Controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system and method therefor

Abstract

A method of reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system comprising a transmitter node arranged for transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node arranged for receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals, wherein an external device external to the transmitter / receiver nodes is arranged for processing the radio frequency signals for radio frequency based sensing, wherein the method comprises collecting the received radio frequency signals at a collector node, transmitting the collected radio frequency signals to the external device for processing at a second transmission rate, receiving sensing results from the external device based on the processing, and adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system. The invention also relates to a controller, system, and computer program product for reconfiguring an RF-based sensing system. Background Technology

[0002] Radio frequency (RF) based sensing is a sensing mechanism involving a wireless transceiver (or transmitter / receiver) positioned to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals. These RF signals—which can also be used for radio communications—are affected by the presence / movement of a person within the sensing volume, for example, through reflection, absorption, scattering, etc. RF based sensing uses this deviation of the RF signal to infer the presence of a person. Processing the affected RF signal to infer presence can be performed locally (e.g., at the receiving node) or externally at an external device. For external processing, a collector node is typically used to collect the RF signal and transmit it to the external device. RF based sensing has also been extended to other applications such as location detection, fall detection, gesture detection, and vital sign detection, which are also based on how RF signals are affected within the sensing volume.

[0003] KAUR MANPREET et al. disclosed a wireless sensor network (WSN) comprising base stations placed across a geographic area and numerous sensor nodes. These sensor nodes collect information from the area and transmit it to the base station (sink node). Congestion can occur in the network when a large number of sensor nodes are busy transmitting data to the sink node. Congestion plays a significant role in degrading network performance or causing network failures. Different approaches have been introduced in recent years, including routing protocols that leverage congestion detection and control mechanisms, as well as dedicated congestion control protocols. In summary, this paper compares and analyzes different protocols based on their performance under various parameters and provides a conclusion. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The inventors have recognized that when RF signal processing is performed externally (e.g., in an external device such as a cloud or gateway), the transmission of RF signals to the external device becomes one of the main causes of RF traffic congestion. This hinders radio communication within the sensing area, for example, due to an increased probability of message collisions, and also degrades the performance of RF sensing. Furthermore, it limits the number of detection areas in the sensing environment, as each detection area needs to collect RF signals and transmit them to the external device.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the problems described above and other (related) problems, and to improve the performance of RF sensing systems.

[0006] According to the first aspect, this objective is achieved by a method for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system, the sensing system including a transmitter node arranged for transmitting RF signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node arranged for receiving the transmitted RF signals, wherein an external device outside the transmitter / receiver node is arranged for processing the RF signals to perform RF-based sensing, wherein the method includes: collecting the received RF signals at a collector node, transmitting the collected RF signals to the external device for processing at a second transmission rate, receiving sensing results based on the processing from the external device, and adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

[0007] This method involves reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system comprising at least two nodes, for example, a transmitter node positioned to transmit RF signals at a first transmit rate and a receiver node positioned to receive the transmitted RF signals. The transmit rate can be defined as the number of messages transmitted per second. In one example, the messages transmitted / received between the transmitter and receiver nodes include interpan messages. The RF-based sensing system can include three nodes or any number of nodes of n, where n > 1. In one example, when the number of nodes is three, one node can be positioned to transmit RF signals, and two other nodes can be positioned to receive the transmitted RF signals. Any other possible combination of numbers of nodes and transmitter / receiver configurations is also conceivable, for example, based on the RF-based sensing application, the spatial location of the nodes, etc.

[0008] Radio frequency (RF) based sensing systems can be deployed for presence and / or location detection. Presence sensing may include vital sign detection, gesture detection, etc. Additionally and / or alternatively, other known or future applications of RF based sensing systems (e.g., respiration detection, activity detection, vital sign detection, gesture detection, etc.) are not excluded.

[0009] The transmitted / received radio frequency signals can be used for presence and / or location detection, and also for performing network communications. Network communication and / or message transmission / reception can be performed according to any suitable type of wireless communication protocol, including, for example, Bluetooth, ZigBee, UWB, or WiFi, where the node has appropriate corresponding circuitry for that protocol.

[0010] Radio frequency-based sensing and optional wireless network communication are performed within an environment. This environment can be an outdoor space, such as a garden, balcony, park, street, etc. It can also be an indoor space, such as a house, office, shop, animal shed, warehouse, manufacturing site, etc.

