A sensor and a monitoring system for monitoring and identifying persons

Abstract

A monitoring system and method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system. The monitoring system comprises at least one sensor (101, 201, 301, 601, 701, 801) and measuring electronics configured to process data produced by the at least one sensor, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor monitoring presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor. The system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person (306, 602, 702, 5 802, 803) in the monitored area. The system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag (310, 311, 401, 501, 611, 706, 810). The system defines and / or updates an identification of the person based on the sensed identification tag when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

Description

[0001] A SENSOR AND A MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MONITORING AND IDENTIFYING PERSONS

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to a method and to a system for monitoring and identifying persons in a monitored area.

[0004] Background of the invention

[0005] The monitoring of the condition of elderly people in a home, retirement home or hospital environment is important for ensuring wellbeing and safety of the persons. One of the systems used for this kind of purpose are safety bracelet systems. Their weakness is that the user must wear the bracelet continuously and must be able to press the alarm button in an emergency. There are also bracelets that check the state of health of the user, but they have the same problems as described above, and additionally, there are further problems with false alarms.

[0006] There have also been presented solutions, in which a film of piezoelectric material is installed on the floor, in which the film registers pressure changes caused by movement on the surface of the floor. Also known in the prior art is the use of sensors to be installed on the floor, or under it, that detects the presence and movements of people, without requiring a change in pressure, but functions by means of capacitive sensors.

[0007] The possibility of using video cameras or movement detectors that are based e.g. on detecting infrared light or e.g. ultrasound sensors, for monitoring the condition and state of elderly people is also presented in prior art. For example, WO2012164169 document discloses a method and a system that are based on ultrasound technology for tracking objects. However, there are privacy concerns in the monitoring systems which use camera-based monitoring as the cameras have monitor persons in all the areas the persons are moving, e.g. in toilets and bathrooms.

[0008] Some prior art solutions are known, which use millimeterwave (MMW) radar for tracking persons.

[0009] A drawback of privacy preserving observation and monitoring systems of the prior art is that they can’t identify the persons in the monitored area. The prior art systems, for example in the elderly care, are not able to differentiate a caregiver from the patient and / or an elderly person. For these reasons there’s a need for a reliable and cost-effective monitoring system which is able to monitor and identify persons in the monitored area and carry out this in a privacy preserving manner.

[0010] Brief description of the invention

[0011] By using the system, according to claim 1 and the method, according to 9, the problems of the state of the prior art can be eliminated. The invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the claims.

[0012] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system, the monitoring system comprising at least one sensor and measuring electronics configured to process data produced by the at least one sensor, wherein the sensor is a radarbased sensor monitoring presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor. In the method the system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area. In the method the system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag. The system defines and / or updates an identification of the person based on the sensed identification tag when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention the system links the sensor observations of the observed person and the observed identification tag so that the observed person is given the identification related to the identification of the identification tag.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention the system follows the identified person and / or the identification tag in the monitored area based on sensor observations.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention the system updates the identification information of the person when new measurement results are received for both the identification tag and the related person at the same time or within a predefined duration and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag is a millimeter-wave identification tag.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag comprises a Bluetooth low- energy component.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag is a passive tag, an active tag and / or a tag comprising a transmitter. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag comprises a Rotman lens or a van Atta array.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention the radar is a radar measuring identification tags, such as radar measuring millimeter-wave identification tags and / or identification tags comprising a Bluetooth low-energy component.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag is located with at least one radar-based sensor based on information related to the measured direction of transmission of the identification tag and / or information related to signal strength, such as RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the transmission of the identification tag.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag sends a broadcast and / or advertisement signal and, based on the signal sent by the identification tag, the radar-based sensor sends a command to the identification tag to start transmission, which transmission sent from the identification tag is located with the radar-based sensor or with multiple radar-based sensors.

[0022] In one embodiment of the invention the radar-based sensor of the system operates essentially at a frequency band in frequency range 50 - 80 GHz and / or 57 GHz - 64 GHz frequency range and / or at a frequency range of 60 GHz - 64 GHz frequency range and / or at a frequency range above 60 GHz.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag is arranged to be carried by a person, such as a nurse, a police officer, a firefighter and / or a salesperson, and / or wherein the identification tag is arranged e.g. to a piece of clothing of the person.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention the radar-based sensor is configured to measure vital signs of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person.

[0025] In one embodiment of the invention the system sends information relating to identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a computer or a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention the device indicates the determined identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area with the determined identification of the person. In one embodiment of the invention the at least one sensor is disposed on a floor, wall and / or ceiling of the area to be monitored, and / or the measuring range of the at least one sensor and / or all sensors of a monitoring system essentially cover the area to be monitored.

[0027] In one embodiment of the invention the predefined duration for linking the measurements of the identification tag and the person is 0 - 1 seconds. In one embodiment of the invention the predefined distance for linking the measurements of the identification tag and the person is 0 - 1 meter or 0 - 0,5 meter.

[0028] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a monitoring system for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area. The monitoring system comprises at least one sensor and measuring electronics configured to process data produced by the at least one sensor, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor monitoring presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radarbased sensor. The system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area. The system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag. The system is configured to define and / or to update an identification of the person based on the sensed identification tag when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention the monitoring system is configured to implement a method according to any embodiment of the invention.

[0030] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, e.g. a control unit of the monitoring system and / or a central unit of the monitoring system, cause the computer to carry out a method according to any embodiment of the invention. According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a computer-readable medium comprising the computer program according to any embodiment of the invention.

