Development of Camera With PIR-Sensors

Master Thesis
Development of Camera
with PIR-sensors
Daniel Andersson & Alexander Asu
Division of Product Development Department of Design Sciences
Faculty of Engineering, LTH Lund University 2014
Development of Camera with PIR-sensors

Daniel Andersson & Alexander Asu
Division of Product Development Department of Design Sciences
Faculty of Engineering, LTH Lund University 2014
Division of Product Development, Department of Design Sciences

Faculty of Engineering LTH, Lund University
P.O. Box 118
SE-221 00 Lund
Sweden
ISRN LUTMDN/TMKT 14/5513 SE
Preface
This report is the result of a masters thesis project in Mechanical Engineering with
Industrial Design. It was carried out as collaboration between the Division of Product
Development of the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University and Axis
Communications AB.
The objective of the project was to find the best way to incorporate PIR-sensors in a
fixed dome camera and to provide a concept for such a product.
Firstly we would like to thank our supervisor at Axis, Carl-Axel Alm, for his
excellent guidance and input throughout the project.
We would also like to thank Karl-Axel Andersson, our supervisor at Lund University,
for his valuable support during the course of the project.
A special mention goes out to Niclas Lewin for his assistance during prototyping and
Morten Bergstrm for his thoughtful input on our design enquiries.
Our most sincere gratitude goes out to everyone at Axis and especially the department
of Product Concepts and New Ideas for making us feel welcome and letting us be a
part of the team as well as always answering our questions no matter what we were
searching for.
Lund, December 2014
Daniel Andersson and Alexander Asu
Abstract
This Master Thesis report describes the development of a new surveillance camera
design containing PIR-sensors (Pyroelectric Infrared).
The background to this project lies in the idea that PIR-sensors and video-motion
detection technology can complement each other and thereby reduce false alarms.
Research on PIR-sensors and optics were carried out to gain and understanding of the
limitations and possibilities of the technology.
In the concept-generation phase basic exterior and internal structure concepts were
generated and then evaluated together with possible optical solutions for the PIRsensors. The chosen concept was further developed and refined both in regards of the
exterior aesthetics and mechanical design.
The result is a ceiling mounted camera with a fish-eye lens and four PIR sensors.
Together the sensors cover the same field of view as the camera. Each PIR sensor has
a plastic window with a Fresnel lens array to accomplish segmentation of the
detection zones. Placement of the larger components on the circuit board has been
taken into consideration and special attention has been made to the Power-overEthernet connector. A new connector is proposed that can be mounted at an angle,
dropped halfway through a cut-out in the circuit board. This concept enables a much
slimmer product and facilitates easy connection of the cord.
The installation process has also been taken into consideration and a solution using
hidden screws was chosen. A bottom mounting plate is screwed onto the ceiling after
which the main body of the product is connected to the cord and attached to the
mounting plate using a bayonet mount. If desired the product can be secured by a
screw hidden under the hood cap, which can be removed using a flat head screw
driver.
The product has a height of 32 mm excluding the camera lens and a diameter of
129 mm. This gives a slim look and also enables it to fit the accessories of the current
AXIS M30 line of cameras.
Keywords:
PIR, Surveillance Camera, Product Design, Axis Communications
iii
Sammanfattning
Denna rapport r resultatet av ett examensarbete i maskinteknik med teknisk design
som utfrts p avdelningen fr maskinkonstruktion p Lunds tekniska hgskola i
sammarbete med Axis Communications.
Axis utvecklar ntverkskameror som anvnds i vervakningssyfte och r utrustade
med Video Motion Detection-teknik (VMD) vilket gr att de kan detektera rrelse i
bilden. Frmst r man ute efter att detektera mnsklig rrelse men VMD ger ven
utslag p mycket annat, exempelvis skuggor eller freml som rr sig utanfr
fnstret, vilket ger upphov till mnga falsklarm.
Genom att komplettera med ytterligare en sensor br antalet falsklarm kunna
reduceras. PIR-sensorer (Pyroelektrisk Infrard) verkar vara en lovande
kompletterande teknik d den detekterar frndringar i det IR-band som sammanfaller
med kroppstrlning.
Projektets syfte r att ta fram ett koncept fr en estetiskt tilltalande vervaknings
kamera med inbyggda PIR-sensorer. Projektet omfattar sledes bde mekanisk
konstruktion, optikdesign samt industridesign.
Inledningsvis gjordes efterforskningar av PIR-sensorer och dess olika optiklsningar
fr att lra sig hur de fungerar samt vilka begrnsninga och mjligheter tekniken ger.
Ngot stt att segmentera sensorns synflt behvs fr att kuna knna av mindre
rrelser och det vanligaste sttet att uppn detta r ngon typ av linsmatris. Det
framkom att det inte finns ngot optimalt material fr linser i det aktuella IR-bandet
(8 m 14 m) men HDPE fungerar tillfredstllande s lnge linserna grs mycket
tunna. Ett intressant alternativ till linsmatriser kan vara att anvnda reflektorer istllet
d dessa normalt har mindre frluster.
Efter detta definierades och avgrnsades projektet ytterligare i och med
sammanstllandet av en ny kravspecifikation och funktionsanalys. Det beslutades att
det nya konceptet skulle utg frn elektroniken och kameraoptiken i den existerande
kameran AXIS M3007-P och optimeras till en inomhusmilj i storlek ungefr som ett
klassrum, 10 m 8 m golvyta med 3 m takhjd.
Projektets konceptgenereringsfas inleddes med brainstorming och skissning p
exterira koncept. Dessa sorterades och rensades i en organisk process och mynnade
ut till ett antal basala 3D-former och en lista med goda egenskaper plockade frn
olika skisser. Dessa egenskaper kombinerades sedan till frfinade 3D-modeller fr
fortsatt utvrdering.
v
Konceptfasen fortsatte med utvrdering av olika optiska koncept, varefter de tv mest

lovande valdes ut fr integration i en schematisk produktarkitektur. Detta ledde i sin
tur till tre varianter varav en valdes ut till fortsatt utveckling efter en strre
utvrdering.
Under den fortsatta utveklingen itererades en mekanisk struktur och en estetiskt mer
frfinad exterir omvxlande fram. P den mekaniska sidan fokuserades utvecklingen
p att optimera platsutnyttjande samt placering av komponenter fr att f ner
storleken och att kunna gra produkten mer diskret. ven installationsprocessen
vervgdes. De estetiska egenskaperna frn konceptgenereringsfasen kombinerades
och frfinades ytterligare med mlet att underska alla mjliga variationer av varenda
detalj.
Resultatet av denna process r en takmonterad kamera med 180 synflt bde
horisontellt och vertikalt vilken visas i bilden nedan. Den har fyra PIR-sensorer
inbyggda vilka tillsammans ger samma synflt som kameran. Framfr varje PIRsensor finns ett tunt HDPE-fnster fr att slppa igenom IR-strlningen. Fnstret har
en matris av Fresnel-linser fr att fokusera och segmentera PIR-sensorns synflt och
drmed bttre knna av mnsklig rrelse.
Figur 1 Rendering av produktens yttre.

Dessa fnster har anvnts fr att srprgla produktens exterir genom att bidra till en
tydlig segmentering i en annars rotationssymmetrisk produkt. Kpans huvudstruktur
r anpassad efter fnstren men r av tjockare material och fungerar som brande
chassi i konstruktionen. Denna del r designad fr att ge produkten ett skarpare, mer
tekniskt intryck med en grvre ytstruktur. PIR-fnstrena och huvudstrukturen har
samma frg, men de olika materialen och ytegenskaperna srskiljer dem nd ngot.
Kpan har dessutom ett svart lock runt om linsen fr att ge kameran ett vnligare
utryck samtidigt som det tekniska intrycket frstrks. Produkten r, objektivet
exkluderat, 32 mm hg samt har en diameter p 129 mm.
vi
Figur 2 Sprngskiss. Frn vnster: Den monterade yttre kpan, det monterade
kretskortet, den inre kpan samt monteringsplattan.
vii
viii
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1
1.1 Project background ................................................................................................. 1
1.2 About Axis Communications AB ............................................................................. 1
1.3 The network camera ............................................................................................... 2
1.4 Initial brief ................................................................................................................ 2
1.5 Aims and delimitations ............................................................................................ 2
2 Method........................................................................................................ 3
2.1 The Double Diamond Design Method ..................................................................... 3
2.1.1 Comparison with Ulrich & Eppingers Generic Product Development Process ................... 4
2.2 Project planning and sub-methods ......................................................................... 4
3 Research .................................................................................................... 7
3.1 PIR Sensors ............................................................................................................ 7
3.2 PIR Optics ............................................................................................................... 8
3.2.1 Physical relations ............................................................................................................... 8
3.2.2 Materials .......................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.3 Detection zones and terminology ..................................................................................... 10
3.3 Market Research ................................................................................................... 11
4 Definition .................................................................................................. 15
4.1 The users .............................................................................................................. 15
4.2 The environment ................................................................................................... 16
4.3 New brief ............................................................................................................... 16
4.4 Function analysis .................................................................................................. 16
5 Concept Generation and Review ............................................................ 19

5.1 Exterior concepts .................................................................................................. 19
5.1.1 Brainstorming and sketching ............................................................................................ 19
5.1.2 3D modeling of basic shapes ........................................................................................... 19
5.1.3 Selecting good traits ........................................................................................................ 20
5.2 Optical concepts .................................................................................................... 21

ix
5.2.1 Convex lens array ............................................................................................................ 21

5.2.2 Fresnel lens array ............................................................................................................ 22
5.2.3 Reflector-tube .................................................................................................................. 23
5.2.4 Multi-Concave Reflector ................................................................................................... 26
5.2.5 Comparison and concept screening ................................................................................. 27
5.3 Further considerations of the Fresnel lens array .................................................. 28

5.3.1 Optical efficiency .............................................................................................................. 28
5.3.2 Realizing the concept ....................................................................................................... 29
5.4 Further considerations of the Reflector-tube......................................................... 29

5.4.1 Basic design parameters.................................................................................................. 29
5.4.2 Modifying the detection pattern ........................................................................................ 30
5.4.3 Optical efficiency .............................................................................................................. 35
5.5 Optical prototypes ................................................................................................. 36

5.6 Internal structure ................................................................................................... 37
5.6.1 Structural constraints ....................................................................................................... 37
5.6.2 Stacking ........................................................................................................................... 38
5.6.3 Comparison and concept scoring..................................................................................... 40
5.7 Conclusion............................................................................................................. 43
6 Further Development and Refinement ................................................... 45

6.1 Exterior design ...................................................................................................... 45
6.1.1 Proportions....................................................................................................................... 46
6.1.2 Cap .................................................................................................................................. 46
6.1.3 Colors............................................................................................................................... 48
6.1.4 Prints ................................................................................................................................ 48
6.1.5 Curves and edges ............................................................................................................ 49
6.1.6 Texture ............................................................................................................................. 50
6.1.7 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 50
6.2 Internal structure and mechanical components .................................................... 52

6.2.1 Hood ................................................................................................................................ 52
6.2.2 PCB and components ...................................................................................................... 53
6.2.3 Internal Cover .................................................................................................................. 57
6.2.4 Mounting Plate ................................................................................................................. 58
6.2.5 Materials and manufacturing ............................................................................................ 58
6.2.6 Assembly and installation................................................................................................. 59
6.3 PIR detection zones .............................................................................................. 60

x
7 Concept Presentation.............................................................................. 63
7.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 63
7.2 Installation ............................................................................................................. 64
8 Discussion ............................................................................................... 69
8.1 Project results and the chosen concept ................................................................ 69
8.1.1 Possible alterations to the final concept ........................................................................... 69
8.1.2 The RJ45-connector ........................................................................................................ 70
8.1.3 IR-lighting ......................................................................................................................... 71
8.1.4 Choosing an optical solution ............................................................................................ 71
8.1.5 Position calculation .......................................................................................................... 71
8.1.6 Originality of the reflector-tube ......................................................................................... 72
8.2 Project evaluation .................................................................................................. 74

8.2.1 Project planning and execution ........................................................................................ 74
8.2.2 Goal achievement ............................................................................................................ 74
9 References ............................................................................................... 77
Appendix A : Initial project planning ......................................................... 79
Appendix B : Final Project Plan ................................................................. 81
xi
xii
Terminology
The following list contains acronyms and abbreviation used in this Master Thesis
Report.
ABS
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene thermoplastic polymer
ASA
Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate thermoplastic polymer
CAD
Computer Aided Design
FOV
Field of View
HDPE
IR
PC
PCB
PE
High Density Polyethylene thermoplastic polymer

Infrared
Polycarbonate thermoplastic polymer
Printed Circuit Board
Polyethylene thermoplastic polymer
PIR
Pyroelectric/Passive Infrared
PoE
Power over Ethernet
RJ45
Modular plug commonly used to terminate Ethernet cabling
SMD
Surface-Mount Device
SMT
Surface-Mount Technology automated PCB assembly method
VMD
Video Motion Detection
XPS
Extruded Polystyrene foamed thermoplastic polymer
xiii
1 Introduction
A brief introduction to Axis Communications AB and the thesis subject.
1.1 Project background
Axis cameras have a VMD algorithm that detects changes in the scene. It detects
people moving in the scene but also other moving objects and changes in light. Since
surveillance mainly focuses on human detection the VMD produce a lot of false
alarms triggering unnecessary responses from the operator. False alarms cost time and
energy better spent elsewhere and to reduce them means a safer and more effective
end-user experience with less distraction and better recognition [1].
PIR-sensors detect changes in the IR-band that correlates to human radiation. These
sensors are already all around us and are often used to switch on lights or as burglar
alarms [1].
1.2 About Axis Communications AB
Axis Communications AB is a global company providing network cameras, video
encoders, application software and related products. Axis Communications was
founded in 1984 and until the mid-1990s the product portfolio focused mainly on
print servers. The company has since its foundation employed a two-tiered business
model of always selling indirectly to the customer which has allowed a rapid growth.
Axis has been involved in the shift from analog to digital video surveillance ever
since the company unveiled the worlds first network camera in 1996. The company
employs more than 1600 people in more than 40 countries worldwide [2, 3].
Vision:
Innovating for a smarter, safer world [3].
1 Introduction
1.3 The network camera

