Method, system and apparatus for controlling an electrical device

• US 8,108,055 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larry Wong
• Original Assignee: Larry Wong
• Inventors: Wong, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US11/966,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 348/135, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/156, 382/100, 382/103, 340/937
• US Class Current: 700/1
• 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 31/50 specially adapted for ac
• 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, for determining if the at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting a monitored area, and for determining if the at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape. If 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, then control of the electrical device is triggered and a counter for counting triggering shapes present in the monitored area is triggered.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electrical device, comprising

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

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

wherein said processing said at least one image for determining if said at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape comprises comparing said at least one image to at least one record of triggering shapes, and

wherein said 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 said triggering control of the electrical device; and

receiving an indication of a preference of a behaviour of the electrical device during future control of the electrical device and saving said indication of a preference in association with said triggering shape.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing said at least one image for determining if said 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 said at least one moving entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one record of triggering shapes is stored in a database.

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

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

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

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

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining if said at least one triggering shape is associated with a given feature of the electrical device, and said triggering control comprises triggering control of said given feature.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting an adjustment of said electrical device following said triggering control of the electrical device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said detecting an adjustment of said electrical device following said control of the electrical device occurs within a given time period.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising saving a record of said adjustment in association with said at least one triggering shape.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing said record of said adjustment to change behaviour of the electrical device when triggering control of the electrical device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining if said at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device is based on a size of said at least one triggering shape.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining if said at least one triggering shape is associated with the electrical device is based on distinguishing if said triggering shape is an adult or a child.

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

17. The method of claim 1, wherein if said at least one moving entity is determined to be exiting said monitored area, and said at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape, then triggering said counter comprises triggering said 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, if said counter falls below a threshold number.

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

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

20. 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 said 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 said at least one image of said at least one moving entity, for determining if said at least one moving entity is at least one of entering and exiting said at least one monitored area, and for determining if said at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape;

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

wherein said processing said at least one image for determining if said at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape comprises comparing said at least one image to at least one record of triggering shapes, and

wherein said 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 said triggering control of the electrical device; and

receiving an indication of a preference of a behaviour of the electrical device during future control of the electrical device and save said indication of a preference in association with said triggering shape.

21. 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 said at least one camera is enabled to capture images of moving entities that are at least one of entering and exiting said 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 said at least one camera, such that images of moving entities may be received from said at least one camera, the interface further enabled to transmit control signals to said at least one switch for controlling the at least one electrical device; and

a processor enabled for;

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

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

wherein said processing said at least one image for determining if said at least one moving entity comprises at least one triggering shape comprises comparing said at least one image to at least one record of triggering shapes, and

wherein said 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 said triggering control of the electrical device; and

receiving an indication of a preference of a behaviour of the electrical device during future control of the electrical device and save said indication of a preference in association with said triggering shape.