[0031] With the above-described solution of the invention, a sensor and a monitoring system is provided which is able to monitor and identify persons reliably and in a privacy preserving manner. One advantage, among others, is that the system is able to reliably differentiate the persons and for example a caregiver can be differentiated in the system from the patient or an elderly person. Another advantage of this invention is that a separate and other indoor positioning systems are not needed and thus the sensor and the system can be produced and used in a cost-effective way. Various other advantages will become clear to a skilled person based on the following detailed description.

[0032] The terms “first”, “second” and “third” are herein used to distinguish one element from other element, and not to specially prioritize or order them, if not otherwise explicitly stated. The expression "a number of’ may herein refer to any positive integer starting from one (1 ). The expression "a plurality of’ may refer to any positive integer starting from two (2), respectively.

[0033] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented herein are not to be interpreted to pose limitations to the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "to comprise" is used herein as an open limitation that does not exclude the existence of also unrecited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0034] The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the figures

[0035] The invention is illustrated with the following drawings, of which:

[0036] Figure 1 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring system in the area to be monitored,

[0037] Figure 2 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring system in a store environment viewed from above,

[0038] Figure 3 presents the operation of one example embodiment of the monitoring system,

[0039] Figure 4 presents an example embodiment of an identification tag of the monitoring system,

[0040] Figure 5 presents an example embodiment of an identification tag of the monitoring system,

[0041] Figure 6 presents one example embodiment of the monitoring system,

[0042] Figure 7 presents one example embodiment of the monitoring system, and

[0043] Figure 8 presents the operation of one example embodiment of the monitoring system .

[0044] Detailed description of the invention

[0045] In the solution of the invention the sensors can detect presence and movement of a person and an identification tag in the monitored area. The monitored person can be e.g. an elderly person or some other person benefiting from supervision or personnel and / or person of law enforcement. The sensor can be installed on the area to be monitored to which the person has access. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor can also be used to observe vital functions of the monitored person, such as the breathing, e.g. breathing frequency, and / or the heart beating rate of the person.

[0046] In the solution according to the invention, the system comprises at least one sensor and can further comprise measuring electronics producing sensor observations by means of the sensors, and a processor, a control unit, central unit and / or a computer configured to process the sensor observations. The control unit, central unit and / or the computer can comprise a processor, a memory and / or a storage. For the purposes of this function, the unit or computer of the system can comprise the necessary software and information about the characteristic properties of the signals being detected. In general, the measuring electronics and / or the unit and / or the computer can deduce information from a signal received via a sensor. The system can have a unit, e.g. a central unit, which can manage one or more sensors or sensor groups. In one embodiment of the invention, one sensor group comprises e.g. the sensors in the same space, such as in the same room.

[0047] An area to be monitored with sensors can be the whole area where the person is usually present or only a part of some area. The area to be monitored can comprise e.g. of one or more rooms and certain parts of the area, e.g. fixed installations such as cupboards, can be left outside the area to be monitored. In one embodiment, in which a sleeping person is monitored, the sensor can be arranged in connection with the bed, above the bed and / or beside the bed so that the monitoring area of at least one sensor covers at least a part of the bed or a person lying on the bed.

[0048] In the solution according to the invention, the sensor detects persons in the monitored area and measures and detects the location, velocity and / or shape of the monitored person. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor is configured to observe the person based on signal strength and / or by filtering out probable false measurement results. The sensors, e.g. sensor units, can comprise at least one radar sensor which is configured to monitor presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and presence, location, movement of at least one identification tag in the monitored area. The radar sensor can be for example a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar-based sensor, which can operate for example with the MIMO radar principle. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag can be a radio frequency-based identification tag, e.g. millimeterwave identification tag. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag comprises a Bluetooth component and / or a Bluetooth low-energy component and / or the identification tag is a Bluetooth tag and / or a Bluetooth low-energy tag. In one example embodiment, there can be, for example, three transmitter and four receiver antennas in the radar sensor. In that example this forms a virtual antenna of 12 elements. Additionally and / or optionally the monitoring system can comprise at least one of some of the following sensors: a floor sensor, a motion detector and / or a camera. In one embodiment, the system comprises at least two radar sensors and is configured to detect and measure the persons in the monitored area based on the measurement signal of at least two radar sensors, which can monitor the same area and / or a different part of the monitored area. For example, the measurement area of the radar sensors can overlap for example at a certain part of the area.

[0049] The components of the system can be integrated into a single unit, e.g. into a sensor unit, comprising the components of the system. In one embodiment of the invention a sensor unit can comprise at least some of the following components in a single unit: a sensor, a means for processing the measurement signal of the sensor (such as measuring electronics), a means for communicating measurement results and / or data relating to the measurement results for further processing and means for producing and capturing audio. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor unit can comprise multiple radar sensors, e.g. 2 - 4, radar sensors. The radar sensors of the sensor unit can be each configured to measure to different directions, e.g. so that the measurement area of the sensor unit covers 360 degrees on the horizontal plane, and the measuring area of a sensor is e.g. 90 - 120 degrees on the horizontal plane, in one embodiment approx. 90 degrees on the horizontal plane.

[0050] The sensor can be installed on a stand, on a surface, e.g. on a wall, door, floor or ceiling, and / or in the proximity of a surface, such as e.g. floor surfaces, wall surfaces, door surfaces or ceiling surfaces of an apartment and / or of the area to be monitored to which the person has access. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor or sensors are installed in the corner of the space to be monitored right below the ceiling and tilted towards the center of the space. A tilt angle can be e.g. 15 degrees which can give the sensor a good view over obstacles such as furniture. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor or sensors are installed on a wall or in a corner of the space to be monitored, typically above the floor-level plane, e.g. at a height of approx. 40 - 150 cm from the floor.

