Process and device for remotely tracking a person's activity in a building

• US 20060261962A1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Berenguer, Marc, Provost, Herve, Gallay, Floriane
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0484 Arrangements monitoring consumption of a utility or use of an appliance which consumes a utility to detect unsafe condition, e.g. metering of water, gas or electricity, use of taps, toilet flush, gas stove or electric kettle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking

Abstract

Predefined electrical signals, produced by an electrical equipment in the building during a change of electrical operating state of said equipment, are detected on the building'"'"'s power supply system. By analyzing each detected electrical signal, tracking data is generated including information relating to the date of detection, the electrical equipment originating the signal and the corresponding change in electrical state. At least one parameter representative of the activity carried out by said person is determined, in the form of a probability of an activity or a type of activity being carried out, based on tracking data generated during a predefined period of time.

Claims

1. A method for remotely tracking a person'"'"'s activity in a building, comprising the steps of:

(i) obtaining, from a detection device capable of detecting in said building'"'"'s electrical power supply system at least one predefined electrical signal produced by a piece of electrical equipment of said building when a change of electrical operating state occurs in said piece of electrical equipment, tracking data relating to at least one detected electrical signal, said tracking data including, wherein said tracking data includes;

(a) information relating to a detection moment of said at least one detected electrical signal,

(b) identification data of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal; and

(ii) determining, from the tracking data generated during a predefined period of time, an estimate of said person'"'"'s degree of activity.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said estimate is determined in the form of at least one activity indicator representative of the probability of at least one type of activity being carried out by said person during said period of time.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including the steps of:

associating at least one electrical equipment with each activity indicator;

assigning, to each electrical equipment associated with an activity indicator, a weighting value that is representative of the probability of performance of the type of activity of which this indicator is representative when an action causing a change of electrical state of said at least one equipment is carried out by the person on said at least one the equipment; and

determining an activity indicator from the weighting values determined for said at least one electrical equipment associated with this activity indicator.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, further including a step of determining at least one relative activity indicator representative of the normal character of the person'"'"'s activity in said building over a period of time by comparison of at least one activity indicator determined for said period of time with a reference activity indicator relative to a same period of time.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further including a step of triggering an alert conditional upon a value of said at least one relative activity indicator.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the weighting value relating to a given equipment and a given activity indicator is weighted according to at least one criterion chosen from among the group including

the time of day,

the total number of electrical equipments associated with said activity indicator,

the total number of electrical equipments detected and associated with said activity indicator,

the period during which the equipment has remained switched on,

the number of times that the equipment has been switched on or off,

the outside temperature,

the season,

the day of the week,

the degree of confidence in the identification data,

the person'"'"'s habits, and

the number of pieces of electrical equipment associated with the same activity indicator and switched on shortly before or shortly after the equipment.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including a step of determining a movement indicator based on at least one value chosen from the group including

the number of movements made between two given rooms of said building,

the total number of movements between any two rooms of said building, and

the duration of occupation of a given room.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a change of electrical state of an electrical equipment occurs following an action performed by the person on the equipment, said action belonging to a group of actions including switching the equipment or a subassembly of it on or off;

said tracking data indicating the nature of the action causing the change in electrical state of the equipment considered.

9. A data processing device for remotely tracking a person'"'"'s activity in a building, comprising:

(i) means for obtaining, from a detection device capable of detecting in said building'"'"'s electrical power supply system at least one predefined electrical signal produced by a piece of electrical equipment of said building when a change of electrical operating state occurs in said piece of electrical equipment, tracking data relating to at least one detected electrical signal, wherein said tracking data includes

(a) information relating to the detection moment of said at least one detected electrical signal; and

(b) identification data of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal; and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal; and

(ii) data processing means for determining, from tracking data generated during a predefined period of time, an estimate of said activity carried out by said person.

10. A device for remotely tracking a person'"'"'s activity in a building, comprising:

(i) a detection module for detecting on said building'"'"'s electrical power supply system at least one predefined electrical signal produced by an electrical equipment of said building when a change of electrical operating state occurs in said piece of electrical equipment;

(ii) means for generating tracking data, by analysis of at least one detected electrical signals, wherein said tracking data includes;

(a) information relating to the detection moment of said at least one detected electrical signal,

(b) identification data of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal; and

(iii) data processing means for determining, from the tracking data generated during a predefined period of time, an estimate of said activity carried out by the person.