[0011] This method involves collecting received radio frequency signals at a collector node. In one example, the receiver node can be the collector node. In another example, the collector node can be an external node located outside the receiver and / or transmitter nodes. The collector node can be included in a radio frequency-based sensing system.

[0012] The method also includes transmitting the collected radio frequency (RF) signals to an external device for processing at a second transmission rate. The first transmission rate can be the same as the second transmission rate; alternatively, it can be different. In one example, the collected RF signals are instantaneously received RF signals, such that they are transmitted as they are received. The amount of collected RF signals can be based on the first and second transmission rates. The transmission of the collected RF signals to the external device can include unicast messages, which are defined as messages sent directly to a single host.

[0013] The method also includes receiving processed sensing results from an external device. Processing of the collected signals is performed at the external device. For example, processing is performed by comparing deviations in the received collected signals to a baseline, which can be defined as an initial value for the sensing / detection area. Any deviation exceeding a threshold or signature deviation can indicate a sensing event. For example, for presence sensing, the sensing result could be the presence or absence of a user. Sensing results can be received at the collector node and / or transmitter / receiver node (transmitter and / or receiver). Sensing results can be received directly from the external device or indirectly via another device.

[0014] Because the method also includes adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results, network traffic is reduced, resulting in improved performance of the radio frequency-based sensing system. This adjustment can include increasing or decreasing the second transmission rate.

[0015] In one embodiment, the method may further include adjusting the first transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

[0016] In this advantageous embodiment, not only is the second transmission rate (message transmission from the collector node to the external device) adjusted, but the first transmission rate (message transmission from the transmitter node to the receiver node) is also adjusted, increased, or decreased, for example, to further reduce network traffic, thereby improving the RF sensing system.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method may further include determining at the collector node whether the deviation of the received radio frequency signal over a period of time exceeds a threshold, and wherein the adjustment of the second transmit rate is further based on this determination.

[0018] For example, when the collected radio frequency signal does not change over time, it can indicate that there is no change in the environment. In this case, the initial transmit rate can be advantageously adjusted (e.g., reduced) to further improve the performance of the RF sensing system.

[0019] In one embodiment, a radio frequency-based sensing system may be arranged for presence sensing, wherein the sensing result is the presence of a user, and wherein adjustment of the second transmission rate may include reducing the second transmission rate compared to a normal transmission rate when the presence of a user is detected.

[0020] For presence sensing, when a user's presence is detected—that is, when the sensing result indicates the presence of a user in the detection area—the external device transmits the result, and then, based on this result, the second transmission rate can be reduced. This is advantageous because when presence is detected, the transmission of the collected radio frequency signal can be reduced compared to the normal transmission rate. When no presence is detected, the normal transmission rate can be used.

[0021] In one embodiment, if no longer detected within a predetermined time period, the second transmission rate can be switched back to the normal transmission rate.

[0022] If the presence is no longer detected for a period of time (e.g., when the user has been moved out of the detection area), and the sensing results indicate that the user is no longer in the detection area, the second transmission rate advantageously switches back to the normal operating mode.

[0023] In one embodiment, adjusting the second transmit rate may include reducing the second transmit rate compared to a normal transmit rate, and wherein during the period in which the second transmit rate has been reduced, collector network nodes may be configured to splice received radio frequency signals and to transmit the spliced ​​signals based on the adjusted second transmit rate. In one example, signal splicing may include combining the last set of messages that the collector node has received from the transmitter node into a single message from the collector node to an external device.

[0024] In one embodiment, the adjustment of the second transmit rate may also be based on one or more of the following: the type of environment, the number of transmitter / receiver nodes, the collector node, and / or the spatial location of the transmitter / receiver nodes.

[0025] Attached to and / or replacing previous adjustment criteria, the second transmission rate can be adjusted based on the type of environment. For example, a different second transmission rate can be selected for a living room compared to a corridor. The second transmission rate can also be adjusted based on the number of transmitter / receiver nodes, collector nodes, and / or the spatial location of transmitter / receiver nodes.

[0026] In one embodiment, a radio frequency-based sensing system may include multiple detection regions, and the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on the amount of active detection regions.

