A monitoring device and method for detecting presence in a space

Abstract

A method (300) for detecting presence in a space is disclosed. The method includes: entering (302) a monitoring state; receiving (304) one or more first signals from one or more radio frequency sensors; analyzing (306) the one or more first signals to determine that a living being is present in the space; when the presence of the living being has been determined, controlling (308) a device configured to provide a stimulus perceivable by the living being in the space to provide the stimulus; when the stimulus has been provided, receiving (310) one or more second signals from the one or more radio frequency sensors; analyzing (312) the one or more second signals; detecting (314) a physical response of the living being to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second signals; generating (316) a notification command and / or a control command based on the physical response; and transmitting (318) a signal indicating the notification command and / or the control command to a controllable device or application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method of detecting a presence in a space and to a computer program product for executing the method. The invention also relates to a monitoring device for detecting a presence in a space. Background Art

[0002] A smart home system enables a user to control multiple devices in a space (such as a user's home). Such a smart lighting system may include multiple controllable devices, sensors, hubs, and other devices that communicate via one or more wireless radio frequency (RF) networks. Wireless RF signals communicated between devices can be used to detect the presence of people and animals. Recent developments in RF sensing also enable monitoring of physiological parameters of people and animals using RF signals. Such presence sensing and physiological parameter monitoring technology uses one or more RF transmitters and one or more RF communication units to detect changes in the RF spectrum (e.g., changes in the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the RF signal, changes in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF signal, changes in the time of flight (ToF) of the RF signal, changes in the wireless multipath signal (CSI), etc.). U.S. Patent Application 2017 / 0074980 A1 discloses a system for detecting the presence, movement, and physiological parameters such as breathing rate of the entire body or body parts.

[0003] US 2017 / 0329449 A1 discloses a system for implementing a radar-based touch interface. A computing device includes: a housing; a radar transceiver configured to detect one or more objects near the computing device; and one or more controllers coupled to the radar transceiver, the one or more controllers configured to, for each of the one or more detected objects: (a) determine whether the detected object is in contact with the housing based on data received from the radar transceiver; (b) based on the determination that the detected object is in contact with the housing, identify an input command based on at least one of a position of the detected object and a movement of the detected object; and (c) adjust the operation of the computing device based on the input command. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an RF monitoring system that enables differentiation between different (types of) humans (or animals).

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the object is achieved by a method for detecting presence in a space, the method comprising:

[0006] - Enter monitoring mode,

[0007] - receiving one or more first signals from one or more radio frequency sensors,

[0008] - analyzing the one or more first signals to determine the presence of a living being in the space,

[0009] - when the presence of a living being has been determined, controlling a device configured to provide a stimulus perceptible by the living being in the space to provide a stimulus,

[0010] - receiving one or more second signals from one or more radio frequency sensors when the stimulus has been provided,

[0011] - analyzing one or more second signals,

[0012] - detecting a physical response of the organism to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second signals,

[0013] - generating notification commands and / or control commands based on the physical response, and

[0014] - Transmitting a signal indicating a notification command and / or a control command to a controllable device or application.

[0015] One or more first signals received from one or more radio frequency sensors are analyzed to determine whether there is a creature (e.g., a person or an animal) in the space. If so, a stimulus providing device located in or near the space is controlled to provide a stimulus (e.g., sound, light, vibration, etc.) that is perceptible to the creature (e.g., a person or an animal). The stimulus may be perceptible to an animal (e.g., a dog), but may not be perceptible to a person (e.g., a dog whistle). The stimulus may be perceptible only to certain people (e.g., a high-frequency audio stimulus may not be heard by a grandfather, but may be heard by a grandson or a teenage intruder). After providing the stimulus, one or more second signals from one or more radio frequency sensors are analyzed. These signals are analyzed to determine the physical response of the creature to the stimulus (e.g., a change in the movement of the creature, a change in the position of the body, a change in a biophysical parameter, or no change in the movement of the creature). The inventors have realized that different creatures may have different responses to this response. For example, the owner of the system may expect the stimulus, while an unauthorized person (such as an intruder) may not expect the stimulus, and therefore respond differently to the stimulus, resulting in different physical responses. A physical response is detected and a notification command or a control command is generated based on the physical response and transmitted to a controllable device or (software) application. For example, if the physical response is detected as a movement indicating that a person is surprised or frightened by the stimulus provided, this may indicate that the person is an unauthorized person, such as a thief. The notification command or the control command may, for example, indicate an alarm that an intruder is present, and a law enforcement agency and / or the owner of the surveillance system may be alerted to said presence, or the device may be controlled (e.g. a door may be locked, a camera may be turned on, etc.). Detecting (and optionally classifying) a physical response is beneficial because it enables a distinction between different (types of) people (or animals).

