Sensor control method executed by air-conditioning apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Air-conditioning systems using infrared sensors face challenges in achieving high-resolution thermal imaging of specific areas due to low resolution from limited infrared light-receiving elements, leading to increased computational load and energy consumption, and lack of flexibility in super-resolution reconstruction algorithms.
Innovation Solution
A sensor control method that acquires a first thermal image, extracts a subject thermal image by background subtraction, and determines a second scanning scheme based on the subject's size, allowing for efficient re-scanning of smaller areas with optimized resolution and scanning speed, enhancing detection accuracy and reducing computational load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of infrared light-receiving elements is increased to improve image resolution, then the resolution of the thermal image is improved, but the cost of the infrared sensor increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary scanning to capture thermal images at multiple positions before constructing the final high-resolution image. By pre-acquiring images at different locations and using image processing algorithms to synthesize them, the system achieves high resolution without needing more light-receiving elements, thus avoiding increased sensor cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional sensor array to a multi-dimensional imaging approach by scanning at multiple positions and combining images. This spatial dimensionality expansion allows the system to achieve higher effective resolution through computational synthesis rather than through hardware density increases
2Measurement precision
If super-resolution reconstruction is performed on the entire thermal image to improve resolution, then the image resolution is enhanced, but the computational load and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and identifies subject objects from the thermal image, then applies super-resolution reconstruction only to regions containing these subjects rather than processing the entire image. This selective approach maintains high resolution for important areas while significantly reducing the computational load and energy consumption associated with full-image processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing quality levels to different regions of the image. High-resolution super-resolution reconstruction is applied locally to areas containing subjects of interest, while other regions receive standard processing. This local quality differentiation optimizes the balance between image quality and computational resource consumption
3Ease of operation
If a fixed scanning scheme is used to acquire thermal images, then the scanning process is simple, but the flexibility in adapting to different detection requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic scanning scheme where the scanning parameters (such as number of positions, scanning speed, and coverage area) are adjusted based on the detected subject's size and characteristics. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain operational simplicity while achieving flexibility in responding to different detection scenarios, such as adjusting scan density for small versus large subjects
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient acquisition of high-resolution thermal images with reduced energy consumption and computational load, improving detection accuracy and flexibility in air-conditioning control and fire alarm applications.
Implementation Method 1
a linear infrared sensor constituted by a plurality of infrared light-receiving elements
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor control method that is executed by an air-conditioning apparatus includes: acquiring a first thermal image by scanning an air-conditioned space using the infrared sensor in accordance with a first scanning scheme, the air-conditioning apparatus being placed in the air-conditioned space; extracting a subject thermal image from the first thermal image, based on a difference between a background thermal image of the air-conditioned space when no subject is present therein and the first thermal image; determining a second scanning scheme different from the first scanning scheme, when the subject thermal image has a size smaller than a threshold size; and acquiring a second thermal image by scanning an area corresponding to the subject thermal image of the air-conditioned space using the infrared sensor in accordance with the determined second scanning scheme.