Occupancy sensor and method for home automation system

• US 6,909,921 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Home Director, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Destiny Networks, Inc. (Home Director, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bilger, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US09/693,370
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 700 58- 65, 700/185, 700/187, 700/276, 700/14, 700/19
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/003 Address allocation methods and details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A room occupancy sensor, a home automation system and a method for automatic control of controlled devices throughout a home. A unique architecture of occupancy sensors includes entry/exit sensors for detecting movement through doorways that separate rooms in the home, room motion sensors for detecting room occupancy, spot sensors to detect occupancy of specific locations within the rooms, and house status sensors to detect the status of certain parameters of the home. A central controller communicates with the sensors and controlled objects over a communications network, where the sensors and controlled objects can be added to the system in a ‘plug and play’ manner. The central controller controls the controlled objects in response to the entry/exit sensors, room motion sensors, spot sensors and the house status sensors. This control is accomplished by assigning each room to one of a plurality of room states, which dictate how the controlled objects are controlled by the central controller. The controlled objects also have controlled object states, which are used by the central controller to control the controlled objects. The room occupancy sensors have a sensitivity that is automatically adjusted based upon temperature measurements, and the number and timing of occupancy detections.

Claims

1. A home automation system for a home having a plurality of rooms separated by doorways, wherein each room has at least one of the doorways associated therewith, the system comprising:

a plurality of controlled objects for placement in rooms;

a plurality of room motion sensors for placement in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein;

a controller for controlling the controlled objects in response to detected occupancy by the plurality of room motion sensors;

wherein at least one of the room motion sensors includes a sensor for detecting motion in one of the rooms, the sensor having a sensitivity to the motion for triggering the room occupancy sensor, and wherein the sensitivity is adjustable in response to signals from the controller; and

a plurality of entry/exit sensors for placement in doorways to detect movement of a person therethrough, wherein the sensitivity is adjusted in response to detected movement by at least one of the entry/exit sensors.

2. The home automation system of claim 1, wherein the sensitivity is adjusted in response to detected motion by the sensor.

3. The home automation system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one spot sensor for placement in one of the rooms to detect occupancy by a person in a specific location within the one room, wherein the sensitivity is adjusted in response to detected occupancy in the specific location by the spot sensor.

4. The home automation system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one status sensor for determining a parameter of the home, wherein the sensitivity is adjusted in response to the determined parameter by the status sensor.

8. The home automation system of claim 1, wherein for the at least one room motion sensor:

the controller counts the number of the repeated motion detections, determines the time separation between the repeated motion detections, and determines the time period in which all the repeated motion detections occur; and

the controller determines that the room motion sensor is triggered when the counted motion detections exceed the predetermined number, are separated apart by the predetermined separation time period, and all occur within the predetermined group time period.

5. A room occupancy sensor for a home automation system having a controller that monitors occupancy of rooms in a home, the occupancy sensor comprising:

a sensor for detecting motion in a room, and

a filter mechanism for triggering the room occupancy sensor only in response to repeated motion detections by the sensor that exceed a predetermined number, that are each separated apart by a predetermined separation time period, and that all occur within a predetermined group time period.

6. A home automation system for a home having a plurality of rooms separated by doorways, wherein each room has at least one of the doorways associated therewith, the system comprising:

a plurality of controlled objects for placement in rooms;

a plurality of room motion sensors for placement in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein; and

a controller for controlling the controlled objects in response to detected occupancy by the plurality of room motion sensors;

wherein at least one of the room motion sensors includes;

a sensor for detecting motion in one of the rooms, and

a filter mechanism associated with the room motion sensor for triggering the room motion sensor only in response to repeated motion detections that exceed a predetermined number, that are each separated apart by a predetermined separation time period, and that all occur within a predetermined group time period.

7. The home automation system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the predetermined number, predetermined time period and predetermine group time period are adjustable by the controller.

9. The home automation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of entry/exit sensors for placement in doorways to detect movement of a person therethrough, wherein at least one of the predetermined number, predetermined time period and predetermine group time period are adjusted in response to detected movement by at least one of the entry/exit sensors.

10. The home automation system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one spot sensor for placement in one of the rooms to detect occupancy by a person in a specific location within the one room, wherein at least one of the predetermined number, predetermined time period and predetermine group time period are adjusted in response to detected occupancy in the specific location by the spot sensor.

11. The home automation system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one status sensor for determining a parameter of the home, wherein at least one of the predetermined number, predetermined time period and predetermine group time period are adjusted in response to the determined parameter by the status sensor.

12. A method of automated control of a plurality of controlled objects placed in a plurality of rooms in a home, wherein a plurality of room motion sensors are placed in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein and the plurality of rooms are separated by doorways which include a plurality of entry/exit sensors for detecting movement of a person therethrough, the method comprising:

controlling the controlled objects in response to detected occupancy by the plurality of room motion sensors;

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to detected occupancy by at least one of the room motions sensors; and

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to detected movement by at least one of the plurality of entry/exit sensors.

13. A method of automated control of a plurality of controlled objects placed in a plurality of rooms in a home, wherein a plurality of room motion sensors are placed in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein and the home includes at least one spot sensor for detecting occupancy by a person in a specific location within the one rooms, the method comprising:

controlling the controlled objects in response to detected occupancy by the plurality of room motion sensors;

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to detected occupancy by at least one of the room motions sensors; and

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to detected occupancy by the spot sensor.

14. A method of automated control of a plurality of controlled objects placed in a plurality of rooms in a home, wherein a plurality of room motion sensors are placed in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein and the home includes at least one status sensor for determining a parameter of the home, the method comprising:

controlling the controlled objects in response to detected occupancy by the plurality of room motion sensors;

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to detected occupancy by at least one of the room motions sensors; and

adjusting a sensor trigger sensitivity of at least one of the room motion sensors in response to the home parameter determined by the status sensor.

15. A method of automated control of a plurality of controlled objects placed in a plurality of rooms in a home, wherein a plurality of room motion sensors are placed in the rooms to detect occupancy by a person therein, the method comprising the steps of:

triggering one of the room motion sensors only in response to repeated motion detections that exceed a predetermined number, that are each separated apart by a predetermined separation time period, and that all occur within a predetermined group time period; and

controlling at least one controlled object in response to the triggered room motion sensor.