[0016] The method may also include the step of determining whether the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized or unauthorized physical response, and when the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response, the signal may be transmitted to the controllable device or application. This may be done by comparing the detected physical response to a set of predefined physical responses stored in a database, wherein a first subset of the set of predefined physical responses represents an authorized physical response, and wherein a second subset of the set of predefined physical responses represents an unauthorized physical response. When the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response of the second subset, the signal may be transmitted to the controllable device or application. Additionally or alternatively, this may be done by comparing the detected physical response to a set of predefined physical responses stored in a database, and if the physical response does not correspond to a response stored in the database, it may be determined that the physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response. Additionally or alternatively, this may be done by analyzing a characteristic of one or more second signals (RSSI, SNR, ToF) to determine whether the characteristic exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, it may be determined that the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response. This enables a distinction between authorized and unauthorized persons (or animals). Authorization may also be schedule dependent; a cleaning staff with a house key may only be authorized in the house on Tuesday afternoons.

[0017] If the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized physical response, the second signal is transmitted to the controllable device or application. Alternatively, the second signal can be transmitted to a second (different) controllable device or a second (different) application. In other words, the receiving controllable device or application can be selected based on whether the creature is authorized.

[0018] The method may also include the steps of activating a learning state, learning physical responses to stimuli provided by authorized creatures over a period of time, and storing the physical responses of the authorized creatures in a database. The method may further include switching to a monitoring state. When switching to the monitoring state, if the physical response of the creature does not correspond to the physical response of the authorized creature, a signal (e.g., an alarm signal) may be transmitted to a controllable device or application. In the learning state, the responses of authorized creatures (e.g., users / owners of a monitoring / home control system) may be monitored over a period of time in order to learn how one or more authorized creatures typically respond to these stimuli. During the training period, the user may be asked to identify himself after a training event occurs (e.g., via a voice assistant). This enables the system / model to be trained to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized creatures.

[0019] The physical response may be a movement of the living being, and if the movement corresponds to a predefined movement, a signal may be transmitted. A predefined movement may be a movement that occurs within a predetermined time period (e.g., a (rapid) body, limb and / or head movement). Additionally or alternatively, the physical response may be a change in breathing or a change in the heart rate of the living being, and wherein a signal may be transmitted if the change in breathing or the change in heart rate corresponds to a predefined change. The breathing or heart rate of the living being as determined by RF sensing may change in response to the stimulus. This enables further differentiation between different (types of) people (or animals).

[0020] Examples of stimulation include, but are not limited to, auditory stimulation (sound), tactile stimulation (e.g., vibration, air movement, etc.), visual stimulation (e.g., changing the light output of a lighting unit, turning on a display device, etc.), olfactory stimulation (e.g., a scent provided by a scent dispenser), etc. The stimulation may be provided, for example, by providing sound in the space, by changing the light output of a lighting unit in the space, by generating air movement in the space, by controlling a robot (e.g., by causing it to move), or by opening or closing an automatic door or window.

[0021] The method may also include identifying a living being based on the physical response, and generating a notification command and / or a control command based on the identified living being. For example, a database may be accessed, which may be configured to store a plurality of physical responses associated with a living being, and by comparing the physical response with a plurality of physical responses stored in the database, and by selecting a stored physical response that substantially corresponds to the detected physical response, a living being associated with the stored physical response may be selected and identified. This is beneficial, for example, when a family includes multiple people / animals, because it enables differentiation between (known) living beings. For example, RF sensing may monitor age-dependent changes in heart rate that occur after stimulation. While resting heart rate—the number of heart beats per minute of a living being when the living being is relaxed and at rest—does not change significantly with age, it is known that one of the more common changes with age is the ability of the heart to increase its heart rate during exercise and other stressful periods. When asked to pump faster, the heart rate of a young living being speeds up more than the heart rate of an older living being.

