Visitor flow management

• US 9,997,046 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bermudez Rodriguez, Sergio A., Klein, Levente
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US14/985,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20170193792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/12 responsive to undesired emission of substances, e.g. pollution alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/224 Paging receivers with visible signalling details

Abstract

Techniques for managing visitor flow in environments on which the visitors can have an impact are provided. In one aspect, a method for managing visitor flow in an indoor space is includes the steps of: obtaining real-time data from a wireless sensor network present in the indoor space, wherein the data indicates a presence/number of visitors in the indoor space and an environmental condition(s) in the indoor space; creating a risk map using the real-time data which indicates an impact the presence/number of visitors have on the environmental conditions in the indoor space; and generating an alert whenever the risk map indicates that the presence/number of visitors have greater than a predefined threshold impact on the environmental conditions in the indoor space. Systems for managing visitor flow in indoor spaces such as a gallery of a museum or a room in a hospital are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for managing visitor flow in an indoor space, the method being embodied in instructions that, when executed by a processor device, cause the processor device to implement the steps of:

obtaining real-time data from a wireless sensor network present in the indoor space by the processor device, wherein the real-time data indicates a presence and a number of visitors in the indoor space and one or more environmental conditions in the indoor space;

creating a risk map using the real-time data, wherein the risk map indicates an impact the presence and the number of visitors have on the environmental conditions in the indoor space; and

generating an alert by the processor device whenever the risk map indicates that the presence and the number of visitors have greater than a predefined threshold impact on the environmental conditions in the indoor space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor network comprises one or more of:

temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors, carbon dioxide (CO₂) level sensors, volatile organic component (VOC) level sensors, airborne biological matter sensors, airborne chemical matter sensors, and light intensity sensors configured to measure the environmental conditions in the indoor space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor network comprises passive infrared sensors or RF radios to detect the presence and the number of visitors in the indoor space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the risk map comprises a heat map.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

regulating the visitor flow in the indoor space based on the alert.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indoor space comprises a gallery in a museum containing one or more particular works of art.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

creating the risk map using the real-time data and characteristics of the particular works of art in the gallery to determine an impact the environmental conditions in the gallery have on the particular works of art in the gallery; and

generating the alert whenever the risk map indicates that the environmental conditions in the gallery pose greater than a predetermined threshold level of risk of damaging the particular works of art in the gallery.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

regulating the visitor flow in the gallery based on the alert by closing off the gallery to new visitors.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

regulating the visitor flow in the gallery based on the alert by sending a mobile app to visitors to direct the visitors to one or more other galleries in the museum.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indoor space comprises a room in a hospital having one or more patients.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

creating the risk map using the real-time data and characteristics of the patients in the room to determine an impact the environmental conditions in the room have on a risk of infection for the patients; and

generating the alert whenever the risk map indicates that the environmental conditions in the room pose greater than a predetermined threshold level of risk of infection for the patients in the room.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

regulating the visitor flow in the room based on the alert by closing off the room to new visitors.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises the step of:

modeling airflow throughout the indoor space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the airflow throughout the indoor space is modeled using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step further comprises the step of:

determining an amount of one or more of a temperature, a relative humidity, and a CO₂ level in the indoor space that is attributable to the presence and the number of visitors in the indoor space.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining step is performed using human body modeling.

17. A system for managing visitor flow in a gallery of a museum containing one or more particular works of art, the system comprising:

a CFD modeling module configured to obtain real-time data relating to one or more environmental conditions in the gallery from a wireless sensor network present in the gallery, and create a CFD model of the gallery;

a human body modeling module configured to obtain real-time data relating to a presence and a number of visitors in the gallery from the wireless sensor network, and create a human body model that indicates an amount of one or more of a temperature, a relative humidity, and a CO₂ level in the gallery that is attributable to the presence and the number of visitors in the gallery;

a preservation modeling module configured to create a preservation model based on characteristics of the particular works of art in the gallery; and

a blending module configured to combine the CFD model, the human body model, and the preservation model to create a risk map to determine an impact the environmental conditions in the gallery have on the particular works of art in the gallery.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an alert module configured to generate an alert whenever the risk map indicates that the environmental conditions in the gallery pose greater than a predetermined threshold level of risk of damaging the particular works of art in the gallery.

19. A system for managing visitor flow in a room in a hospital having one or more patients, the system comprising:

a CFD modeling module configured to obtain real-time data relating to one or more environmental conditions in the room from a wireless sensor network present in the room, and create a CFD model of the room;

a human body modeling module configured to obtain real-time data relating to a presence and a number of visitors in the room from the wireless sensor network, and create a human body model that indicates an amount of one or more of a temperature, a relative humidity, and a CO₂ level in the room that is attributable to the presence and the number of visitors in the room;

a risk of infection modeling module configured to create a risk of infection model based on characteristics of the patients in the room; and

a blending module configured to combine the CFD model, the human body model, and the risk of infection model to create a risk map to determine an impact the environmental conditions in the room have on a risk of infection for the patients.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an alert module configured to generate an alert whenever the risk map indicates that the environmental conditions in the room pose greater than a predetermined threshold level of risk of infection for the patients in the room.