Network apparatus, system and method for monitoring transient occupancy

Abstract

A networked monitoring apparatus, and a monitoring system and monitoring method based on the apparatus, are disclosed. The apparatus includes at least one sensor, a wireless networking module and a processor operably connected to each other and to a power source, within a housing shielding the apparatus components from environmental conditions, which is attachable to at least one mounting point adjacent a plurality of discrete surface areas. The apparatus periodically monitors each of the discrete surface areas, detects a respective occupancy state thereof by a respective entity with the or each sensor, determines a start and/or end of occupancy state by each respective entity, and communicates respective occupancy state data to at least one remote data processing terminal with the wireless networking module. The monitoring system comprises at least one apparatus in data communication with the remote data processing terminal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.