[0027] For larger indoor / outdoor environments, the number of detection zones can be more than one, allowing the environment to be divided into multiple detection zones for sensing. A detection zone includes at least two nodes (transmitter / receiver) and a preferred collector node to cover the area used for sensing. An active detection zone is the area where the device (transmitter / receiver node) actively transmits / receives. Detection zones can also be referred to as boundaries, where active boundaries are the boundaries where the transmitter and receiver nodes actually transmit / receive interpan messages. If multiple active detection zones exist, a second transmission rate can be adjusted based on the number of active detection zones, in addition to and / or replacing previous adjustment criteria, to improve traffic congestion and thus the performance of the RF sensing system.

[0028] In one embodiment, the adjustment of the second transmit rate may be further based on network communication between the transmitter node and the receiver node and / or between the transmitter / receiver node and the collector node.

[0029] In one example, radio frequency (RF) signals are also used for network communication. In other words, RF signals intended for network communication can be used for RF-based sensing (passive RF sensing). In this case, the second transmit rate, attached to and / or replacing the previous adjustment criteria, can be adjusted based on network communication requirements; for example, if the RF signal throughput of network communication is high, the second transmit rate can be reduced, or vice versa.

[0030] In one embodiment, the transmitter and / or receiver node includes a lighting device, and the operating state of the lighting device changes based on sensing results.

[0031] Transmitter and / or receiver nodes may include lighting devices. In another example, collector nodes may include lighting devices. A lighting device is a device or structure arranged to emit light suitable for illuminating an environment, thereby providing or substantially contributing to illumination on a scale sufficient for that purpose. In a simple example, the lighting device is powered on to provide illumination based on sensing results, such as when presence is detected, the lamp is powered on. The lighting device may be arranged to remain on (provide illumination) for a hold period, even if no presence is detected during that hold period.

[0032] According to the second aspect, this objective is achieved by a controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system, the RF-based sensing system including a transmitter node arranged for transmitting RF signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node arranged for receiving the transmitted RF signals, wherein the controller includes a processor arranged for controlling the execution of steps of the method of the first aspect. Additionally and / or alternatively, the processor is arranged to execute the steps of the method of the first aspect.

[0033] According to a third aspect, this objective is achieved by a system for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system, wherein the system includes a controller according to the second aspect, a transmitter node arranged to transmit RF signals at a first transmit rate, and a receiver node arranged to receive the transmitted RF signals. The system may also include an external device outside the transmitter / receiver node, arranged to process the RF signals for RF-based sensing. The system may further include a collector node arranged to collect the received RF signals and transmit the collected RF signals to the external device for processing at a second transmit rate.

[0034] According to the fourth aspect, this objective is achieved by a computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect.

[0035] It should be understood that computer program products, controllers, and systems may have similar and / or the same embodiments and advantages as the methods described above. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Referring to the accompanying drawings, 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 systems, devices, and methods, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 An embodiment of a system for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system is illustrated schematically and exemplary.

[0038] Figure 2 An embodiment of a controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system is illustrated schematically and exemplary.

[0039] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system is shown schematically and exemplaryly.

[0040] All figures are schematic and not necessarily to scale, and generally only show the parts necessary to illustrate the invention, where other parts may be omitted or merely suggested. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Figure 1 An embodiment of system 100 for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system is illustrated schematically and exemplary. System 100 may be contained within an environment 101. This environment may be an indoor environment, such as a house, office, shop, animal shed, etc.; or it may be an outdoor environment, such as a street, parking lot, etc.

[0042] System 100 includes a plurality of lighting devices 110a-c arranged to transmit and receive radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate. Each lighting device 110a-c is a device or structure arranged to emit light suitable for illuminating an environment, providing or substantially contributing to illumination on a scale sufficient for that purpose. System 100 may include any number of lighting devices 110a-c. Each lighting device 110a-c includes at least one light source or lamp, such as an LED-based lamp, a gas discharge lamp, or an incandescent bulb, plus any associated bracket, housing, or other such enclosure. Each of the lighting devices 110a-c can take any of a variety of forms, such as a ceiling-mounted luminaire, a wall-mounted luminaire, a wall washer, or a freestanding luminaire (and the luminaires need not all be of the same type). In the exemplary figure, the lighting device 110a-c is a ceiling-mounted luminaire. Additionally and / or alternatively, transmitter and / or receiver nodes may include sensors, gateways, switches, etc.

