Dynamic spatiotemporal beamforming

A system for imaging a room comprising:

• a mobile platform configured to move within the room;
• a sensor coupled with the mobile platform and configured to measure a parameter within an area relative to the sensor and output a signal having background noise, distortions, and a foreground signal of interest associated with the parameter within the area;
• and
• a controller configured to,
• request a measurement of the parameter from the sensor associated with a position of the mobile platform and a direction of the mobile platform,
• store the measurement and the position and direction of the mobile platform within the room,
• move the mobile platform within the room to a new position,
• in response to the mobile platform reaching the new position, request a second measurement of the parameter from the sensor associated with the new position of the mobile platform and direction of the mobile platform,
• spatially aggregate the signal from the sensor and associated position and direction of the mobile platform within the room to create an energy map via spatio-dynamic beamforming, wherein the background noise and distortions are reduced, by spatially averaging beamformed information acquired across multiple locations to synthesize signals indicative of the foreground signal of interest, wherein the energy map includes acoustic information associated with spatial locations recorded,
• analyze the energy map to identify a status of an apparatus in the room, and
• output a foreground beamformed image, wherein the foreground beamformed image is overlaid with previous in time foreground beamformed images to indicate a change in the foreground beamformed images with respect to time.

A method for imaging a room comprising:

• by a controller:
• requesting a signal, indicative of a measurement of a parameter, from a sensor associated with a position and direction of a mobile platform in the room, wherein the measurement from the sensor includes background noise, distortions, and a foreground signal of interest;
• storing the measurement, position and direction of the mobile platform within the room;
• requesting the mobile platform to move to a new position within the room;
• in response to the mobile platform reaching the new position, requesting a second measurement of the parameter from the sensor associated with the new position and direction of the mobile platform at the new position;
• spatially aggregating the signal from the sensor and associated position and direction of the mobile platform within the room to create an energy map via spatio-dynamic beamforming, wherein the background noise and distortions are reduced, by spatially averaging beamformed information acquired across multiple locations to synthesize signals indicative of the foreground signal of interest, wherein the energy map includes acoustic information associated with spatial locations recorded;
• analyzing the energy map to identify a state of an apparatus in the room;
• outputting a foreground beamformed image, wherein overlaying the foreground beamformed image with previous in time foreground beamformed images indicates a change in the foreground beamformed images with respect to time.