JP6930331B2 - Movement direction identification method and pressure sensor device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a moving direction specifying method and a pressure-sensitive sensor device, and particularly to a moving direction specifying method for specifying a moving direction of a person using a sensor panel in which a plurality of detection cells are arranged in a matrix, and a pressure-sensitive sensor device. ..

In recent years, pressure-sensitive sensor devices in which a plurality of detection cells for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix are used in various fields. For example, by installing the pressure sensor device on the floor, it is possible to grasp the number of people passing over the pressure sensor device, the moving direction, and the like.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to a measurement system that can measure the actual number of people existing in each section of a building at any time and is less likely to cause an error. The measurement system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is installed on the entrance / exit floor surface of a building section, and has a plurality of pressure-sensitive elements in a planar shape so as to be able to detect the passing direction and the number of pedestrians passing on the floor surface. Control to calculate the number of people in the compartment using information from the pressure sensor placed in the area, the infrared sensor installed so that the presence or absence of humans in the compartment can be detected, and the pressure sensor and the infrared sensor. Provide means.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-79140

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a pressure-sensitive sensor in which pressure-sensitive elements are arranged in a plane shape is used to determine the passing direction and the number of pedestrians passing on the floor surface. Here, since the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to measure the actual number of people existing in each section of the building at any time, the pressure sensor is installed on the floor surface of the entrance / exit of the section of the building. Will be done. Then, when specifying the moving direction of the person (direction of entering and exiting the section), the moving direction of the person is specified by one foot of the shoe.

When specifying the direction of entering and exiting a person's compartment, the direction of movement of a person can be accurately specified even if the direction of movement of a person is specified by one foot of shoes. However, the information for one foot of shoes is not enough to accurately identify various directions of movement of a person.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a moving direction specifying method capable of accurately specifying a moving direction of a person, and a pressure-sensitive sensor device.

The moving direction specifying method according to one aspect of the present invention is a moving direction specifying method for specifying a moving direction of a person by using a sensor panel in which a plurality of detection cells for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix in a row direction and a column direction. When the plurality of detection cells detect the pressure, the first determination is made as to whether or not the first detection region in which the plurality of detection cells have detected the pressure corresponds to the first foot of a person. When it is determined in the step and the first step that the first detection region corresponds to the first foot, the pressure in the first detection region is detected over time at the center point of the detection cell. A region different from the second step of determining the ground contact direction of the first foot based on the moving direction and the first detection region, and within a predetermined range with reference to the first detection region. When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure, a third step of determining whether or not the second detection region in which the plurality of detection cells have detected pressure corresponds to the second foot of the person, and the third step. When it is determined in the third step that the second detection region corresponds to the second foot, the pressure is detected in the second detection region in the direction of movement of the center point of the detection cell over time. A fourth step of determining the ground contact direction of the second foot based on the method, and a fifth step of specifying the movement direction of the person using the ground contact direction of the first foot and the ground contact direction of the second foot. With steps.

The pressure-sensitive sensor device according to one aspect of the present invention is based on a sensor panel in which a plurality of detection cells for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix in a row direction and a column direction, and pressure detected by the plurality of detection cells. It is provided with a processing circuit for specifying the moving direction of a person. When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure, the processing circuit determines whether or not the first detection region in which the plurality of detection cells have detected pressure corresponds to the first foot of a person, and the processing circuit determines whether or not the first detection region corresponds to the first foot of a person. When it is determined that the first detection region corresponds to the first foot, the first foot is based on the movement direction of the center point of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected in the first detection region over time. When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure in a region different from the first detection region and within a predetermined range with the first detection region as a reference, the plurality of detection cells are determined. When it is determined whether or not the second detection region in which the detection cell has detected the pressure corresponds to the second foot of the person, and when it is determined that the second detection region corresponds to the second foot, The ground contact direction of the second foot is determined based on the movement direction of the center point of the detection cell that has detected the pressure in the second detection region over time, and the ground contact direction of the first foot and the second foot. The movement direction of the person is specified by using the ground contact direction of the foot.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a moving direction specifying method capable of accurately specifying a moving direction of a person, and a pressure-sensitive sensor device.