[0022] The controllable device may be located in the space, or the application may be running on a local device located in the space. The controllable device may be, for example, an alarm system located in the space, lighting equipment within the space, an automatic door, a voice assistant speaker with a pre-recorded message, etc. The application may be, for example, an application running on a smartphone, a home control system, a smart assistant, etc. located in the space. Alternatively, the controllable device may be located away from the space (e.g., a garden light outside a house signals a neighbor by flashing an alarm state), or the application may be running on a remote device located away from the space. The controllable device may be, for example, a remote alarm system for notifying authorities about an intruder, or the application may be a software application running on a remote device (e.g., a homeowner's personal device).

[0023] One or more first signals may be received from one or more first radio frequency sensors located at a first position relative to the living being, and one or more second signals may be received from one or more second radio frequency sensors located at a second position relative to the living being. The first position may, for example, be a higher position (e.g. at ceiling level) than the second position (e.g. at the level of the person's head or torso). This may be beneficial because one or more first RF sensors may be configured to detect "roughly" presence with less detail, while one or more second RF sensors may be configured to detect detailed physical changes (such as (micro) movements), changes in physiological parameters (such as changes in breathing or heart rate). One or more second RF sensors may be positioned so that they can detect RF signals transmitted through the body, while one or more first RF sensors may be positioned so that they can only detect RF signals reflected from the living being. One or more first RF sensors may be able to detect changes in RSSI, while the second RF sensors may be able to detect changes in wireless multipath signals (e.g., CSI).

[0024] One or more first signals may be transmitted via a first communication technology, and one or more second signals may be transmitted via a second communication technology. The first communication technology may, for example, be a protocol with lower power consumption, and the second communication technology may be a protocol with higher power consumption. This may be beneficial for reducing the power consumption of the system. Additionally or alternatively, the first communication technology may, for example, be a protocol with lower bandwidth, and the second communication technology may be a protocol with higher data bandwidth. This may be beneficial for reducing the communication bandwidth in the network consumed by RF sensing (e.g., the percentage of the 2.4 GHz WiFi spectrum occupied by WiFi nodes (e.g., lighting units) performing RF sensing). Examples of communication technologies include, but are not limited to, Zigbee, Thread, WirelessHART, SmartRF, Bluetooth Mesh, WiFi Mesh, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wireless LAN Communication (Wi-Fi), etc.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a computer program product comprising a computer program code for performing any of the mentioned methods when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of a computing device.

[0026] According to a third aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a monitoring device for detecting presence in a space, the monitoring device comprising:

[0027] a communication unit configured to receive one or more first signals from one or more radio frequency sensors,

[0028] The processor is configured as:

[0029] - Enter monitoring mode,

[0030] - analyzing one or more first signals to determine the presence of a living being in the space,

[0031] - when the presence of a living being has been determined, controlling a device configured to provide a stimulus perceptible by the living being in the space to provide the stimulus,

[0032] - receiving, via the communication unit, one or more second signals from the one or more radio frequency sensors when the stimulus has been provided,

[0033] - analyzing one or more second signals,

[0034] - detecting a physical response of the organism to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second signals,

[0035] - generating notification commands and / or control commands based on the physical response, and

[0036] - Transmitting a signal indicating a notification command and / or a control command to a controllable device or application.

[0037] It should be understood that the computer program product and monitoring device may have similar and / or the same embodiments and advantages as the above-described method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The above and additional objects, features and advantages of the disclosed systems, devices and methods will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the devices and methods with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0039] Figure 1 An embodiment of a system comprising a monitoring device for detecting presence in a space is schematically shown;

[0040] Figure 2a , Figure 2b and Figure 2c A system for detecting the presence of a person in a space is schematically shown;

[0041] Figure 3 A method of detecting presence in a space is schematically illustrated; and

[0042] Figure 4 A method of detecting and distinguishing between organisms present in a space is schematically shown.

