Infrared detector

A method comprising:

• using a thermopile sensor of an infrared detector to determine a background temperature of an area being monitored;
• using a pyroelectric sensor of the infrared detector to determine whether a temperature in the area being monitored has changed;
• and
• in response to a determination that the temperature has changed:
• using a thermopile sensor to determine a current temperature in the area being monitored including initiating a timer to count down a specified amount of time;
• comparing the determined current temperature to the background temperature;
• and
• based on the comparing, determining whether a difference between the determined current temperature and the background temperature satisfies a threshold value;
• in response to determining that the difference satisfies the threshold value, determining whether the thermopile sensor data corresponds to a human being;
• and
• in response to determining that the thermopile sensor data corresponds to a human being, generating an alarm.

An infrared detector, comprising:

• a pyroelectric sensor;
• a controller for receiving a trigger signal outputted by the pyroelectric sensor;
• a thermopile sensor, wherein the controller starts the thermopile sensor after receiving the trigger signal output by the pyroelectric sensor;
• and
• an alarm, wherein the alarm is triggered by the controller in response to determining that detected signals from the thermopile sensor correspond to a human being;
• wherein the pyroelectric sensor detects entry of an individual to a region being monitored by the infrared sensor and wherein the thermopile sensor determines whether the individual remains in the region being monitored.

A method comprising:

• using a thermopile sensor of an infrared detector to determine a background temperature of an area being monitored;
• using a pyroelectric sensor of the infrared detector to determine whether a temperature in the area being monitored has changed wherein the pyroelectric sensor detects entry of an individual to a region being monitored by the infrared detector;
• and
• in response to a determination by the pyroelectric sensor that the temperature has changed using the thermopile sensor to determine whether the individual remains in the region being monitored:
• using a thermopile sensor to determine a current temperature in the area being monitored;
• determining an outline or shape of an area of an absorption region of the thermopile sensor in which the current temperature is different from the background temperature;
• determining whether the outline or shape corresponds to a human being;
• and
• in response to determining that the outline or shape corresponds to a human being, generating an alarm.