It is a figure for demonstrating the pressure-sensitive sensor device which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the detection cell included in the pressure sensitive sensor device which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which pressure was applied to the detection cell shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the pre-processing in the moving direction specifying method which concerns on embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a pressure-sensitive sensor device for carrying out the moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment will be described.

<Structure of pressure sensor device>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a sensor panel 5 and a processing circuit 8. In the sensor panel 5, a plurality of detection cells 10 for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix in the row direction and the column direction. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example including detection cells 10 having 10 rows × 18 columns, but in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, the number of detection cells 10 provided in the row direction and the column direction is arbitrary. Can be decided.

The processing circuit 8 is a circuit that identifies the moving direction of a person based on the output of the sensor panel 5 (that is, the pressure detected by the sensor panel 5). For example, the processing circuit 8 includes a processor, a memory, and the like, and by executing a program in the processor, the moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment is implemented. A program for executing the moving direction specifying method and predetermined data are stored in the memory.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a detection cell 10 included in the pressure-sensitive sensor device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the detection cell 10 is formed on the substrate 11. The substrate 11 can be configured by using a rigid substrate such as a printed wiring board. Lower electrodes 12 and 13 arranged so as to be close to each other are arranged on the upper surface of the substrate 11. As the materials of the lower electrodes 12 and 13, for example, a metal material such as copper or aluminum or a carbon-based material such as carbon black or graphite can be used. The lower electrodes 12 and 13 may be formed on the substrate 11 by using, for example, a printing process. Further, for example, a film on which the lower electrodes 12 and 13 are printed may be attached to the substrate 11 to form the film. A driving voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 12.

A film 15 is arranged on the upper part of the substrate 11. A spacer 17 is provided between the substrate 11 and the film 15. The spacers 17 are arranged on both sides of the detection cell 10 in the row direction (in other words, both sides of the lower electrodes 12 and 13). By providing the spacer 17, the substrate 11 and the film 15 can be arranged apart from each other. Further, an upper electrode 14 is formed on the lower surface of the film 15. The upper electrode 14 is arranged so as to face the lower electrodes 12 and 13.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which pressure is applied to the detection cell 10 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the pressure-sensitive sensor device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the stress F1 is applied to the upper surface of each detection cell 10, the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13. It is configured to detect pressure with. That is, a driving voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 12 of each detection cell 10, the film 15 is displaced in the direction approaching the substrate 11, and the upper electrode 14 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 12 and 13, and the lower electrode 12 The pressure is detected by detecting that the drive voltage 13 is in a conductive state and a driving voltage is applied to the lower electrode 13.

The configuration of each detection cell 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is an example, and in the present embodiment, the detection cell 10 may be configured by using, for example, a piezoelectric element or a pressure sensitive element. That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of detection cells 10 for detecting pressure may be arranged in a matrix, and the method in which each detection cell detects pressure is not particularly limited.

Next, a method of specifying the moving direction of a person using the sensor panel 5 will be described.

<Algorithm for determining foot>
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining a process (algorithm) for determining whether or not the detection region corresponds to a human foot. .. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 4, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. In the drawings of the present application, the detection cell 10 in which the pressure is detected is shown by hatching. For example, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot and the detection area 21 is detected, the processing device 8 determines whether or not the detection area 21 corresponds to the human foot. Specifically, the processing device 8 compares the reference value for determining whether or not it corresponds to a human foot with the detection area 21, and when the detection area 21 is within the range of the reference value, the detection area 21 Is determined to correspond to a person's foot. In the lower figure of FIG. 4, the region 24 in which the detection region 21 is determined to correspond to the human foot is shown.

Here, the reference value for determining whether or not the foot is a human foot is, for example, the size of the human foot (the length of the human foot, including the length of the shoe), and the processing device 8 has a detection area. When the length of the longest portion (length in the longitudinal direction) of 21 is within the range of the reference value of the human foot length, it is determined that the detection area 21 corresponds to the human foot. Specifically, the foot length reference value has a minimum value and a maximum value, and the length of the detection region 21 is equal to or more than the minimum value of the foot length reference value and equal to or less than the maximum value of the foot length reference value. In the case of, it is determined that the detection area 21 corresponds to the human foot. For example, the reference value of the foot length may be determined in consideration of the foot length of an adult, or may be determined in consideration of the foot length of a child in addition to the foot length of an adult.

