Controlling electronic devices based on footstep pattern

• US 10,203,669 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Jun, Hyun-Su
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafayet, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/481,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 700 19, 702150, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

The disclosure is related to controlling electronic devices in a target control area based on a footstep pattern of a registered member. Such controlling may be performed through identifying a person detected by a sensor based on footstep information received from the sensor, obtaining control information associated with the identified registered member, and controlling target devices in the target control area based on the obtained control information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling electronic devices in a target control area based on footstep information of a registered member, the method comprising:

identifying a person detected by a sensor installed in a predetermined area, based on the footstep information received from the sensor;

obtaining control information associated with the identified registered member; and

controlling target devices in the target control area based on the obtained control information,

wherein the footstep information includes information on a footstep password pattern made by a plurality of footsteps and a weight of the detected person, and

wherein the footstep password pattern includes information on whether each of the footsteps is associated with a right foot or a left foot of the detected person based on a footstep shape detected by the sensor and a footstep sequence of at least one of the left foot and the right foot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

receiving the footstep information from the sensor;

determining the footstep password pattern made by detected footsteps and the weight of the detected person based on the received footstep information; and

comparing the determined footstep password pattern and the weight with the footstep password pattern and weights of registered members included in registration information of the registered members.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

identifying the detected person as a first registered member when the footstep password pattern and the weight obtained from the footstep information are matched with a footstep password pattern and a weight of the first registered member based on registration information of the first registered member.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the footstep information is generated by the sensor as a result of monitoring the predetermined area of the target control area and detecting footsteps of a person entering into or exiting from the target control area.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a registration request with control information and member information from a requester; and

registering the requester as a registered member and storing the control information and the member information as registration information of the registered member.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the registering information includes information on the footstep password pattern of the requester, a weight of the requester, and a priority of the requester, as member information, and target devices to control in the target control area and control parameters of each target device as control information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining control information comprises:

selecting electronic devices to control in the target control area based on information on target devices in the obtained control information of the identified registered member;

obtaining control parameters of each one of the selected electronic devices from the obtained control information of the identified registered member; and

generating control signals based on the obtained control parameters and transmitting the generated control signals to the selected electronic devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises:

determining whether the identified member enters into the target control area or exits from the target control area based on the footstep information;

collecting information on the target control area based on the determination result;

determining whether other member is in the target control area based on the collected information;

obtaining control information of the other member in the target control area when the other member is in the target control area; and

determining whether control conflict occurs between the identified member and the other member in the target control area based on the control information of the identified member and the other member.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining comprises:

comparing target control devices of the identified member with target control devices of the other member in the target control area based on the obtained control information; and

determining that the control conflict occurs between the identified member and the other member in the target control area when at least one target control device is identical.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the control conflict occurs, the obtaining comprises:

obtaining priorities of the identified member and the other member in the target control area from registration information of the identified member and the other member;

selecting one having a priority higher than the other between the identified member and the other member by comparing the obtained priorities; and

controlling electronic devices in the target control area based on control information associate with the selected one.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting an intrusion when no footstep password pattern and weight of registered members is matched with the footstep password pattern and the weight obtained from the received footstep information.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

contacting a predetermined person to inform the detected intrusion; and

controlling predetermined electronic devices in the target control area for warning the intrusion.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising:

obtaining an image of an intruder from associated devices in the target control area;

transmitting the obtained image to a representative registered member;

receiving a response message from the representative registered member; and

determining whether a security procedure is performed based on information in the response message.

14. A method of controlling electronic devices in a target control area based on footstep password patterns, the method comprising:

collecting footstep information from a sensor installed at a monitoring area of the target control area;

determining whether a predetermined trigger event is generated based on the collected footstep information; and

controlling designated electronic devices in the target control area based on control information associated with the generated trigger event,

wherein the footstep information includes information on a footstep password pattern made by a plurality of footsteps and a weight of each person who makes the footsteps;

wherein the footstep password pattern includes information on whether each of the footsteps is associated with a right foot or a left foot of each person based on a footstep shape detected by the sensor and a footstep sequence of at least one of the left foot and the right foot.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the collected footstep information is received from the sensor by monitoring the monitoring area in the target control area and detecting footsteps of people passing by the target control area.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining comprises:

analyzing the collected footstep information; and

determining how many male, female, kids, and adults pass by the target control area in a unit time based on the analysis result.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the collected footstep information further includes information on at least one of a size, the footstep shape, a weight distribution, a moving direction, and a moving speed.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining comprises:

determining a first trigger event is generated when a predetermined number of people passes by the target control area in a predetermined unit time based on the analysis of the footstep information.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

obtaining control information associated with the first trigger event;

selecting target devices in the target control area based on the obtained control information; and

generating control signals based on the obtained control information and transmitting the control signals to the selected target devices.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving a registration request with trigger event information and control information from a requester; and

registering the requester with the received trigger event information and the received control information as registration information of the requester,

wherein the trigger event information includes conditions to trigger controlling target devices in the target control area, and the control information includes the target devices to control and control parameters of each target device.