[0051] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor comprises an attachment structure, in which the sensor can be placed, wherein the attachment structure is fixable on a stand, a wall or ceiling. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is removable from the attachment means without any tools e.g. for charging the battery of the sensor.

[0052] In the solution of the invention presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person is measured and / or determined with the at least one sensor in the monitored area. Also presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag is measured and / or determined with the at least one sensor in the monitored area. The identification tag comprises or is related to an identification information, such as identification number or identification name. The identification information of the identification tag can be unique so that the different identification tags can be distinguished and / or differentiated from each other.

[0053] In the solution of the invention identification of the sensed person is defined and / or updated based on the sensed identification tag when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

[0054] In one embodiment of the invention the system follows the identified person and / or the identification tag in the monitored area based on sensor observations. The system can link the sensor observations of the observed person and the observed identification tag so that the observed person is given the identification related to the identification of the identification tag. In one embodiment of the invention the system updates the identification information of the person when new measurement results are received for both the identification tag and the related person at the same time or within a predefined duration and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location. The predefined duration for linking the measurements of the identification tag and the person can be for example 0 - 1 seconds. The predefined distance for linking the measurements of the identification tag and the person can be for example 0 - 1 meter or 0 - 0,5 meter.

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention the system determines presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area simultaneously when determining location and / or movement of at least one identification tag in the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention the system determines presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area alternately with determining location and / or movement of at least one identification tag in the monitored area, e.g. in such a way that first the system determines presence, location and / or movement of persons in the monitored area and then the system determines presence, location and / or movement of identification tags in the monitored area, and this is continued by alternating between the measurements of persons and identification tags.

[0056] In one embodiment of the invention the radar-based sensor of the system can operate essentially on a frequency band located in frequency range 50 - 80 GHz, e.g. 60 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, and / or 57 GHz - 64 GHz frequency range and / or at a frequency range above 60 GHz. In one embodiment of the invention the system can operate at a frequency range of 76,2 - 76,8 GHz. In one embodiment of the invention the system can operate in sub terahertz frequency area, e.g. in frequency range 222,5 - 267,5 GHz.

[0057] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag can be a passive tag, an active tag and / or a tag comprising a transmitter. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag can be a radio frequency tag, e.g. a millimeter-wave identification tag. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag can comprise for example a Rotman lens or a van Atta array.

[0058] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag reflects back the signal received from the sensor, wherein an identification information or information relating to the identification information is added and / or coded to the reflected signal.

[0059] In one embodiment of the invention the system sends information relating to identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a computer or a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet. The device can for example indicate the determined identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area.

[0060] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag has a power saving mode and an active mode, and the identification tag periodically wakes up from the power saving mode to the active mode in which the identification tag is able to respond the radar-based sensor.

[0061] The monitoring system can be used in healthcare, hospitals, retirement homes, shops, etc. and the identification tag can be arranged to be carried by a person, such as a nurse, a salesperson, a firefighter and / or a police officer, e.g. by nurses and / or patients. In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag can be arranged e.g. to a piece of clothing of the person. In one embodiment of the invention the tag can be used by personnel, e.g. in store, and it can be monitored with the system where the personnel are located, who are the customers, and e.g. whether the customers are entering areas where they are not allowed to go.

[0062] In one embodiment of the invention the radar-based sensor is configured to measure vital signs of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor comprises a battery configured to provide energy for the sensor. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor comprises a mains electricity power supply configured to provide energy for the sensor and / or the battery.

[0064] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag comprises a power source, such as a battery, e.g. rechargeable battery and / or a single use battery, and / or a solar cell, configured to provide energy for the tag.

[0065] In one embodiment of the invention the monitoring system comprises multiple sensors monitoring at least partially different parts of the monitored area, and / or wherein the person and / or the identification tags are followed by different sensors as they move in the monitored area.

[0066] In one embodiment of the invention the system can further comprise a means for producing audio and / or a means for capturing audio. The means for producing audio can be e.g. a speaker and / or the means for capturing audio can be for example a microphone or a microphone array.

[0067] Based on the monitoring the monitored area the system can assess the situation in the monitored area and to determine if an action, such as sending a notification or making or sending an alarm, is required. The system can in one embodiment of the invention to determine that the monitored person has fallen, is lying on the floor, is staying too long in certain part of the monitored area, such as a bathroom or a bed, is not eating or exercising and / or is going to certain part of the monitored area, such as to the balcony during the winter. The system can in one embodiment of the invention to determine whether the vital functions of the monitored person, such as tracked heartbeat and / or the monitored person’s breathing, is not within the predefined limits.

[0068] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is configured to detect falling and / or sitting of the person by the determined elevation of the person, e.g. such that when the elevation of the person is under a certain threshold elevation value, the person can be determined to have fallen.

[0069] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is configured to analyze the measurement signal by at least filtering the measurement signal in such a way that the phase of the measurement signal is determined in order to observe movement of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing.

[0070] In one embodiment sending an alarm or notification comprises sending a message to a person and / or an organization monitoring the health of the person, e.g. as a message to a phone, to a nurse, to relatives or to an emergency center. The alarm or notification can comprise identity information of the monitored person or information relating to the identity of the monitored persons. In one embodiment of the invention the notification or alarm can comprise information of also other persons, e.g. nurses, in the same area.