Further, in the present embodiment, the width of a person's foot (including the width of shoes) may be further used as a reference value for determining whether or not the foot is a person's foot. By using the width of a person's foot in addition to the length of the person's foot, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the foot is a person's foot.

Further, in the present embodiment, the area of the human foot (including the area of the shoes) may be further used as a reference value for determining whether or not the foot is a human foot. By using the area of a person's foot in addition to the length and width of a person's foot, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not the person's foot is a person's foot. In this embodiment, it may be determined whether or not the foot is a human foot by using the length of the human foot and the area of the human foot.

The reference value for determining whether or not the foot is a person's foot is stored in advance in, for example, a memory included in the processing device 8.

The detection area 21 shown in FIG. 4 is a continuous area, but the detection area 22 may be divided into a plurality of areas, for example, as in the detection area 22 shown in FIG. For example, when wearing high heels and stepping on the sensor panel 5, the detection area 22 is divided into a heel portion and a toe portion. In such a case, as shown in the lower figure of FIG. 4, the distance between the center point 26 of one region of the detection region 22 and the center point 27 of the other region is obtained, and this distance is a predetermined reference value. Whether or not it corresponds to a person's foot can be determined by whether or not it is within the range. Here, the region of the detection region 22 having a smaller area (region including the center point 26) corresponds to the heel portion, and the region having a larger area (region including the center point 27) corresponds to the toe portion. There is. That is, when the detection area 22 is divided into a plurality of areas as in the detection area 22 of FIG. 4, the distance between the center point 26 of the heel portion and the center point 27 of the toe portion is used to determine whether the foot is a human foot. It can be determined whether or not. The lower figure of FIG. 4 shows a region where the region 28 is determined to correspond to a human foot. In the case of the detection area 22, the reference value for determining whether or not the foot is a human foot is the distance between the center point of the heel portion and the center point of the toe portion. Such a reference value is stored in advance in the memory included in the processing device 8.

<Algorithm for determining the ground contact direction of the foot>
Next, an algorithm for determining the ground contact direction of the human foot will be described with reference to FIG. Generally, when a person walks, he or she lands on the ground from the heel, then the entire foot touches the ground, then the heel rises and the toes move off the ground. In the present embodiment, the contact direction of the foot is determined by tracking a series of movements of the foot of such a person. Hereinafter, the algorithm for determining the ground contact direction of the foot will be specifically described.

As shown in FIG. 5A, when the heel of the foot lands on the sensor panel 5, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 31 (corresponding to the position of the heel of the foot). After that, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the foot touches the sensor panel 5, the area where the detection cell 10 detects the pressure becomes wider. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 32. After that, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the entire foot touches the sensor panel 5, the area where the detection cell 10 detects the pressure becomes wider. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 32. After that, as shown in FIG. 5D, when the heel of the foot is raised, only the toe touches the sensor panel 5, so that the detection cell 10 detects the pressure of the toe. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 32 (corresponding to the position of the toe).

In the present embodiment, the ground contact direction of the foot is determined based on the movement direction of the center point 32 of the detection cell 10 in which the pressure is detected in each of FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (d) with time. That is, by obtaining the moving direction (indicated by the arrow 34) of the center point 32 of FIGS. 5 (b) to 5 (d) with respect to the center point 31 of FIG. 5 (a) (corresponding to the position of the heel of the foot). , Determines the ground contact direction of a person's foot.

Further, in the present embodiment, the moving speed of a person may be obtained by using the moving speed of the center point 32 of the detection cell 10 that has detected the pressure. That is, when the moving speed of a person is high, the moving speed of the center point 32 of the detection cell 10 that has detected the pressure is also high. On the contrary, when the moving speed of the person is slow, the moving speed of the center point 32 of the detection cell 10 that has detected the pressure also becomes slow. In the present embodiment, the moving speed of a person can be obtained by obtaining the moving speed of the center point 32 of the detection cell 10 that has detected the pressure in this way.

<Algorithm for identifying the direction of movement of a person>
Next, an algorithm for specifying the moving direction of a person will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment.

