A communication apparatus includes an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements, and a plurality of thermoelectric devices that are arranged on the plurality of antenna elements of the antenna array. The communication apparatus further includes a processor that determines which subset of the antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements are in an activated state and which are in a deactivated state, and further control each of the plurality of thermoelectric devices to execute an activation or a deactivation of each of the plurality of thermoelectric devices in synchronization with the activated state or the deactivated state of different subsets of antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements.

An optical sensor includes a support layer, a thermoelectric conversion material portion disposed on the support layer and including a strip-shaped first material layer that converts thermal energy into electrical energy and a strip-shaped second material layer that is electrically conductive, and a light absorbing film disposed on the thermoelectric conversion material portion to form a temperature difference in a longitudinal direction of the first material layer. The first material layer includes a first region and a second region. The second material layer includes a third region and a fourth region connected to the second region. The optical sensor further includes a first electrode electrically connected to the first region, and a second electrode disposed apart from the first electrode and electrically connected to the third region. The first material layer has a width, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, of 0.1 μm or more.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes: a base material that is a semiconductor composed of a base material element; a first additional element that is an element different from the base material element, has a vacant orbital in a d orbital or f orbital located internal to an outermost shell of the first additional element and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material; and a second additional element that is an element different from both of the base material element and the first additional element and forms a second additional level in the forbidden band of the base material. A difference is 1 between the number of electrons in an outermost shell of the second additional element and the number of electrons in at least one outermost shell of the base material element.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes: a base material that is a semiconductor composed of a base material element; a first additional element that is an element different from the base material element, has a vacant orbital in a d orbital or f orbital located internal to an outermost shell of the first additional element and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material; and a second additional element that is an element different from both of the base material element and the first additional element and forms a second additional level in the forbidden band of the base material. A difference is 1 between the number of electrons in an outermost shell of the second additional element and the number of electrons in at least one outermost shell of the base material element.

There is provided an auto detection system including a thermal detection device and a host. The host controls an indication device to indicate a prompt message or detection results according to a slope variation of voltage values or 2D distribution of temperature values detected by the thermal detection device, wherein the voltage values include the detected voltage of a single pixel or the sum of detected voltages of multiple pixels of a thermal sensor.

There is provided a method for determining presence of a person comprising a) receiving IR sensor data (50) during a first time period from a thermopile and using the IR sensor data to determine an IR background signal baseline (51) for the time period, and determining a variability of the IR sensor data (50), b) using the IR background signal baseline (51) and the variability of the IR background signal level to determine a threshold (52) with a value higher than the background signal baseline (51), and in such a way so that greater variability in the IR background signal (50) results in a higher threshold (52), then c) receiving further IR sensor data (50) during a second time period, which is after the first time period, and using the further IR sensor data (50), and the threshold (52) determined in step b) to determine that a person is present when the further IR sensor data (50) comprises a value that is higher than the threshold.

There is provided a method for determining presence of a person comprising a) receiving IR sensor data (50) during a first time period from a thermopile and using the IR sensor data to determine an IR background signal baseline (51) for the time period, and determining a variability of the IR sensor data (50), b) using the IR background signal baseline (51) and the variability of the IR background signal level to determine a threshold (52) with a value higher than the background signal baseline (51), and in such a way so that greater variability in the IR background signal (50) results in a higher threshold (52), then c) receiving further IR sensor data (50) during a second time period, which is after the first time period, and using the further IR sensor data (50), and the threshold (52) determined in step b) to determine that a person is present when the further IR sensor data (50) comprises a value that is higher than the threshold.

An infrared body temperature measurement doll, includes a doll body and a temperature measurement circuit disposed in the doll body, wherein the temperature measurement circuit includes an infrared light filter, an infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, an amplification circuit, a display module, a battery, and a power supply switch; the infrared light filter is disposed on the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure; the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, the amplification circuit, and the display module are sequentially electrically connected; the battery supplies power to the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, the amplification circuit, and the display module; the infrared thermopile sensing element is disposed in an organ of the doll body in communication with the ambient; and the infrared thermopile sensing element senses a human body temperature via a hole on the organ.

An infrared body temperature measurement doll, includes a doll body and a temperature measurement circuit disposed in the doll body, wherein the temperature measurement circuit includes an infrared light filter, an infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, an amplification circuit, a display module, a battery, and a power supply switch; the infrared light filter is disposed on the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure; the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, the amplification circuit, and the display module are sequentially electrically connected; the battery supplies power to the infrared thermopile sensing element having a chip structure, the amplification circuit, and the display module; the infrared thermopile sensing element is disposed in an organ of the doll body in communication with the ambient; and the infrared thermopile sensing element senses a human body temperature via a hole on the organ.

A thermographic sensor is proposed. The thermographic sensor includes a plurality of sensing elements each comprising at least one thermo-couple. The thermographic sensor is integrated on a semiconductor on insulator body that is patterned to define a grid suspended from a substrate; for each sensing element, the grid has a frame with the cold joint of the thermo-couple, a plate with the hot joint of the thermo-couple and one or more arms sustaining the plate from the frame. The frames include one or more conductive layers of thermally conductive material for thermally equalizing the cold joints with the substrate. Moreover, each sensing element may also include a processing circuit for the thermo-couple that is integrated on the corresponding frame. A thermographic device including the thermographic sensor and a corresponding signal processing circuit, and a system including one or more thermographic devices are also proposed.