A network camera is a digital video camera that can be connected to a local network.
Network connection means that the video stream and storage can be accessed both
locally and via an Internet connection, enabling global and centralized surveillance.
Connection is most often provided by Ethernet. Many cameras use PoE technology
allowing both network data and power to be provided by an Ethernet-cable.
1.4 Initial brief
PIR-sensors can be used to detect persons. By including PIR-sensors in a security
camera it may be possible to reduce the number of false alarms triggered by the video
motion detection algorithm.
In this thesis work all possible PIR-optical systems should be investigated. The
optimal PIR-optical design should be merged with a corresponding mechanical
concept. The design should be aesthetically appealing.
1.5 Aims and delimitations
The aim of the thesis is to develop and design a complete product concept of a
ceiling-mounted fixed dome camera with built-in PIR detection capability for indoor
use. The final concept should consist of a complete set of parts modeled in PTC Creo
and a physical representation of the integral parts in the form of 3D-prints as well as
manufacturing and material suggestions for the designed parts. 2D drawings are not to
be provided unless necessary for presentational purposes as the aim of the project is
not to produce a production ready concept and the use of 2D drawings are very
limited within Axis Communications outside manufacturing specifications.
The project is limited to mechanical-, PIR optical- and industrial design. Great
emphasis is placed on the importance of an aesthetically pleasing end result. The
concept should fit as a future enhanced replacement product in the existing Axis
M30-series of cameras and specifically the product AXIS M3007-P is to be used as a
baseline for the developed concept. As little emphasis is placed on electrical design
and camera optics, these are assumed to be the same as those in AXIS M3007-P. This
way the camera performance could be assumed to live up to the specifications of the
existing product.
The PIR-detection FOV should be at least as good as the camera FOV ensuring no
blind spots in the detection.
The cost of materials and manufacturing is not an integral part of the project but will
be used to estimate the feasibility of different solutions.
2 Method
In this chapter the overall method used in the project is discussed as well as the
project planning.
2.1 The Double Diamond Design Method
It was decided to look at the project according to the Double Diamond design method,
developed by the UK Design Council. The method was chosen because it provides an
easy overview with distinct divergent and convergent phases and is easily adapted do
different kinds of projects.
The Double Diamond method is divided into four main phases: Discover, Define,
Develop and Deliver [4]. These are visualized in Figure 2.1.
The discover-phase is the first part of the project and involves identifying and
exploring user needs.
The second quarter is the define-phase in which all the opportunities and needs
discovered in the first phase are boiled down to a brief.
In the develop-phase ideas are generated from the brief, then developed and tested in
an iterative process.
The final quarter is the delivery-phase. In this phase the resulting concepts are further
developed, tested and finalized.
Discover
Define
Develop
Deliver
Figure 2.1 The divergent and convergent phases of Double Diamond method.
2 Method
2.1.1 Comparison with Ulrich & Eppingers Generic Product Development

Process
The process could also be viewed as the generic product development process as
described by Ulrich & Eppinger [5]. The main difference is in the language that
describes the process, see Table 2.1.
Table 2.1 Comparison of the phases in the Double Diamond Design Method and the
Generic Product Development Process.
Double Diamond
Ulrich & Eppinger
Discover
Planning
Define
Planning
Develop
Concept development
Develop
System level design
Develop
Detail design
Deliver
Testing and refinement
Deliver
Production ramp-up
The Language in the Double Diamond model feels more adaptable to different kinds
of projects while Ulrich & Eppingers feels very specific to product development and
perhaps favored towards non consumer products.
Every part of the main process has sub-processes though. Ulrich & Eppinger
describes these in detail while the UK Design Council rather gives loose suggestions
of methods to be used in each phase, which further emphasizes its adaptability.
2.2 Project planning and sub-methods
This project is part of a bigger project that started with the insight that most
surveillance is used solely for human detection. A number of different technologies
have been looked at as means to confirm and complement VMD and PIR sensors
seem promising and our project is to deliver a product proposal containing PIR
sensors and a camera. As a result of this a lot of activities of the first two phases,
discover and define, has already taken place.
The Discover phase will constitute of research on PIR sensors and optics to gain an
understanding of their workings.
In the Define phase we will write our own brief (re-brief) and establish a functionanalysis to be used as a guide through the rest of the project [6].
The Develop phase will then start with generation of basic exterior concepts by
brainstorming and sketching. One or a few concepts will be chosen to be subject to
product architecture development and optical solution generation to fit the concept.
These concepts will then be subject to a concept selection process. Concept screening
and scoring, as suggested by Ulrich and Eppinger [5], will be used if necessary. By
4
2 Method
the end of the develop-phase only one concept will be chosen for further refinement
in the Deliver phase.
The general process is visualized in Figure 2.2.
The project planning was visualized with a Gantt chart, as can be seen in Appendix A.
Since all the weeks are not full time weeks an extra week was added at the end to
compensate bringing the total number of weeks to 21.
Documentation is to take place during the entire project and at the end a few weeks
are dedicated entirely to documentation and presentation preparation. It is worth
noting that there is a slight difference in terminology between this thesis and the
Gantt chart as this thesis follows a different chronology for presentational purposes.
As can be seen in Appendix B, the actual process went only slightly different than
planned. This is further discussed in Chapter 8.2.1.
Discover
Define
Research
PIR sensors
PIR optics
Materials
Re-brief
Function analyzis
Develop
Deliver
Concept generations
Basic exerior design
Optical solutions
Internal structure
Concept selection
Further development and

refinement of chosen concept
Figure 2.2 General project process.
3 Research
In this chapter the knowledge that was gained during the initial research-phase is
presented. The research was focused on the workings of PIR sensors and current
optical solutions.
3.1 PIR Sensors
Humans and other warm-blooded animals radiate heat with a peak in the wavelengths
between 8 m and 14 m [7]. When a pyroelectric element of a PIR-sensor, also
commercially known as a pixel, is exposed to this radiation it induces an electron drift
in proportion to the amount of exposure. This further induces a difference in electric
potential between the different sides of the element which can be amplified and
measured. A PIR sensor often uses two or four of these elements, connected with
opposing polarities. This means that when two elements with opposing polarities are
exposed with an equal amount of radiation at the same time there will be no signal
[7].
A resistor is usually connected in parallel to the pyroelectric elements [8-11] which
unloads the difference in potential, with some delay. This means that only the
difference in radiation exposure is measured and rising exposure will give a positive
signal while declining exposure will give a negative signal.
The signal from a dual element PIR-sensor when a human is passing through the two
detection zones is shown in Figure 3.1 [12].
At which location?
Figur e 2. A schematic presentation of a pyroelectric infrared (PIR) sensor with dual sensing
elements aligned in a motion plane and its output signal when walking: (a) the output signal
in the case of walking in different directions; (b) the output signal in the case of walking at
3 Research
different distances; (c) the output signal in the case of walking at different speed levels.
Sensing element
Direction 2
Direction 1
Motion plane
Voltage
Voltage
Direction 1 Direction 2
Speed 1
Distance 2
Speed 2
Distance 1 Distance 2
Time
(a)
Distance 1
Voltage
Speed 1
Time
(b)
Speed 2
Time
(c)
Figure 3.1 Signal from the PIR while a human is passing through the detection zones
of two pyroelectric elements connected with reversed polarities [12].
3.2 PIR Optics
There is no difference in the laws that govern the behavior of visible and IR light.
There is a difference though in that the IR range has significantly fewer materials that
are compatible. Glass- and most plastic lenses completely blocks the aforementioned
wavelengths [13].
3.2.1 Physical relations
The law of refraction (Equation 1) states that the angle of the refracted ray (I2)
depends on the incoming angle (I1) and the refractive index of the materials (n1 and
n2,) on both sides of the boundary.
1 sin(1 ) = 2 sin(2 )
Equation 1 Snell's law, or the law of refraction [14].
Figure 3.2 Schematic illustrating the law of refraction.

8
3 Research
The law of reflection (Equation 2) states that the reflected ray has the same angle as
the incoming ray, but negative in relation to the surface normal:
1 = 2
Equation 2 The law of reflection [14].
Figure 3.3 Schematic illustrating the law of reflection.

The Lensmakers formula (Equation 3) provides a relation between the focal-length
(f), radius of both surfaces (R1 and R2 respectively), the refractive index (n) of the lens
and its thickness (t), assuming that the lens is in air:
1
1
1 ( 1)
= ( 1) [
+
]
1 2
1 2
Equation 3 Lensmaker's formula [15].
Figure 3.4 Schematic showing the variables of the Lensmaker's formula.

Equation 1 and Equation 2 was later used as relations to set up ray-tracing simulations
and Equation 3 was mainly used to design the cross-section of lenses in these
simulations.
9
3 Research
3.2.2 Materials
There are really no materials that transmit well in the mid- and long-wave IR-band
and, to quote M.O. Shaub, whoever invents such material will likely become famous
() and quite possibly rich [15].
The industry standard for PIR-lenses as of today is PE or HDPE [16-18].
The Swiss company Kube that design and manufacture PIR sensors and optics have
published a sheet that states the attenuation for the plastics they use. They state that
the total transmission (T) through a molded window can be calculated per Equation 4,
where 0.92 corrects for surface reflections and the thickness is measured in
tenths of a millimeter [19]. Also note that the transmission and attenuation, though
referred to as percentages, are inserted as fractions.
= 0.92 (1 )
Equation 4 Transmission through a HDPE lens or window. Attenuation is given in
percent per 0.1 mm and thickness is given in tenths of a millimeter [19].
With the attenuation in the IR spectrum ranging from 8.5% to 27% with typical
values of around 10% per tenth of a millimeter one can conclude that the lenses have
to be very thin. With a typical attenuation only a third of the signal is transmitted
through a 1 mm thick window and only a tenth through a 2 mm thick window.
The refractive index for these materials is 1.525 in the 7 m 14 m range and
dispersion is negligible [19].
Metallic coatings can be used to reflect IR. Aluminum, silver and gold are the most
commonly used and they offer high reflectivity: more than 95% in the 3 m 15 m
range. Thus a 1 mm thick window equals about 14 reflections in transmission [13].
3.2.3 Detection zones and terminology
If you were to use a conventional optical setup with a single lens for focusing the IRradiation the resulting output from a person passing through the entire FOV would be
the one pictured in Figure 3.1. For most purposes this would not be enough as the
person would have to make very large movements to move from the detection zone
(or detection cone in three-dimensional space) of one sensing element to the next,
thus creating a new signal to detect. There would also be a large dead zone between
the detection zones where movement would be unnoticed. One way to produce a
higher resolution detection pattern is to use long range optics and using multiple
sensors to each monitor a small portion of the scene. This is for obvious reasons not
practical as the complexity and cost of the electronics would skyrocket. Instead it is
advisable to use the optics to segment the FOV into multiple individual detection
zones. This is most often done by using an array of similar lenses each producing a
cluster of detection zones. This effect can be seen in Figure 3.5 where the three-lens
convex array produces a detection pattern with three times the resolution of singlelens optics. Every lens in an array will produce a cluster comprised of the detection
zones for each of the sensing elements in a PIR-sensor. This correlation between
10
3 Research
detection zones, clusters and the overall pattern can be observed in all types of optical
systems explored in this thesis.
Figure 3.5 A simplified two-dimensional representation of a convex lens array with

three lenses and the three detection zone clusters it produces. Radiation from a person
in the green areas would be focused on the right sensing element making it produce a
signal. Correspondingly a person in the red areas would result in the left sensing
element producing a signal but with opposing polarity compared to the right sensing
element.
3.3 Market Research
There are a wide range of different PIR-sensors from different manufacturers
available on the market. The biggest consideration regarding what sensor to use is
whether to use a two- or four-pixel sensor. A four-pixel sensor is equally capable in
detecting movement in the y-axis as in the x-axis due to its square pixel placement. A
two-pixel sensor is significantly worse in the y-axis due to its linear pixel placement
but its larger pixel size provides a significantly greater sensitivity. This effect can be
somewhat remedied by designing the optics to compensate with a more intricate
pattern but this is not always possible depending on the optical system in question.
Most PIR-sensors come in a TO-5 standardized package making them easily
interchangeable [20]. The through-hole design of TO-5 packages allows custom
positioning and does not require flush mounting to the PCB. A selection of different
TO-5 PIR-sensors can be seen in Figure 3.6. Most manufacturers also carry a couple
of SMD PIR-sensors to be used in SMT manufacturing. The SMD PIR components
are a very niche product as they do not carry the significantly lower price prevalent
among most SMD components and need additional shielding as well as requiring
11
3 Research
flush mounting to the PCB [21]. Their biggest advantage is their small individual size
and SMT capability.
Figure 3.6 Assorted two- and four-pixel PIR-sensors in TO-5 packaging. A TO-5
package is around 9 mm in diameter.
Most commercial PIR-sensors use plastic lenses for focusing and segmentation of the
viewing field. These lenses are often seen in budget applications, such as motion
sensors for light switches, as they are very cheap to manufacture. As stated before, the
industry standard is high-density polyethylene lenses as it is both cheap and is one of
only a few materials with a sufficient transmittance of IR radiation in the desired
wavelength band.
Plastic lenses can be divided into two categories: Convex lens arrays and Fresnel lens
arrays. The properties of these will be further discussed in Chapter 5.1.3. A sample
selection of Fresnel and Convex HDPE lenses can be seen in Figure 3.7 and Figure
3.8. As can be seen in the pictures these lenses are very similar and at a first glance it
might not be obvious what technology is used without a closer examination.
12
3 Research
Figure 3.7 PE and HDPE Fresnel lenses.
Figure 3.8 HDPE convex lens arrays.