[0071] In one embodiment a speech dialog can be initiated in the monitored area, which speech dialog can comprise e.g. a question or a suggestion to the monitored person, for example so that the person is asked if he or she is ok and / or if he or she needs help. In one embodiment of the invention, if no response is received from the person, an alarm or notification is sent because the system is unable to verify that the monitored person does not need help. In one embodiment of the invention, the system examines the information measured by a number of sensors, e.g. by all the sensors in the area being monitored, and a notification, e.g. a remote alarm, is only sent and / or a speech dialog is only initiated if no other persons are detected in the area by the sensors. In one embodiment of the invention, the alarms can be automatically disabled, if a certain person, such as a nurse, is detected in the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention, the alarm conditions of the system can include the identity of the person. For example, an alarm can be triggered when an unauthorized person enters certain locations. In this solution the system can have a database which lists the identities of the allowed persons and if a person with an identification not on the list or with no identification is entering a predefined area, an alarm or notification can be made and / or sent.

[0072] In one embodiment of the invention the sensor and / or the monitoring system is configured to provide a local alarm on the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention, the local alarm comprising an audible alarm, e.g. via a speaker, headphones or a hearing aid device, a visual alarm, such as a light, and / or an alarm, causing vibrations to the bed, mattress and / or to the monitored person. In one embodiment of the invention, the local alarm is an alarm on a wearable device, such as a bracelet or a watch, wherein the alarm is vibrating on the wearable device and / or there is an electric shock caused by the wearable device. In one embodiment of the innovation the local alarm can be provided at the same time with the speech dialog and / or alternately with the speech dialog.

[0073] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor and / or the system is configured to provide the local alarm until the person is determined to have moved, woken up and / or to started to breathe again. In one embodiment of the invention, the remote alarm is provided, if the person does not respond to the local alarm, e.g. if the person does not respond to speech dialog, move, wake up and / or start breathing in response to the local alarm after a predetermined time.

[0074] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor and / or the system is configured to provide a local alarm and / or a remote alarm or notification if communication or electrical connection to the sensor from the system is lost, if the sensor is removed from its monitoring or installation location and / or if communication and / or electrical connection is removed from the sensor. This way the system and / or the sensor can indicate for example situations in which the person who is monitored, removes the sensor or someone tries to steal the sensor.

[0075] The system can also have a memory means, in which the system is adapted to record a measurement signal, or information derived from it, for observing the chronological dependency of the area being monitored and the behavior of people. By means of this, the system can give an alarm or initiate a speech dialog e.g. if a person being monitored has not got out of bed or visited the kitchen for a certain time, or if the person has gone to the toilet too often or if the vital functions of the observed person, such as breathing or heartbeat, have changed during a specific time. The memory means also enables learning of a more common daily rhythm and the detection of aberrations occurring in it.

[0076] In one embodiment of the invention the system is configured to submit information related to sensor observations, e.g. measurement related data or data derived from the sensor measurements and / or identities of the identified persons, to an external server or service, e.g. a cloud-based server or service.

[0077] In one embodiment of the invention, fixed objects, such as beds or sofas, where the person can lay down, can be determined by the user with the sensor and / or a sensor system, and the sensor does not determine the person as fallen in the areas of these fixed objects. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor can distinguish objects from the observed persons by the determined elevation of the observed object, e.g. in such a way that when the elevation of the determined objects is essentially constantly under a certain threshold elevation value, the object can be recognized as not being a person.

[0078] In one embodiment of the invention the radar sensor is able to recognize objects, e.g. also other objects than persons, for example furniture, such as a bed or a hospital bed. In one embodiment of the invention at least one identification tag can be attached to a bed, e.g. a hospital bed, and the system can then identify the bed and / or the person in the bed based on determining the presence, location and / or movement of the bed with the radar sensor and determining presence, location and / or movement of the at least one identification tag attached to the bed with the radar sensor. This way it’s possible to know for example in hospital environment where a patient is located, e.g. when the patient is taken to medical scanning, surgery, etc. In one embodiment of the invention multiple identification tags can be attached to the bed, e.g. in one embodiment of the invention two identification tags are attached to the bed.

[0079] In some applications, it is advantageous to first chart the unchanged area, i.e. to chart the measuring information of the sensors when mainly stationary and unmovable objects and structures are in place. This type of situation is e.g. in a residential apartment when the furniture is in position but there are no people, pets or robots in the apartment. This charted information can be recorded in the system, e.g. in a memory that is located in the central unit or in a memory means that is in connection via a data network, which memory means can be e.g. in a control center or service center. For this purpose, a memory means can be integrated into the sensor or the system, so a memory means can be in the central unit or connected to it via a data network.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the invention, the system charts the unchanged area continuously or at defined intervals, in which case the system is able to detect e.g. changes in the area caused by new furniture or by changes in the location of furniture. In this way the system is able to adapt gradually to changes occurring in the area to be monitored.

[0081] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or sensor unit comprises a means for detecting the orientation of the sensor or sensor unit, such as an accelerometer, and the sensor, sensor unit or the system is configured to take the detected orientation of the sensor or sensor unit into account when determining the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the monitored person, e.g. by compensating the measurement results based on the detected orientation.

[0082] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor according to the invention can be used e.g. in hospital rooms or in rooms where the people are sleeping, and their monitoring is needed. In embodiment of the invention, in an apartment or a nursing home, there can be at least one sensor in each room. In one embodiment, a sensor can be arranged so that it is able to measure and sense a person who is present in a bed. The sensors can be arranged in the room or in connection with the room so that the monitored area of one sensor covers at least part of one bed. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensors are arranged on the ceiling of the room, e.g. above each bed, for example, one sensor above each bed. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensors are arranged on the wall of the room, e.g. beside each bed, for example one sensor beside each bed. With these embodiments the sensor is able to measure and / or sense the presence of the person in a bed but also vital functions, such as movement, heartbeat and breathing, of the person. One of the advantages of these embodiments is that a sleeping person can be monitored without disturbing him, which is not possible for example with wired sensors. Also monitoring of people, who should be sleeping is easy for the personnel and nurses e.g. in hospital environments with this embodiment.

