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US 10,852,435 B2Granted
Occupancy sensing system and sensing method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsWarner Rudolph Theophile Ten Kate, Murtaza Bulut, Kars-Michiel Hubert Lenssen
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Abstract
An occupancy detection system uses at least two sensors which are mounted spaced apart in an area to be monitored. A test metric is formed which based on a combination of distances for the at least two sensors. The evolution of the test metric over time enables determination of whether there is a single occupant or multiple occupants in the area to be monitored.
Claims17
An occupancy detection system, comprising:
- at least two sensors mounted spaced apart to monitor an area in which occupancy detection is to be carried out, each sensor of the at least two sensors being configured for generating (i) a sensor signal when in a static mode in which the sensor has a static field of view covering at least a part of the area, wherein the sensor signal is dependent on a distance from the sensor to one or more sensed subjects present in the area, and (ii) a sensor output based on the sensor signal, the sensor output comprising distance data of the one or more subjects to the sensor;
- and
- a processor for processing received sensor outputs from the at least two sensors,
- wherein the processor is adapted to:
- derive a test metric based on a combination of the sensor outputs, wherein the test metric represents a combination of the distances of the at least two sensors to the one or more sensed subjects present in the area;
- and
- determine from an evolution of the test metric over time whether there is a single subject or multiple subjects present in the area.
4 more elements
A method of detecting the presence of one or more subjects in an area, comprising:
- receiving sensor outputs from at least two sensors mounted spaced apart in or near an area, each sensor being configured, when in a static mode in which a sensor has a static field of view concerning at least a part of the area in which the occupancy detection is to be carried out, for generating a sensor signal which is dependent on distances of the sensor to one or more sensed subjects present in the area and for generating a sensor output based on the sensor signal, wherein the sensor output comprises distance data of one or more subjects to the sensor;
- deriving a test metric based on a combination of the sensor outputs, wherein the test metric represents a combination of the distances of the at least two sensors to the one or more sensed subject resent in the area;
- and
- determining from an evolution of the test metric over time whether there is a single subject or whether there are multiple subjects in the area.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.