Floor covering system with sensors

• US 9,691,240 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interface Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interface Incorporated
• Inventors: Bradford, John Proctor
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US15/003,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20160217664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02044 Separate elements for fastening to an underlayer E04F15/02133, E04F15/0215 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2015/02111 not adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/10 by pressure on floors, floor coverings, stair treads, counters, or tills
• 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
• 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: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A floor covering system can include sensors below a top surface of a floor covering and that can communicate data to a controller for monitoring events occurring in the room with the floor covering. The sensors can include a wireless transmitter associated with a tile connector, a pressure sensor, and a force sensor. The tile connector is positioned between a floor and a floor covering to connect tiles of the floor covering together. The pressure sensor is positioned between the floor and the floor covering. The force sensor is positioned between the floor and the floor covering. The controller is configured for receiving data from the pressure sensor, the wireless transmitter, and the force sensor.

Claims

1. A floor covering system, comprising:

at least one tile connector with a wireless transmitter and positionable between a floor and a floor covering to connect tiles of the floor covering together;

a piezoelectric sensor positionable between the floor and the floor covering;

an accelerometer positionable between the floor and the floor covering; and

a controller configured for receiving data from the piezoelectric sensor, the wireless transmitter, and the accelerometer, the controller including or being communicatively coupled to a data analysis system that is configured to analyze the location data, the pressure data, and the force data to identify an event in a room with the floor covering, as indicated by the location data, the pressure data, and the force data, wherein the controller is configured for communicating via a network with a device to output an alert of the event indicated by the location data, the pressure data, and the force data.

2. The floor covering system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for communicatively coupling to the accelerometer and the piezoelectric sensor by at least one communication cable.

3. The floor covering system of claim 2, further comprising a power source configured for coupling to the accelerometer and the piezoelectric sensor by at least one power cable.

4. The floor covering system of claim 3, wherein the power source includes a main power source and a battery that is configured for coupling to the accelerometer and the piezoelectric sensor.

5. The floor covering system of claim 3, wherein the at least one communication cable and the at least one power cable are configured to at least partially traverse under a surface of the floor covering.

6. The floor covering system of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor and the accelerometer are associated with one or more transmitters, the controller being configured for communicatively coupling to the piezoelectric sensor and the accelerometer wirelessly through the one or more transmitters.

7. The floor covering system of claim 6, further comprising a power source configured for providing power wirelessly to the piezoelectric sensor and the accelerometer.

8. The floor covering system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter, the controller being configured for communicatively coupling to the RFID transmitter through an RFID reader that wirelessly receives data from the RFID transmitter.

9. The floor covering system of claim 1, further comprising:

an underlayment positionable between the at least one tile connector and the floor, the underlayment including the piezoelectric sensor.

10. The floor covering system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tile connector is a tactile that includes the accelerometer and the piezoelectric sensor.

11. The floor covering system of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is configured for responding to forces impacting a surface of the floor covering by outputting a power signal for powering the accelerometer.

12. A floor installation, comprising:

a plurality of tiles forming a floor covering that covers at least part of a floor, at least some tiles of the plurality of tiles being connected together by tile connectors that are positioned between the plurality of tiles and the floor, the tile connectors including location-tracking sensors configured to provide location data to a controller;

at least one piezoelectric sensor positioned between the floor and the floor covering and configured to provide pressure data to the controller;

at least one accelerometer positioned between the floor and the floor covering and configured to provide force data to the controller; and

the controller configured for receiving data from the at least one piezoelectric sensor, the location-tracking sensors, and the at least one accelerometer, the controller including or being communicatively coupled to a data analysis system that is configured to analyze the location data, the pressure data, and the force data to identify an event in a room with the floor covering, as indicated by the location data, the pressure data, and the force data, wherein the controller is configured for communicating via a network with a device to output an alert of the event indicated by the location data, the pressure data, and the force data.

13. The floor installation of claim 12, wherein the location-tracking sensors are radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors,

wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to a reader configured for wirelessly receiving the location data from the RFID transmitters, the floor installation further comprising:

a power source system configured for providing power to the at least one piezoelectric sensor and the at least one accelerometer.

14. The floor installation of claim 13, further comprising:

a power cable coupling the power source system to the at least one piezoelectric sensor and the at least one accelerometer, the power cable being at least partially below a top surface of the floor covering; and

a communication cable communicatively coupling the controller to the at least one piezoelectric sensor and the at least one accelerometer, the communication cable being at least partially below the top surface of the floor covering,

wherein the reader is configured to wirelessly transmit the location data from the RFID transmitters to the controller.

15. The floor installation of claim 13, wherein the power source system is configured for wirelessly providing power to the at least one accelerometer and the at least one piezoelectric sensor,

wherein the controller is configured for wirelessly receiving data from the at least one accelerometer and the at least one piezoelectric sensor.

16. The floor installation of claim 12, wherein the tile connectors with location-tracking sensors form a grid over the floor.

17. The floor installation of claim 12, wherein the at least one piezoelectric sensor and the at least one accelerometer are positioned on a tile connector.

18. The floor installation of claim 12, further comprising an underlayment positioned between the tile connectors and the floor, the underlayment including the at least one piezoelectric sensor and the at least one accelerometer.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving location data associated with an event occurring in a room from a wireless transmitter on a tile connector that connects tiles to form a floor covering for a floor of the room, the tile connector being between a top surface of the floor covering and the floor;

receiving pressure data associated with the event occurring in the room from a piezoelectric sensor positioned between the floor covering and the floor;

receiving force data associated with the event occurring in the room from an accelerometer positioned between the floor covering and the floor; and

analyzing, by a data analysis system included in or communicatively coupled to a controller, the location data, the pressure data, and the force data to determine the event is occurring and outputting, by communicating via a network, an alert to a user device to indicate that the event is occurring.