# US 10,078,786 B2 · Occupancy sensing apparatus network

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- Number: US 10,078,786 B2
- Document ID: US10078786B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/253,811
- Filed: 2016-08-31
- Published: 2017-04-27
- Granted: 2018-09-18
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-31
- Assignees: Deako, Inc.
- Applicants: Deako, Inc.
- Inventors: Derek Richardson; Patrick Prendergast; Cole Wilson; Erik Anderson; Dana Olson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10078786B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69)
- G06V 40/161: {Detection; Localisation; Normalisation}
- G06V 40/23: {Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training}
- H01R 13/447: Shutter or cover plate
- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- H05B 47/125: by using cameras
- H05B 47/13: by using passive infrared detectors
- H05B 47/19: via wireless transmission
- G05B 19/048: Monitoring; Safety
- G05B 2219/25011: Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
- H01R 12/724: {containing contact members forming a right angle}
- H01R 13/2407: {characterized by the resilient means}
- H01R 13/6275: {Latching arms not integral with the housing (H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence)}
- H01R 24/62: Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
- H01R 2107/00: Four or more poles
- H02G 3/081: {Bases, casings or covers}
- H02G 3/12: for flush mounting
- H02G 3/16: structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

An occupancy-sensing apparatus a device control assembly including a detector configured to generate an image wherein the device control assembly includes one or more illumination sources configured to emit illumination including at least one wavelength of radiation measurable by the detector. The apparatus includes a controller communicatively coupled to the detector configured to detect occupants based on the image generated by the detector, wherein the controller is configured to determine an active state of the detected occupants, the activity state including at least one of a stationary state or moving state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An occupancy-sensing apparatus, comprising:
a device control assembly configured to be toollessly inserted into or removed from a cavity of a backplate mounted in an electrical junction box by a user, the backplate including backplate electrical contacts connected to electrical wiring within the electrical junction box, the backplate including a user-translatable cover configured to electrically shield the backplate electrical contacts when in a closed position and expose the backplate electrical contacts when in an open position, wherein the backplate includes a lock to maintain the cover in the closed position unless the device control assembly is inserted into the cavity, the device control assembly comprising:
device control assembly electrical contacts configured to couple to the backplate contacts when the cover is in the open position;
a detector configured to generate an image;
one or more illumination sources, the one or more illumination sources configured to emit illumination including at least one wavelength of radiation measurable by the detector; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the detector, the controller configured to:
receive illuminated images from the detector generated with illumination from at least one of the one or more illumination sources;
generate processed images with filtered ambient light by subtracting an ambient image from the illuminated images, the ambient image generated without illumination from the one or more illumination sources;
classify one or more objects in the processed images as one of human or non-human based on shapes of the one or more objects; and
detect occupants when at least one human object is identified in a processed image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine at least one of a location, a direction of motion, or a speed of motion of the detected occupants based on two or more processed images.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify a face in a processed image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:
capture a first processed image from the detector based on illumination from a first illumination source of the one or more illumination sources;
detect one or more shadows in the first processed image;
capture a second processed image from the detector based on illumination from a second illumination source of the one or more illumination sources;
detect one or more shadows in the second processed image; and
identify a source of the face as one of a two-dimensional image proximate to the occupancy-sensing apparatus or a human face proximate to the occupancy-sensing apparatus based on at least one of the one or more shadows in the first image or the one or more shadows in the second image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify a retina in a processed image.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify a fingerprint in a processed image.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected occupants include an occupant, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine an identity of the occupant.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to classify the occupant as a known occupant or an unknown occupant based on the identity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected occupants include an occupant, wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupant.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:
generate wire frame representations of the detected occupant, wherein identifying at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupant comprises:
identifying one or more body parts of the detected occupant based on the wire frame representations; and
identifying at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupant based on positions of the one or more body parts in the processed images.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 10, wherein identifying at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupants further comprises:
determining whether any of the one or more body parts overlap based on positions of the shapes or lines based on the wire frame representations; and
identifying at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupant based on whether any of the one or more body parts overlap.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a multi-field lens, wherein the multi-field lens is configured to separately image two or more portions of a field of view onto two or more portions of the detector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the field of view is greater than 170 degrees.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:
mitigate distortion in the image induced by the multi-field lens.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the multi-field lens comprises:
a tri-field lens, wherein the tri-field lens is configured to separately image three portions of the field of view onto three portions of the detector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a microphone, wherein the microphone is configured to detect one or more audio signals, wherein the controller is further configured to detect occupants based on the one or more audio signals.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises:
a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector further comprises:
a passive infrared sensor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector further comprises:
one or more thermopiles.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected occupants comprise:
at least one of a human or an animal.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the illuminated images are generated by modulating the one or more illumination sources with a selected pattern and synchronizing the detector to the selected pattern.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
generate a background image based on one or more images from the detector, wherein the background is free of occupants.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The occupancy-sensing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to:
filter background information from the processed images by subtracting the background image from the processed images.