[0083] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one additional sensor, according to the invention, can be arranged in the monitored room or area where people are sleeping. This additional sensor is able to sense and monitor persons that have left their bed. In this case the measurement area of the additional sensor can be bigger than the measurement area of the sensors monitoring beds. The measurement area can cover essentially the whole room, e.g. with single or multiple additional sensors. Also, this additional sensor can be arranged in the room or in connection with the room so that the measurement area of the sensor or sensors cover the room and especially areas outside the beds. In one embodiment, the additional sensor can be arranged on the ceiling, wall and / or corner of the room or on a stand. With this embodiment, the room can be better monitored by the personnel and e.g. an alarm can be given, if people are leaving their beds and / or disturbing other people, who are trying to sleep. These additional sensors also make it possible to monitor people who have left their beds, and e.g. to generate an alarm, if a person falls and / or or if the determined vital functions are not at the predefined and / or acceptable level.

[0084] Figure 1 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring system in the area to be monitored. The sensor 101 or sensors to be used in the invention are arranged in connection with the area to be monitored in such a way that the area to be monitored can be monitored by with the sensor 101 or sensors. Sensors can be installed on top of a surface, e.g. a wall, floor or ceiling surface, and fastened to the surface e.g. with double-sided tape or with a sticker strip, in which case they can easily be removed. The sensors 101 can be connected wirelessly or by wireline to the gateway 104, which collects measured values obtained from the sensors 101 or status information formed by the sensors 101 , e.g. the persons detected, identification of the persons, the state of health of the persons, and / or the movement and attitudes of the persons.

[0085] The system can comprise at least one means for producing audio 105, e.g. a speaker, and / or at least one means for capturing audio, e.g. a microphone or a microphone array. The means for producing audio and / or the means for capturing audio can be integrated to the sensor 101 and / or the means for producing audio and / or the means for capturing audio can be separate units.

[0086] The gateway 104 can send the information onwards e.g. to a control center or to another organization that supervises the area and / or the objects, such as persons, therein. The transfer of information between the system and some recipient can be performed e.g. using a phone connection, a wireline broadband connection or wireless connections. It is advantageous in the data transfer to take into account issues relating to data security and privacy, which many official regulations also address. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor 101 , e.g. a sensor unit, or sensors comprise their own central unit and the central unit of a sensor is in connection with the gateway 104. In a second embodiment of the invention, the central units of the sensor 101 or sensors are integrated into a gateway 104.

[0087] It is possible that some of the functions of the central unit or of the gateway 104 are performed elsewhere via a data network connection, e.g. in a central control room or service center, such a server or cloud service.

[0088] The system according to the one embodiment of the invention can also comprise a call pushbutton 102. After pressing the call pushbutton, the system can connect to e.g. nursing personnel, security personnel, or it can perform various alarm procedures. The call pushbutton can be wireless, and it can be adapted to function with or without batteries.

[0089] The notification procedures and alarm procedures, according to the system of the invention, can include e.g. activating a local alarm, indication signaling (such as a buzzer, light, siren, alarm clock, etc.), making contact with an alarm center or service center, a care provider or a relative. In some cases, an alarm can also be sent directly to the person being monitored or to the user, e.g. by means of speech synthesis or a speech recording. For performing these tasks, the sensor or the system can comprise means needed for processing time data, such as e.g. a clock circuit.

[0090] According to one embodiment of the invention, a speech dialog can be initiated and / or an alarm signal can be given by the system in the space being monitored, which lasts a predetermined period of time. This alarm signal can be given as a local alarm, e.g. before the sending of an alarm or notification, and it can be given via a light alarm unit and / or a sound alarm unit of the system. The light alarm unit and / or sound alarm units can be in each different part, e.g. a room of the premises. This functionality can also be integrated into the sensor units, e.g. into all the sensors units or only some of the sensor units. The system, according to the invention, can also comprise fire detectors 103, which can be in connection with another system via a wireline or wireless connection. If the fire detectors 103 warn of a fire, alarm procedures can be performed, e.g. by sending an alarm message to a control center or to the rescue authorities.

[0091] The system can also comprise a control center and the predetermined information concerning the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the object can be sent to the control center. The alarm terms used by the system can be changed, e.g. on the basis of presence information, which can be e.g. received from an RFID reader.

[0092] Figure 2 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring system in a store environment viewed from above. In this example embodiment sensors 201 are arranged to the store, e.g. above the aisles between the shelves 210 of the store, so that the sensors are able to measure identification tags and persons in the store in an area 200, e.g. in an area between the shelves, where people are moving and / or detect a person from these areas. In this example the measurement area of all the sensors 201 arranged in the store covers essentially all areas 200 where people can be moving. In this example the identification tags can be worn for example by shop personnel which enables the system to differentiate the personnel from the customers.

[0093] Figure 3 presents the operation of an embodiment of the system, according to the invention, in which the state of health or attitude of a person 306 in the monitored area is monitored. If the system detects based on measurement results from sensors 301 that the safety of a monitored person 306 is endangered (e.g. the person has fallen), the system can send an alarm or notification and / or initiate a speech dialog with the monitored person with means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio 305. In the example of Fig. 3 the means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio can be integrated to a sensor unit, e.g. the sensor 301 . In the situation presented in Fig. 3, in which the system sends a message e.g. based on falling of a person and / or based of determined vital functions of the person, the sensor 301 sends the information about the situation to the gateway 304 of the system and the gateway 304 sends the information and / or an alarm onwards to the server 301 e.g. via an Internet connection or via some other connection. From the server 307, the information and / or alarm is sent to an organization monitoring the health of the person, e.g. as a message to a mobile phone 302, as an alarm and / or e.g. to a nurse 303, to relatives or to an emergency center. In this way, for example information about the person reaches the necessary people or organizations and the person who fell receives help as quickly as possible. In one embodiment of the invention, the system can send information directly from the gateway 304 to an organization or a person monitoring the health of the monitored person 306. In this example the monitored person can have stated in the speech dialog with the system received by the means for capturing audio 305 that she needs help, or no response is received from the monitored person after the initiation of the speech dialog. In the solution of the invention the monitored person 306 can have an identification tag 311 and / or a representative of the organization monitoring the health of the person 306, e.g. a nurse 303, can have an identification tag 310. With the help of the identification tags 310, 311 the persons can be distinguished from each other also when the nurse goes to help the fallen person. In one embodiment of the invention it is e.g. enough that only representatives of the organization monitoring the health of the person, e.g. personnel, such as nurses, have identification tags. This way the system is able to know whether representatives of the organization monitoring the health of the person, e.g. personnel, such as nurses, are in the same area, e.g. in a room, as the monitored person(s).