When specifying the moving direction of a person, first, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the detection cell 10 has detected the pressure (step S1). If the detection cell 10 does not detect the pressure (step S1: No), the operation of step S1 is repeated. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. When the detection cell 10 detects the pressure (step S1: Yes), it is determined whether or not the pressure detection detection area 40 (the area indicated by hatching; the same applies hereinafter) corresponds to the human foot (step S2). ). If the detection area 40 in which the pressure is detected does not correspond to the human foot (step S2: No), the operation from step S1 is repeated.

In the case shown in FIG. 7A, since the detection region 40 in which the pressure was detected corresponds to the human foot (left foot in the example shown in FIG. 7) (step S2: Yes), the processing circuit 8 detected the pressure. It is determined that the detection area 40 corresponds to the area 43 of the human foot. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 44 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 41 and 42 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time (step S3). That is, in FIG. 7A, the center point 41 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 42 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 44 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 41) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 42). Note that FIG. 7 shows a case where the ground contact direction 44 of the foot is determined using the position of the center of the foot (center point 42), but in the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. The center point 32 at the toes of the foot may be used to determine the ground contact direction of the foot.

After that, it is determined again whether or not the detection cell 10 has detected the pressure (step S4). If the detection cell 10 does not detect the pressure (step S4: No), the process returns to the process of step S1. On the other hand, when the detection cell 10 detects the pressure (step S4: Yes), it is determined whether or not the detection of the pressure is due to the other foot of the same person. Specifically, the processing circuit 8 is a region different from the detection region 40 of FIG. 7B, and determines whether or not the detection cell 10 has detected the pressure within a predetermined range with the detection region 40 as a reference. judge. That is, since the footprints of the same person fall within a predetermined range, the detection of this pressure is performed by the same person by determining whether or not the detection cell 10 has detected the pressure within the predetermined range with the detection area 40 as a reference. It can be determined whether or not it is due to.

In the case shown in FIG. 7B, since the detection area 45 is within a predetermined range with reference to the detection area 40, the processing circuit 8 next determines whether or not the detection area 45 corresponds to a human foot. Is determined (step S5). In the case shown in FIG. 7B, since the detection region 45 in which the pressure was detected corresponds to the human foot (right foot in the example shown in FIG. 7) (step S5: Yes), the processing circuit 8 detected the pressure. It is determined that the detection area 45 corresponds to the area 48 of the human foot. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 49 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 46 and 47 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time (step S6). That is, in FIG. 7B, the center point 46 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 47 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 49 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 46) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 47).

After that, the moving direction d1 of the person is specified by using the moving direction 44 of the foot (left foot) obtained in step S3 and the moving direction 49 of the foot (right foot) obtained in step S6 (step S7). Specifically, the moving direction d1 of a person can be specified by synthesizing the moving direction 44 and the moving direction 49. After that, by repeating the operations of steps S1 to S7 of FIG. 6, the moving direction of the person can be specified in real time.

As shown in FIG. 7C, when a person's foot subsequently steps on the sensor panel 5, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. In this case, since the detection area 50 that detects the pressure corresponds to the human foot (the left foot in the example shown in FIG. 7C), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 50 that detects the pressure corresponds to the area of the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to 53. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 54 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 51 and 52 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 7C, the center point 51 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 52 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the contact direction 54 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction of the foot from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 51) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 52) with time. After that, the grounding direction 49 of the detection area 45 and the grounding direction 54 of the detection area 50 are used to specify the moving direction d2 of the person. Specifically, the moving direction d2 of a person can be specified by synthesizing the moving direction 49 and the moving direction 54.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7D, when a person's foot subsequently steps on the sensor panel 5, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. In this case, since the detection area 55 that detects the pressure corresponds to the human foot (the right foot in the example shown in FIG. 7D), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 55 that detects the pressure corresponds to the area of the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to 58. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 59 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 56 and 57 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 7D, the center point 56 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 57 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 59 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 56) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 57). After that, the grounding direction 54 of the detection area 50 and the grounding direction 59 of the detection area 55 are used to specify the moving direction d3 of the person. Specifically, the moving direction d3 of a person can be specified by synthesizing the moving direction 54 and the moving direction 59.

