Method and system for real time detection of conference room occupancy

• US 8,743,198 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infosys Limited
• Original Assignee: Infosys Limited
• Inventors: Padmanabh, Kumar, Paul, Sanjoy
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US12/714,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/221 Local indication of seats occupied in a facility, e.g. in a theatre
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for detecting occupancy status of a plurality of conference rooms in real time is provided. The method enables, firstly, monitoring a first output signal of a first sensor. Secondly, the method enables monitoring a second output signal of a second sensor. The method further enables comparing the first and second output signals with one or more predetermined thresholds within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the method enables correlating the comparison results to identify any uncertainty in detecting the occupancy. Furthermore, the method enables processing output from one or more image and/or video sensors based on the correlation to obtain occupancy status information when there is uncertainty in detecting occupancy. Finally, the method enables displaying the occupancy status information on one or more user devices.

Claims

1. A method for detecting occupancy status of a plurality of conference rooms in real time, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring a first output signal of a first sensor;

monitoring a second output signal of a second sensor;

comparing the first output signal generated by the first sensor and the second output signals generated by the second sensor with one or more predetermined thresholds within a predetermined time;

responding to results of the comparison step;

(i) falling outside a first predefined value set representing occupancy of a conference room, and

(ii) falling outside a second predefined value set representing vacancy of the conference room,

determining that the first sensor and the second sensor are insufficient to provide confirmed occupancy status information for the conference room and processing output from one or more image and/or video sensors to obtain confirmed occupancy status information for the conference room; and

displaying the confirmed occupancy status information for the room on one or more user devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second output signals comprises voltage signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of monitoring, comparing, determining and processing is performed by a processing module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of monitoring, comparing, determining, and processing is performed by a centralized application server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the first output signal and the second output signals with one or more predetermined thresholds comprises:

determining if the first and second output signals exceed a first predetermined threshold; and

determining, when the first and second signals exceed the first predetermined threshold, if the first and second output signals exceed a second predetermined threshold or if the first and second signal output signals are below a third predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of comparing the first output signal and the second output signals with one or more predetermined thresholds comprises:

assigning a first value if the first and second output signal exceeds the second predetermined threshold;

assigning a second value if the first and second output signals are below the third predetermined threshold; and

assigning a third value if the first and second output signals neither exceed the second predetermined threshold nor are below the third predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining occupancy status information for the room comprises:

determining if the first value and second value are identical and are non zero.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein further comprising:

determining if the values assigned to both first and second sensors are a combination of first or second or third value, wherein the combination indicates uncertainty in detecting occupancy status.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time comprises at least one of:

5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a movement sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is an acoustic sensor.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the steps of processing output from the one or more image and/or video sensors to obtain occupancy status information for the room comprises:

determining a base picture, wherein the base picture represents picture of an empty conference room;

determining an uncertain picture, wherein the uncertain picture represents picture of the conference room when both the first and second output signals neither exceed the second predetermined threshold nor are below the third predetermined threshold;

computing difference between the uncertain picture and base picture; and

analyzing the computed difference for detecting presence of one or more users in the conference room to obtain occupancy status information.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of transmitting, by the processing module, the occupancy status information to a centralized application server for displaying the occupancy status information on the one or more user devices.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring output signals of light and temperature sensor; and

comparing the output signals with corresponding predetermined thresholds to determine if the light and air-conditioner are switched ‘

on’

or ‘

off’

.

15. A system of detecting occupancy status of a plurality of conference rooms, the system comprising:

a processing module configured to determine occupancy status information for a conference room, wherein the processing module is configured for;

monitoring a first output signal of a first sensor;

monitoring a second output signal of a second sensor;

comparing the first output signal generating by the first sensor and the second output signal generated by the second sensor with one or more predetermined thresholds within a predetermined time; and

responding to results of the comparison step;

(i) falling outside a first predefined value set representing occupancy of a conference room, and

(ii) falling outside a second predefined value set representing vacancy of the conference room,

determining that the first sensor and the second sensor are insufficient to provide confirmed occupancy status information for the conference room and monitoring output from one or more image and/or video sensors located in the conference room to obtain confirmed occupancy status information for the conference room; and

a centralized application server in communication with the processing module over a data communication network configured to receive the confirmed occupancy status information and update the confirmed occupancy status information for displaying on one or more user devices.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprises a coordinator node configured to transmit output signals of the first sensor device and the second sensor devices to the occupancy status processing module and further configured to transmit image and/or video output from the one or more image and/or video sensors to the processing module.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first sensor device and the second sensor devices comprises at least one of:

movement sensor and acoustic sensor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more image and/or video sensors comprises at least one of camera and any other video processing device.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising at least one of:

light sensor and temperature sensor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more user devices comprises remote computing devices communicatively coupled to the centralized application server.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the data communication network comprises any one of:

local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network and wireless data communication network.