High performance units might use mirror optics with an additional plastic cover to
shield the sensor and electronics of the device. Mirrors permit a higher energy
transmittance compared to plastic lenses giving them superior range. The mirror itself
13
3 Research
is often made from metal or a metalized substrate such as plastic to reduce costs.
IR reflective surfaces can be made from a range of different materials (e.g.
molybdenum, aluminium and copper) [22]. More precious metals such as gold are
less often used commercially as a soft gold surface is very prone to scratching. The
cover provides a somewhat limiting factor as most systems cant be used without
shielding outside of lab conditions due to dust and other airborne particles. As the
shielding plastic cover is normally not a part of the focusing optics this leaves more
room for aesthetic considerations though.
Multifaceted concave mirrors (see Figure 3.9) represents the overwhelming majority
of products in this segment but the Swiss company Kube hold the now expired patent
for another design, dubbed Cone Optics, that can be seen in Figure 3.10 [23, 24]. The
Cone Optics use two parallel mirrors and an aperture to take advantage of different
orders of reflection to segment the view field in one dimension.
Figure 3.9 Multifaceted mirrors from JAPAN PLALENS [25]. They are around
40 mm 40 mm.
Figure 3.10 Kube's Cone Optics both assembled and unassembled. The rectangular
opening seen on the assembled part is the aperture. The PIR-sensor is mounted in the
boxlike structure on the bottom. The height is 26 mm.
14
4 Definition
After the initial research the rest of the project was further defined and a new brief
was written.
4.1 The users
A surveillance camera has no apparent end user that both buys and then handles the
product. Instead a number of people come in contact with the camera and the question
is: exactly who are we designing for?
First of there is the buyer. The buyer is probably interested in the technical
specifications and appearance, as well as the price.
Another person of interest is the installer, who probably just wants a product that is
easy to install and maintain.
Once the camera is installed the people visiting the room will come in contact with it.
These can be divided into two categories: The ones supposed to be in the room and
the ones not supposed to be in the room.
Those who are supposed to be in the room, like workers, students, visitors, etc.
probably dont want to feel monitored. It may be best if they dont notice the camera
at all. If they do though, they should find it good natured, discreet and aesthetically
appealing.
People not supposed to be in the room, vandals, burglars, industrial spies, are not
really a group to design for but rather with them in mind. If the product can instill a
sense of surveillance in these people it is good as it might scare them off.
Lastly there are the monitoring guards, who might not even come in contact with the
physical product. They will however be affected by the capabilities of the product as
they are the ones to sort through the alarms. If the number of false alarms can be
reduced it will be greatly appreciated.
Some of the requirements of the different users can be contradictory, for example
the ability to scare off intruders but make normal visitors feel welcome and designing
a product that is easy to install but preferably hard to sabotage.
It was decided to focus on the buyer and the people supposed to be in the room which
led to the following goals for the design: A discreet and friendly appearance that still
looks very much like a camera, expresses its technicality and is easy to install.
15
4 Definition
4.2 The environment

A typical classroom, conference room or small office was set as a target. The rough
measurements of 8 m 10 m 3 m are to be used as a guide for the size of the room.
The decision to focus on an indoor environment is mainly due to the controlled nature
of a room with clearly defined boundaries. The PIR technology is also very well
suited for indoor use as the camera can be placed in challenging environments such as
in a room with windows facing a busy road where cars, people walking by and leaves
or trash moving in the wind all will trigger the VMD algorithm but not the PIRsensors, reducing false alarms.
The indoor environment places far fewer necessary constraints on the overall
construction. The camera does not have to be waterproof and the suns effect on
material degradation becomes more of a parenthesis. The camera has to be reasonably
dustproof though as it can cause issues with the electronics and degrade the
performance of the sensors. Vandal resistance was also downplayed since it is
commonly accepted that if you are close enough to reach a camera you are close
enough to effectively disable it (such as using spray-paint or even a chewing gum to
cover the camera lens). Because of this and the nature of a standard indoor
environment things like impact resistance are less likely to be an issue.
4.3 New brief
Design a ceiling or wall mounted camera with PIR sensors to complement the VMD.
Both the camera and the PIR sensors should be able to monitor the entire volume of
the intended room. A suitable optical solution for the PIR sensors should be proposed.
The design should be aesthetically pleasing. It should give a good natured impression
and express its technicality but still be discreet. The design should be easy to both
assemble and install and consist of one single unit when installed.
The camera part should perform at least the same as the AXIS M3007-P, so the
camera optics and electronic components from this model can be used as a baseline.
4.4 Function analysis
A function analysis was established before the concept generation. It has been
somewhat revised during the process and the final version can be seen below in Table
4.1.
16
4 Definition
Table 4.1 Function analysis.

Main function
Offer visual and infrared surveillance
Necessary function
Minimize false alarms
Necessary function
Be aesthetically appealing
Necessary function
Consist of one single unit
Necessary function
Be optimized for indoor environments
Necessary function
Monitor a room of 10 m 8 m 3 m
Very desirable function
Be easy to install
Be in line with Axis aesthetic profile
Express technicality
Feel good natured
Desirable functions
Stand vandalism
17
5 Concept Generation and Review

This chapter describes the process and outcome of the exterior concept generation,
the review of optical concepts and options for the internal structure. By the end a
single internal structure concept with an optical solution is selected for further
development and refinement.
5.1 Exterior concepts
5.1.1 Brainstorming and sketching
The concept generation phase started with brainstorming and sketching exterior
concepts. This gave quite a few good ideas, but after a while the inspiration subsided
and the new ideas lacked in diversity and ingenuity.
By this time it was decided to invite more people to participate in an organized
brainstorming session [26]. Before the session the basic possibilities and limitations
of PIR sensors as well as the aim of the final product where explained. The
boundaries where set to 4 8 PIR-sensors and one wide angle lens in a single unit
that could see an entire typical classroom or small office.
Several good ideas and sketches came out of this session. All the new and old
sketches where placed on a wall and sorted into clusters of similar ideas. Five
sketches that showed promise where marked as expansion points for further
exploration.
Even more sketches were made, mostly focusing on these expansion points.
After a while it became clear that one of the clusters showed more potential, namely
the one with 2nd and 4th order rotational symmetry with some sort of cross shape. The
cross shape shared similarities with the wings found on many already existing Axis
products which made it natural to further study those design elements on other
cameras.
5.1.2 3D modeling of basic shapes
The sketches representing the good traits were used to further explore shapes in
three dimensions. To do the ideas justice CAD software was used to compensate for a
lack of sketching skills. Very basic geometries were also cut in XPS to explore the
actual volume. At this stage the shapes started to converge and become more similar
to each other, as variations of the same main theme. This theme can be described as a
19
rotationally symmetric base shape with four wings with designated PIR areas between
the wings. Variations on this theme can be seen in Figure 5.1.
Figure 5.1 These basic shapes where the final output of the exterior design concept
generation. The concept has four distinct wings with designated PIR-areas in
between.
5.1.3 Selecting good traits
Evaluation of the ideas and sketches happened rather organically and there was never
a need for a concept screening matrix. Instead the selection was done through
discussion and rationalization among ourselves and our colleagues and supervisor.
However, no one sketch filled all the aesthetical requirements so sketches that
represented what was considered individual good traits (see Figure 5.2) were
picked for further exploration. These traits were:
20
Rotational symmetry od 2nd or 4th order

o Wings or cross
Enlarged pupil
o Dome
o Different surface color and pattern
Different materials of same color
Designated PIR Areas.
Figure 5.2 Examples of the selected good traits. Top left: 4th-order rotational
symmetry with a dome. Top right: materials of the same color. Bottom left: 2nd-order
rotational symmetry with enlarged pupil. Bottom right: designated PIR-area and
materials of the same color.
5.2 Optical concepts
5.2.1 Convex lens array
A common solution for PIR optics is a convex or even plano-convex (one flat
surface) lens array. In the simplest possible solution a number of plano-convex lenses
are placed at an equal radius from the center of the sensor with the flat surface facing
the outside. The radius of the inner surface is adjusted so the focal length is the same
as the distance to the center of the sensor.
This is how the Panasonic AMN34111 seen in Figure 5.3 is designed [27]. This
particular plano-convex lens array was 3D-scanned and measured. Using a refractive
index of 1.525 [19] the measurements of the lens array in relation to the sensor
placement fitted very well with Equation 3, confirming the design theory described
above.
21
Figure 5.3 This plano-convex lens array from Panasonic is about the size of a coin
and represents one of the simplest designs for a PIR lens array.
The next step in making this design more aesthetic is letting the outer surface be
smooth and adjust the inner radius too keep the same focal length. Calculating the
new inner radius is simple since these solutions, as mentioned, seems to fit so well
with Equation 3.
These small units work well, but do not readily fit into a complete design. If applied
to the proposed shapes from the end of the concept generation phase they will stand
out too much making the product aesthetically unappealing.
The design proposals have an asymmetrically (i.e. non-spherical) double curved
window without a solitary defined origin. It should be possible to adapt a lens array to
this window to keep the outer surface if the rays are to pass some of the lenses at an
oblique angle and the different lenses all have individually calculated inner radii that
varies depending on the angle. This will of course come with some performance loss
since rays coming in at higher angles of incidence will not only have greater
reflection losses but also pass through more absorbing material before reaching the
inner surface of the lens.
The possibility to adapt the lens array to an already set outer surface was confirmed
with two-dimensional ray tracing in Creo. As long as the outer surface can be
estimated as a circular arc there was no problem as once again Equation 3 proved
pretty accurate and only small adjustments had to be made to the calculated inner
radius. However, with the proposed shape of the product the curve of the outer
surface will have different radii in the horizontal and vertical plane, which will have
to be considered when designing the inner surface.
5.2.2 Fresnel lens array
The main drawback with a convex lens in the PIR application is its thickness. Since
refraction happens at the surfaces though it is possible to produce a lens with the same
surface curvature but with the inner material removed. This is called a Fresnel lens
and the basic principle is shown in Figure 5.4 below. Compared to a normal convex
lens there will be some loss due to the draft surfaces, but since the thickness of the
material can be reduced the absorption will be reduced.
22
Figure 5.4 Schematic showing a plano-convex lens and its Fresnel counterpart. The
Fresnel lens can be divided into more steps to further decrease its thickness.
5.2.3 Reflector-tube
An alternative to conventional lens array is to use a tube with a rectangular cross
section coated with an IR reflective material. The use of parallel mirrors in
combination with an aperture is an ingenious way or producing an even spaced field
of PIR detection zones.
The idea was inspired by Kubes Cone Optics which uses two parallel reflecting
surfaces and an aperture to segment the field of view when used with a two pixel
sensor [23]. These fields are horizontally spaced; forming the pattern through which
detection is possible. Since vertical detection becomes very poor with only one field
this optical solution is less suitable for ceiling applications where two-dimensional
detection is paramount.
It was predicted that the shortcomings of Kubes Cone Optics could be remedied by
adding another pair of reflecting surfaces and using a four pixel sensor. The thesis
was that with a mirror tube with a square cross section, an aperture smaller than the
tube itself and a four pixel sensor would produce a detection field that projects a
checkered pattern onto a surface.
Ray-tracing of reflector-tubes in two dimensions had been made to figure out the
emergence of detection zones (see Figure 5.5) but there was an uncertainty of what
would happen with the added dimension. With the software available it was hard to
simulate so an experiment was set up instead.
23
Figure 5.5 Two-dimensional ray tracing of a parallel-surface reflector-tube.
5.2.3.1 Experiment
Four LED lights on a plate were used to represent a four pixel sensor. Two green and
two red ones was used to represent the polarity of the respective sensing elements. A
regular mirror was cut into rectangular pieces and put together to form the tube with
black electrical tape to form the aperture. To make the construction sturdier and
lessen the risk of breaking the mirrors the tube was surrounded by XPS. The setup
(seen in Figure 5.6) works like a sensor in reverse by sending light instead of
receiving it, thus giving a visual representation of the detection zones.
24
Figure 5.6 The experimental reflector-tube on the left and on the right the LED-array
that simulates a reversed four pixel sensor.
The projected image from the LEDs through the tube represents the detection pattern
of the proposed PIR solution in proportion to its scale.
The projected pattern from the LEDs and reflector-tube at varying distances can be
seen in Figure 5.7. The projected image differs in the spacing of the pixels depending
on the distance to the projection surface. When the surface gets close enough the pixel
starts blending together and the red and green blends into yellow. This would
represent an area were both the negative and positive sensing elements gets affected
and therefore cancel each other out, since they are connected in with reversed
polarities.
Figure 5.7 The projected pattern from the reflector-tube experiment at two different
distances to the projection surface.
The outline of the projected pixels was drawn and then measured from the center of
the projection. This information was used to confirm the two-dimensional ray tracing
and the prediction of what detection zones it would create.
Apart from small variations probably attributed to the rough measuring of the
projection in the experiment as well as the inexact dimensions of the components of
the reflector-tube and LED array, the experiment confirmed how the two-dimensional
ray tracing simulation predicted the zones.
25
5.2.3.2 Pros and cons