As described above, in the invention according to the present embodiment, when the moving direction of the person is specified, the ground contact direction 44 of one foot of the person (see FIG. 7) and the ground contact direction 49 of the other foot are determined. It is used to specify the moving direction d1 of a person. As described above, in the present invention, since the moving direction of the person is specified by using the ground contact directions of the plurality of feet, the moving direction of the person can be accurately specified.

In the above description, the case where the movement direction d1 of the person is specified by using the ground contact directions 44 and 49 of the two feet of the person has been described, but in the invention according to the present embodiment, when the movement direction of the person is specified, the movement direction of the person is specified. You may use the ground contact direction of three or more feet. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the ground contact direction 44 of the foot in the detection area 40, the ground contact direction 49 of the foot in the detection area 45, and the ground contact direction 54 of the foot in the detection area 50 (the ground contact direction of the foot for three steps). May be used to specify the direction of movement of a person.

<Algorithm for detecting changes in the direction of movement of a person>
Next, an algorithm for detecting a change in the moving direction of a person will be described with reference to FIG. The algorithm for determining the ground contact direction of each foot is basically the same as the case described with reference to FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. When the detection cell 10 detects the pressure, it is determined whether or not the detection area 60 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 8A, since the detection area 60 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot (left foot in the example shown in FIG. 8), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 60 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to the foot region 63. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 64 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 61 and 62 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 8A, the center point 61 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 62 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 64 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 61) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 62).

Next, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines whether or not the pressure-detected detection region 65 corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 8A, since the detection area 65 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot (right foot in the example shown in FIG. 8), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 65 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to the foot region 68. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 69 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 66 and 67 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 8A, the center point 66 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 67 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 69 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 66) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 67).

The processing circuit 8 identifies the moving direction d4 of the person by using the ground contact direction 64 of the foot in the detection area 60 and the ground contact direction 69 of the foot in the detection area 65. Specifically, the moving direction d4 of a person can be specified by synthesizing the moving direction 64 and the moving direction 69.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines whether or not the detection region 70 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 8B, since the detection area 70 where the pressure is detected corresponds to the human foot (left foot in the example shown in FIG. 8), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 70 where the pressure is detected corresponds to the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to the foot region 73. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 74 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 71 and 72 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 8B, the center point 71 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 72 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 74 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 71) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 72).

Here, comparing the ground contact direction 69 of the foot in the detection area 65 and the ground contact direction 74 of the foot in the detection area 70, the ground contact direction 74 of the foot in the detection area 70 is relative to the ground contact direction 69 of the foot in the detection area 65. The direction changes by the angle α. In this case, in the processing circuit 8, since the angle α of the foot contacting direction 74 in the detection region 70 with respect to the foot contacting direction 69 in the detection region 65 is within a predetermined reference angle, the moving direction of the person has changed. Is determined. The predetermined reference angle is a reference angle for detecting a change in the moving direction of a person, and can be arbitrarily determined. For example, considering the walking state of a person, the predetermined reference angle can be 5 degrees to 80 degrees and -5 degrees to -80 degrees. When the angle α indicating the change in the ground contact direction of the foot is within the range of 5 degrees to 80 degrees, it can be determined that the moving direction of the person has changed to the left side in the traveling direction (see FIG. 8B). On the other hand, when the angle α indicating the change in the ground contact direction of the foot is within the range of −5 degrees to −80 degrees, it can be determined that the moving direction of the person has changed to the right side in the traveling direction.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines whether or not the detection region 75 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 8 (c), since the detection area 75 in which the pressure is detected corresponds to the human foot (the right foot in the example shown in FIG. 8), in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 75 in which the pressure is detected corresponds to the human foot. It is determined that it corresponds to the foot region 78. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 79 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 76 and 77 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 8C, the center point 76 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 77 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 79 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 76) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 77).

The processing circuit 8 uses the ground contact direction 74 of the foot in the detection area 70 and the ground contact direction 79 of the foot in the detection area 75 to specify the movement direction d5 of the person after the movement direction is changed. Specifically, by synthesizing the moving direction 74 and the moving direction 79, it is possible to specify the moving direction d5 of the person after the moving direction has changed.