[0043] All the figures are schematic, not necessarily to scale, and generally show only parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention, wherein other parts may be omitted or merely suggested. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Home and building control systems enable users to control devices in an environment (such as the user's home). Such smart control systems may include multiple control devices (such as light switches, sensors, smart hubs, smartphones, etc.) and controllable devices (such as lighting units, audio devices, cameras, etc.) connected via a network. Figure 1 An example of such a system 100 is shown. The system 100 includes a monitoring device 102 for monitoring the presence of a living being in a space (e.g., an indoor space such as a room, an outdoor space such as a garden, an alley, a front door space, etc.), one or more radio frequency sensors 110 located in the space, a device 120 for providing a stimulus in the space, and one or more controllable devices 130 or software applications 140.

[0045] The monitoring device 102 is configured to detect the presence of a living being (human or animal). The monitoring device 102 may, for example, be located at or near the space. The monitoring device may, for example, be included in a central (home) control system, a personal device (such as a smartphone), a smart speaker, a hub, a bridge, etc. Alternatively, the monitoring device 102 may be remote from the space and, for example, may be included in a remote (cloud) server or a monitoring system located remote from the space.

[0046] The monitoring device 102 includes a communication unit 104 configured to receive one or more first signals from one or more radio frequency sensors 110. The communication unit 104 may further include a transmitter or a controllable device 130 or an application 140 for transmitting a signal (indicating a notification command and / or a control command) to the device 120 to provide a stimulus. Various wired and wireless communication protocols may be used, such as Ethernet, DMX, DALI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Li-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G or Zigbee. A specific communication technology may be selected based on the communication capabilities of the monitoring device 102 and / or the controllable device or application, the power consumption of the communication driver of the (wireless) communication technology, and / or the desired communication range of the signal. The monitoring device 102 may be included in a remote server, and the monitoring device 102 may be configured to control the controllable device 130 via an intermediate device such as a bridge, a hub, a central (lighting) control system, a smartphone, etc. This may depend on the system architecture of the system 100.

[0047] The monitoring device 102 also includes a processor 106 (e.g., a microchip, a circuit, a microprocessor, etc.) configured to analyze the one or more first signals from the one or more radio frequency sensors 110 to determine that a living being 150 (e.g., a person or an animal) is present in the space based on changes in the one or more first signals. Detecting presence based on changes in RF signals (e.g., changes in a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the RF signal, changes in a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF signal, changes in a time of flight (ToF) of the RF signal, etc.) is known in the art and will not be discussed in detail.

[0048] The processor 106 is also configured to control the device 120 to provide stimulation in the space when it has been determined that the organism 150 exists. Examples of stimulation include, but are not limited to, auditory stimulation (sound), tactile stimulation (e.g., vibration, air movement, etc.), visual stimulation (e.g., changing the light output of a lighting unit, turning on a display device, etc.), olfactory stimulation (e.g., smell), etc. The device 120 may be, for example, a lighting unit that is configured to receive lighting control instructions from the processor 106 and change its light output accordingly to provide stimulation. The lighting control instructions may, for example, indicate light settings such as strong light, flashing lights for strobe effects, etc. The device 120 may be, for example, an audio playback device (e.g., a home audio system, an alarm system, etc.) that is configured to receive audio control instructions from the processor 106 and generate audio accordingly. The audio control instructions may, for example, include instructions to present an alarm sound or a pre-recorded message to let the intruder know that the neighbor has been notified of the alarm. The device 120 may be, for example, a video presentation device (e.g., a display) that is configured to receive control instructions from the processor 106 and present a video image accordingly. The control instructions may, for example, include instructions to display a camera feed on a display (e.g., to indicate to an intruder that he is captured by a camera). It should be understood that these examples of device 120 and stimuli are merely examples and that those skilled in the art will be able to devise alternatives without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0049] The processor 106 is also configured to receive one or more second signals from the one or more radio frequency sensors 110 after the stimulation has been provided. The processor 106 can then analyze the one or more second signals to detect (and optionally classify) a physical response to the stimulation of the organism 150. The processor 106 can analyze the one or more second signals to detect, for example, movement or tremor of the organism 150 in response to the stimulation. The one or more second signals can be analyzed over time, and the processor 106 can detect signal changes indicating an increase in movement (e.g., a high SNR of an RF signal transmitted between two RF nodes, a ToF change of an RF signal transmitted between two RF nodes, a Doppler shift of a reflected signal emitted by an RF transceiver, a change in CSI wireless multipath, etc.). The lack of change in one or more second signals can also be an indication of a physical response. This may occur when the organism is used for stimulation and therefore has no physical response to the stimulation. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 106 can analyze the one or more second signals to detect breathing changes or heart rate changes of the organism 150 in response to the stimulation. For example, RF signals from a 60 GHz WiFi node can be used to detect the breathing rate or heart rate of a living being. Techniques for detecting movement of the entire body or body parts and physiological parameters such as breathing rate and heart rate are known in the art and are disclosed, for example, in US 2017 / 0074980 A1.