An advantage of this optical solution is that each reflection only causes a very small
signal loss [13]. The tube will probably need some sort of cover to protect it from dust
particles though, but since the pixelated pattern is already created within the tube this
can be a very thin film, which would make it transmit better.
Since the film will only act as protection it can be made in almost any shape and
curvature which gives great freedom to the design of the exterior. A thin film will
have less than ideal mechanical properties though, which would have to be considered
especially if the window is large.
The setup from the experiment, if scaled down to fit a typical PIR-sensor with no
alterations regarding its proportions gives a component of approximately 24 mm in
length. At this stage it was thought that it would be possible to reduce the length of
the tube if the geometry was adjusted.
Another advantage to this concept is that all the incoming beams are contained within
its structure right up to the sensor so instead of having to free up the volume around
the sensor in a wide cone too allow the incoming radiation to pass through this
volume can be used for other components.
5.2.4 Multi-Concave Reflector
The multi-concave reflector solution uses a larger multifaceted mirror (40 mm 40
mm in early simulations) to focus incoming beams on the sensor surface. By using
smaller concave mirrors placed in an array on a larger base surface both focusing and
field of view segmentation can be accomplished with the same mirror. A crosssection of a multi-concave reflector and PIR-sensor setup can be seen in Figure 5.8.
Reflecting surface
Sensing element
Figure 5.8 Multi-concave reflector setup. The reflector focuses rays from objects
below the picture in this view.
26
Due to the nature of single mirrors this solution requires a somewhat different internal
topography than the other solutions. The mirror has to be placed facing outwards thus
reflecting the incoming beams back towards the outer shell to a PIR-sensor more or
less facing inwards. This adds another level of complexity since the mirror has to be
designed to both focus incoming beams on the sensor surface and to do it in a position
where the sensor can be placed so that it does not obscure itself causing a blind spot.
As both focusing and FOV segmentation is performed with the mirror the optical
requirements of the outer window are reduced to high transmittance. The window
should be made as thin as possible while still providing adequate protection of the
internal components. This in combination with the large mirror and single reflection
makes the multi-concave reflector a comparably high performance solution.
A multi-concave reflector place special requirements to the PCB design. As the
sensors need to be placed on the outer rim it will be impractical or impossible to place
them directly on the main PCB making it necessary to wire them through individual
connectors. The unique requirements of the mirrors force a placement closer to the
center of construction than other optical solutions. This in combination with
occupying a relatively large internal volume further complicates the PCB design and
the placement of other components. Whether this is a legitimate design problem is a
question depending on many more factors but it is still worth noting in comparison to
the other solutions.
The manufacturing of the mirror itself is not particularly complex. The roughness of
the mirror surface need to be low for optical purposes but can quite readily be
achieved with an injection molded plastic part metallized with a reflective substrate
[28, 29] making it low cost. Dimensional tolerances affect the focus and beam paths
but slight differences due to tolerance variations will not affect the functionality and
detection performance.
5.2.5 Comparison and concept screening
Seven factors that affect the suitability of each optical concept were used for the
initial screening:
Transmittance: Efficiency in transmitting the infrared signal in the relevant

wavelength through to the sensor.
Internal space: the amount of real estate occupied within the product.
Simplicity: Ease of realizing and refining the concept to a final solution.
Manufacturing: Ease of manufacturing.
Aesthetics: Ease of fitting the optical solution to the exterior concept in an
aesthetically pleasing way.
Window size: The surface area required for the window of the optical
solution inverted.
Cost: The ability to mass produce the optics at a low price.
The criteria at this stage were chosen largely on the basis of making the continued
development of the complete product as feasible as possible.
27
The different concepts were ranked from -2 to +2 within each category, with Fresnel
lens array set to 0 as a reference, since it is a common solution. The scores are rough
estimations based on the research material rather than calculated as the concepts at
this stage are not developed and there are still a lot of tradeoffs to consider.
As Table 5.1 shows, the two winning options were the reflector-tube and Fresnel-lens
array solutions. These two concepts will be further developed and explored before the
final consideration.
Table 5.1 Concept screening matrix for the optical solutions.
Criteria/concept
Convex lens
array
Fresnel lens
array
Reflector-tube
Multi-concave
reflector
Transmittance
-2
Internal space
-2
Simplicity
Manufacturing
-2
-2
Aesthetics
Window size
-2
Cost
-1
-1
Sum
-1
-6
5.3 Further considerations of the Fresnel lens array

5.3.1 Optical efficiency
Since the aim is to make the PIR window look as non-transparent as possible a
relatively high attenuation of 16 was assumed in the calculations of the theoretical
transmission of a Fresnel lens array.
A Fresnel lens array from Nicera (used as a benchmark, since it performed well) was
3D-scanned and the measured to be 0.6 mm at the thick parts and it was assumed that
it would be possible to make the concept solution with this thickness as well.
Using Equation 4, the transmission was calculated to 32%
There was an uncertainty whether this took the draft-facet losses that occur in Fresnel
lenses into account so a two-dimensional model of a Fresnel lens and a sensor was
made. Ray tracing of this particular case showed that less than 2% of the angle would
be lost in draft surfaces. The loss will however be slightly bigger when the draft
surfaces have been optimized for molding, but not much. This small loss was
considered negligible, especially considering the accuracy of the input data.
How well the optics perform also depends on the ratio of the lens area to the sensor
area, which is called the optical gain [30]. At this point it is not known how big the
lenses can be made as it depends on both the interior and exterior design of the
product.
28
A thorough calculation of optical efficiency in lenses also has to take losses due to
oblique rays into consideration. A lens with a normal axis aligned towards the sensor
will have close to zero losses due to oblique rays since the angle of incidence is very
small. If the lens is placed on a less than optimal surface (for aesthetical or practical
reasons) and consequently not aligned with the sensor it will decrease in performance.
This is due to the fact that a higher angle of incidence means the ray will have to take
a longer path with lower transmittance through the lens and also the larger amount of
surface reflections. The effect of this is of course dependent on the lens in question. A
UK Optical Plastics guideline suggests that angles of incidence above 30 to the
optical axis should be avoided as the performance decreases more rapidly after that
[18]. To balance this claim measurements on the Nicera (lens mentioned above) were
made that showed a maximum angle of incidence as high as 45 while still
performing well.
5.3.2 Realizing the concept
Compared to the reflector-tube, that has only plane surfaces, a Fresnel lens is a little
more complicated to model in CAD environments, especially since the outer surface
of the PIR window forces the inner Fresnel surface to not be completely rotational
symmetric.
For any given cross section coinciding with the lens central axis it was possible to
make a 2D representation of the inside Fresnel structure.
Making four cross sections rotational blend could be used to blend them together
around the lenss optical axis. There is, however, an uncertainty regarding how
accurate the surface is between the defined sections. Adding more sections would
make it more accurate, but modeling the four was already very time-consuming. Add
to that a whole array of such surfaces has to be made, all with different geometries.
The conclusion is that it should be possible to make a Fresnel lens array fit to the
double curved surface of the window, since the inner curve can be adjusted as shown
by Equation 3.
5.4 Further considerations of the Reflector-tube
5.4.1 Basic design parameters
The basic parameters of a reflector-tube are length, width and aperture width. Width
and aperture width may vary between the horizontal plane and the vertical plane
(giving a rectangular cross section) but as one can imagine, the length has to be the
same in both planes. By increasing the length-to-width ratio of the tube the angle
between the projection-beams of different orders of reflection decreases (see Figure
5.9)This means that for a given sensor FOV higher order of reflection beams will
reach the sensor resulting in a finer detection pattern. The limiting factor in this case
is that the tube has to be wider than the PIR-sensor window.
29
Figure 5.9 A two-dimensional representation of 3rd-order reflections hitting the top

sensing element. The angle of incidence is 43 in the top tube and 30 in the bottom
one. All parameters are identical except tube length. The higher angle of incidence
indicates that the top tube has a higher angular spread between different orders of
reflection which can be interpreted as a lower resolution detection pattern.
By increasing the aperture width the detection zones will increase in size in the
corresponding horizontal or vertical direction. A bigger aperture will allow more
radiation to enter the tube thus making it more effective. An aperture large enough
will cause adjacent detection zones and clusters to blend together in the edges. If
adjacent pixels are of the same polarity a blend will only result in a larger combined
detection zone but if the polarity is inverted the overlapping areas will cancel each
other out and produce a blind zone. This is best visualized by the right picture in
Figure 5.7 as the resulting effect is the same.
5.4.2 Modifying the detection pattern
It is preferable to adjust the detection pattern to fit a given section of the intended
monitored room. To alter the shape of the overall detection pattern from each
reflector-tube some sort of modification to the optical design will have to be added as
the detection pattern is square for all reflector-tubes with rectangular cross sections
(assuming a PIR-sensor with a symmetrical FOV).
30
5.4.2.1 Electronic threshold filter

A way of changing the detection pattern shape could be an electronic threshold filter.
The efficiency of the optics declines as you move closer to the corners as those rays
have been reflected more times within the tube, see Figure 5.10. If one sets an
electronic signal threshold to try and benefit from this phenomenon by filtering out
the signals of lower strength due to lower transmittance (e.g. follow the 90%
transmittance outline in diagram below) one will end up with a three-dimensional
detection cone with a diamond shaped cross section. The spread of the detection cone
will then be determined by the threshold value instead of the sensor FOV. This will
not produce such a sharp border as in the diagram though since the sensor will not be
able to tell if the lower received radiation is because of the objects heat, size or
position that requires a greater number of reflections in the optics.
0,81
0,86
0,90
0,86
0,81
0,86
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,86
0,90
0,95
1,00
0,95
0,90
0,86
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,86
0,81
0,86
0,90
0,86
0,81
Figure 5.10 Each rectangle represents a detection zone cluster and the color intensity
its transmittance through the reflector-tube. The strongest transmittance is in the
central cluster as it does not get reflected. Every reflection has an efficiency of 0.95.
Since the corners are reflected the greatest number of times they will be the least
effective part of the detection pattern.
5.4.2.2 Sector-shaped patterns
A way of altering the detection pattern to produce a somewhat sector-shaped cross
section is to visually block the two low transmittance corners of the rectangle that are
closer to the center of the room and have the corresponding corner of the inner high
transmittance diamond at the center of the room (see Figure 5.11). The screening has
to be done outside the aperture so that it blocks incoming radiation and alters the
pattern without altering the shape of the detection zones. The structure added would
have a shape with the same geometry as the desired field of view. Unfortunately this
means that the screening structure adds to the total length of the optics. Based on
simulations it increases the total length by up to 80% to be effective in this case, thus
quickly making it unfeasible. A visual representation of this can be seen in Figure
5.12.
31

0,81
0,86
0,90
0,86
0,81
0,86
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,86
0,90
0,95
1,00
0,95
0,90
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,90
Figure 5.11 Visually blocking the lower corners.
Figure 5.12 A representation of two adjacent detection beams; the second 2nd-order
reflection (hitting the bottom sensing element) and the first 3rd-order reflection
(hitting the top sensing element). The dot marks the intersection of the two detection
fields. A structure that successfully blocks the 3rd-order reflection without weakening
the 2nd-order reflection would have to extend up to the dot. A finer detection pattern
with less angular spread moves the intersection point further away from the aperture.
5.4.2.3 Altering the pattern height to width ratio
The maximum FOV of parallel-surface reflector-tube optics is limited by the sensor
FOV. To alter the FOV either horizontally or vertically the corresponding reflective
surfaces can be masked closest to the sensor. Not letting the reflective surfaces extend
right up to the sensor removes the higher order reflections in that plane and thus alters
the height-width ratio (see Figure 5.13). This can be done by either making these
areas non-reflective (e.g. painting them or removing the reflective coating) or by
increasing the surface roughness thereby scattering all incoming radiation. A big
drawback with this design is that for it to be effective there need to be little to no
32
overlap between the incoming rays in the reflective surface to be able to block some
of them and leave others untouched. To produce such a highly separated pattern with
narrow beams in the reflector-tube the aperture need to be very small or the tube
much wider than the sensor. To maintain the length to width ratio it is necessary to
reduce the width as much as possible to keep the tube within acceptable dimensions.
If the aperture were to be left untouched in a narrow tube the desired higher order
reflections would be of decreasing signal strength due to the spread of the beams
increasingly propagating into the masked surfaces (see Figure 5.14). Therefore this
design would be of significantly lower performance compared to an unmasked
design.
0,86
0,90
0,86
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,95
1,00
0,95
0,90
0,95
0,90
0,86
0,90
0,86
Figure 5.13 Theoretical transmittance of a horizontally masked reflector-tube.
33
Figure 5.14 A representation of the masked-surface problem in a narrow tube. By

masking the leftmost reflective surface (the patterned portion closest to the sensor)
the 3rd-order reflection (bottom) can be blocked but since the 2nd-order reflection (top)
utilizes the same surface it becomes significantly weakened.
Another way of producing roughly the same pattern with higher order reflections
removed and a narrower field of view is to use a reflector-tube with slanted surfaces.
If opposing surfaces in the reflector-tube are angled into a slight V-shape with the
sensor positioned in the vertex every reflection will increase the angle between the
beam and the longitudinal axis slightly. With a specified number of reflections the
beam will either have an angle of incidence great enough to fall outside the sensor
field of view or reach a point where the angle between the beam and longitudinal axis
exceeds 90 and thus be reflected back towards the aperture never reaching the sensor
(see Figure 5.15). Depending on the needs of the application the allowed order and
angular spread of reflections can be tailored by changing the angle between the
surfaces and the length-width ratio of the tube.
34
Figure 5.15 Top view of a horizontal angular filter. Rays with a low angle of
incidence (the top tube) reach the sensing elements but those with a high angle of
incidence are prevented from doing so. The bottom picture shows the extreme case
where the rays are not only falling outside the sensor FOV but are reflected back
towards the aperture without reaching the sensor. Note the difference between
reaching the sensing element and hitting the sensor outside its FOV as the latter will
not reach the sensing element and thus no signal is produced.
5.4.3 Optical efficiency
Assuming a 0.4 mm thin film with an attenuation of 16 is used to cover the aperture
and that each reflection only reflects 95% of the radiation the transmittance for each
cluster will be as described in Figure 5.16. As can be seen on the central cluster, the
films attenuation (as calculated with Equation 4) is a great portion of the total. The
transmittance of the central cluster is 0.46 and would be 1.0 with no film as this
cluster is not reflected. The average transmittance for the 25 most central clusters is
0.41.
35