[0043] System 100 may include at least one detection area. A detection area or sensing area is defined as the area / volume covered by the sensing system 100. For example, in a home, sensing in different rooms defines different detection / sensing areas. Each detection area includes at least a transmitter node and a receiver node, and may also include a collector node. Detection areas may overlap (at least partially) such that a receiver node in one detection area can be arranged to receive radio frequency signals from a transmitter node in another detection area. Alternatively, detection areas may not overlap.

[0044] System 100 also includes a collector node 140. Collector node 140 may be a lighting device or any other device (such as a sensor, gateway, switch, etc.). Collector node 140 may be a standalone device; alternatively, collector node 140 may be one of receiver nodes 110a-c. Collector node 140 may be arranged to receive radio frequency signals from, for example, receiver nodes 110a-c, and is also arranged to collect the received radio frequency signals. Collector node 140 may also be arranged to transmit the collected radio frequency signals at a second transmit rate to an external device for processing. Collector node 140 may be included in the radio frequency sensing system 100.

[0045] System 100 may also include an external device 130 located outside the transmitter / receiver 110a-c and / or collector device 140. External device 130 may be within environment 101, for example, it may be a gateway, bridging device, etc., or it may be located outside environment 101 (such as a cloud or service device). External device 130 may be configured to process radio frequency signals received from collector node 140. This processing may be based on comparing the characteristics of the received radio frequency signals to a baseline. The baseline is an initial or reference value defined for sensing environment 101. Any change in characteristics exceeding a threshold compared to the baseline indicates a sensing event. This characteristic may be the signal strength of the received radio frequency signal (such as RSSI) and / or channel state information (CSI). Sensing applications may include, but are not limited to, sensing the presence of user 120 in the detection area, location detection, gesture detection, fall detection, sleep monitoring, vital sign detection (such as heart rate detection, respiration detection), etc.

[0046] Wireless communication between transmitter and receiver nodes 110a-c, and / or between receiver nodes 110a-c and collector node 140, and / or between collector node 140 and external device 130, can be based on any suitable type of protocol, including, for example, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Thread, and / or WiFi, wherein transmitter 110a-c / receiver 110a-c / collector node 140 and / or external device 130 have appropriate corresponding circuitry (not shown) for the protocol used.

[0047] Figure 2 An embodiment of a controller 210 for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system is illustrated schematically and exemplary. The controller 210 may include an input unit 214 and an output unit 215. The input unit 214 and output unit 215 may be included in a transceiver (not shown), or the input unit 214 may be included in a receiver and the output unit 215 may be included in a transmitter, arranged to receive (input unit 214) and transmit (output unit 215) radio frequency signals.

[0048] The controller 210 may further include a memory 212, which may be arranged to store communication IDs of lighting devices 110a-c and / or collector devices 140 and / or external devices 130, etc. The controller 210 may include a processor 213, which is arranged to perform the steps of the method according to the first aspect or at least control the execution of the steps of the method according to the first aspect.

[0049] Controller 210 may be implemented in a separate unit (such as a wall panel, desktop computer terminal, or even a portable terminal (such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone)) from lighting devices 110a-c / collector node 140 / external device 130. Alternatively, controller 210 may be incorporated into the same unit as collector node 140 and / or the same unit as one of lighting devices 110a-c and / or the same unit as external device 130. Furthermore, controller 210 may be implemented in environment 101 or remotely (e.g., on a server); and controller 210 may be implemented in a single unit or as a distributed function distributed across multiple separate units (e.g., a distributed server comprising multiple server units located in one or more geographical locations, or a distributed control function distributed among lighting devices 110a-c or between lighting devices 110a-b and collector node 140 and / or external device 130). Furthermore, the controller 210 may be implemented as software stored in a memory (which includes one or more memory devices) and arranged to execute on a processor (which includes one or more processing units), or the controller 210 may be implemented as dedicated hardware circuitry, or configurable or reconfigurable circuitry such as a PGA or FPGA, or any combination thereof.

[0050] In order for the controller 210 to receive or transmit radio frequency signals, communication may be achieved by any suitable wireless means, such as a local (short-range) RF network, such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth network; or by any combination of these and / or other means.