[0094] Figure 4 presents an example embodiment of an identification tag of the monitoring system. In this example embodiment the identification tag is a tag comprising a Rotman lens which is a passive electronic component used for beamforming in radio frequency applications. This example identification tag 401 comprises an antenna array comprising multiple antenna elements 402 arranged next to each other vertically and horizontally. The output ports 404 (also called as array ports) of the identification tag are connected with transmission lines 403 to the wave propagation medium 408. Input ports 407 (also called as beam ports) of the Rotman lens are connected to a chip 405, such as an integrated circuit with leads or conductors 406. Using a Rotman lens allows multiple antenna beams to be formed without the need for phase shifters. A signal applied to one of the input ports arrives at each of the output ports with a different phase shift. When the output ports are connected to individual antennas in an antenna array, this allows shaping the beam in different directions by switching which input port the signal is sent to. Rotman lenses can be constructed for example on a dielectric strip line substrate. An antenna array connected to a Rotman lens and loads in the beam ports can be used as a rectenna. It can reflect the signal to the same direction, where it came from. In one embodiment of the invention the load can be modulated with an identification information for example by a microcontroller or by an oscillator.

[0095] Figure 5 presents an example embodiment of an identification tag of the monitoring system. This example identification tag comprises a van Atta array with 4 antennas. A van Atta array is a type of passive retrod irective phased array antenna which redirects a signal back in the direction from where it came. The signal can be modulated by the redirecting host for purposes of radio-frequency identification, e.g. with a unique resonance frequency serving as the tag’s identifier. The van Atta array can comprise for example a linear or two-dimensional array of no less than four antennas, interconnected by electromagnetic paths of equal length between antennas of the array that are symmetrically disposed about a geometrical center of the array. The antennas 502 can be connected to the amplifiers 503 via circulators 504.

[0096] In one embodiment of the invention the identification tag comprises a Bluetooth component, e.g. Bluetooth low-energy component, such as a BLE chip, and / or the identification tag is a Bluetooth tag. e.g. Bluetooth low-energy tag. The identification tag can be located with at least one radar-based sensor, e.g. with one or multiple radar-based sensors that have an antenna array, based on the measured direction of transmission by the identification tag and / or information related to signal strength, such as RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) by the identification tag measured by the radar-based sensor.

[0097] In one example embodiment the identification tag can send a broadcast and / or advertisement signal, e.g. in determined intervals, such as every 5 seconds. Based on the signal sent by the identification tag the radar-based sensor, e.g. a Bluetooth chip of the radar-based sensor, can receive the signal and send a command to the identification tag. The command can comprise instruction for the identification tag to start transmission, e.g. transmission of a CW pulse. This transmission sent from the identification tag can be located with at least one radar-based sensor, e.g. with one or multiple radar-based sensors that have an antenna array, based on the measured direction of transmission. For example, if multiple radar-based sensors are used, they can use e.g. triangulation for determining the location of the identification tag.

[0098] In one example embodiment in which the identification tag comprises Bluetooth low- energy component, the radar-based sensor can measure distance to the tag, e.g. by using the BLE stack, such as BLE 6.0 stack. The radar-based sensor can send a command to the identification tag. The command can comprise instruction for the identification tag to start transmission, e.g. a transmission of a CW pulse. This transmission sent from the identification tag can be located with one or more radarbased sensors when the one or more radar-based sensors take into account the measured distance to the identification tag and e.g. measured direction of transmission from the identification tag.

[0099] In one example embodiment the identification tag comprising Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth low-energy component can establish a connection to the radar-based sensor for determining the location of the identification tag.

[0100] In one example embodiment the identification tag can be a remotely readable tag of a mobile device, such as an identification tag of a mobile device and / or a Bluetooth tag of a mobile device. Figure 6 illustrates at least a part of the components of one embodiment of the system, which can be used to monitor the person. In this embodiment the sensor is an FMCW radar 601 which is configured to monitor the room 604 and track the people in it. When the person 602 enters the bed 610 the CPU 406 can instruct the radar to focus the beam 603 in the direction of the person e.g. to measure or monitor health status of the person. The CPU 606 can use the room configuration data store 607 to determine when the person is in bed. The configuration can be entered into the data store 607 with the user interface 608 that allows specifying the location of the bed 609. If the radar 601 or the system determines based on the measurement data of the radar that the safety of the monitored person 602 is endangered, an alarm or a notification can be sent or made and / or a speech dialog can be initiated with the monitored person. The system can identify the identity of the person based on the identification tag 611 carried by the person.

[0101] The CPU 606 and the room configuration store 607 can be integrated with or within the radar 601 or they can be located in a separate computer. The user interface can be a computer program, or a web-based application used with a web browser, accessing the configuration store remotely. The CPU 606 can be a single CPU, or it can comprise multiple CPUs, each running their own task of the data processing pipeline. In the example of Fig. 6 the system can comprise a means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio 605 which can be integrated to the sensor 601 or it can be a separate unit from the sensor 601 .