0,37
0,39
0,41
0,39
0,37
0,39
0,41
0,44
0,41
0,39
0,41
0,44
0,46
0,44
0,41
0,39
0,41
0,44
0,41
0,39
0,37
0,39
0,41
0,39
0,37
Figure 5.16 The transmittance of the detection clusters of the reflector-tube solution
including a protective film.
5.5 Optical prototypes
The Fresnel lens array solution is a well understood technology and it was thought
that designing a working internal structure around it was not going to be too difficult.
The reflector-tube on the other hand is more of a novelty and to proceed with an
accompanying internal structure meant that a prototype had to be designed. Since
most sensors have a FOV of 90 110 it was decided to let four PIR-sensors cover
the entire scene in both the Fresnel lens array- and reflector-tube solutions. This
meant that each reflector-tube had to have an approximately 90 horizontal by 100
vertical FOV. A prototype was made that used the slanted surface filter to block rays
with an angle of incidence higher than 45 in the horizontal plane but had parallel
surfaces allowing the full sensor FOV in the vertical plane (see Figure 5.17). The
reflector tube was modeled to be as compact as possible to reduce length while still
long enough to produce a detailed detection pattern.
Figure 5.17 The reflector-tube prototype. The slanted surfaces were chamfered
closest to the aperture to save space and reduce unnecessary material. The right
picture shows the inside of PIR-sensor seat and a hint of the inner reflective surface.
36
5.6 Internal structure

Optimizing the internal structure is crucial to meet the demands both of the required
functions and visual appearance of the finished product. To fulfill these requirements
places many constraints on the internal design and component placement.
5.6.1 Structural constraints
From the camera sensor to the outer lens of the camera optics is a set distance that
govern the maximum distance between the camera sensor and the outer shell. To
reduce the overall height of the product it is desirable to place the camera sensor on
the main PCB, thereby getting rid of the separate camera-PCB that is prevalent in
many Axis products (including AXIS M3007-P). The main advantage of the separate
PCB is to be able to swap optics on the same base architecture to streamline
development for a larger product family but due to the nature of this project
modularity is forsaken in favor of reduced height. This action has the potential of
reducing the stacked height by more than 20mm if one overcomes the technical
difficulties of positioning all components on a single PCB. Cutouts can be made in
the PCB design to facilitate complex component placements but this means that the
PCB has to be extended somewhere else to retain the same surface area.
The PIR-sensors pose a great influence on component placement. To function
properly they have to be placed at the correct distance from the window and be angled
to cover the entire camera FOV. There is a need for an unobstructed view between the
PIR-sensor and the window lens in case of a Fresnel-lens solution. If a reflector tube
is used there must be enough space to correctly place and align the tube. The
reflector-tube length is a relatively fixed constraint meaning that to minimize the
occupied real estate and still fit the entire tube within the structure the sensor have to
be placed in a very specific location in regard to the outer shell. The Fresnel lens is
more flexible, allowing the sensor to be placed closer to the shell, decreasing the
optical performance while reducing its three-dimensional footprint. This in theory
means that the reflector-tube solution has but one optimum internal structure while
the Fresnel lens solution has two or more depending on the desired position on the
trade-off curve between size and performance.
Other components that cause special consideration are the ones related to the power
supply as they are both tall, voluminous and requires shielding due to their high
voltage. The computer chip and other larger integrated circuits are, although flat,
occupying a large part of the PCB real estate and require special consideration to
minimize their footprint. The PCB should be covered when leaving the factory so that
it cannot be reached during mounting [1]. This often necessitates an internal cover
that adds additional height to the structure.
The connecting PoE-cable need to have room to both enter the product freely and also
have enough space to be able to house some cable length due to tolerance slack when
installing. Basically this means that the cable must be able to coil inside the product
to accommodate for different cable lengths. In AXIS M3007-P the PoE cable is
terminated directly to the main PCB. It is highly desirable to terminate the cable with
an RJ45 modular plug instead meaning the product must have an easily accessible
37
RJ45-connector. This induces new problems since cable routing gets more complex
due to decreased flexibility. The connector must also be placed in close proximity to
the other large components of the power supply. If it is possible to use this connection
method in lieu of direct termination without making too many other compromises it
would be a considerable improvement to the overall design.
The SD-card slot poses the same kind of restrictions as a potential RJ45-connector. It
must be easily accessible and there must be enough room to insert and remove the
SD-card while disassembling as little as possible. Contrary to the RJ45-connector the
SD-card unit is very thin, thus increasing the number of possible placements.
Assembly and mounting is one of the greatest contributors to structural complexity.
Screws, hinges, holes and other related structural features need careful considerations
to create harmony between outer design and inner functionality. In many cases these
features are a very prominent part of the outer design and need to both create a
structurally sound product and to be visually appealing. The crowded interior of a
small electronic device also provide plenty of challenges in regards of minimizing
errors and frustration during assembly and installation.
5.6.2 Stacking
Defining the optimum stacking requires extensive spatial analysis and a holistic
approach. Every decision regarding the internal structure affects a plethora of other
component placements, cable routings etc. Different optical solutions have different
needs and restrictions and require separate internal structures. The main constraint
governing the total stacked height is the height of the components on the top of the
PCB since the distance between PCB and camera optics is a fixed entity in all designs
within this project.
All the concepts contain four PIR-sensors, as it matches the proposed basic exterior
design. There is also a need for multiple sensors to cover the entire 360 of the room
because of the limitations in their individual FOV [10, 11, 31].
The components taken into consideration are the tallest PCB-components
(represented as yellow in the figures below) and the larger chips (represented as
black) from the M3007-P PCB. PIR components (represented as red), RJ45-connector
and plug (represented as blue) and other interfaces (represented as white) are also
taken into consideration.
5.6.2.1 Alternative 1: Reflector-tube with PIR on Ceiling Side
It was quickly discovered that the reflector-tube solution requires the PIR-sensors to
be mounted to the top of the PCB to gain enough space for the PIR-optics if the
camera sensor is mounted directly on the main PCB. This can be seen in Figure 5.18.
This effectively means that the PCB needs to have cutouts for the optics passing
through the PCB and the sensors have to be mounted at a 120 130 angle in regard
to the PCB top to be correctly aligned. The cutouts can be quite narrow since they
only need to accommodate the tube width. Placing the sensors on the top of the PCB
adds enough stacked height to be able to place an RJ45-connector and other tall
components on the top of the PCB without adding additional height. Since the
38
construction allows tall component to be placed on the bottom of the PCB as well this
solution provide enough volume to house all the desired features but at the cost of a
higher stack-up. The ambition is to be able to route the PoE-cable around the larger
components placed on top of the PCB to minimize further vertical expansion.
Figure 5.18 The PIR-sensors uses reflector-tubes instead of traditional lenses and
must therefore be fitted on top of the PCB while enlarging the diameter of the hood.
In this case there is no use in trying to fit the RJ45-connector on the top.
5.6.2.2 Alternative 2: Fresnel lens Array with PIR on Ceiling Side
As stated before the Fresnel-lens solution can be made into a couple of different
versions depending on the bias in the height vs. PIR optical performance trade-off
analysis. A decision was made to look into two of these versions. One alternative has
the PIR-sensors places on the ceiling side of the PCB as in the reflector-tube solution
(as seen in Figure 5.19). The Fresnel-lenses require a wider unobstructed line of sight
internally meaning the PCB cutouts in this case have to be much wider than in the
reflector-tube solution. Just as in the reflector-tube solution this positioning of the
PIR-sensors provides a greater flexibility regarding placement of large components
and cable routing.
Figure 5.19 By putting the RJ45-connector on top of the PCB the diameter of the
product can be decreased at the cost of height. The PIR-sensors are also moved to the
top of the card to increase the window area that can be used for the Fresnel lens array.
39
5.6.2.3 Alternative 3: Fresnel lens Array with PIR on Floor Side

The other Fresnel solution prototyped positions of the PIR-sensors on the floor side of
the PCB (Figure 5.20). If all tall components are placed on the bottom of the PCB this
means that the height can be greatly reduced. Positioning the PIR-sensors on the
bottom of the PCB also means that the effective Fresnel-lens decrease in size (having
the same effect as a smaller aperture) resulting in decreased optical performance. The
overall height in this case is governed by the height of the thinner components on top
of the PCB and leaving just enough room for the PoE-cable to be able to coil on top.
To be able to fit an RJ45-connector in this design it also has to be positioned on the
bottom of the PCB. To simplify installation this connector is angled up through a slot
in the PCB giving a straighter plug insertion path. Since the connector and plug are
quite long the PCB-cutout has to be rather large.
Figure 5.20 All components under the PCB make for a thinner product. Part of the
area in-between the cross structure has an array of Fresnel lenses for the PIR to look
through.
5.6.3 Comparison and concept scoring
The three options from above were judged on the criteria described below.
5.6.3.1 Hood volume
The three different alternatives had somewhat different volumes. The height and
diameter were measured in the CAD models and the volume was estimated as the
volume of a cylinder, e.g. = (/2)2. As shown in Table 5.2, alternative 3 has the
smallest volume and alternative 1 the largest.
Table 5.2 Diameter, height and estimated volume of the different alternatives.
Diameter (mm)
Height (mm)
Volume (liter)
Alternative 1
120
31
0.35
Alternative 2
112
31
0.31
Alternative 3
112
25
0.25
The lower volumes will score higher as they will be easier to develop. A smaller
starting point can always be made bigger, but a large starting point may not be scaled
40
down if all components are to fit. A smaller product also makes it easier to make the
product discreet and appealing.
The dimensions are subject to change though, as at this early stage some things are
not accounted for, for example the structure enabling installation onto the ceiling.
5.6.3.2 PCB Area
The different PCB cut-out geometries and diameters of the three alternatives makes
for varying PCB-areas. The areas were simply measured in Creo, with the results
shown in Table 5.3. For a given product volume a larger PCB will make it easier to fit
all the necessary components. It is possible to make the components fit very tight, like
in modern cell phones for example, however this is not only harder to design but also
more expensive to produce [1]. Therefore larger areas will score higher.
Table 5.3 The PCB area of the different alternatives.
PCB Area (mm2)
Alternative 1
8100
Alternative 2
6300
Alternative 3
6700
5.6.3.3 PoE-connector access

How well the PoE RJ45-connector is accessed greatly affects the ease of installation.
The connector is also one of the largest components and therefore its placement has a
big impact on the inner structure, but also the overall height of the product.
In this category the ease of access was subjectively judged, with easier access and
connection scoring higher.
It was thought that alternative 1 would have the easiest connection, since the
connector is placed at an angle.
Alternative 1 and 2 both have the connector mounted flat on the PCB and therefore
the connection is made at an unnatural angle for the hand. Alternative 1 has all large
components on the same side of the PCB, so the connector had to be moved to the
periphery and may therefore be more awkward to connect to.
5.6.3.4 Cable routing
The cable routing inside the product also affects the ease of installation. There must
be room for some spare length of cable since it is very hard to cut the cable at the
exact right length.
The best way seems to be letting the cable curl inside the camera before exiting.
Leaving room for the curl to be of different radii makes a big difference to the
circumference of the curl, as the relationship is = 2.
In this category alternative 3 will score the highest as the free space enables the cable
to curl at basically any radius.
41
Alternative 1 is a lot worse as the PIR sensors get in the way of the radius varying too
much. It is still able to curl outside of the sensors though, so it can still be pretty long.
Alternative 2 also has the PIR sensors in the way of the cable curl, but in this case it
cannot be routed outside of the sensors since it will get in the way of the sensors field
of view. The cable will then have to curl inside the sensors and will therefore be very
short.
5.6.3.5 Optical efficiency
The optical efficiency depends on two things: how much light the optics can gather
from each point and how well each ray of light is transmitted through the optics.
The amount of collected light can be compared using the optical gain of the different
solutions. Optical gain is defined as the ratio of the (individual) lens area (or the
aperture, in the case of the tube) to the sensor area [30].
The area was estimated as a triangle from a pyramid projected from the sensor to the
window. For alternative 2 and 3 the area was 30 mm2 and 20 mm2 respectively. These
areas are rough estimations and are also subject to change if the concepts are
developed further, but they are still relevant for comparative purposes.
The lens area for the reflector-tube would correspond to the aperture area which was
measured to 7.5 mm2.
At this stage it was not decided if a two- or four-pixel sensor was to be used, but a
typical four pixel sensor was used for this comparison. A typical four pixel sensor has
an individual sensing element area of 1 mm2 making the gain ratio the same quantity
as the lens/aperture area.
The optical gain was then multiplied with the transmittance of each alternative optical
solution, as calculated in section 5.3.1 and 5.4.3. The result is a comparable number
on the total optical efficiency, and can be seen in Table 5.4. A better optical
efficiency will score higher.
Table 5.4 Optical gain, transmittance and total optical efficiency for each of the
alternatives.
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Optical gain
7.5
29.5
19.7
Transmittance
0.41
0.32
0.32
Total optical efficiency