[0050] The processor 106 is also configured to generate a notification command and / or a control command based on the physical response, and transmit a signal indicating the notification command and / or the control command to the controllable device or application. The processor 106 may, for example, be configured to classify the physical response. The classification may, for example, be based on the amount of change of the one or more second signals, or based on the type of change of the one or more second signals. For example, if the amount of change of the one or more second signals exceeds a threshold, the processor 106 may classify the response as a startled response, and if the amount of change of the one or more second signals does not exceed the threshold, the response is classified as a calm response. The processor 106 may also generate a notification command and / or a control command based on the classified physical response, and transmit a signal indicating the notification command and / or the control command to the controllable device 130 or the application 140.

[0051] The monitoring device 102 may be configured to distinguish between authorized and unauthorized organisms. The processor 106 may be configured to determine whether the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized or unauthorized physical response, and when the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response, a signal may be transmitted to a controllable device or application. The processor 106 may, for example, be configured to compare the detected physical response with a set of predefined physical responses stored in a database. The database may be stored in a memory that may be included in the monitoring device or located on a remote server accessible via a network (such as the Internet). A first subset of the set of predefined physical responses may represent authorized physical responses (e.g., known physical responses of authorized users of the system 100), and a second subset of the set of predefined physical responses may represent unauthorized physical responses (e.g., other physical responses of unauthorized persons such as intruders). The second subset of the set of predefined physical responses may include responses indicating a movement level (or physiological parameter change) exceeding a threshold. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 106 may be configured to compare the detected physical response to a set of predefined physical responses stored in a database, and if the physical response does not correspond to a response stored in the database, the processor 106 may determine that the physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 106 may analyze a characteristic of one or more second signals (RSSI, SNR, ToF) to determine whether the characteristic exceeds a threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, the processor 106 may determine that the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response.

[0052] If the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response (e.g., a heart rate change associated with a stimulus indicating a person younger than the owner), the processor 106 may transmit an (alarm) signal to a controllable device or application (e.g., an alarm system and / or a security or monitoring application running on a personal device of an authorized user). In another example, the processor 106 may control a controllable device located in the space, such as a local alarm system, an intruder deterrent system (e.g., turning on a lighting unit and / or a display showing a video feed of an intruder), etc., based on the recognition of an unauthorized creature. If the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized physical response, a different signal may be transmitted to the controllable device or application, or to another controllable device or application. Authorized creatures may be, for example, residents, cleaners, nannies, etc. They frequently visit the space, and their physical response(s) to one or more stimuli may be stored in a database. If an authorized creature (e.g., a cleaning staff) has been detected, the processor 106 may, for example, transmit a signal indicating it to a personal device of the owner of the monitoring system 100 to inform the owner of the presence of an authorized person. In another example, the processor 106 may control controllable devices located in the space, such as HVAC systems, lighting units, audio systems, etc., based on the identification of an authorized biometric.

[0053] Processor 106 may also be configured to activate a learning state to learn the physical responses of an authorized being. In the learning state, processor 106 may provide stimulation via device 120 when the being is present and store the physical responses of the authorized being in a database. Processor 106 may repeat this process to learn the physical responses to stimulation provided by one or more authorized beings over time and store the physical responses of these authorized beings in a database.