[0102] Figure 7 illustrates at least a part of the components of one embodiment of the system, which can be used to monitor the person. In this embodiment the sensor can be a radar-based sensor 701 which is configured to monitor the room 704 and track persons and identification tags in the room. The sensor and system will acquire measurement data from the sensor 701 and track targets, e.g. persons 702 and identification tags 706, in the monitored area. Based on this the sensor or system can assess the situation in the monitored area and determine when the safety of a monitored person 702 is endangered. In one example embodiment, based on the determined endangered safety of the monitored person the system can use the means for producing audio 705 to initiate a speech dialog with the monitored person and use the means for capturing audio to listen to the reply from the monitored person 702. The sensor or system can use speech synthesis and speech recognition in the speech dialog with the person. Based on the captured audio the sensor or the system can assess the situation and determine if an action, such as an alarm, is required. If an alarm is required, it can be delivered to the specified recipients, e.g. to a person and / or an organization monitoring the health of the person. In one example embodiment the system can proceed to alarm delivery before and / or without speech dialogue.

[0103] Figure 8 presents the operation of one example embodiment of the monitoring system and illustrates at least a part of the components of one embodiment of the system. In this embodiment the sensor can be a radar-based sensor 801 which is configured to monitor e.g. a room and track persons 802, 803 and identification tag(s) 810 in the room. A first measuring area 811 and a second measuring area 812 of the sensor 801 are illustrated in the Figure 8. In this example embodiment only one person 803 has an identification tag 810. In the example of Figure 8 the identification tag 810 is arranged to a hat of the person, such as a police officer or a guard. In this embodiment the system can comprise a user interface and / or a display 804 with which e.g. personnel and / or authorities can monitor the area and see the measurement results of the system. In one embodiment of the invention the person 803 with an identification tag 810 can be highlighted and / or marked (illustrated as person 805) in the user interface and / or the display 804. In one embodiment information related to the person 803 and the identification tag 810 related to the person can be displayed in the user interface and / or display 804.

[0104] In one embodiment of the invention the system can include a user interface or another configuration interface that can be used to specify the locations of beds, couches and other locations of interest and to save these in the room configuration data store. A processor or control unit can receive the location of the person from the radar and consults with the room configuration to determine if the resident is located in a bed or another place for resting. When this happens, the processor or control unit can send instruction to the radar to focus on the location of interest and start monitoring the fine motions. This focusing can be done e.g. by using beam forming with the antenna array to amplify the signal originating from the direction of interest. Large motions can be detected by observing changes in the range or the doppler spectrum of the signal. Small motions can be detected by observing changes in the phase angle of the signal.

[0105] In one embodiment of the invention, the radar-based sensor can have two operating modes. The system can track the movement of the observed person in a first operating mode by analyzing the signal reflected from the person, e.g. doppler frequency, the range and angle of arrival of the signal. The system can track in a second operating mode vital functions of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the monitored person in the second operating mode by analyzing the phase of the measurement signal. In one embodiment of the invention, the sweep time of the sensor is longer in the second operating mode than in the first operating mode. In one embodiment of the invention the second operating mode can differ from the first operating mode only by the digital signal processing algorithm applied to the signal. The solution of the invention can measure and determine the location and movement of the identification tags in one of the modes, e.g. the first operating mode or the second operating mode, or both the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

[0106] In one embodiment of the invention, in the second operating mode, tracking of the persons is not performed. In one embodiment of the invention one radar-based sensor can use the first and second operating mode at the same time, e.g. so that the first operating mode is always used and the second operating mode is activated when it is needed, and when it is not needed, the second operating mode is deactivated. In one embodiment of the invention, one sensor can use the first and the second operating mode in an interleaved manner.

[0107] The radar-based sensor can be configured to activate the second operating mode based on detecting that the monitored person is not moving, has fallen and / or the speed of the monitored person is slower than a predefined threshold value. The sensor can be configured to deactivate the second operating mode based on detecting that the monitored person is not determined as fallen, the person is moving and / or the speed of the monitored person is higher than a predefined threshold value.

[0108] In the second operating mode, the radar-based sensor can be configured to analyze the measurement signal in such a way that the phase of the measurement signal is determined in order to observe the movement of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing. In one embodiment of the invention, in the second operating mode, the radar-based sensor and / or the measuring electronics of the sensor are configured to analyze the measurement signal from the area and / or certain distance around the area relating to the determined azimuth, elevation and / or distance from the sensor of the person determined in the first operating mode.

[0109] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or system is configured to detect a person falling and / or sitting by the determined elevation of the person, e.g. such that when the elevation of the person is under certain threshold elevation values, the person can be determined to have fallen. In one embodiment of the invention, the elevation of a person is tracked and filtered with a filter, such as a Kalman filter or a low pass filter, in order to prevent false alarms due to noisy measurements.

[0110] In the following, one example embodiment is described. In this example embodiment the sensor is a radar-based sensor which comprises two operating modes. The first operating mode of the sensor is used to track the presence and movements of people, e.g. in a single room. In this embodiment the tracking can be carried out with the measured point cloud data. Doppler range needed is given by

[0111] In one example, if the person is moving with a speed of 1 m / s, the needed Doppler range is +- 400 Hz and the maximum measurement interval is 2.5 ms at 60 GHz frequency. Inbreathing lasts about 2 seconds. If the corresponding movement is 5 mm, the Doppler range needed is +- 1 Hz and the sweeping time is one second.