3.1
9.4
6.3
5.6.3.6 Concept scoring

The criteria described above were weighted before the concepts were scored as it was
judged they were of different importance.
Optical efficiency was given the highest weight of five. Hood volume was also
weighted heavily at four. PCB area was not judged to be as critical as the hood
volume for the design and was given a weight of three. Cable access and cable
42
routing are somewhat connected and was weighted to three and two respectively to
not dominate the concept scoring matrix, which can be seen in Table 5.5.
The result of the concept scoring was quite clear and so alternative 3 was chosen for
further development and refinement.
Table 5.5 Concept scoring matrix.
weight:
category:
hood volume
PCB Area
cable access
cable routing
total optical efficiency
score sum:
total rank:
4
3
3
2
5
Alternative 1:
Alternative 2:
Alternative 3:
score:
weighted score:
weighted score:
weighted
score:
score:
score:
2
8
3
12
5
20
5
15
2
6
3
9
3
9
2
6
4
12
3
6
2
4
4
8
1
5
5
25
3
15
43
53
64
3
2
1
5.7 Conclusion
The selected Alternative 3 (see Figure 5.21) comprises PIR-sensors and all tall
components placed on the camera sensor side of the PCB and a RJ45-connector in a
through-PCB placement. The PIR-optics consists of individual Fresnel-lens arrays on
each designated window. This concept was further developed and merged with the
exterior concepts as described in the next chapter.
Figure 5.21 Alternative 3.
43
6 Further Development and Refinement

In this chapter the further development and refinement of the chosen concept and its
details are described.
6.1 Exterior design
The CAD-concepts from the last stage of the exterior concept generation phase were
brought forward once again. Some of these were cut out from prints and taped onto
XPS to make crude three-dimensional representations of the volume and pattern. This
did not represent the double curvature present in many of the models so as the shape
were progressing towards a more finalized state 3D-printing was used instead, see
Figure 6.1.
Throughout the process we met with Morten Bergstrm, long-time industrial designer
at Axis, a couple of times which was of great help. Morten pointed out areas that
could be further developed and gave his view on certain elements in very rewarding
discussions.
The goal throughout the process was to try every possible variation of the basic
design.
45
Figure 6.1 Picture showing the evolution from crude mockups to 3D printed
prototypes.
6.1.1 Proportions
The decision to make the product fit the existing AXIS M3007-P accessories meant it
could have an outer diameter of no less than 125 mm, but it could be made a fair bit
thinner; around 32 mm in height, excluding the lens. This was noticeably less than
what was expected before the refinement of the internal structure. This slimmer
version will need an adapter ring for some of the accessories though, which will make
it appear slightly thicker when mounted with these accessories.
It would be possible to make the product with a slightly smaller diameter, but not
enough to motivate it by aesthetics alone.
6.1.2 Cap
Since the lens is rather small in proportion to the rest of the camera it gives the
impression of an eye with a very small pupil or perhaps even an eye sneak peeking
through a small hole. This is not in line with the good-natured impression that was the
aim of the exterior, so the enlarged pupil-ideas from the concept generation phase
was further developed.
46
A larger pupil in proportion to the rest of the eye can make a character look more cute
and innocent and it was desirable to incorporate some of these traits into the design
without losing its perceived technicality.
Surface structures and domes were looked into but it was decided to add a black cap
around the lens. Different size variations and shapes of the cap were iterated
(see Figure 6.2) before settling on a 64 mm diameter with an outwards angled ring by
the edge. To break up the monotony of the inner surface and make it more visually
interesting a groove was added between the outer edge and lens hole.
The area inside the grove is completely flat and is supposed to feel like a direct
extension of the camera optics and therefore the pupil, while the outer surface rather
represents the iris, even though it is black as well.
Figure 6.2 Different cap sizes result in very different expressions for the product as a
whole.
47
6.1.3 Colors
Initially, black PIR windows were considered as it is the PE color with the least
opacity. However it did not make for a discreet enough look. If combined with a
black body the product gets too dark and stands out too much when mounted in a
white ceiling. Black PIR windows combined with a white cross structure had too
much contrast and were too eye-catching. These options can be seen in Figure 6.3.
White PIR windows with white cross structure seemed to give the cleanest look. The
company standard Axis Light Grey was a great fit as it blends in in ceilings very well.
Although this exact color doesnt exist in current PIR windows both Kube and Nicera
can make special colors on request [19, 32].
Figure 6.3 These color options were also considered but ultimately discarded.
6.1.4 Prints
The compass rose is pretty much copied from other Axis products. It does not serve
any function except aesthetically. It gives a sense of direction and technicality.
The best position for the logotype was found to be on top of the wing structure and
connecting to the outer edge. According to Axis Design Manual the logotype should
be no less than 14 mm in width, but preferably at least 16 mm [33]. Different sizes
were tried out, and when looking at the prototype mounted in the ceiling larger
logotypes did not appear as obtrusive as when looked at with the product in hand. In
the end 18 mm was found to be a good balance with the rest of the product with the
added benefit of a better visibility compared to the smaller sizes.
Two logotypes on opposing sides makes it visible from all direction and emphasizes
that the camera is ceiling mounted and does not have a visually preferred horizontal
axis.
A few different positions for technical texts were tried out with pencils on prints. The
compass rose surface got a bit busy with added texts. The PIR windows would be a
natural choice for some text hinting at the motion detection functionality but the
curvature of the surface makes the text look warped depending on the viewing angle.
Placing technical text in a circle around the lens, attaching to the grove between the
lens and the compass rose gave some added sense of precision and associates to other
kinds of lenses.
48
Nailing the exact placement of the text inside the groove was though, but eventually it
was decided to use two segments on opposing sides with the same size that has an
perpendicular direction compared to the two logotypes. The size was set to 1.7 mm
high letters in Helvetica and text lengths that occupy close to 70. Technical
acronyms and numbers were found more aesthetically appealing while expressing
more technicality and precision compared to full words.
The process of figuring out the prints consisted of some 3D-CAD but mainly cut and
paste with paper and the prototypes (see Figure 6.4) or 1:1 paper prints of the product.
Figure 6.4 Taping graphics onto a 3D printed piece proved to be a good tool to figure
out the prints.
6.1.5 Curves and edges
Early sketches had pretty organic shapes on the PIR windows based around a conic
arc and a wing structure with plenty of slope but with a very sharp edge. To make the
product look more technical the PIR windows were remodeled with three constant
radii instead. The slope was also reduced but to not make the wing edges too sharp
and to better visually connect the wings to the PIR windows it was given a radius. By
the end the side view was found to be a little too flat and 3 of slope was added, see
Figure 6.5. This kind of iterative process was used to decide on many other
parameters as well such as the width of the wings and the size of the PIR windows.
49
A slight step was added to the mounting plate to lift the body away from the ceiling
and add a slight shadow around the edge. This helps both with the overall appearance
and makes placement on uneven surfaces less noticeable. Ideally this prevents the
observer from seeing the edge where the camera meets the ceiling.
Figure 6.5 Different slope angles on the cross surface shown from the side. In the
upper left picture the curve starts as a tangent (T) to the flat surface under the cap.
Other angles are given as indicated. This is a good example of the tiny variations that
can make a big difference to the final product.
6.1.6 Texture
At this stage the texture of the surfaces was also discussed. The PIR-windows will be
very shiny and smooth to work efficiently and will probably look quite plastic. To
contrast and make the product as a whole look more rugged it is probably a good idea
to make the hood main structure surfaces look tougher. A sandblasted surface
structure is a good way of achieving this effect.
The inner part of the black cap should have a very smooth surface that gives the
impression of high precision and to feel like an extension of the camera lens, while
outside the grove it can be more rough and rugged, more like the hood main structure.
6.1.7 Overview
The outcome of the design work during the further development of the exterior gave
the result shown in Figure 6.6. Final prototype will be presented in Chapter 7.
50
Figure 6.6 The further developed exterior.

51
6.2 Internal structure and mechanical components

The internal structure was refined and developed in two more iterations. From the
first basic layout of alternative 3 the general proportions was reconsidered and new
parts were added to hold the main components in place. The assembly of the camera
was also considered as well as the mounting of the final product.
After the exterior design was revised and further developed a third iteration of the
internal structure development took place. This time the focus was to make the final
CAD-models of every part in a neat assembly and to make sure they were possible to
manufacture.
6.2.1 Hood
The outer hood of the product needs to consist of separate parts because of the
varying demands of the different features.
The hood has four identical PIR windows. These have to be made out of very thin
HDPE for optical reasons. The PIR windows should have a Fresnel structure on the
inside that varies between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm in thickness.
The main body with its four wings is around 2 mm in thickness and reassures the
structural integrity of the complete hood. The PIR windows fit into dedicated recesses
in the main body and are attached with an adhesive.
On one of the wings there is a slot for a lid at the point where the PoE cord enters the
camera. Two lids were made, one solid and one with a cable hole. Which one to use
depends on which side of the ceiling the cable is routed. The lids are held in place
with a screw once inserted into the slot. The main body without the cord lid is
pictured in Figure 6.7.
Figure 6.7 The hood main body. The four offset screw towers inside the rim of the
wings are for securing the PCB and internal cover.
A cap was added on top of the main hood as described in section 6.1.2. A great deal
of effort was put to refining the shape and proportions these components in regard to
each other to make an appealing complete package.
52
The cap clicks on to the main hood and can also be removed using a flat head screw
driver, since there are small recesses in the main body by the caps edge. The
complete hood with PIR windows, cap and cord lid is pictured in Figure 6.8.
Figure 6.8 The complete hood constituting of the main body, a cord lid, four PIR
windows and a cap.
6.2.2 PCB and components
The basic concept for the PCB layout was somewhat altered during the refinement
process. Instead of having the RJ45-connector cutout go all the way to the edge of the
PCB it was made into a hole. The reasons were both to make components able to
connect in the peripherals of the PCB but also to make it stiffer.
The larger electronic components where reconsidered in regards to the new placement
of the connector and the added mechanical parts, like the camera optics mount, PIR
sensor mount and PIR window support. The developed layout can be seen in Figure
6.9.
Figure 6.9 The refined PCB with all the mechanical parts and the larger electronic
components.
53
6.2.2.1 PoE-connector
Since the female PoE RJ45-connector is not only large but also mounted at an angle it
occupies a lot of height. Together with the thickness of the hood and the fixed
distance between the cameras sensor and optics it meant there was no space between
the edge of the connector and inside of the hood which could lead to problems if the
tolerances are not small enough. A recess in the hood was considered but eventually it
was decided to make a special RJ45-connector that could be mounted recessed
halfway through the PCB, as can be seen in Figure 6.10. This solution not only solved
the tight space issue but also makes for easier connection.
The cost of developing and producing this new special connector compared to using a
standard was discussed with Carl-Axel Alm. The conclusion was made that the initial
cost would be high, but spread out over the large volumes that Axis deliver and
considering the savings made by not having to deliver a cable attached to the product
the concept is very feasible [1].
Figure 6.10 The RJ45-connector mounted halfway through the PCB to save space
and angled to allow easy connection. It is shown here with the disconnected male
plug.
6.2.2.2 Camera optics mount
The camera optics needs to be held in place in relation to the sensor. There needs to
be some room to calibrate the focus but the function doesnt need to be easily
accessible since it should not have to be altered once it is set and the calibration is
made before the camera is delivered.
The camera optics mount is secured to the PCB using three screws and has a fine
thread on the inside for the optics that allows adjustment of the focus. A wave spring
is used to secure the optics in the thread and a foam gasket sits between the mount
itself and the PCB to keep dust away from the image sensor. The parts can be seen in
Figure 6.11. This solution is pretty standard but it was desirable to make the mount as
unobtrusive and simple as possible and therefore there is no plastic grip to enable
focus alteration from outside the product.
54
Figure 6.11 From left to right: gasket, camera optics mount, wave-spring and camera
optics.
6.2.2.3 Sensor angle and mounting
The room for which the product is optimized for is set to 8 m 10 m 3 m. If the
camera is placed in the middle of the ceiling it will have 4 m to the long wall, 5 m to
the short wall and 6.4 m to the corner. With the wall height being 3 m that means the
angle when looking where the floor and wall meet will be 37, 31 and 25 from the
horizontal plane respectively for the short wall, long wall, and corner. These are the
directions where the sensor has too look the furthest and it would therefore be logical
to put the sensor area normal at this angle since it is where it is the most sensitive.
The sensor was placed at 30 from the horizontal plane which means the floor just
under the camera is 60 from its normal and the ceiling about 35 from the normal.
This places the detection zones so that the incoming rays from the furthest ones reach
the sensor at the smallest angle of incidence possible.
A part was modeled to hold a typical PIR sensor at the specified angle and have
through holes for the legs so they can be soldered to the PCB. Most PIR sensors have
very similar measurements due to the tolerances of the TO-5 package standard so the
mount can be tailored to fit almost all sensors right out of the box [20].
The mount itself has pegs that can be glued into dedicated holes on the PCB, as can
be seen in Figure 6.12.
55
Figure 6.12 The PIR mount seen by itself on the left and with a sensor mounted on
the right.
6.2.2.4 PIR window support
Since the PIR windows are very thin a support structure was added to the PCB to hold
them in place if they are subjected to force applied from the outside. The outer
flanges pushes the windows against the recess in the hood main body where it is
attached with the adhesive and the inner flanges support the window at the innermost
point that is not used for the Fresnel lens array.
Another function of the support is to block incoming radiation that passes outside the
lens array part of the window so that it does not reach the sensor and cause noise and
disturbance.
Just as the PIR sensor mount, the window support has pegs that can be glued to
dedicated holes on the PCB. The window support is shown below in Figure 6.13.
56
Figure 6.13 The structure not only supports the very thin PIR-window, but also
blocks parts of the PIR sensors FOV that is outside the intended detection range.
6.2.3 Internal Cover
An internal cover (Figure 6.14) was added to sit on top of the PCB and make sure the
installer does not come in contact with the electrical components and also protect
them from dust.
It was also decided to add slots that allow a bayonet mount to the mounting plate.
This mounting solution was considered easy as it requires no tools and also
aesthetically superior as there is no need for visible screws on the hood.
The walls on the ceiling side of the cover guide the PoE-cable from the female
RJ45-connector to the cable hole.
57
Figure 6.14 The different sides of the internal cover with the cable guide visible on
the right.
6.2.4 Mounting Plate
The mounting plate (see Figure 6.15) was designed to allow compatibility with the
existing M30-series accessories. However since a slimmer product was sought, there
will be a gap between the accessory and the product when attached. This could be
solved by designing a shim that fits in-between. The mounting plate allows the PoEcable to enter the camera through the ceiling via the large circular hole or through the
cord-lid in the hood and the gap in the edge of the mounting plate if the cable is
routed along the inside of the ceiling.
Figure 6.15 The bottom side and ceiling side of the mounting plate.
6.2.5 Materials and manufacturing
Most parts have been modeled with injection molding in mind. Draft angles and
rounds have been added to get as close to a manufacturing-ready construction as
possible. As far as possible, all parts have individually uniform wall thickness. Great
care has been taken to reduce the complexity of the parts where possible by designing
around the need for lifters and complex parting lines.
Common materials for both internal and cosmetic parts at Axis are ASA+PC and
PC+ABS blends. These blends are highly impact resistant and durable as well as
having good flow properties and a matte finish. Both blends can be used with a glass
58
fiber fill for added stiffness. These plastics should cover all the needs of most parts in
this concept. The internal cover could use the added stiffness of a glass fiber fill to
ensure proper function of the bayonet hooks and to have a rigid connection with the
PCB although the filler will make the part considerably harder to recycle [34].
The main body of the hood contains the screw towers into which the screws holding
the PCB and internal cover is fastened. These screws can be either of the self-tapping
variant only requiring an all plastic screw tower with an untapped hole or a
machine-threaded screw going into a metal insert in the screw tower. The screw
towers were designed with dimensions capable of handling a threaded insert as this
will reduce the risk of stripping the threads and ensure a perceptively sounder
mechanical interface.
The PIR windows have to use HDPE for optical purposes. HDPE is a relatively soft
plastic but the part is designed with a double curvature that increases its stiffness [34].
It is also backed by the PIR window support further increasing the rigidity of the part.
Although the mounting plate could be made of plastic it is advisable to have it made
as a metal casting instead. A metal plate will be perceived as sturdier and will
increase the confidence in the product during installation.
The camera optics mount can be made either as a solid metal part or an injection
molded plastic part with a metal insert for the fine thread of the lens.
6.2.6 Assembly and installation
The process of assembling the camera is broken down into a few distinct maneuvers.
The worker assembles the PIR-windows on the hood main body with adhesive
according to previous descriptions and fastens the LED indicator lens. The
PIR-shields are mounted on the PCB assembly and the completed PCB assembly is
placed on its seats in the hood. The internal cover is then placed on top of the PCB
and the four assembly screws are mounted, thus securing the internal cover and PCB
to the hood. Lastly the hood cover is popped into position. This completes the product
as it is sold to the customer.
When installing the product the technician fastens the mounting plate to the ceiling
with the suitable hardware taking careful consideration to the orientation of the
displayed horizontal-line that marks the horizontal plane of the image-sensor. The
PoE-cord is then routed to the camera position either along the roof or through the
ceiling depending on preferences or local circumstances and terminated with an
RJ45-connector to the correct length (180 mm 250 mm). The corresponding cord lid
is assembled to the camera body depending on the chosen routing. The camera body
is then connected to the cord and the cord is guided along the guides on the internal
cover as the camera is lined up with the correct position on the mounting plate. The
camera body is fastened to the mounting plate by twisting the body clockwise 10
until a distinct click can be felt as the hooks reach their correct position. If additional
security is wanted the camera body can be secured in its position to the mounting
plate by installing a screw in the designated hole under the hood cap. The hood cap
59
can easily be removed with a flat screwdriver for access and put back after installing
the screw.
6.3 PIR detection zones
The detection zones should be designed with the size of the human body in mind, as
well as the lens size. Normally the zones are designed to have a cross section equal to
a humans width at half the detection distance, which in this case would be limited by
the room size [30].
This theory works very well for designing the zones tangentially from the center of
the room. When moving towards the center of the room only a small change in angle
will occur and the main direction of movement will be towards the sensor, which is a
lot harder to detect. On top of that the human width in this direction is rather the
length which is more than three times the normal width and therefore the person will
be in several zones at once (and thus create a weak signal). The bodys radiation
depends on many things though, especially clothing, and therefore there will be
smaller hotspots that are only in one zone at the time making detection more
probable. Figure 6.16 shows the layout of detection zones in both dimensions.
Figure 6.16 On the left is a quarter of the room with the proposed detection cones
from one lens row in the array seen from above. On the right is the cone just to the
side of center from each row seen from the side. A human sized piece is placed in the
room for reference together with a 0.5 m square grid on the floor. Detection in one of
the green cones will have an opposing signal to detection in the red cones.
At this point it was also decided to use two-pixel PIR-sensors. The added number of
vertical detection zones from using a four-pixel sensor would not increase the
detection ability of the system as the vertical zones have to be quite few to not create
too many hits on a standing object. This effect can be seen in the right picture of
Figure 6.16. A factor-two increase in vertical detection zones would cause the object
in the room to be in more zones at once thus increasing the risk of a significantly
weakened output signal. The lens array can also be designed to shift the detection
pattern when using a two-pixel sensor so that there are no zone-corridors of the same
polarity thus matching the two-dimensional advantage of a four-pixel sensor.
60
Another consideration has to be made regarding the curves of the PIR-window. The
radial cross section of the window is comprised of three tangential curves of different
radii, see Figure 6.17. Placing lenses on the border between these curves will make
the optical design of those lenses unnecessarily complex. The asymmetrical double
curved surface brings enough challenges without making lenses transitional. In
addition to these things the optical design also has to take the angle of incidence of
the rays into account since few to none will travel perpendicular to the lenses. If the
angle of incidence increases the transmittance of that lens will decrease accordingly
due to the lens becoming effectively thicker and perhaps a larger amount of surface
reflections.
Figure 6.17 The proposed layout of the lenses on the window and the relation of each
lens row to the center of the sensor.
With this in mind a quarter of a room was modeled with the corresponding
PIR-sensor and window to study the optimal lens pattern. Detection cones were
inserted and placed to ensure maximum coverage and the correct spread and spacing
in the scene. Then the detection cones were connected to the window in an iterative
process where lens position was altered until a good pattern with an acceptable angle
of incidence for the lenses was achieved. The final version of the pattern can be seen
in Figure 6.18.
61
Figure 6.18 The proposed detection pattern projected on a surface parallel to the PIR
sensor at a distance of 10m. Each square in the grid is 0.5 m 0.5 m and the sensor
normal is marked by the square with a cross. Note that the actual detection zones are
cones in the three-dimensional room though, and that this view is just a
two-dimensional cross-section of the pattern.
62
7 Concept Presentation
This chapter contains a rendering and pictures of the final prototype. For more
details on specific components, refer to Chapter 6.
7.1 Overview
The final concept is a ceiling mounted fish-eye camera with four PIR-sensors. The
four sensors all have a designated plastic window with an inside structure that forms a
Fresnel lens-array. The windows sit between four distinct wings on the hood.
Together the PIR-sensors cover the same FOV as the camera, which is just over 180
in all directions.
A rendering of the product can be seen in Figure 7.1. Figure 7.2 is a close-up of the
final prototype.
Figure 7.1 A rendered represenatation of the proposed product. Note the difference in
glossiness and roughness on the PIR-windows and the main hood that differentiates
them even though theyre similar in color.
63
Figure 7.2 The final prototype. Note well the color blends with the typical officeceiling. In reality the difference in glossiness and structure of the hoods main body
and the PIR-windows will be more noticeable, as shown in Figure 7.1.
7.2 Installation
The mounting plate is secured in the ceiling using four screws, and allows the rest of
the camera to be attached using a bayonet mount. The cable is allowed to curl at
varying radii to allow some margin of error when cut. If desired the camera can be
further secured to the mounting plate with a screw hidden under the black cap. The
process in described in Figure 7.3 through Figure 7.7.
64
Figure 7.3 The mounting plate secured to the ceiling using four screws.
Figure 7.4 The Ethernet cable is connected and placed in a curl inside the camera.
The variable radius of the curl allows for some margin of error regarding the exterior
cable routing.
65
Figure 7.5 The cable lid of the hood is aligned with the cable cut out on the mounting
plate and the camera is pushed into position.
Figure 7.6 The camera is secured by twisting it clockwise, about 10, until a click is
felt.
66
Figure 7.7 If desired the camera can be further secured to the mounting plate with a
screw hidden under the black cap. The cap can be removed using a small flat head
screw driver.
67
8 Discussion
This chapter contains reflections and discussion on the process and results of the
project as well as considerations for further studies.
8.1 Project results and the chosen concept
8.1.1 Possible alterations to the final concept
The finalized concept is of course a compromise between multiple factors. This
project has had a strong emphasis on aesthetics and simplicity which means that other
qualities have been downplayed. The order of the development stages of the different
areas (aesthetics, mechanics and optics) also plays a role in the outcome as every
phase is dependent on the conclusion of the previous one.
8.1.1.1 Optical performance of the PIR system
The proposed optical solution needs further development as it is not completely
realized. The Fresnel lens structure has not been modeled and will need further
attention to reach a functional solution. Ultimately the solution will have to be subject
to testing in real scenarios to evaluate its precision and efficiency.
The chosen layout forsakes a lot of the potential optical performance of the
PIR-sensors for aesthetics and such traits as low height and small diameter. This can
be increased by changing a couple of different parameters if a different bias between
performance and aesthetics is preferred. By using a different camera lens or by using
a separate PCB for the camera sensor the distance between the main PCB and outer
shell can be increased resulting in a larger lens surface and a higher optical gain. By
changing the window surface so that its curvature and alignment better corresponds
with the center of the PIR-sensor the angle of incidence can be reduced thereby
further increasing the performance of each individual lens.
8.1.1.2 The mechanical solution
The mechanical solution is streamlined for its intended indoor environment. The
development has taken the concept to a rather extreme configuration where vandal
resistance and encapsulation are heavily downplayed.
The inner cover still provides dust protection to the electronics and optics but since
the mounting plate has open holes debris can still enter the camera body. Whether this
69
8 Discussion
is a problem is up for debate but more time would have given the chance to design
gaskets to better shield the outer perimeter against intrusion.
The top edge could provide a grip if reached and result in the hood being forcefully
torn off. This edge relies solely on the rigidity of the structure between the perimeter
and the main screw towers for support and could provide a lever for destructive
manipulation. A bigger mounting plate acting as a base would have provided the
option of having a locking interface between the top edge and the plate thus securing
it better and making a destructive move more difficult. This concern was mainly
overlooked because of the ease of with even vandal-proof cameras can be disabled.
The fact that all it takes to disable a camera is something to visually block the camera
optics means that there is no need to make the mechanical construction stand up to
great deals of abuse in most low-risk environments.
The bayonet feature has been proven to work in the prototype model. The 3D-printed
models still vary slightly from the 3D-model though. To get the correct feel and to
fine tune the force needed to assemble and disassemble a better representation has to
be made. This would likely be done during evaluation of prototype tooling and thus
be beyond the requirements of the brief.
8.1.1.3 Aesthetical solution
The aesthetics of the proposed product has received good response from colleagues at
Axis.
A few hoped it could be made smaller, which might be possible if compatibility with
the current M30-series accessories is forsaken, and further development is made
regarding the mechanics and optics. Considering the proposed product contains more
large components (PIR-sensors and PoE-connector) than the AXIS M3007-P at about
the same diameter but a decreased height the size can be considered small enough.
The color makes the prototype blend in very well in ceilings, but if you notice it, it
still has a distinct look. The color as well as the four wings makes it connect well with
to other Axis products.
Aesthetics is highly subjective and to make sure the product is well received by the
costumers a focus group or some other way of collecting feedback could be used.
8.1.2 The RJ45-connector
The proposed new connector is not completely developed and needs a lot of attention
before a working prototype can be presented. This is probably something that would
be ordered from a subcontractor and not done in-house at Axis. The initial cost of
developing the new contact with new tooling will be very high but the long term
savings from not having to ship cameras with a cord can be substantial. Many Axis
cameras from different series do not have a RJ45-connector and instead have the
same direct termination as in AXIS M3007-P. If a significant number of new products
can be equipped with the same new connector the effect will be even greater.
Products that already have a connector might also benefit from the proposed concept
70
8 Discussion
as it gives the possibility to make them smaller or make the internal structure less
crowded.
8.1.3 IR-lighting
During the course of the project it came to our attention that an additional feature
sought after in a future product family generation is the addition of IR-lighting.
IR-lighting is used to actively illuminate a scene without the use of visible light and
make it possible to capture video in dark environments. Why this feature is worth
extra notice in the light of this thesis is due to the fact that the proposed concept
requires only minor changes to rework into a product with IR-illumination. The
architecture basically allows the PIR-sensors to be replaced with IR-LEDs in the
same position while the windows can be replaced with ones with a reworked lens
arrangement and in a material more suitable for the different wavelengths.
8.1.4 Choosing an optical solution
While we are confident that the chosen optical solution for the PIR-sensors is the
right one for this concept the other solutions can have an advantage in other products.
The internal layout of a small fixed dome camera necessitates a PIR placement close
to the outer rim and the tight space between the camera sensor on the PCB and the
outer shell prohibits the optics from extending too far in the direction of the PIR lineof-sight. This is one of the things that ultimately brought down the reflector-tube
solution. In different product architecture, perhaps a bullet camera, a modified version
of the long narrow reflector-tube might excel beyond the capabilities of a lens array
solution. The segmented mirror can also be a good choice in a product with a more
spacious interior.
8.1.5 Position calculation
Initially there was a strong sense of promise in the idea of using multiple PIR-sensors
with overlapping detection patterns. The thought was that if you had, for example,
two PIR-sensors (Sensor A and B) with overlapping portions (see Figure 8.1) you
would get more detection zones than sensors.
Area A
Area A+B
Area B
Figure 8.1 The proposed overlapping setup. Sensor A covers the gray area and
Sensor B covers the white area. The checkered area is covered by both sensors.
If only Sensor A triggered the object would be in Area A and if only Sensor B
triggered then the object would be in Area B but if both sensors triggered the
71
8 Discussion
triggering object would be in the area where the sensors overlap (Area A+B). This
setup would thus result in three detection areas from two sensors. The idea fell
through with the realization that there would be no difference to the output signal
from one trigger in Area A+B to the resulting output signal from one trigger in Area
A and another simultaneous trigger in Area B. This means that positioning is not
certain unless there is absolute certainty that there is never more than one triggering
object in the scene which, as one might imagine, is not practical.
8.1.6 Originality of the reflector-tube
The inspiration to the reflector-tube optics was, as mentioned before, the Kube Cone
Optics [23, 24] but this solution is taken one step further with the added dimension.
After developing the concept a patent was found that also used two sets of opposing
reflecting surfaces to make a checkered detection pattern [35]. The vertical
segmentation makes it better at detecting vertical movement than the Cone Optics, but
since it still uses a two-pixel sensor our solution should give a signal that is easier
detects vertical movement, though perhaps not being as good in the horizontal plane,
depending on the spacing between individual detection zones.
Simplified schematics of the detection patterns produced by the different solutions are
presented in Figure 8.2. Note that in reality the two-pixel reflector-tube uses slightly
convex mirror surfaces to warp the detection pattern in resemblance of pincushiondistortion.
Our idea to slant the mirror surfaces to filter out the higher orders of reflection is a
simple one but has not been found elsewhere.
72
8 Discussion
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Figure 8.2 Simplified schematic of the detection pattern produced by (from top to
bottom) Kube's Cone Optics, the reflector-tube using a two pixel sensor and lastly
our reflector-tube using a four-pixel sensor. The non-reflected center cluster is
marked with a dashed line.
73
8 Discussion
8.2 Project evaluation

