SENSOR CONFIGURATION

• US 20150206415A1
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Wegelin, Jackson William, Lightner, Bradley Lee, Bullock, Mark Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for detecting an object, such as a person. For example, a sensing system may comprise a sensor arrangement. The sensor arrangement may comprise a passive sensor and an active sensor. The active sensor may be placed into a sleep state (e.g., a relatively low powered state) until awakened by the passive sensor. For example, responsive to detecting a presence of an object (e.g., a nurse entering a patient'"'"'s room), the passive sensor may awaken the active sensor from the sleep state to an active state for detecting motion and/or distance of the object within a detection zone to create object detection data (e.g., an indication of a hygiene opportunity for the nurse). The active sensor may transition from the active state to the sleep state responsive to a detection timeout and/or a determination that the object left the detection zone.

Claims

1. A sensing system for detecting an object, comprising:

a first sensor arrangement comprising;

a first passive sensor configured to;

responsive to detecting a presence of an object, send a wakeup signal to a first active sensor; and

the first active sensor configured to;

responsive to receiving the wakeup signal from the first passive sensor, transition from a sleep state to an active state; and

while in the active state;

detect at least one of motion or distance of the object within a first detection zone to create object detection data; and

responsive to at least one of a detection timeout or a determination that the object has left the first detection zone, transition from the active state to the sleep state.

2. The sensing system of claim 1, the first passive sensor and the first active sensor comprised within a sensor housing.

3. The sensing system of claim 1, the first passive sensor comprised within a first sensor housing and the second active sensor comprised within a second sensor housing.

4. The sensing system of claim 1, the first passive sensor configured to transmit the wakeup signal as an RF signal to the first active sensor.

5. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement configured to at least one of:

identify a hygiene opportunity based upon the object detection data;

or

identify a person entering an area or leaving the area.

6. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement configured to at least one of:

store the object detection data within data storage;

transmit the object detection data over a communication network;

transmit the object detection data as an RF signal;

or

active an indicator.

7. The sensing system of claim 1, the first active sensor configured to:

ignore a non-detection zone defined based upon a first set of non-detection distance metrics.

8. The sensing system of claim 7, the non-detection zone comprising a patient bed zone.

9. The sensing system of claim 1, the first active sensor configured to:

define the first detection zone based upon a first set of detection distance metrics.

10. The sensing system of claim 9, the first detection zone comprising at least one of a bedside zone, a doorway zone, a hygiene zone, or a hygiene opportunity zone.

11. The sensing system of claim 1, the first active sensor configured to:

define a second detection zone based upon a second set of detection distance metrics.

12. The sensing system of claim 11, the first detection zone corresponding to a first bedside zone of a bed, the second detection zone corresponding to a second bedside zone of the bed, and a non-detection zone corresponding to a patient bed zone.

13. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement comprising:

a second active sensor configured to;

responsive to receiving a second wakeup signal from the first passive sensor, transition from a second sleep state to a second active state; and

while in the second active state;

detect at least one of second motion or second distance of the object within a second detection zone to create second object detection data; and

responsive to at least one of a second detection timeout or a second determination that the object has left the second detection zone, transition from the second active state to the second sleep state.

14. The sensing system of claim 13, the first active sensor and the second active sensor configured to sequentially detect the object to determine whether the object is entering an area or leaving the area.

15. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement aimed across an entryway.

16. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement aimed towards an entryway.

17. The sensing system of claim 1, the first sensor arrangement powered by a battery.

18. A method for detecting an object, comprising:

invoking a first passive sensor to;

responsive to detecting a presence of an object, send a wakeup signal to a first active sensor; and

invoking the first active sensor to;

responsive to receiving the wakeup signal from the first passive sensor, transition from a sleep state to an active state; and

while in the active state;

detect at least one of motion or distance of the object within a first detection zone to create object detection data; and

responsive to at least one of a detection timeout or a determination that the object has left the first detection zone, transition from the active state to the sleep state.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

identifying a hygiene opportunity based upon the object detection data.

20. A sensing system for detecting an object, comprising:

a first active sensor configured to;

transition from a sleep state to an active state; and

while in the active state;

detect at least one of motion or distance of the object within a first detection zone to create object detection data indicative of a hygiene opportunity for the object, the first detection zone defined based upon a first set of detection distance metric;

ignore a non-detection zone defined based upon a set of non-detection distance metric; and

responsive to at least one of a detection timeout or a determination that the object has left the first detection zone, transition from the active state to the sleep state.