[0112] When the system observes that the person has stopped, it can activate the second operating mode, in which it is able to track vital functions of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing, such as breathing interruptions and / or frequency. In one embodiment of the invention the system needs to carry out measurements for a certain duration before it can detect the breathing period of a person.

[0113] After the vital functions of the persons are determined, the system can deactivate the second operating mode. In one example embodiment, the system can determine the vital functions of the same person periodically, e.g. as long as the person stays stationary. If the system observes stationary persons, it’s starts to determine vital functions of these persons by using the second operating mode.

[0114] In one example embodiment of the invention, operation in the second operating mode can be implemented, for example, so that when the stationary object has been detected, the point cloud data around an area of the detected object is saved and analyzed. The saved packages can be generated periodically, e.g. every 600 ms. In one embodiment of the invention, the data can be transferred to central control units for analysis. With the analysis of the signal, i.e. the point cloud data, information about small movements of the object can be observed and thus the system is able to determine e.g. breathing activity and / or heartbeat of the person.

[0115] In one embodiment of the invention, the sweep time of the sensor is longer in the second operating mode, and because of this, a better signal to noise ratio can be achieved. Also, more TX-antennas can be utilized because there is more time available for measurement. In this way, the angle resolution can be improved. For improving the distance resolution, the frequency sweep range can be increased.

[0116] The doppler frequency can be determined e.g. with Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT). The vital function activity, e.g. heartbeat and breathing activity, can be determined based on the determined doppler frequency. In one embodiment of the invention, there are more TX antennas used in the second operating mode to increase the spatial resolution. Signal processing can be done for a smaller area because the monitored person is not moving.

[0117] It is obvious to the person skilled in the prior art that the different embodiments of the invention are not limited solely to the examples described above, and that they may, therefore, be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. The characteristic features possibly presented in the description in conjunction with other characteristic features can also, if necessary, be used separately from each other.

[0118] Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

Claims1 . A method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system, characterized in that: the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor and measuring electronics configured to process data produced by the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 301 , 601 , 701 , 801 ) wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor monitoring presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and wherein in the method: the system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) in the monitored area, the system determines with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810), wherein the system defines and / or updates an identification of the person (306, 602, 702, 803) based on the sensed identification tag (310, 31 1 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system links the sensor observations of the observed person (306, 602, 702, 803) and the observed identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) so that the observed person is given the identification related to the identification of the identification tag.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system follows the identified person (306, 602, 702, 803) and / or the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) in the monitored area based on sensor observations.

4. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the system updates the identification information of the person (306, 602, 702, 803) when new measurement results are received for both the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) and the related person (306, 602, 702, 803) at the same time or within a predefined duration and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location.

5. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) is a millimeter-wave identification tag.

6. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) comprises a Bluetooth component and / or a Bluetooth low-energy component.

7. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) is a passive tag, an active tag and / or a tag comprising a transmitter, and / or wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) comprises a Rotman lens or a van Atta array.

8. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the radar is a radar measuring identification tags (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810), such as radar measuring millimeter-wave identification tags and / or the identification tags comprising a Bluetooth component and / or a Bluetooth low-energy component.

9. A method according to any claim 6 - 8, wherein the identification tag is located with at least one radar-based sensor based on information related to the measured direction of transmission of the identification tag and / or information related to signal strength, such as RSSI, of the transmission of the identification tag.

10. A method according to any claim 6 - 9, wherein the identification tag sends a broadcast and / or advertisement signal and, based on the signal sent by theidentification tag, the radar-based sensor sends a command to the identification tag to start transmission, which transmission sent from the identification tag is located with the radar-based sensor or with multiple radar-based sensors.

11. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the radar-based sensor (101 , 201 , 301 , 601 , 701 , 801 ) of the system operates at essentially at a frequency band in frequency range 50 - 80 GHz and / or 57 GHz - 64 GHz frequency range and / or at a frequency range above 60 GHz.

12. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) is arranged to be carried by a person (306, 602, 702, 803), such as a nurse, a salesperson, a firefighter and / or a police officer, and / or wherein the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) is arranged e.g. to a piece of clothing of the person.

13. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the radar-based sensor (101 , 201 , 301 , 601 , 701 , 801 ) is configured to measure vital signs of the person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803), such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person.

14. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the system sends information relating to identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) in the monitored area to a device, such as a computer or a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the device indicates the determined identification, presence, location and / or movement of the at least one person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area.

16. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 301 , 601 , 701 , 801 ) is disposed on a floor, wall and / or ceiling ofthe area to be monitored, and / or the measuring range of the at least one sensor and / or all sensors of a monitoring system essentially cover the area to be monitored.

17. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the predefined duration for linking the measurements of the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) and the person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) is 0 - 1 seconds, and / or wherein the predefined distance for linking the measurements of the identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810) and the person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) is 0 - 1 meter or 0 - 0,5 meter.

18. A monitoring system for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area, characterized in that: the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 301 , 601 , 701 , 801 ) and measuring electronics configured to process data produced by the at least one sensor, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor monitoring presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and the system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at the least one person (306, 602, 702, 802, 803) in the monitored area, the system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor presence, location and / or movement of at least one identification tag (310, 311 , 401 , 501 , 611 , 706, 810), wherein the system is configured to define and / or to update an identification of the person based on the sensed identification tag when the sensed identification tag has been measured at the same time or within a predefined duration as the observed person and at the same location or within a predefined distance from the same location as the observed person.

19. A monitoring system according to claim 18 wherein the monitoring system is configured to implement a method according to any claim 2 - 17.

20. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, e.g. a control unit of the monitoring system and / or a central unit of the monitoring system, cause the computer to carry out the method according to any of claims 1 - 17.

21. A computer-readable medium comprising the computer program according to claim 20.

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