8.2.1 Project planning and execution
The project planning proved accurate in a majority of its parameters (see Appendix A
and Appendix B) and the major project checkpoints happened mostly when planned.
This is mostly due to us making weekly observations of the current status of the
project and planning ahead accordingly. As such, the project planning has filled its
intended purpose and acted as a baseline for the decision to go from one project phase
to the next. A few differences between the actual outcome and the planned process
can be observed though.
The most prominent difference was that the generation of product architecture was
moved to after the concept screening which focused solely on the optical alternatives.
This was due to the realization that developing an internal structure that fitted all
optical concepts was impossible and developing separate architectures would have
been too time-consuming to fit within the timescale of this project. The further
development thus became focused mostly on optical construction and problem
solving with a very schematic internal structure. Due to this the planned gradual
transformation of the Develop phase into the Deliver phase became a more distinct
point in time as the final concept realization had to be its own iteration rather than
part of an iteration starting with a conceptual internal structure after the concept
scoring. It is clear that this hurt the wrap up of the project as the final concept
realization took an additional two weeks initially planned to only focus on report
writing requiring the planned finish date to be moved forward. It is also clear that
even though we are confident in presenting the finalized concept for review, more
time would have been needed to address all the small issues that were encountered in
the process of construction. Preferably a complete new iteration of the mechanical
and exterior design would have been made before completion and more time would
have been dealt to the development of the three parallel internal structure concepts.
As mentioned in Chapter 2.2 there is a slight difference between the terminology of
the project planning and this thesis. For presentational purposes the iterative process
has been restructured into a format more dependent on area of content than
chronology. This means that, for example, Chapter 6 describes related processes that
happened at different points in the project and not a distinct chronological phase.
8.2.2 Goal achievement
The final result holds up well to the stated aims and delimitations. The provided
concept meets the desired specifications and aesthetic demands given in the project
beginning. The chosen optical solution suffers from a certain measure of doubt since
it is untested. The complexity of the Fresnel lens design combined with the chosen
window curvature meant that a working concept could not be developed within the
timescale of this project. It would of course be of significant importance to the
validity of the proposed concept if a working prototype of the PIR-optics could be
demonstrated and proven to work to the intended performance. As this could not be
74
8 Discussion
done the result will have to rely on the comparison with existing products and their
performance as well as theoretical calculations to get a grasp on the functionality and
performance of the proposed design.
The lack of a working prototype also means that the high-rated function reduce false
alarms cannot be fulfilled. In retrospect this might be considered less important as
the electronics and signal processing falls outside the delimitations of the project.
This function can also be seen as a result of a well-designed PIR-optical system and
thus a consequential effect of the other design parameters.
75
9 References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Alm, C.-A., Senior Expert Engineer, Axis Communications AB. Personal

Communication. 2014
History (Electronic). (2014). Cited: 2014-06-19. Available from:
http://www.axis.com/corporate/about/history.htm
About Axis (Electronic). (2014). Cited: 2014-06-19. Available from:
http://www.axis.com/corporate/index.htm
Eleven Lessons: Managing Design in Eleven Global Brands, A Study of the
Design Process (Electronic). (2007). Cited: 2014-06-17. Available from:
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/ElevenLes
sons_Design_Council%20(2).pdf
Ulrich, K.T. and Eppinger, S.D. (2008). Product Design and Development. 4
ed. Mc Graw-Hill Higher Education. New York, USA.
Landqvist, J. (2001). Vilda ider och djupodlad analys. Om designmetodikens
grunder. Carlsson Bokfrlag. Stockholm, Sweden.
Rafique, F. and Siddiqui, N., 2013. Passive IR field gradient detection of
thermal objects in active Fresnel zones. Infrared Physics & Technology. 60.
pp. 145-154.
KUBE 7192 TwinSide Dual Pyroelectric Sensor (Electronic). (2013). Cited:
2014-07-14. Available from:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_pyroelectric_7192.pdf
KUBE 6192 Flat Pack Dual Pyroelectric Sensor (Electronic). (2013). Cited:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_pyroelectric_6192.pdf
KUBE C174 Standard Quad Pyroelectric Sensor (Electronic). (2013). Cited:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_pyroelectric_c174.pdf
KUBE C172 Standard Dual Pyroelectric Sensor (Electronic). (2013). Cited:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_pyroelectric_c172.pdf
Yun, J. and Lee, S.-S., 2014. Human Movement Detection and Identification
Using Pyroelectric Infrared Sensors. Sensors. 14(5). pp. 8057-8081.
Rogalski, A. (2010). Infrared Detectors, Second Edition. CRC Press.
Malacara-Hernndez, D. and Malacara-Hernndez, Z. (2013). Geometrical
Optics Principles, in Handbook of Optical Design, Third Edition, CRC Press.
p. 1-34.
77
9 References
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
78
Shaub, M.O. (2009). The Design of Plastic Optical Systems. Tutorial Texts in
Optical Engineering. Vol. 80. SPIE Press. Bellingham, WA, USA.
PIR Sensor Lenses (Electronic). Cited: 2014-11-07. Available from:
http://www.carclo-optics.com/pir-sensor-lenses
KUBE General Specification, Quality Control Scheme and
Aging/Degradation of KUBE Plastics for PIR Windows and Lenses
(Electronic). (2009). Cited: 2014-06-27. Available from:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_plastics_quality.pdf
Fresnel Lenses (Electronic). (2002). Cited: 2014-08-21. Available from:
http://www.ukopticalplastics.com/pirlens.html
Kube plastics properties (Electronic). (2009). Cited: 2014-06-27. Available
from: http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_plastics_properties.pdf
TO-5 (Standard) in Transistor Outlines Archive, JEDEC. Available from:
http://www.jedec.org/sites/default/files/docs/archive/to/to-005.pdf
Czeladzinski, J., Sales Manager, Excelitas Technologies GmbH & Co. KG.
Personal Communication. 2014-09-10
Spek, R., Account Manager, Murata Electronics Europe B.V. Personal
Communication. 2014-06-30
Kube Cone Optics TR230 (Electronic). (2013). Cited: 2014-11-04. Available
from: http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_cone_optics_tr230.pdf
Keller, H.J., 1991, For fluctuations in radiation. US Patent 5006712,
Available from: Google Patents
JAPAN PLALENS CO., L. Collection of products (Electronic). (2002).
Cited: 2014-11-24. Available from:
http://www.japanplalens.co.jp/sub08e.htm
Alm, C.-A., Johan, W., Andersson, K., Larsson, S., Fagerkvist, D., and
Lewin, N., Personal Communication. 2014-07-10
Panasonic PIR datasheet (Electronic). (2012). Available from:
https://www3.panasonic.biz/ac/e_download/control/sensor/human/catalog/blt
n_eng_pir.pdf?f_cd=401364&via=ok
Metallising. (2014). AMB Industri AB
Konstruktionsregler fr vakuummetallisering. (2014). AMB Industri AB
Keller, H.J. 30 Years of Passive Infrared Motion Detection - a Technlology
Review (Electronic). (2000). Cited: 2014-09-01. Available from:
http://www.kube.ch/downloads/pdf/kube_irs2paper.pdf
NiCeRa Pyroelectric Sensors (Electronic). Cited: 2014-11-07. Available
from: http://www.nicera.co.jp/pro/ip/pdf/pdfip001.pdf
Fujiwara, E., Excecutive Officer Module Production Div., Nippon Cermamic
Co., LTD. Personal Communication. 2014-10-27
Axis Design Manual. (Confidential).
Bruder, U. (2011). Vrt att veta om plast. Bruder Consulting. Karlskrona,
Sweden.
Santoro, S.R., 2000, Catoptric optical system for detecting motion of a
radiant source. US Patent 6037593, Available from: Google Patents
Appendix A: Initial project planning

The project planning was visualized in a Gantt chart.
79
80
Preparation of presentation
Final concept realization
Concept scoring
Refinement and further development
Second concept screening
Generation of product architecture and optical solutions
Concept screening
Generation of basic exterior concepts
Establishing function analysis and target specifications
Establishing brief for development phase
Research on existing PIR-sensors and optics
Project planning
Project introduction
Report writing
Deliver
Develop
Define
Discover
Thesis week:
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Appendix A: Project planning
Appendix B: Final Project Plan

The final project plan visualized.
81
82
Thesis week:
Preparation of presentation
Final concept realization
Concept scoring
Generation of optical and exterior concepts
Concept screening
Generation of optical solutions
Concept selection
Generation of basic exterior concepts
Establishing function analysis and target specifications
Establishing brief for development phase
Research on existing PIR-sensors and optics
Project planning
Project introduction
Report writing
Deliver
Develop
Define
Discover
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Appendix B: Final Project Plan

Development of Camera With PIR-Sensors

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Development of Camera With PIR-Sensors

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Master Thesis

Development of Camera with PIR-sensors

Division of Product Development, Department of Design Sciences

ISRN LUTMDN/TMKT 14/5513 SE

Konceptfasen fortsatte med utvrdering av olika optiska koncept, varefter de tv mest

Figur 1 Rendering av produktens yttre.

2.2 Project planning and sub-methods ......................................................................... 4

3.3 Market Research ................................................................................................... 11

5 Concept Generation and Review ............................................................ 19

5.2 Optical concepts .................................................................................................... 21

5.2.1 Convex lens array ............................................................................................................ 21

5.3 Further considerations of the Fresnel lens array .................................................. 28

5.4 Further considerations of the Reflector-tube......................................................... 29

5.5 Optical prototypes ................................................................................................. 36

6 Further Development and Refinement ................................................... 45

6.2 Internal structure and mechanical components .................................................... 52

6.3 PIR detection zones .............................................................................................. 60

8.2 Project evaluation .................................................................................................. 74

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene thermoplastic polymer

Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate thermoplastic polymer

Computer Aided Design

High Density Polyethylene thermoplastic polymer

Power over Ethernet

Modular plug commonly used to terminate Ethernet cabling

Surface-Mount Technology automated PCB assembly method

Video Motion Detection

Extruded Polystyrene foamed thermoplastic polymer

1.3 The network camera

2.1.1 Comparison with Ulrich & Eppingers Generic Product Development

Ulrich & Eppinger

System level design

Testing and refinement

Further development and

Figure 2.2 General project process.

Equation 1 Snell's law, or the law of refraction [14].

Figure 3.2 Schematic illustrating the law of refraction.

Equation 2 The law of reflection [14].

Figure 3.3 Schematic illustrating the law of reflection.

Equation 3 Lensmaker's formula [15].

Figure 3.4 Schematic showing the variables of the Lensmaker's formula.

Figure 3.5 A simplified two-dimensional representation of a convex lens array with

Figure 3.7 PE and HDPE Fresnel lenses.

Figure 3.8 HDPE convex lens arrays.

4.2 The environment

Table 4.1 Function analysis.

Offer visual and infrared surveillance

Minimize false alarms

Consist of one single unit

Be optimized for indoor environments

Very desirable function

Very desirable function

Be in line with Axis aesthetic profile

Very desirable function

Very desirable function

Feel good natured

5 Concept Generation and Review

5 Concept Generation and Review

Rotational symmetry od 2nd or 4th order

5 Concept Generation and Review

5 Concept Generation and Review

5 Concept Generation and Review

5 Concept Generation and Review

Figure 5.5 Two-dimensional ray tracing of a parallel-surface reflector-tube.

5 Concept Generation and Review