Method and system for guarding a person in a building

• US 8,026,820 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seniortek Oy
• Original Assignee: Seniortek Oy
• Inventors: Nurmela, Pasi, Nurmela, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/086,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.07, 3405731-5734, 34053912-53913, 340523-565
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0415 detecting absence of activity per se
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall

Abstract

The movement of persons is indicated at least at two predefined locations in a building with motion detectors intended for monitoring each location and fastened to the building. By means of the detections, the movement of each person is detected from a predefined initial location to a predefined destination location in a predefined time without raising an alarm if the detected locations of the person form a line of predefined consecutive locations. Otherwise, an alarm is raised.

Claims

1. A method for guarding one or more persons inside a building, the method comprising

directing, by means of at least two motion detectors fastened to the building, into a room being monitored at least two non-superimposed beams, at least one of which extends in a width of at most dozens of centimeters across the room being monitored;

detecting the movement of each person at least at two separate locations defined by the beams;

observing the movement of each person by means of the detections in a predefined time without raising an alarm, if the detected locations of the person form a line of predefined consecutive locations from a predefined initial location to a predefined destination location;

raising an alarm if this is not the case; and

raising an alarm if the person being monitored is not detected twice successively at the destination location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising detecting the movement of the person from the destination location back to the initial location in a predefined time without raising an alarm.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising indicating the movement of the person between the initial location and destination location without indicating the person'"'"'s movement in the initial location and destination location.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising raising an alarm if the person being monitored is detected twice successively at the same location excluding detections related to the destination location.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein to guard the person at least one of the following is also performed in an integrated manner:

access control at the doors of the building, video monitoring, nurse calling monitoring, vital functions monitoring, assault monitoring, fire control, transmission of data related to alarms through a cordless phone system to the personnel.

6. A system for guarding one or more persons inside a building, wherein the system comprising

at least two motion detectors and a control centre;

each motion detector being fastened to the building and configured to direct into a room being monitored at least two non-superimposed beams in such a manner that at least one of the motion detectors is configured to extend its beam in a width of at most dozens of centimeters across the room being monitored;

each motion detector being configured to indicate the movement of each person at least at two separate locations defined by the beams; and

the control centre being configured to observe the movement of each person by means of the detections in a predefined time without raising an alarm, if the detected locations of the person form a line of predefined consecutive locations from a predefined initial location to a predefined destination location,

the control centre being configured to raise an alarm if this is not the case, and

the control centre being configured to raise an alarm if the person being monitored is not detected twice successively at the destination location.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control centre is configured to detect the person'"'"'s movement from the destination location back to the initial location in a predefined time without raising an alarm.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the motion detectors are configured to indicate the movement of the person between the initial location and destination location without indicating the person'"'"'s movement in the initial location and destination location.

9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control centre is configured to raise an alarm if the person being monitored is detected twice successively at the same location excluding detections related to the destination location.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the following is integrated to the control centre:

access control system, video monitoring system, nurse calling system, vital functions monitoring system, assault alarm system, fire alarm system, telephone system.