[0054] The processor 106 may also be configured to distinguish the category of the organism based on the physical response of the organism (when the monitoring state and / or the learning state are activated). The processor 106 may, for example, distinguish between different types of people (e.g., children, adults, different body masses, etc.) and / or distinguish between people and animals (e.g., pets). Additionally or alternatively, the processor 106 may be further configured to identify the organism based on the physical response. Different organisms may have different physiological responses to the provided stimuli. When the processor 106 has been set to the learning state, the responses of these organisms may be learned. This enables the processor 106 to identify the organism when it is set to the monitoring state. When in the learning state, the processor 106 may detect the physical response of the organism and receive input indicating the identity or category of the organism. The input may be received from the user via a user interface. Additionally or alternatively, input may be received from another device, such as a camera system configured to identify the category of organisms present in the space.

[0055] The processor 106 may also be configured to generate notification commands and / or control commands based on the identified organism or based on the category of the detected organism. In a first example, when a first type of organism (e.g., a child) has been detected, the processor 106 may generate a first notification (e.g., a notification to inform parents that children are at home) and transmit a signal indicating the first notification (e.g., transmitted to a software application 140 running on a parent's personal device). When a second type of organism (e.g., an adult) has been detected, the processor 106 may generate a second notification (e.g., send a welcome home message to the adult) and transmit a signal indicating the second notification (e.g., transmitted to a software application 140 running on an adult's personal device). In another example, the processor 106 may generate and transmit a first control command (e.g., an instruction to display news on a television) for a first device when a first user has been identified, and generate and transmit a second control command (e.g., an instruction to play specific music on an audio system) for a second device when a second user has been identified. The processor 106 may be configured to access a database to determine which notification command or control command to generate. The database may store associations between (to be identified) organisms and notification commands or control commands, and / or associated categories of organisms and notification commands or control commands, so that the processor 106 can select / generate a notification command or control command for the identified organism or category.

[0056] The system 100 may include one or more radio frequency sensors 110. The system 100 may, for example, include a single RF sensor configured to transmit an RF signal and receive its reflection. The single sensor may transmit the reflected first signal to the monitoring device 102, which may be analyzed to determine the presence of a living being in the space. Based on changes in the reflection (e.g., due to Doppler frequency shift or changes in flight time), the presence of a living being may be detected. This has been described in detail in the literature. Figure 2a Sensor 210 may be configured to transmit a first RF signal and receive a reflection thereof to detect the presence of organism 150. If so, the stimulus is provided by device 120 (not shown), and processor 106 may detect a change in a reflected second signal transmitted by sensor 210 indicating a physical response.

[0057] Figure 2bA system 100 including two RF nodes 220, 222 is shown. These nodes can each include an RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF signals. The two RF nodes 220, 222 can be configured to detect RF signals transmitted through the body. When a biological 150 is present between the nodes 220, 222, the RSSI, CSI or SNR of the transmitted first signal changes, which indicates the presence of the biological. The stimulus can then be provided by the device 120, and the processor 106 can detect changes in one or more second signals transmitted between the nodes 220, 222 indicating a physical response.

[0058] Figure 2c A system 100 is shown comprising three RF nodes 230, 232, 234. One or more first signals may be received from one or more first radio frequency sensors (nodes 230) located at a first position relative to the living being 150, and one or more second signals may be received from one or more second radio frequency sensors (nodes 232, 234) located at a second position relative to the living being 150. The first position may, for example, be a higher position (e.g. at ceiling level) than the second position (e.g. at the level of the head or torso of the person). The one or more first RF sensors 230 may be configured to provide a first signal indicating a "rough" presence, with less detail, to the processor 106, while the one or more second RF sensors may be configured to provide a second signal indicating detailed physical changes, such as (micro) movements, breathing changes or heart rate changes.