By the process described above, it is possible to detect a change in the moving direction of a person.

<Algorithm for detecting the orientation of a person who is standing still>
Next, an algorithm for detecting the orientation of a person who is standing still will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9A, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by the heel of the left foot of a person, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 81 (corresponding to the position of the heel of the left foot). After that, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the entire left foot of the person touches the sensor panel 5, the area where the detection cell 10 detects the pressure becomes wider. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 82. The processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 84 of the left foot based on the movement direction of the center points 81 and 82 of the detection cell that has detected the pressure over time.

After that, as shown in FIG. 9C, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by the heel of the right foot of a person, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 86 (corresponding to the position of the heel of the right foot). After that, as shown in FIG. 9D, when the entire right foot of the person touches the sensor panel 5, the area where the detection cell 10 detects the pressure becomes wider. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 87. The processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 89 of the right foot based on the movement direction of the center points 86 and 87 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. Further, the processing circuit 8 specifies the moving direction d6 of the person by using the ground contact direction 84 of the left foot and the ground contact direction 89 of the right foot.

Here, when a person stops and steps on the spot, he / she often raises one foot and then lands from the toes of the raised one foot. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 9 (e), after the person raises the left foot and the left foot separates from the sensor panel 5, as shown in FIG. 9 (f), the sensor panel is operated by the toes of the person's left foot. 5 is stepped on and the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 91 (corresponding to the position of the toe of the left foot). After that, as shown in FIG. 9 (g), when the entire left foot of the person touches the sensor panel 5, the area where the detection cell 10 detects the pressure becomes wider. At this time, the center point of the detection cell 10 that detects the pressure is the center point 92. The processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 94 of the left foot based on the movement direction of the center points 91 and 92 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time.

Further, the processing circuit 8 compares the ground contact direction 89 of the right foot with the ground contact direction 94 of the left foot, and determines that the person has stopped when the ground contact direction 94 of the left foot is substantially opposite to the ground contact direction 89 of the right foot. .. Here, the substantially opposite direction means that the ground contact direction of one foot that is grounded in the order of heel to toe is the ground contact direction of the other foot that is installed in the order of toe to heel, in consideration of the structure of the human foot. It means that it is facing in the opposite direction. For example, the range in the substantially opposite direction can be 90 degrees to 270 degrees in the ground contact direction of the other foot when the ground contact direction of one foot is 0 degrees.

After that, the processing circuit 8 identifies the direction d7 in which the person is facing by using the ground contact direction 89 of the right foot and the reverse direction of the ground contact direction 94 of the left foot.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, when a person stops and steps on the spot, the person often stops and then lands from the toes of the raised one foot after raising one foot. The state is being detected. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not a person is stopped. In addition, when a person is standing still, the grounding direction of the foot landing from the toes is reversed to specify the direction in which the person is facing. Therefore, it is possible to accurately identify the direction of the person who is standing still.

<Algorithm for counting the number of people>
Next, an algorithm for counting the number of people who have passed over the sensor panel 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the detection cell 10 detects the pressure. When the detection cell 10 detects the pressure, it is determined whether or not the detection area 100 for detecting the pressure corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 10A, since the pressure-detected detection region 100 corresponds to the human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines that the pressure-detected detection region 100 corresponds to the human foot region 103. .. Further, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 104 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 101 and 102 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 10A, the center point 101 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 102 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the ground contact direction 104 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the movement direction with time from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 101) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 102). In the example shown in FIG. 10A, since there is no other detection region where the pressure is detected, the processing circuit 8 counts the person existing on the sensor panel 5 as one person.

After that, when the sensor panel 5 is stepped on by a human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines whether or not the detection region 105 that has detected the pressure corresponds to the human foot. In the case shown in FIG. 10B, since the pressure-detected detection region 105 corresponds to the human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines that the pressure-detected detection region 105 corresponds to the human foot region 108. .. After that, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 109 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 106 and 107 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. That is, in FIG. 10B, the center point 106 corresponds to the position of the heel, and the center point 107 corresponds to the position of the center of the foot. Therefore, the contact direction 109 of the foot can be determined by obtaining the moving direction of the foot from the position of the heel of the foot (center point 106) to the position of the center of the foot (center point 107) with time.