### Claim 24

A network of occupancy sensors, comprising:
two or more occupancy sensors configured to detect occupants within two or more detection zones, the two or more occupancy sensors configured to determine locations of detected occupants relative to the two or more occupancy sensors, each occupancy sensor of the two or more occupancy sensors comprising:
a device control assembly configured to be toollessly inserted into or removed from a cavity of a backplate mounted in an electrical junction box by a user, the backplate including backplate electrical contacts connected to electrical wiring within the electrical junction box, the backplate including a user-translatable cover configured to electrically shield the backplate electrical contacts when in a closed position and expose the backplate electrical contacts when in an open position, wherein the backplate includes a lock to maintain the cover in the closed position unless the device control assembly is inserted into the cavity, the device control assembly comprising:
device control assembly electrical contacts configured to couple to the backplate contacts when the cover is in the open position;
a detector configured to generate an image;
one or more illumination sources, the one or more illumination sources configured to emit illumination including at least one wavelength of radiation measurable by the detector; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the detector, the controller configured to:
receive illuminated images from the detector generated with illumination from at least one of the one or more illumination sources;
generate processed images with filtered ambient light by subtracting an ambient image from the illuminated images, the ambient image generated without illumination from the one or more illumination sources;
classify one or more objects in the processed images as one of human or non-human based on shapes of the one or more objects; and
detect occupants when at least one human object is identified in a processed image.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
identify at least one of a direction of motion or a speed of motion of detected occupants based on two or more processed images.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein a first occupancy sensor of the two or more occupancy sensors is configured to detect occupants in a first detection zone, wherein a second occupancy sensor of the two or more occupancy sensors is configured to detect occupants in a second detection zone, wherein the two or more occupancy sensors are configured to track a location of a detected occupant as the occupant moves from the first detection zone to the second detection zone.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 26, wherein the first occupancy sensor is configured to detect a direction of motion of the occupant, wherein the first occupancy sensor is configured to transmit data indicative of the direction of motion of the occupant to the second occupancy sensor when the occupant exits the first detection zone.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein a first occupancy sensor is configured to determine a distance between the first occupancy sensor and a second occupancy sensor.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 28, wherein the two or more occupancy sensors are configured to determine a position of an object in a processed image relative to the first occupancy sensor and the second occupancy sensor based on the distance between the first occupancy sensor and the second occupancy sensor, and strengths of triangulation signals transmitted by the object and received by the first and second occupancy sensors.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 28, wherein the triangulation signals comprise:
radio-frequency signals.

### Claim 31 (depends on 28)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 28, wherein the two or more occupancy sensors are configured to determine a distance between the first occupancy sensor of the two or more occupancy sensors and the second occupancy sensor based on strengths of a signal transmitted by the first occupancy sensor and received by the second occupancy sensor.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 31, wherein the signal comprises:
a radio-frequency signal.

### Claim 33 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
identify a face in a processed image.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 33, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
capture a first processed image from the detector based on illumination from a first illumination source;
detect one or more shadows in the first processed image;
capture a second processed image from the detector based on illumination from a second illumination source;
detect one or more shadows in the second processed image; and
identify a source of the face as one of a two-dimensional image proximate to the occupancy-sensing apparatus or a human face proximate to the occupancy-sensing apparatus based on at least one of the one or more shadows in the first processed image or the one or more shadows in the second processed image.

### Claim 35 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
identify a retina in a processed image.

### Claim 36 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
identify a fingerprint in a processed image.

### Claim 37 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detected occupants include an occupant, controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
determine an identity of the occupant.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 37, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to classify the detected occupant as a known occupant or an unknown occupant based on the identity.

### Claim 39 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detected occupants include an occupant, wherein the controller of at least one device control assembly is further configured to:
identify at least one of a pose or a gesture of the detected occupant.

### Claim 40 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, further comprising:
a multi-field lens, wherein the multi-field lens is configured to separately image two or more portions of a field of view onto two or more portions of the detector.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 40, wherein the field of view is greater than 170 degrees.

### Claim 42 (depends on 40)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 40, wherein the controller is further configured to:
mitigate distortion in the image induced by the multi-field lens.

### Claim 43 (depends on 40)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 40, wherein the multi-field lens comprises:
a tri-field lens, wherein the tri-field lens is configured to separately image three portions of the field of view onto three portions of the detector.

### Claim 44 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, further comprising:
a microphone, wherein the microphone is configured to detect one or more audio signals, wherein the controller is further configured to detect occupants based on the one or more audio signals.

### Claim 45 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detector comprises:
a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor.

### Claim 46 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detector further comprises:
a passive infrared sensor.

### Claim 47 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detector further comprises:
one or more thermopiles.

### Claim 48 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the detected occupants comprise:
at least one of a human or an animal.

### Claim 49 (depends on 24)

The network of occupancy sensors of claim 24, wherein the illuminated images are generated by modulating the one or more illumination sources with a selected pattern and synchronizing the detector to the selected pattern.

### Claim 50

An occupancy-sensing apparatus, comprising:
a backplate configured to mount to an electrical junction box, the backplate further configured to connect to electrical wiring within the electrical junction box; and
a device control assembly, the device control assembly configured to be toollessly and interchangeably coupled into a cavity of the backplate the device control assembly configured to receive electrical power from the backplate when inserted into the backplate, the device control assembly comprising:
a detector configured to generate an image;
one or more illumination sources, the one or more illumination sources configured to emit illumination including at least one wavelength of radiation measurable by the detector; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the detector, the controller configured to:
receive illuminated images from the detector generated with illumination from at least one of the one or more illumination sources;
generate processed images with filtered ambient light by subtracting an ambient image from the illuminated images, the ambient image generated without illumination from the one or more illumination sources;
classify one or more objects in the processed images as one of human or non-human based on shapes of the one or more objects; and
detect occupants when at least one human object is identified in a processed image.