[0051] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method 300 for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system is shown schematically and exemplary. The RF-based sensing system includes transmitter nodes 110a-c arranged to transmit RF signals at a first transmit rate and receiver nodes 110a-c arranged to receive the transmitted RF signals. The transmitter and / or receiver nodes 110a-c can be lighting devices, sensors, gateways, switches, or any network device capable of transmitting and / or receiving RF signals. The RF signals can include any radio frequency band, such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. The transmission and reception of the RF signals can be based on any known or future wireless communication protocol. The first transmit rate can include transmitting 5 messages per second, or it can be in the range of 1-10 messages per second. The first transmit rate can be based on network, transmitter nodes, receiver nodes, and other contextual factors. Therefore, other first transmit rates are not excluded.

[0052] External devices 130, located outside the transmitter and / or receiver nodes, are arranged to process radio frequency (RF) signals for RF-based sensing. External devices 130, such as gateways, bridges, etc., may be located within environment 101 or outside environment 101 (e.g., cloud, server equipment, etc.). The processing may include comparing the received RF signal to a baseline and determining whether the difference between the received RF signal and the baseline exceeds a threshold. A baseline is defined for each environment / detection area. The received RF signal is affected by the presence of, for example, a person, animal, or any body of water, through reflection, absorption, scattering, etc. This deviation from the baseline (e.g., the zero value of the environment) indicates presence (or other sensing functionality). The processing may involve determining signature changes in the received RF signal, such as changes that may represent the presence of a person, animal, etc.

[0053] Method 300 may include collecting the received radio frequency (RF) signal at collector node 140. The received RF signal may be received from receiver nodes 110a-c, which are also configured to transmit the received RF signal (received from transmitter nodes 110a-c) to collector node 140. In another example, collector node 140 is configured to receive RF signals from transmitter nodes 110a-c. Collector 140 may include a memory configured to store the received RF signal.

[0054] Method 300 may include transmitting the collected radio frequency signals 320 to an external device 130 for processing at a second transmission rate. Method 300 may further include receiving, 330, sensing results from the external device based on the processed signals. The external node 130 may include a processor for processing the received radio frequency signals. The sensing results are based on sensing capabilities; for example, for presence sensing, the sensing result is the presence or absence (absence) of a user. In one example, each transmitter node sends one message to the collector node, and the collector node then sends the aggregation result to the external device. The collection of the received radio frequency signals may be configurable and has an impact on system latency.

[0055] Method 300 may further include adjusting the second transmission rate 340 based on the received sensing result. This adjustment may include changing the second transmission rate, e.g., increasing or decreasing it. For example, when radio frequency-based sensing is arranged for presence sensing, and where the sensing result is the presence of user 120, adjusting the second transmission rate may include reducing the second transmission rate compared to the normal transmission rate when the user's presence is detected. For example, lighting devices 110a-c may be controlled based on presence detection, e.g., energizing them based on presence. Lighting devices 110a-c may be arranged to remain energized for a hold period, regardless of the sensing result. During this hold period, the second transmission rate may be adjusted, e.g., reduced. This is advantageous because the lighting devices 110a-c are energized anyway, regardless of the sensing result, so reducing the second transmission rate will reduce network traffic and thus improve RF sensing and network communication. The second transmission rate may be adjusted so that the collected radio frequency signal is transmitted just before the hold period expires. Furthermore, as an example, if presence is no longer detected within a predetermined time period, the second transmission rate is switched back to the normal transmission rate. For messages from the collector node to an external device, the typical transmission rate can be between 1 and 10 per second. For each of the 1-10 messages, the transmitter node can typically send between 3 and 5 messages to the collector node. In one example, if the collector node does not have a direct path to the gateway, the message will "hop" through other nodes to the external device, further increasing the number of unicast packets flying through the air. The transmission rate can be configurable and is based on the collector node, network configuration, etc.

[0056] The adjustment 340 of the second transmission rate can be reduced based on the deviation of the received radio frequency signal. For example, the second transmission rate can also be reduced when the received radio frequency does not change over time. Additionally and / or alternatively, the adjustment 340 of the second transmission rate can be based on one or more of the following: the type of environment 101, the number of transmitter / receiver nodes 110a-c, the collector node 140, and / or the spatial location of the transmitter / receiver nodes. For example, a corridor may require a faster transmission rate compared to a room. Similarly, a transmitter / receiver node located at an exit / entrance may require faster message processing / transmission compared to nodes located elsewhere in a room.

