the infrared detection area in at least a portion of the image detection area; For each of the aforementioned multiple infrared detection blocks, the step of classifying them into an ON state, where it is determined that a person or object is present, or an OFF state, where it is determined that a person or object is not present, based on the difference between the amount of light received from each infrared detection block and a reference value for that infrared detection block, The steps include determining whether or not detection is present for each of the multiple pixels included in each of the aforementioned image detection blocks, A step of deciding whether or not to perform the door opening operation based on the classification result in the classification step and the determination result in the determination step, The steps include: opening the door based on the decision result to perform the aforementioned opening operation; The steps include: causing the infrared sensor to continue relearning the reference value of the infrared detection block classified as ON for a predetermined relearning period; When the size of the group of detection pixels detected in the image detection block located at the position corresponding to the ON state infrared detection block is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the step of instructing the reduction of the retraining time in the ON state infrared detection block, A control program for automatic doors that causes the processor to execute.

Images