The processing circuit 8 determines whether or not the detection area 100 for detecting the pressure and the detection area 105 for detecting the pressure are due to the feet of the same person. That is, since the footprints of the same person fall within a predetermined range, it is determined whether or not the detection area 105 is within the predetermined range with the detection area 100 as a reference. In the case shown in FIG. 10B, since the detection area 105 is within a predetermined range with the detection area 100 as a reference, in the processing circuit 8, the detection area 100 and the detection area 105 are based on the feet of the same person. Is determined. The processing circuit 8 groups the detection areas 100 and the detection areas 105, and counts the grouped detection areas 100 and 105 as one person to count the number of people who have passed over the sensor panel 5. In the example shown in FIG. 10B, since there is no detection region for detecting pressure other than the detection regions 100 and 105, the processing circuit 8 counts the person existing on the sensor panel 5 as one person.

As shown in FIG. 10C, even when the detection area 100 and the detection area 110 are within a predetermined range, the detection area 100 and the detection area 110 are not due to the feet of the same person. In some cases. In such a case, the processing circuit 8 determines that the detection region 110 corresponds to the region 113 of the human foot, and then determines that the pressure is detected in the center points 111 and 112 of the detection cell based on the movement direction of the foot over time. The ground contact direction 114 is determined. Then, based on the ground contact direction 104 of the foot of the detection area 100 and the ground contact direction 114 of the foot of the detection area 110, it is determined whether or not the detection area 100 and the detection area 110 are due to the feet of the same person.

For example, the processing circuit 8 may determine that the feet of the two detection regions are due to the feet of the same person when the ground contact directions of the feet are within a predetermined range (for example, within the range of 0 to 90 degrees). can. In the case shown in FIG. 10B, since the grounding direction 104 of the detection area 100 and the grounding direction 109 of the detection area 105 are within a predetermined range (0 degrees because they are parallel), the processing circuit 8 refers to the detection area 100. It is determined that the detection area 105 is due to the foot of the same person. On the other hand, in the case shown in FIG. 10C, the ground contact direction 104 of the foot in the detection area 100 and the ground contact direction 114 of the foot in the detection area 110 are not within a predetermined range (that is, larger than 90 degrees). , The processing circuit 8 determines that the detection area 100 and the detection area 110 are not due to the feet of the same person. Therefore, in the case shown in FIG. 10B, the number of people passing over the sensor panel 5 is counted as one person, and in the case shown in FIG. 10C, the number of people passing over the sensor panel 5 is counted. Count the number of people as two.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10D, when a detection region 115 is newly detected in addition to the grouped detection regions 100 and 105, the processing circuit 8 detects the pressure in the detection region 115 as a human foot. Judge whether or not it corresponds to. In the case shown in FIG. 10D, since the pressure-detected detection region 115 corresponds to the human foot, the processing circuit 8 determines that the pressure-detected detection region 115 corresponds to the human foot region 118. .. Further, the processing circuit 8 determines the ground contact direction 119 of the foot based on the movement direction of the center points 116 and 117 of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected with time. In the example shown in FIG. 10D, the detection areas 100 and 105 and the detection area 115 are separated from each other, and the ground contact directions 104 and 109 of the detection areas 100 and 105 and the ground contact direction 119 of the detection area 115 are within a predetermined range. Since it is not inside, it is determined that the detection areas 100 and 105 and the detection area 115 are due to different persons, and the number of people passing over the sensor panel 5 is counted as two people.

For example, the algorithm for counting the number of people as described above can be used for traffic volume survey, flow line analysis, and the like.

<Pre-processing of detection area>
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the pre-processing in the moving direction specifying method according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of detection cells 10 are arranged in a matrix in the row direction and the column direction on the sensor panel 5. Each detection cell 10 cannot detect pressure at a resolution higher than the sensor pitch. Therefore, in FIG. 11, the detection area is expanded by pseudo-expanding the resolution per detection cell 10.

That is, in the preprocessing shown in FIG. 11, the detection areas 121 and 122 detected in the respective detection cells 10 shown in the upper figure of FIG. 11 are expanded as shown in the lower figure of FIG. Specifically, the detection region detected in each detection cell 10 is extended to a concentric circle 123. Then, using each of the expanded detection regions, the regions 124 and 125 corresponding to the human foot are specified.

