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

• US 7,755,493 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Provost, Herve, Berenguer, Marc, Gallay, Floriane
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/384,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/573.1, 702/188, 702/2
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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 configured to detect 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;

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

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one 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;

wherein said at least one electrical signal is a high frequency electrical signal representative of the electrical equipment and a nature of an action that triggered the signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said estimate comprises at least one activity indicator representative of a probability of at least one type of activity being performed by said person during said period of time.

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

associating at least one piece of electrical equipment with each activity indicator;

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

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

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further including the step of:

determining at least one relative activity indicator representative of a normal character of the person'"'"'s activity in said building over a period of time by comparing at least one activity indicator determined for said period of time to a reference activity indicator relative to a same period of time.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further including the step of:

triggering an alert which is conditional upon a value of said at least one relative activity indicator.

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

a time of day,

a total number of pieces of electrical equipment associated with said activity indicator,

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

a period during which the electrical equipment has remained switched on,

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

an outside temperature,

a specific season,

a day of the week,

a degree of confidence in the identification data,

the person'"'"'s habits, and

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

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

determining a movement indicator based on at least one value chosen from the group including a total number of movements made between two specific rooms of said building, a total number of movements between any two rooms of said building, and a duration of occupation of a specific room.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the change of the electrical operating state of the piece of electrical equipment occurs following an action performed by the person on the piece of electrical equipment, said action belonging to a group of actions including switching the piece of electrical equipment or a subassembly of said piece of electrical equipment on or off, said tracking data indicating a nature of the action causing the change in the electrical operating state of the piece of electrical equipment.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the high frequency electrical signal is not related to the electrical equipment power consumption.

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

(i) means for obtaining, from a detection device which is configured to detect 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 a detection moment of said at least one detected electrical signal,

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal; and

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

wherein said at least one detected electrical signal is a high frequency electrical signal representative of the electrical equipment and a nature of an action that triggered the signal.

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 a piece of 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 signal, wherein said tracking data includes;

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

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one 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 performed by the person;

wherein said at least one detected electrical signal is a high frequency electrical signal representative of the electrical equipment and a nature of an action that triggered the signal.

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

(i) obtaining, from a detection device configured to detect 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;

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

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one 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;

wherein the signature is an electrical signal that uniquely identifies the piece of electrical equipment based on an inherent nature of an action for operating the piece of electrical equipment.

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

(i) means for obtaining, from a detection device which is configured to detect 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 a detection moment of said at least one detected electrical signal,

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal; and

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

wherein the at least one detected electrical signal is an electrical signal that uniquely identifies the piece of electrical equipment based on an inherent nature of an action for operating the piece of electrical equipment.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the high frequency electrical signal is not related to the electrical equipment power consumption.

15. 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 a piece of 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 signal, wherein said tracking data includes;

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

(b) identification data derived from said at least one detected electrical signal of said piece of electrical equipment which produced said at least one detected electrical signal, the detected electrical signal comprising an identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one electrical signal, and

(c) data relating to said change of electrical operating state which caused said at least one detected electrical signal which comprises the identifying signature of said piece of electrical equipment that produced said at least one 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 performed by the person

wherein the at least one detected electrical signal is an electrical signal that uniquely identifies the piece of electrical equipment based on an inherent nature of an action for operating the piece of electrical equipment.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the high frequency electrical signal is not related to the electrical equipment power consumption.