Systems and methods of device-free motion detection and presence detection

• US 10,107,655 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xandem Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Xandem Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Wilson, Anthony Joseph, Patwari, Neal K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/257,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20170131125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 34053923, 340541, 340571, 340552, 340555, 340565, 340567, 34053921, 340542, 3405453, 340551, 3405681
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/187 by interference of a radiation field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for device-free motion detection and presence detection within an area of interest. A plurality of nodes, configured to be arranged around the area of interest, form a wireless network. The plurality of nodes transmit wireless signals as radio waves and receive transmitted wireless signals. The received signal strength (RSS) of the transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes are measured and a value is reported. A computing device receives the reported values for the measured RSS and tracks the reported values over time. The computing device processes the reported values using an aggregate disturbance calculation to detect motion and presence within the area of interest. The computing device may notify notification device of a detected disturbance within the area of interest.

Claims

1. A node to form a wireless network to detect one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within an area of interest, the node comprising:

a transceiver to transmit wireless signals to one or more other nodes of the wireless network arranged about an area of interest and to receive wireless signals from the one or more other nodes of the wireless network;

a signal strength detector to measure a strength of the wireless signals received from each of the one or more other nodes of the wireless network; and

one or more processors to collect from the signal strength detector a set of signal strength values each for the measured strength of the wireless signals received from a given node of the one or more other nodes of the wireless network and communicate the set of signal strength values to a processing unit that processes the set of signal strength values to infer one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within an area of interest, wherein the object is distinct from the node and from the wireless network.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors communicate the set of signal strength values to the processing unit via transmission of the wireless signals by the transceiver.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein transmission of wireless signals to each node of the one or more other nodes and corresponding receipt of wireless signals from each node forms a link, and wherein the signal strength detector determines a link quality indicator (LQI) to communicate to the processing unit.

4. The node of claim 1, wherein the signal strength detector determines a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to communicate to the processing unit.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is a base station control node that is another node of the wireless network.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is a computing device external to the wireless network.

7. The node of claim 1, further comprising a memory to store the set of signal strength values for communication to the processing unit.

8. The node of claim 7, wherein the memory stores the signal strength value in an array data structure having a number of elements corresponding to the number of nodes of the wireless network.

9. The node of claim 8, wherein the array data structure comprises a vector data structure having a dynamic size that can grow as nodes are added to the wireless network and shrink as nodes are removed from the wireless network.

10. The node of claim 1, to operate as a base station control node to:

receive from each given node of the one or more other nodes of the wireless network a set of signal strength values stored by the given node; and

communicate the set of signal strength values to the processing unit.

11. The node of claim 1, the transceiver further to receive a join beacon, after which the transceiver temporarily halts transmission of wireless signals to facilitate a new node automatically being joined to the wireless network, wherein the transceiver is to resume transmitting wireless signals to the new node and to receive wireless signals from the new node and the signal strength detector to measure a strength of the wireless signals received from the new node.

12. The node of claim 1, the transceiver configured to receive a join beacon and to transmit a join request to join the wireless network.

13. A base station control node of a wireless network to detect one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within an area of interest, the base station control node comprising:

a memory to store sets of signal strength values for communication to a processing unit, each set of signal strength values corresponding to a given node of a plurality of nodes of the wireless network arranged around the area of interest;

one or more processors to;

write to the memory the sets of signal strength values; and

communicate the sets of signal strength values to a processing unit that processes the sets of signal strength values to infer one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within the area of interest, wherein the object is distinct from the node and from the wireless network; and

a transceiver to receive wireless signals from each of the plurality of nodes of the wireless network, the wireless signals including the sets of signal strength values.

14. The base station control node of claim 13, wherein the plurality of nodes of the wireless network includes the base station control node, wherein the transceiver is further to transmit wireless signals to one or more other nodes of the plurality of nodes of the wireless network, such that the one or more other nodes can measure a strength of the wireless signals transmitted by the base station control node, the base station control node further comprising:

a signal strength detector to measure a strength of the wireless signals received from each of the one or more other nodes of the wireless network and communicate measurements to the one or more processors to write to the memory a set of signal strength values corresponding to the base station control node.

15. The base station control node of claim 13, the transceiver configured to transmit a join beacon and to await and receive a join request from a new node to facilitate the new node joining the wireless network.

16. The base station control node of claim 13, wherein the processing unit comprises a local computing device at a location of the base station control node.

17. The base station control node of claim 13, wherein the processing unit comprises a remote computing device at a location remote from the base station control node and in communication with the base station control node via a communication network.

18. A node to form a wireless network to detect one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within an area of interest, the node comprising:

a transceiver to transmit wireless signals to one or more other nodes of the wireless network arranged about an area of interest and to receive wireless signals from the one or more other nodes of the wireless network;

a detector to measure a measureable characteristic of the wireless signals received from each of the one or more other nodes of the wireless network; and

one or more processors to;

write to memory a set of one or more values each for the measurable characteristic of the wireless signals received from a corresponding node of the one or more other nodes; and

communicate the set of one or more values to a processing unit that processes a plurality of sets of values to infer one or more of presence, motion, location, speed, and velocity of an object within an area of interest, wherein the object is distinct from the node and from the wireless network, each set of the plurality of sets of values corresponding to a node of the wireless network.

19. The node of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors communicate the set of one or more values to the processing unit via transmission of the wireless signals by the transceiver.

20. The node of claim 18, wherein the sets of values comprise one or more of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and a link quality indicator (LQI).