Occupancy system and method for detecting presence of individuals in a plurality of defined areas or rooms

• US 10,021,530 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tome, Inc. (Valtech SE)
• Original Assignee: Tome, Inc. (Valtech SE)
• Inventors: Sigal, Jacob R., Baldini, Massimo, Barch, Eric Christoper
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US15/204,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for monitoring occupancy of one or more pre-defined areas. The system has a scanning subsystem for wirelessly scanning a pre-defined area, using a short range wireless communications protocol, to detect a presence of one or more wireless personal electronic devices (PEDs) associated with one or more individuals present in the pre-defined area. Each of the PEDs also use the short range wireless communications protocol to radiate wireless signals that are detected by the scanning subsystem. A data analysis/processing subsystem analyzes data generated by the scanning subsystem relating to detected PEDs in the pre-defined area. A notification subsystem analyzes the information relating to an occupancy level of the pre-defined area.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring occupancy of one or more pre-defined areas, comprising:

a scanning subsystem for wirelessly scanning a pre-defined area, using a short range wireless communications protocol,

to detect a presence of one or more wireless personal electronic devices (PEDs) associated with one or more individuals present in the pre-defined area, each of the PEDs also using the short range wireless communications protocol to radiate wireless signals that are detected by the scanning subsystem;

a data analysis/processing subsystem for analyzing data generated by the scanning subsystem relating to detected PEDs in the pre-defined area;

a notification subsystem for analyzing the information relating to an occupancy level of the pre-defined area;

further comprising at least one pressure sensitive structure used in the pre-defined area and positioned where chairs are expected to be present,

the pressure sensitive structure configured to transmit at least one of a wired or wireless signal indicating when a sensed threshold force is detected on a chair,

the wired or wireless signal being used by the data analysis/processing subsystem to verify detection of at least one individual in the predefined area and to distinguish from a situation

where an implement having a weight less than a weight of an individual, and thus below the threshold, has been set on the chair; and

a passive infrared sensing system for detecting the presence of an individual in the predefined area, and

generating a signal in accordance therewith which is used by the data analysis/processing subsystem,

along with the signal generated by the pressure sensitive structure, to verify the presence of an individual in the predefined area; and

wherein the data analysis/processing subsystem comprises a cloud based subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a local area network for communicating with the scanning subsystems and communicating information received from the scanning subsystem to the notification subsystem.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an IT/Occupancy management subsystem for communicating with the data analysis/processing subsystem.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive structure comprises at least one pressure sensitive mat.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive structure comprises at least one pressure sensitive pad.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless local area network (LAN) disposed in a vicinity of the predefined area for communicating with the scanner subsystem and with the data analysis/processing subsystem.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data storage system in communication with the data analysis/processing subsystem.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application programming interface operably associated with both of the data analysis/processing subsystem and the one or more PEDs, for providing information to the one or more PEDs relating to occupancy of the predefined area or additional predefined areas.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data analysis/processing subsystem receives the information generated by the scanning subsystem wirelessly.

10. A system for monitoring occupancy a plurality of pre-defined areas, comprising:

a scanning subsystem for wirelessly scanning each of the pre-defined areas, using a short range wireless communications protocol,

to detect a presence of one or more wireless personal electronic devices (PEDs) associated with one or more individuals present in each of the pre-defined areas, each of the PEDs also using the short range wireless communications protocol to radiate wireless signals that are detected by the scanning subsystem;

a cloud based data analysis/processing subsystem for analyzing data received wirelessly from the scanning subsystem relating to detected PEDs in the pre-defined areas;

at least one pressure sensitive structure used in the pre-defined area and positioned where chairs are expected to be present,

the pressure sensitive structure transmitting at least one of a wired or wireless signal received by the scanning subsystem indicating when a sensed threshold force is detected on a chair,

the wired or wireless signal being used by the data analysis/processing subsystem to verify detection of at least one individual in the predefined area and to distinguish from a situation

where an implement having a weight less than a weight of an individual, and thus below the threshold, has been set on the chair;

a passive infrared sensing system for detecting the presence of an individual in the predefined area, and

generating a signal in accordance therewith which is used by the data analysis/processing subsystem along with the signal from the pressure sensitive structure to verify the presence of an individual at the predefined area;

a local area network (LAN) in communication with the scanning subsystem for assisting in providing the data to the cloud based data analysis/processing subsystem; and

a notification subsystem for analyzing the information relating to an occupancy level in each one of the pre-defined areas.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the LAN comprises a wireless LAN.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification subsystem is a cloud based notification system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the data analysis/notification subsystem includes an application programming interface (API), and wherein each of the PEDs includes a component of the API to enable communication with the data analysis/notification subsystem to obtain occupancy information from the data analysis/notification system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the occupancy information provided by the component of the API informs a user as to occupancies in each of the pre-defined areas.

15. The system of claim 10, further including a display system at least one of the predefined areas for presenting information on occupancy of all of the predefined areas.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the pressure sensitive structure comprises at least one of a pressure sensing mat or a pressure sensing seat pad located in at least one of the pre-defined areas for providing information to the scanning subsystem to help verify a presence of an individual in the at least one of the pre-defined areas.

17. A method for monitoring occupancy of one or more pre-defined areas, comprising:

using a scanning subsystem to wirelessly scan a pre-defined area, using a short range wireless communications protocol,

to detect a presence of one or more wireless personal electronic devices (PEDs) associated with one or more individuals present in the pre-defined area, each of the PEDs also using the short range wireless communications protocol to radiate wireless signals that are detected by the scanning subsystem;

using at least one pressure sensitive structure in the pre-defined area and positioned where chairs are expected to be present,

the pressure sensitive structure operating to transmit at least one of a wired or wireless signal indicating when a sensed threshold force is detected on a chair,

the wired or wireless signal being received by the scanning subsystem and used to help verify detection of at least one individual in the predefined area and to distinguish from a situation

where an implement having a weight less than a weight of an individual, and thus below the threshold, has been set on the chair;

using a passive infrared sensing system the detect the presence of an individual in the predefined area, and to generate a signal in accordance therewith;

using a data analysis/processing subsystem to analyze data generated by the scanning subsystem relating to detected PEDs in the pre-defined area,

as well data represented by the wired or wireless signals transmitted from the pressure sensitive structure and signals from the passive infrared sensing system; and

using a notification subsystem to analyze the information relating to an occupancy level of the pre-defined area;

wherein the operation of using a data analysis/processing subsystem comprises using a cloud based data analysis/processing subsystem to wirelessly scan a pre-defined area; and

the operation of using a notification subsystem comprises using a cloud based notification subsystem.