[0059] One or more first signals may be transmitted via a first communication technology, and one or more second signals may be transmitted via a second communication technology. The first communication technology may be, for example, a communication technology with lower power consumption, and the second communication technology may be a communication technology with higher power consumption. Additionally or alternatively, the first communication technology may be, for example, a communication technology with lower bandwidth, and the second communication technology may be a communication technology with higher power bandwidth. The first (wireless) communication technology may be a multi-hop communication technology (such as Zigbee, Thread, WirelessHART, SmartRF, Bluetooth Mesh, WiFi Mesh, or any other Mesh or tree-based technology), and the second (wireless) communication technology may be a point-to-point communication technology (such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), wireless LAN communication (Wi-Fi), etc.). Typically, the RF signal of the point-to-point communication technology is stronger than the RF signal of the multi-hop communication technology. Therefore, the low signal strength (first) signal of the multi-hop communication technology (e.g., Zigbee) may be analyzed to detect presence, and the higher signal strength (second) signal of the point-to-point communication technology (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) may be analyzed to detect physical response.

[0060] When the first one or more RF signals and the second one or more RF signals are received from the same (group of) RF sensors (which may be included in the lighting unit), these sensors may include one or more communication modules for communicating via different communication technologies. These communication modules may be separate units (e.g., separate radio chips) included in the sensors, or both may be included on a single radio chip, thereby allowing low-cost devices to operate as part of both the first network and the second network simultaneously using a single wireless radio module. This may be achieved by rapidly switching the first and second communication technologies (e.g., Zigbee and Bluetooth) operation over time, such that the sensor (or a device including the sensor, such as a lighting unit) remains connected and operates in both networks simultaneously. The possibility of having constrained devices operate on both networks simultaneously opens up new solutions to improve the limitations of these existing technologies.

[0061] One or more radio frequency sensors may be included in the respective lighting units. Current smart homes typically contain multiple connected lighting devices that communicate via a (mesh) network. RF signals transmitted between these lighting units may be analyzed to determine presence and determine a physical response of the organism 150. The RF signals transmitted between the lighting devices may include lighting control instructions and / or configuration instructions, and these RF signals may be additionally analyzed to determine presence and determine a physical response of the organism 150. Thus, no dedicated (RF) sensor is required for detecting presence. The one or more lighting units may be any type of lighting unit. The lighting unit may include one or more light sources (e.g., LED / OLED light sources). The lighting units may be arranged to provide general lighting, task lighting, ambient lighting, mood lighting, accent lighting, indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, etc.

[0062] Figure 3 A method 300 for detecting presence in a space is schematically illustrated, the method 300 comprising: entering 302 a monitoring state; receiving 304 one or more first signals from one or more radio frequency sensors; analyzing 306 the one or more first signals to determine the presence of a living being in the space; when the presence of a living being has been determined, controlling 308 a device configured to provide a stimulus perceptible by the living being in the space to provide a stimulus; when the stimulus has been provided, receiving 310 one or more second signals from one or more radio frequency sensors; analyzing 312 the one or more second signals; detecting 314 a physical response of the living being to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second signals; generating 316 a notification command and / or a control command based on the physical response; and transmitting 318 a signal indicative of the notification command and / or the control command to a controllable device or application.

[0063] Figure 4A method 400 for detecting and distinguishing between organisms present in a space is schematically shown. The method 400 includes Figure 3 The method 400 includes the steps of method 300, and further includes the steps of: comparing 315 the detected physical response to a set of predefined physical responses stored in a database, wherein a first subset of the set of predefined physical responses represents authorized physical responses, and wherein a second subset of the set of predefined physical responses represents unauthorized physical responses. The method 400 includes: when the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response of the second subset, generating 316a a first notification command and / or a first control command based on the physical response; and transmitting 318a a first signal indicating the first notification command and / or the first control command to a controllable device or application. The method 400 includes: when the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized physical response of the second subset, generating 316b a second notification command and / or a second control command based on the physical response; and transmitting 318a a second signal indicating the second notification command and / or the second control command to a controllable device or application (the controllable device / application may be the same or different controllable device / application).

[0064] The methods 300 , 400 may be performed by computer program code of a computer program product when the computer program product is executed on a processing unit of a computing device, such as the processor 106 of the monitoring device 102 .

