System for locating users
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a plurality of floor devices, each of the plurality of floor devices comprising;
a flooring material;
a support structure configured to support the flooring material;
a first communication interface;
a transmitter coupled to an antenna, wherein the antenna is underneath the flooring material at a first location;
a receiver coupled to the antenna;
a first memory, storing first computer-executable instructions; and
a first hardware processor to execute the first computer-executable instructions to;
use the transmitter to transmit a transmitted signal that is radiated by the antenna, wherein the transmitted signal is indicative of the first location;
use the receiver to receive one or more received signals with the antenna;
generate first sensor data indicative of a characteristic of the one or more received signals at a first time;
send the first sensor data using the first communication interface;
generate second sensor data indicative of a characteristic of the one or more received signals at a second time; and
send the second sensor data using the first communication interface; and
a server comprising;
a second communication interface;
a second memory, storing second computer-executable instructions; and
a second hardware processor to execute the second computer-executable instructions to;
receive the first sensor data and the second sensor data from the plurality of floor devices;
determine, from the first sensor data, a first object representation that is representative of a first object that is proximate to the flooring material, wherein the first object representation comprises sensor data having values that exceed a threshold value;
determine, from the second sensor data, a second object representation that is representative of a second object that is proximate to the flooring material, wherein the second object representation comprises sensor data having values that exceed the threshold value;
determine a first user identifier associated with the first object representation;
determine that at least a portion of a first perimeter of the first object representation overlaps a portion of a second perimeter of the second object representation; and
associate the first user identifier with the second object representation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface within a facility, such as a floor, is equipped with electromagnetic sensors that generate data indicative of the presence of objects, such as the feet of users, at or close to the floor. The data may also be indicative of cross-coupling resulting from a transfer of an electromagnetic signal by the object, such as from one foot to another of a user. The data is processed to determine presence of individual object representations, such as representing a foot. Information about object representations such as their movement, cross-coupling, physical distance between, or features of the object representation may be determined. This data may be used to maintain the identity of particular object representations, track object representations over time, determine that particular object representations are associated with a single user and so forth. Adjacent object representations may avoid merging by using a top-down cross sectioning technique.
55 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a plurality of floor devices, each of the plurality of floor devices comprising; a flooring material; a support structure configured to support the flooring material; a first communication interface; a transmitter coupled to an antenna, wherein the antenna is underneath the flooring material at a first location; a receiver coupled to the antenna; a first memory, storing first computer-executable instructions; and a first hardware processor to execute the first computer-executable instructions to; use the transmitter to transmit a transmitted signal that is radiated by the antenna, wherein the transmitted signal is indicative of the first location; use the receiver to receive one or more received signals with the antenna; generate first sensor data indicative of a characteristic of the one or more received signals at a first time; send the first sensor data using the first communication interface; generate second sensor data indicative of a characteristic of the one or more received signals at a second time; and send the second sensor data using the first communication interface; and a server comprising; a second communication interface; a second memory, storing second computer-executable instructions; and a second hardware processor to execute the second computer-executable instructions to; receive the first sensor data and the second sensor data from the plurality of floor devices; determine, from the first sensor data, a first object representation that is representative of a first object that is proximate to the flooring material, wherein the first object representation comprises sensor data having values that exceed a threshold value; determine, from the second sensor data, a second object representation that is representative of a second object that is proximate to the flooring material, wherein the second object representation comprises sensor data having values that exceed the threshold value; determine a first user identifier associated with the first object representation; determine that at least a portion of a first perimeter of the first object representation overlaps a portion of a second perimeter of the second object representation; and associate the first user identifier with the second object representation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method comprising:
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accessing first sensor data at a first time from one or more sensors at a floor; accessing second sensor data at a second time from the one or more sensors; determining, from the first sensor data, a first object representation that is representative of a first object that is above the floor, wherein the first object representation comprises sensor data values that exceed a threshold value; determining, from the second sensor data, a second object representation that is representative of a second object that is above the floor, wherein the second object representation comprises sensor data values that exceed the threshold value; determining that the first object and the second object are a same object; and determining one or more user identifiers associated with the first object representation and the second object representation based on feature data of the first object representation. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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a first memory, storing first computer-executable instructions; and a first hardware processor to execute the first computer-executable instructions to; access first sensor data at a first time from one or more sensors at a floor; access second sensor data at a second time from the one or more sensors; determine from the first sensor data, a first object representation that is representative of a first object that is proximate to the floor, wherein the first object representation comprises sensor data values that exceed a threshold value; determine from the second sensor data, a second object representation that is representative of a second object that is proximate to the floor, wherein the second object representation comprises sensor data values that exceed the threshold value; determine whether at least a portion of a first perimeter of the first object representation overlaps a portion of a second perimeter of the second object representation; and determine one or more identifiers associated with the first object representation and the second object representation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification