Occupancy sensor

• US 8,783,114 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Health Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Healthsense, Inc. (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, David T., Bischoff, Brian J., Ryan, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eyassu, Marrit
• Application Number:
  US13/183,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 738/626.27, 737/63, 737/68, 737/74, 738/623.23, 738/624.73, 738/626.24, 738/626.25, 738/626.26, 738/626.8, 731/700.8, 731/700.9, 735/143.3, 340/573.1, 340/521, 340/539.1, 340/539.23, 340/523, 340/529, 340/573.4, 340/540, 340/541, 340/522, 340/57, 361/760, 361/761, 361/764, 361/752, 361/807, 361/704, 361/700, 705/2, 705/11
• US Class Current: 73/781
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/445 in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2218 the supports being of the column type, e.g. cylindric, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0415 detecting absence of activity per se
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices, and systems for determining occupancy of a user. One method to determine occupancy of a user includes sensing a change in resistance of a sensor element of an occupancy sensor, correlating the change in resistance to a force transmitted to the occupancy sensor, and determining an occupancy status of a user based on the force transmitted.

Claims

1. A method for determining occupancy of a user, comprising:

transmitting a force to an occupancy sensor via an activator bar, wherein the activator bar is fixed at a first end and a second end and is coupled to a sensor element of the occupancy sensor between a first end and a second end of the sensor element, and an edge support surrounds the activator bar and wherein the occupancy sensor is between a base and the activator bar;

sensing a change in resistance of a sensor element of the occupancy sensor;

correlating the change in resistance to a force transmitted to the occupancy sensor; and

determining an occupancy status of a user based on the force transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes correlating the change in resistance to a force transmitted to the occupancy sensor by converting the change in resistance to a voltage that correlates to the force transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes calibrating an unloaded threshold and a loaded threshold of the sensor element by sensing the resistance of the sensor element and determining a force transmitted to the sensor element without a user transmitting force to the sensor element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method includes determining an unoccupied status of the user when the sensing element resistance is at or above the unloaded threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method include determining an occupied status of the user when the sensing element resistance is below the loaded threshold and has not exceeded the unloaded threshold.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the method include determining an occupied status of the user when the sensing element resistance is below the unloaded threshold for a period of time.

7. An occupancy sensor, comprising:

a sensing element, wherein a resistance of the sensing element is dependent on a force exerted on the sensing element;

an activator bar, wherein an edge support surrounds the activator bar, wherein the activator bar is fixed a first end and a second end and is coupled to the sensing element between a first end and a second end of the sensing element, and wherein the occupancy sensor is between a base and the activator bar, and wherein the activator bar transmits the force to the sensing element; and

a module, wherein the module senses the resistance of the sensing element and converts the resistance to a corresponding voltage.

8. The occupancy sensor of claim 7, wherein a cable connector couples the sensing element to the module.

9. The occupancy sensor of claim 7, wherein the module includes circuitry to sense the resistance of the sensing element and convert the resistance of the sensing element to the corresponding voltage.

10. The occupancy sensor of claim 7, wherein the sensor element is coupled to a base and the activator bar is placed over a portion of the sensor element and coupled to the base.

11. The occupancy sensor of claim 7, wherein the occupancy sensor includes a number of fasteners to couple the occupancy sensor to a structure.

12. A system for determining occupancy of a user, comprising:

a support structure, wherein a static object is placed on the support structure; and

an occupancy sensor, wherein the occupancy sensor includes;

a sensing element, wherein a resistance of the sensing element is dependent on a force exerted on the sensing element;

an activator bar, wherein the activator bar is formed of materials with variable stiffness, wherein the activator bar is fixed at a first end and a second end and is coupled to the sensing element between a first end and a second end of the sensing element, wherein the occupancy sensor is between a base and the activator bar, and wherein the activator bar transmits the force to the sensing element; and

a module, wherein the module senses the resistance of the sensing element and converts the sensed resistance to a voltage correlating to the force exerted on the sensing element.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the occupancy sensor is placed between the support structure and the static object.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the module determines an occupancy status of a user based on the sensed resistance.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the module determines an occupancy status of a user based on the force exerted on the sensing element being above or below a load or unload threshold.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the occupancy sensor is battery powered.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the module wirelessly transmits a signal indicating an occupancy status to a computing device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the occupancy sensor and the computing device wirelessly communicate with each other as part of an activity monitoring system.