Room boundary detection

Abstract

A method (900) is provided. In some examples, the method includes receiving, at processing circuitry, a first user input (910). The method also includes, after receiving the first user input, determining, by the processing circuitry, a movement of a user in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor (920). Further, the method includes determining, by the processing circuitry, a first estimated location of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the movement of the user (940). The method further includes determining, by the processing circuitry, a second estimated location of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the movement of the user (950).

Description

Background Art

[0001] IoT sensors are becoming more common in buildings for purposes such as safety (e.g., smoke or carbon monoxide detectors), heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), security, comfort, and entertainment. For example, a sensor can detect motion or occupancy of an HVAC system, and the HVAC system can control temperature or airflow based on whether motion or occupancy has been detected. If a room is not occupied, the HVAC system can save energy by reducing airflow to the room. As another example, a sensor can detect motion of a security system so that the security system can determine whether the building is occupied.

[0002] Conventional sensors may not be able to accurately sense the location of all walls in a room. One reason is that the signal transmitted by the sensor may take multiple paths through the room before reaching the sensor's receiver. The signal may travel to the left wall, then travel across the room to the right wall, and back and forth, before returning to the sensor. This signal travel time causes the room to be determined to be much larger than it actually is based on the incorrect assumption that the signal was reflected from only one wall. Due to the multipath travel of the signal transmitted by the sensor, this situation can cause the sensor to detect "ghost targets" outside the actual physical boundaries of the room. Summary of the invention

[0003] In some examples, a method includes receiving a first user input at a processing circuit system. The method also includes, after receiving the first user input, determining, by the processing circuit system, a movement of a user in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor. Additionally, the method includes determining, by the processing circuit system, a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The method further includes determining, by the processing circuit system, a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0004] In another example, a device includes a radar sensor configured to sense movement of a user in a room. The device also includes a processing circuit system configured to receive a first user input and determine the movement of the user in the room based on a signal from the sensor after receiving the first user input. Additionally, the processing circuit system is configured to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The processing circuit system is also configured to determine a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0005] In yet other examples, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions configured to be executable by a processing circuit system for causing the processing circuit system to receive a first user input, and after receiving the first user input, determine a user's movement in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor. Additionally, the instructions are configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The instructions are also configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The features of the present invention can be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. In this regard:

[0007] Figure 1 is a top view of a room including sensors configured to determine the location of an object according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 Figure 2. Estimated location of room boundaries obtained by detecting stationary objects.

[0009] Figure 3 A diagram showing a trajectory of a person moving through a room according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 4 A diagram of a room containing sensors, electronic devices, and users according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5 is a diagram of a sensor mounted on a wall at an angle according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0012] Fig. 6A and 6B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a trajectory of a person moving along a line parallel to a wall according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Fig. 7A and 7B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a trajectory of a person moving along a line parallel to a wall according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 8 is a conceptual block diagram of a device including a sensor and processing circuitry according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Fig. 9 A flowchart of a method for determining a room boundary location according to some aspects of the present disclosure is provided.

[0016] Fig.10A flow chart of a method of determining an orientation of a sensor according to some aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Specific examples are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these examples are not intended to be limiting, and unless otherwise indicated, no features are required for any specific example. In addition, in the following description, a first feature formed above or on a second feature may include an example in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, as well as an example in which an additional feature is formed between the first and second features so that the first and second features are not in direct contact.

[0018] A sensor installed in a room may be able to detect the location of an object within the room. To detect the location of an object in the room, the sensor may transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal from the object. The distance (i.e., range) from the sensor to the object may be determined based on the round trip time for the signal to travel between the sensor and the object. Additionally or alternatively, in the case of a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar, the range may be determined based on the frequency of the reflected signal as received by the sensor.

[0019] The sensor can determine the location of a wall in a room, which is a stationary object. In instances where the sensor is mounted on or near a first wall, the sensor can produce a fairly accurate estimate of the location of a second wall opposite the first wall. Depending on the shape of the room and the orientation of the sensor, some of the signal transmitted by the sensor may reflect from the opposite wall and return directly to the sensor.

[0020] In contrast, due to multipath returns, the sensor may produce less accurate estimates for the position of the left and right walls in the room. Some of the signals transmitted by the sensor may reflect from the left wall, then reflect from another object, such as the right wall, and then return to the sensor. Thus, depending on the shape of the room and the orientation of the sensor, the position estimates for the left and right walls may not be as accurate as the position estimates for other stationary objects in the room, such as the opposing wall. This problem may be particularly important for indoor sensor applications due to the number of walls and other objects that may cause multipath returns.

[0021] Determining the location of walls in a room can be important for HVAC systems. HVAC systems can use room dimensions (e.g., length and width) to determine room volume, which can be used to determine airflow to be delivered to the room. Therefore, determining the location of walls in a room is useful for comfort and energy conservation. Additionally, determining the location of walls in a room can be used to determine the number of people in the room, which can be used for safety, security, HVAC, geo-fencing, and other purposes.

[0022] According to the technology of the present disclosure, the sensed movement of the user is used to determine the location of the wall in the room. To assist the sensor in determining the location of the wall, the user may walk or move to a first wall in the room and touch the first wall. Subsequently, the user may walk to a second wall in the room and touch the second wall. The time taken for the sensing phase of this user-assisted wall detection procedure may be less than one minute. The sensor may be able to sense the user's movement more accurately than the sensor can sense the location of stationary objects in the room. The sensor may be able to distinguish and sense the location of smaller movements, such as a user reaching out an arm or finger to touch a wall.