By expanding the detection area in this way, it is possible to perform the determination process of the area corresponding to the human foot with high accuracy. Further, when the detection area is not expanded, the resolution is set according to the sensor pitch, so that the detection result is a discrete detection result. However, as shown in FIG. 11, by expanding each detection area, more precise Detection results can be obtained. Further, by expanding each detection area, it is possible to determine the ground contact direction of the foot and the movement direction of the person even when the pitch of each detection cell 10 is larger than the size of the human foot. .. Therefore, it becomes possible to detect an area equivalent to the size of a human foot.

Although the present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims in the claims of the present application. Of course, it includes various modifications, corrections, and combinations that can be made.

1 Pressure-sensitive sensor device 5 Sensor panel 8 Processing circuit 10 Detection cell 11 Substrate 12, 13 Lower electrode 14 Upper electrode 15 Film 17 Spacer

Claims (6)

It is a movement direction identification method that specifies the movement direction of a person by using a sensor panel in which a plurality of detection cells for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix in a row direction and a column direction.
When the plurality of detection cells detect the pressure, the first step of determining whether or not the first detection region in which the plurality of detection cells have detected the pressure corresponds to the first foot of a person, and the first step.
When it is determined in the first step that the first detection region corresponds to the first foot, the pressure is detected in the first detection region in the direction of movement of the center point of the detection cell over time. Based on the second step of determining the ground contact direction of the first foot,
When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure in a region different from the first detection region and within a predetermined range with reference to the first detection region, the plurality of detection cells detect the pressure. A third step of determining whether the second detection region corresponds to the person's second foot, and
When it is determined in the third step that the second detection region corresponds to the second foot, the pressure is detected in the second detection region in the direction of movement of the center point of the detection cell over time. Based on the fourth step of determining the ground contact direction of the second foot,
A fifth step of identifying the moving direction of the person by using the ground contact direction of the first foot and the ground contact direction of the second foot is provided .
When the ground contact direction of the second foot determined in the fourth step is substantially opposite to the ground contact direction of the first foot determined in the second step, the person stops. Judging that
How to specify the direction of movement. When it is determined that the person has stopped, in the fifth step, the direction in which the person is facing is determined by using the direction in which the ground contact direction of the first foot and the ground contact direction of the second foot are reversed. The method for specifying a moving direction according to claim 1. When the size of the first and second detection regions in which the plurality of detection cells detect pressure is within a predetermined reference value range corresponding to the human foot length, the first and second detection regions The method for specifying a moving direction according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein is determined to correspond to the first and second legs of the person. Claim that the number of people passing over the sensor panel is counted by grouping the first and second detection areas and counting the grouped first and second detection areas as one person. The method for specifying a moving direction according to any one of 1 to 3. The moving direction specifying method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the first and second detection regions are determined by expanding the region of the detection cell in which the pressure is detected. A sensor panel in which a plurality of detection cells for detecting pressure are arranged in a matrix in the row direction and the column direction, and
A processing circuit that identifies a person's movement direction based on the pressure detected by the plurality of detection cells is provided.
The processing circuit
When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure, it is determined whether or not the first detection region in which the plurality of detection cells have detected pressure corresponds to the first foot of a person.
When it is determined that the first detection region corresponds to the first foot, the first detection region is based on the direction of movement of the center point of the detection cell that has detected the pressure in the first detection region over time. Determine the ground contact direction of the foot,
When the plurality of detection cells detect pressure within a predetermined range based on the first detection region, which is a region different from the first detection region, the plurality of detection cells detect the pressure. Determining whether the second detection region corresponds to the person's second foot,
When it is determined that the second detection region corresponds to the second foot, the second detection region is based on the direction of movement of the center point of the detection cell that has detected the pressure in the second detection region over time. Determine the ground contact direction of the foot,
The moving direction of the person is specified by using the ground contact direction of the first foot and the ground contact direction of the second foot.
When the ground contact direction of the second foot is substantially opposite to the ground contact direction of the first foot, it is determined that the person has stopped.
Pressure sensor device.

Images