OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20180284319A1
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jason Hergott
• Original Assignee: Jason Hergott
• Inventors: Hergott, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 10,627,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/00 Chairs adapted for special purposes features relating to vertical adjustability A47C3/20; convertible chairs A47C13/00; chairs or personal conveyances specially adapted for patients or disabled persons A61G5/00; operating chairs, dental chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/12 Theatre, auditorium, or similar chairs seats detachably mounted on stadium benches A47C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/13 Indicators; Devices for reserving or the like coin-freed apparatus for seats or footstools G07F17/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for occupancy detection. In various embodiments, the occupancy detection system includes a server configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more occupancy detectors. Each occupancy detector includes or is associated with an object holder. The object holder can have one of two occupancy states: an occupied state in which an object occupies the object holder or an unoccupied state in which no object occupies the object holder. The occupancy detector includes a sensor and a controller configured to use sensor feedback to determine when the object holder changes occupancy states from the occupied state to the unoccupied state or from the unoccupied state to the occupied state. When the controller determines that the object holder changes occupancy states, the controller generates occupancy data that reflects this changed state and sends it to the server.

Claims

1. An occupancy detector comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate a first sensor occupied signal responsive to detecting a first occupied condition and a first sensor unoccupied signal responsive to detecting a first unoccupied condition;

a second sensor configured to generate a second sensor occupied signal responsive to detecting a second occupied condition and a second sensor unoccupied signal responsive to detecting a second unoccupied condition; and

a processor communicatively connected to the first sensor and the second sensor and configured to;

responsive to receiving the first sensor occupied signal and the second sensor occupied signal, determine that an unoccupied-to-occupied state change condition is satisfied and that an object holder changed occupancy states from an unoccupied state to an occupied state and generate first occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the occupied state; and

responsive to receiving the first sensor unoccupied signal and the second sensor unoccupied signal, determine that an occupied-to-unoccupied state change condition is satisfied and that the object holder changed occupancy states from the occupied state to the unoccupied state and generate second occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the unoccupied state.

2. The occupancy detector of claim 1, further comprising a light emitter configured to emit a beam of light, and wherein the first sensor comprises a light sensor.

3. The occupancy detector of claim 2, wherein the first occupied condition comprises the beam of light being broken and the first unoccupied condition comprises the beam of light being unbroken.

4. The occupancy detector of claim 3, wherein the second sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

5. The occupancy detector of claim 4, wherein the second occupied condition comprises a detected pressure exceeding a threshold and the second unoccupied condition comprises the detected pressure falling below the threshold.

6. The occupancy detector of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the unoccupied-to-occupied state change condition is satisfied and to generate the first occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the occupied state responsive to:

(1) receiving the first sensor occupied signal and the second sensor occupied signal; and

(2) thereafter, not receiving the first sensor unoccupied signal or the second sensor unoccupied signal within a first designated period of time.

7. The occupancy detector of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the occupied-to-unoccupied state change condition is satisfied and to generate the second occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the unoccupied state responsive to:

(1) receiving the first sensor unoccupied signal and the second sensor unoccupied signal; and

(2) thereafter, not receiving the first sensor occupied signal or the second sensor occupied signal within a second designated period of time.

8. The occupancy detector of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication interface, wherein the processor is further configured to send, via the wireless communication interface, the first and the second occupancy data to a computing device.

9. The occupancy detector of claim 1, further comprising:

a third sensor configured to generate a third sensor occupied signal responsive to detecting a third occupied condition and a third sensor unoccupied signal responsive to detecting a third unoccupied condition; and

a fourth sensor configured to generate a fourth sensor occupied signal responsive to detecting a fourth occupied condition and a fourth sensor unoccupied signal responsive to detecting a fourth unoccupied condition,

wherein the processor is communicatively connected to the third sensor and the fourth sensor and configured to;

responsive to receiving the third sensor occupied signal and the fourth sensor occupied signal, determine that a second object holder unoccupied-to-occupied state change condition is satisfied and that a second object holder changed occupancy states from a second object holder unoccupied state to a second object holder occupied state and generate third occupancy data representing that the second object holder is in the second object holder occupied state; and

responsive to receiving the third sensor unoccupied signal and the fourth sensor unoccupied signal, determine that a second object holder occupied-to-unoccupied state change condition is satisfied and that the second object holder changed occupancy states from the second object holder occupied state to the second object holder unoccupied state and generate fourth occupancy data representing that the second object holder is in the second object holder unoccupied state.

10. The occupancy detector of claim 9, further comprising the second object holder.

11. The occupancy detector of claim 10, wherein the second object holder comprises a drink container holder.

12. The occupancy detector of claim 11, further comprising a light emitter configured to emit a beam of light, and wherein the third sensor comprises a light sensor.

13. The occupancy detector of claim 12, wherein the third occupied condition comprises the beam of light being broken and the third unoccupied condition comprises the beam of light being unbroken.

14. The occupancy detector of claim 13, wherein the second sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

15. The occupancy detector of claim 14, wherein the fourth occupied condition comprises a detected pressure exceeding a threshold and the fourth unoccupied condition comprises the detected pressure falling below the threshold.

16. The occupancy detector of claim 1, further comprising a power source configured to power the first sensor, the second sensor, and the processor.

17. The occupancy detector of claim 16, wherein the power source comprises an energy harvester configured to harvest energy and an energy storer configured to store the energy.

18. The occupancy detector of claim 17, wherein the energy storer comprises a supercapacitor.

19. The occupancy detector of claim 18, wherein the energy harvester includes a radio-frequency energy harvester.

20. The occupancy detector of claim 1, further comprising a light emitter configured to emit a beam of light,

wherein the first sensor comprises a light sensor,

wherein the first occupied condition comprises the beam of light being broken and the first unoccupied condition comprises the beam of light being unbroken,

wherein the second sensor comprises a pressure sensor,

wherein the second occupied condition comprises a detected pressure exceeding a threshold and the second unoccupied condition comprises the detected pressure falling below the threshold, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the unoccupied-to-occupied state change condition is satisfied and to generate the first occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the occupied state responsive to;

(1) receiving the first sensor occupied signal and the second sensor occupied signal; and

(2) thereafter, not receiving the first sensor unoccupied signal or the second sensor unoccupied signal within a first designated period of time; and

determine that the occupied-to-unoccupied state change condition is satisfied and to generate the second occupancy data representing that the object holder is in the unoccupied state responsive to;

(1) receiving the first sensor unoccupied signal and the second sensor unoccupied signal; and

(2) thereafter, not receiving the first sensor occupied signal or the second sensor occupied signal within a second designated period of time.