SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF DEVICE-FREE MOTION DETECTION AND PRESENCE DETECTION

• US 20120146788A1
• Filed: 12/13/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.23
• 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 system for motion detection and presence detection within an area of interest, comprising:

a plurality of nodes configured to be arranged around the area of interest and automatically form a wireless network, wherein the plurality of nodes is configured to transmit wireless signals as radio waves and configured to receive the transmitted wireless signals and measure received signal strength (“

RSS”

) of the transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes reports values for the measured RSS of transmitted wireless signals; and

a computing device in communication with the plurality of nodes and configured to receive reported values for the measured RSS of the transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes and track the reported values over time, wherein the computing device is further configured to process the reported values using an aggregate disturbance calculation to detect motion and presence within the area of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of links between the plurality of nodes, wherein each link is formed by transmission of wireless signals from a first node of the plurality of nodes and receipt of those wireless signals by a second node of the plurality of nodes, and wherein received signal strength of each of the plurality of links is measured and reported.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device calculates aggregate disturbance of all of the plurality of links to detect motion and presence within the area of interest.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises one of a received signal strength indicator (“

RSSI”

) and a link quality indicator (“

LQI”

) to measure RSS of transmitted wireless signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes are configured to form a mesh wireless network wherein each of the plurality of nodes is wirelessly linked to every other node.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes are configured to be placed one of irregularly and randomly relative to each other and wirelessly link to form the wireless network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes is configured to be placed behind an obstruction relative to other nodes such that the node is out of line of sight of the other nodes and is configured to form a link with one or more of the other nodes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of nodes is configured as a base station control configured to gather and report values for the measured RSS for each of the plurality of nodes to the computing device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregate disturbance calculation used by the computing device is:

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of nodes is configured as a schedule manager to manage automatic addition of nodes to the wireless network, wherein the schedule manager is configured to provide join beacons to indicate to the plurality of nodes to stop transmitting wireless signals and to signal to new nodes to transmit a join request, wherein the schedule manager is configured to receive join requests from new nodes and process the join requests to add the new nodes to the wireless network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to provide notifications of a detected motion or presence within the area of interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the notifications are one of email, SMS text message, MMS message, a tweet, and a telephone call, to one or more designated recipients, notifying the one or more designated recipients that a movement or presence has been detected within the area of interest.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the notification is a notification to trigger one of a light, siren, and lock at the area of interest.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device includes a client computing device coupled to a server over a communication network, the server configured to receive from the client computing device notifications of a detected motion or presence within the area of interest.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server is configured to send a notification to one or more designated recipients, notifying the one or more designated recipients that a movement or presence has been detected within the area of interest, wherein the notification to the one or more designated recipients is notifications are one of email, SMS text message, MMS message, a tweet, and a telephone call.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification device, wherein the computing device provides indication of a detected motion or presence within the area of interest to the notification device.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface coupled to the computing device to receive user input indicating when to activate and deactivate the plurality of nodes and communicate the input to the computing device, wherein the computing device is further configured to activate and deactivate the plurality of nodes.

18. A system for motion detection and presence detection within an area of interest, comprising:

a plurality of nodes configured to be arranged around the area of interest and automatically form a mesh wireless network, including a first node of the plurality of nodes configured to transmit a wireless signal as radio waves and form a first link with a second node of the plurality of nodes that is configured to measure a received signal strength (RSS) of the first link and report a value of the measured RSS of the first link for processing, wherein the second node is configured to transmit a wireless signal as radio waves and form a second link with the first node that is configured to measure a RSS of the wireless signal transmitted by the second node and report a value of the measured RSS of the second link for processing; and

a computing device in communication with the plurality of nodes and configured to receive values of the measured RSS of links of the wireless mesh network, including the values of the measured RSS of the first link and the measured RSS of the second link, and track changes in the values over time, wherein the computing device is further configured to process the reported values of the measured RSS using an aggregate disturbance calculation to detect motion and presence within the area of interest.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the aggregate disturbance calculation used by the computing device is:

20. A method of motion detection and presence detection within an area of interest, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of around the area of interest;

forming a wireless network between the plurality of nodes by transmitting wireless signals as radio waves receiving transmitted wireless signals;

measuring at the plurality of nodes a received signal strength of the transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes;

reporting values for the measured received signal strength (“

RSS”

) of transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes; and

receiving on a computing device in communication with the plurality of nodes the reported values for the measured RSS of the transmitted wireless signals between the plurality of nodes;

tracking on the computing device the reported values over time; and

processing on the computing device the reported values using an aggregate disturbance calculation to detect motion and presence within the area of interest.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the aggregate disturbance calculation is: