Method, System and Apparatus for Controlling an Electrical Device

• US 20120092192A1
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larry Wong
• Original Assignee: Larry Wong
• Inventors: Wong, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for controlling an electrical device are provided. At least one image of at least one moving entity is processed to determine when the moving entity (or entities) is at least one of entering and exiting a monitored area, and to determine when the moving entity (or entities) comprises at least one triggering shape. When the moving entity (or entities), comprising at least one triggering shape, is at least one of entering and exiting the monitored area, control of the electrical device is triggered and a counter for counting triggering shapes present in the monitored area is triggered. When the moving entity (or entities), comprising at least one triggering shape, exits the monitored area, the counter decrements by the number of triggering shapes and the electrical device is triggered to a state different from a present state when the counter falls below a threshold number.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electrical device, comprising

processing at least one image of at least one moving entity for determining when the at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting a monitored area, and for determining when the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape;

and

when the at least one moving entity is determined to be at least one of entering and exiting the monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises the at least one triggering shape, triggering control of the electrical device and triggering a counter for counting triggering shapes present in the monitored area;

wherein when the at least one moving entity is determined to be exiting the monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape, triggering the counter comprises triggering the counter to decrement by the number of triggering shapes, and triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering control of the electrical device to a state different from a present state, when the counter falls below a threshold number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the at least one image via at least one camera mounted proximal to at least one entrance to the monitored area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the at least one image for determining when the at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting a monitored area comprises processing at least one image to determine a direction of movement of the at least one moving entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing the at least one image for determining when the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape, comprises comparing the at least one image to at least one record of triggering shapes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one record of triggering shapes is stored in a database.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving an indication of a preference of the behaviour of the electrical device during future control of the electrical device and saving the indication of a preference in association with the triggering shape.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one record of triggering shapes further comprises an indication of a state to which the at least one electrical device is controlled responsive to the triggering control of the electrical device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the at least one moving entity comprises at least one non-triggering shape by comparing the at least one image to at least one record of non-triggering shapes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering at least one of activation or deactivation of the electrical device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering control of a given feature of the electrical device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device, and the triggering control of the electrical device occurs only when the at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining when the at least one triggering shape is associated with a given feature of the electrical device, and the triggering control comprises triggering control of the given feature.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting an adjustment of the electrical device following the triggering control of the electrical device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting an adjustment of the electrical device following the control of the electrical device occurs within a given time period.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising saving a record of the adjustment in association with the at least one triggering shape.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing the record of the adjustment to change behaviour of the electrical device when triggering control of the electrical device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining when the at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device is based on a size of the at least one triggering shape.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining when the at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device is based on distinguishing when the triggering shape is an adult or a child.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the at least one image for determining when the at least one moving entity comprises a plurality of entities and, when so, determining a shape of each of the plurality of entities, and wherein the determining when the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape comprises determining when the shape of each of the plurality of entities comprises a triggering shape and the triggering the counter comprises triggering the counter to increment by the number of triggering shapes in the plurality of entities.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering control of the device to a given state, is the electrical device is not presently in the given state.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one moving entity comprises a vehicle, the monitored area comprises at least one of a parking garage, at least one floor of the parking garage and at least one aisle of the floor, and the counter comprises a display device for displaying the number of parking spaces available in the monitored area.

22. A controller for triggering control of at least one electrical device, comprising

an interface enabled to communicate with at least one camera for monitoring at least one entrance of at least one monitored area associated with the at least one electrical device, such that the at least one image of at least one moving entity may be received from the at least one camera, the interface further enabled to transmit control signals to at least one switch for controlling the at least one electrical device;

and

a processor enabled for;

processing the at least one image of the at least one moving entity, for determining when the at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting the at least one monitored area, and for determining when the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape; and

when the at least one moving entity is determined to be at least one of entering and exiting the at least one monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises the at least one triggering shape, triggering control of the at least one electrical device by transmitting at least one control signal to the at least one switch, and triggering at least one counter for counting triggering shapes present in the at least one monitored area;

wherein when the at least one moving entity is determined to be exiting the monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape, triggering the counter comprises triggering the counter to decrement by the number of triggering shapes, and triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering control of the electrical device to a state different from a present state, when the counter falls below a threshold number.

23. A system for controlling at least one electrical device comprising:

at least one camera mounted proximal to at least one of an entrance and an exit of a monitored area associated with the at least one electrical device, such that the at least one camera is enabled to capture images of moving entities that are at least one of entering and exiting the monitored area;

at least one switch for controlling the at least one electrical device; and

a controller for triggering control of the at least one electrical device, the controller comprising;

an interface enabled to communicate with the at least one camera, such that images of moving entities may be received from the at least one camera, the interface further enabled to transmit control signals to the at least one switch for controlling the at least one electrical device; and

a processor enabled for;

processing the images, for determining when the moving entities are at least one of entering and exiting the at least one monitored area, and for determining when the moving entities comprise at least one triggering shape; and

when the moving entities are determined to be at least one of entering and exiting the at least one monitored area, and the moving entities comprise the at least one triggering shape, triggering control of the at least one electrical device by transmitting at least one control signal to the at least one switch, and triggering at least one counter for counting triggering shapes present in the at least one monitored area;

wherein when the at least one moving entity is determined to be exiting the monitored area, and the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape, triggering the counter comprises triggering the counter to decrement by the number of triggering shapes, and triggering control of the electrical device comprises triggering control of the electrical device to a state different from a present state, when the counter falls below a threshold number.