[0065] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0066] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer or processing unit. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0067] Aspects of the present invention can be implemented in a computer program product, which can be a collection of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, which can be executed by a computer. Instructions of the present invention can be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs) or Java classes. Instructions can be provided as complete executable programs, partial executable programs, modifications (e.g., updates) of existing programs, or extensions (e.g., plug-ins) of existing programs. In addition, partial processing of the present invention can be distributed on multiple computers or processors or even "clouds".

[0068] Storage media suitable for storing computer program instructions include all forms of non-volatile memory, including but not limited to EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal and external hard drives, removable disks and CD-ROM discs. The computer program product may be distributed on such storage media or may be provided for download via HTTP, FTP, email or through a server connected to a network (such as the Internet).

Claims

1. A method (300) for detecting presence in a space, the method comprising: - Enter (302) monitoring state, - receiving one or more first radio frequency signals from one or more radio frequency sensors, - analyzing the one or more first radio frequency signals to determine the presence of living things in the space, - when the presence of the living being has been determined, controlling (308) a device to provide a stimulus perceivable by the living being in the space, the device being configured to provide the stimulus, - receiving one or more second radio frequency signals from said one or more radio frequency sensors when said stimulus has been provided, - analyzing said one or more second radio frequency signals, - detecting (314) a physical response of the living being to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second radio frequency signals, the physical response comprising a change in movement of the living being, a change in body position, or a change in a physical parameter of the living being, - generating (316) a notification command and / or a control command based on the physical response, and - transmitting (318) a signal indicative of said notification command and / or said control command to a controllable device or application.

2. The method (300) according to claim 1, further comprising: - determining whether the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized or unauthorized physical response, and when the detected physical response corresponds to an unauthorized physical response, the signal is transmitted to the controllable device or the application.

3. The method (300) of claim 2, wherein: If the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized physical response, a second signal (318b) is transmitted to the controllable device or the application.

4. The method (300) of claim 2, wherein: If the detected physical response corresponds to an authorized physical response, a second signal (318b) is transmitted to a second controllable device or a second application.

5. The method (300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of: -Activate the learning state, - learn, over time, the physical responses of one or more authorized organisms to provided stimuli, and - Storing said physical response of the authorized being in a database.

6. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the physical response is a movement of the living being, and wherein the signal is transmitted if the movement corresponds to a predefined movement.

7. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the physical response is a breathing change or a heart rate change of the living being, and wherein the signal is transmitted if the breathing change or the heart rate change corresponds to a predefined change.

8. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, providing stimulation by providing sound in the space, by changing the light output of a lighting unit in the space, by generating air movement in the space, by movement of a robot, or by opening or closing an automatic door or automatic window.

9. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the following steps: - identifying said organism based on said physical response, and - generating the notification command and / or the control command based on the recognized living being.

10. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the controllable device is located in the space.

11. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the controllable device is remotely located from the spatial location, or wherein the application is run on a remote device remotely located from the spatial location.

12. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the one or more first signals are received from one or more first radio frequency sensors located at a first position relative to the organism, and wherein the one or more second signals are received from one or more second radio frequency sensors located at a second position relative to the organism.

13. The method (300) of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the one or more first signals are transmitted via a first communication technology, and wherein the one or more second signals are transmitted via a second communication technology.

14. A computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising computer program code for performing the method (300) of any one of claims 1 to 13 when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the computing device.

15. A monitoring device (102) for detecting presence in a space, the monitoring device (102) comprising: A communication unit (104) is configured to receive one or more first radio frequency signals from one or more radio frequency sensors (110), The processor (106) is configured to: - Enter monitoring mode, - analyzing the one or more first radio frequency signals to determine the presence of a living being in the space (150), - when the presence of the creature has been determined, controlling a device (120) configured to provide a stimulus perceptible by the creature (150) in the space to provide a stimulus, - receiving one or more second radio frequency signals from said one or more radio frequency sensors (110) via said communication unit (104) when said stimulus has been provided, - analyzing said one or more second radio frequency signals, - identifying a physical response of the living being (150) to the stimulus based on the analyzed one or more second radio frequency signals, the physical response comprising a change in movement of the living being, a change in body position, or a change in a physical parameter of the living being, - generating a notification command and / or a control command based on the physical response, and - transmitting a signal indicative of the notification command and / or the control command to a controllable device (130) or an application (140).

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