[0057] Additionally and / or alternatively, the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on the amount of active detection areas. The radio frequency-based sensing system may include multiple detection areas, and each detection area may include at least two nodes and a corresponding collector node 140 arranged to transmit the collected radio frequency signals to an external device. In this case, the adjustment of the second transmission rate is further based on the amount of active detection areas.

[0058] Additionally and / or alternatively, the adjustment of the second transmit rate may be further based on network communication between the transmitter node and the receiver node, and / or between the transmitter / receiver node and the collector node.

[0059] When the computer program product is run on the processing unit of the computing device (such as the processor 213 of the controller 210), the method 300 can be executed by the computer program code of the computer program product.

[0060] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative and not limiting of the invention, and those skilled in the art will be able to devise many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0061] In the claims, any reference numerals placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The use of the verb "comprising" and its variations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in the claims. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer or processing unit. In an apparatus claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same hardware item. The mere fact that certain measures are referenced in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0062] Various aspects of this invention can be implemented in a computer program product, which may be a collection of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device and executable by a computer. The instructions of this invention can be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), or Java classes. The instructions may be provided as a complete executable program, a partial executable program, as a modification (e.g., an update) of an existing program, or as an extension (e.g., a plugin) of an existing program. Furthermore, some processing of this invention may be distributed across multiple computers or processors or even the “cloud.”

[0063] 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, disks such as internal and external hard drives, removable disks, and CD-ROMs. Computer program products may be distributed on such storage media or made available for download via HTTP, FTP, email, or through a server connected to a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A method (300) for reconfiguring a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system, the RF-based sensing system comprising a transmitter node (110a-c) arranged for transmitting RF signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node (110a-c) arranged for receiving the transmitted RF signals, wherein an external device (130) outside the transmitter / receiver node is arranged for processing the RF signals for RF-based sensing, wherein the method comprises: - Collect the received radio frequency signal at collector node (140) (310), - The collected radio frequency signal is transmitted (320) to an external device for processing at a second transmission rate. - Receive (330) sensing results based on the processing from an external device, wherein the sensing results indicate the presence of a user, and - Adjusting (340) the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results, wherein the adjustment includes reducing the second transmission rate when the presence of a user is detected. The method further includes - Adjust the first transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: - At the collector node, it is determined whether the deviation of the received radio frequency signal over a period of time exceeds a threshold, and the adjustment of the second transmit rate is further based on this determination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if no longer detected within a predetermined time period, the second transmission rate is switched back to the normal transmission rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the second transmission rate comprises reducing the second transmission rate compared to a normal transmission rate, and wherein during the period in which the second transmission rate has been reduced, collector network nodes are arranged to splice the received radio frequency signals and are also arranged to transmit the spliced ​​signals based on the adjusted second transmission rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the second transmit rate is further based on one or more of the following: the type of environment, the number of transmitter / receiver nodes, the collector node, and / or the spatial location of the transmitter / receiver nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency-based sensing system comprises a plurality of detection regions, and wherein the adjustment of the second transmission rate is further based on the amount of active detection regions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the second transmit rate is further based on network communication between the transmitter node and the receiver node, and / or network communication between the transmitter / receiver node and the collector node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and / or receiver node includes a lighting device, and wherein the operating state of the lighting device changes based on the sensing result.

9. A controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system, comprising a processor arranged to control the execution of steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A system (100) for reconfiguring a radio frequency-based sensing system, wherein the system comprises: - A transmitter node (110a-c) arranged to transmit radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node (110a-c) arranged to receive the transmitted radio frequency signals. - An external device (130) outside the transmitter / receiver node is arranged to process radio frequency signals for radio frequency-based sensing; - Collector nodes (140) arranged to receive and collect radio frequency signals, said collector nodes being further configured to: - The collected radio frequency signals are transmitted to an external device for processing at a second transmission rate; - Receive sensing results based on this processing from an external device, wherein the sensing results indicate the presence of a user. - Adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results, wherein the adjustment includes reducing the second transmission rate when the presence of a user is detected, and - Adjust the first transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises the controller of claim 9.

12. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a controller according to claim 9, cause the processor to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

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