[0023] Although the techniques of this disclosure are applicable to all types of sensors, including pulse radar, FMCW radar may be particularly well suited for sensing moving objects because even small slow movements can cause frequency shifts due to the Doppler effect. For example, radar can detect a person's breathing during sleep, which is a very small movement. Introducing the Doppler domain into the procedures described herein improves the accuracy of the procedures because the sensor can distinguish between moving objects and stationary objects. In addition, radar can have a range resolution of about one or two inches, depending on the wavelength transmitted by the radar. This range resolution may be sufficient for applications such as motion sensing and occupancy detection.

[0024] The processing circuit system may be configured to determine an estimated location of a boundary of the room based on the sensed movement of the user. The determination of the estimated location of the wall is based on the assumption that the user touched or moved in close proximity to the wall. To further improve the accuracy of these determinations, the processing circuit system may be configured to also use a static point cloud of the room to refine the estimated location of the wall. The static point cloud contains the sensed locations of stationary objects in the room. Sensing can collect data to create the static point cloud without any assistance from the user. Although the static point cloud data may not be as accurate as the sensed movement data, combining the two data sets can result in greater accuracy than using either data set alone.

[0025] In some examples, the user initiates a wall detection program to sense the movement of the user touching the wall. For example, the user may provide a user input to the sensor or to a processing circuit system coupled to the sensor in a communicative manner, wherein the user input indicates that the user-assisted wall detection program should start. The user input may include a user pressing a button or a touch screen on the sensor or on a remote device coupled to the sensor in a communicative manner. In addition or alternatively, the user input may include a user interaction with a computing device such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer running a software application. As other non-limiting examples, the user input may include a user performing a predetermined gesture in the field of view of the sensor or making a predetermined sound within the range of a microphone. This initial user input allows the processing circuit system to determine the room boundary based on a limited data set of sensed movement, rather than using a static point cloud or sensed movement to determine the room boundary within the operating life of the sensor. The data collected during the operating life of the sensor will occupy a large amount of storage space. In contrast, the technology disclosed herein may occupy less storage space and / or may be implemented in a shorter time than using data within the operating life of the sensor.

[0026] The processing circuit system may be able to determine the position of the wall based on the sensed movement of a user touching a single point on the wall. However, the single point on the wall may not provide data about the orientation of the wall relative to the sensor. In some examples, the sensor is mounted on a wall in a rectangular room, with the sight, lens, antenna array, etc. oriented parallel or perpendicular to each wall in the room. However, in other examples, the sensor may be mounted at an angle other than ninety degrees or one hundred and eighty degrees relative to the wall in the room (e.g., an inclination angle).

[0027] To assist the processing circuitry in determining the angle of the sensor relative to a wall, floor, and / or ceiling, the user may walk or move along a line that is generally parallel or perpendicular to the walls in the room. The processing circuitry may be able to determine the user's movement along this line with greater accuracy than if the processing circuitry could determine the extent of each wall in the room. The processing circuitry may be configured to use the user's sensed movement along this line to calibrate other position determinations, such as determination of the estimated position of a wall. This calibration technique may be used for stationary sensors attached to a wall or ceiling.

[0028] The techniques of this disclosure may enable sensors to have better performance. As just one example, once room boundaries are accurately estimated, the sensor may reject ghost objects outside the room boundaries. Additionally, another system using data from the sensor may have better performance, such as for HVAC control, security, building automation, smart home operation, people counting, and / or vital signs monitoring. Of course, these advantages are merely examples, and no advantage is required for any particular example.

[0029] An example of estimating the location of a room boundary is described below with reference to the drawings. In this regard, Figure 1 1 is a top view of room 100 including sensor 110 configured to determine the locations of objects 160 and 170 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Sensor 110 is also configured to determine the locations of walls 120, 130, 140, and 150. Although room 100 is depicted as a rectangle, the techniques of the present disclosure may be used to determine the boundaries of non-rectangular rooms.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the sensor 110 is mounted on the first wall 120 as a wall-mounted sensor. The technology of the present disclosure may also be implemented by a sensor mounted on the ceiling of the room 100, located on the floor of the room 100, or located on a table or other furniture in the room 100. The technology of the present disclosure may also be implemented by a mobile device. In the example where the sensor 110 is mounted on the first wall 120, the sensor 110 may be mounted in the middle of the first wall 120 or slightly offset from the middle of the first wall 120, such as Figure 1 Alternatively, sensor 110 may be installed in or near a corner of room 100, such as a corner where walls 120 and 140 meet.

[0031] The orientation of sensor 110 is shown parallel or perpendicular to Figure 1 100, but the sensor 110 may be mounted at an oblique angle instead. For example, the sight, lens, transmitter, receiver, antenna array, and / or laser of the sensor 110 may be oriented in a direction that is not parallel or perpendicular to any of the walls 120, 130, 140, and 150. For example, the sensor 110 may be mounted near a corner of the room 100, with the transceiver oriented toward the center of the room 100.

[0032] The sensor 110 may be configured to transmit signals 132 and 142 and receive signals 134 and 144. The sensor 110 transmits the signal 132 toward the opposite wall 130, and the signal 132 is reflected from the opposite wall 130 as the signal 134. Based on the received signal 134, the sensor 110 may determine an estimated position of a point on the opposite wall 130. For example, the sensor 110 may determine the distance (i.e., range) between the sensor 110 and the point on the opposite wall 130 based on the travel time of the signals 132 and 134 and / or based on the frequency of the signal 134. The sensor 110 may also determine the relative angle of the point on the opposite wall 130 based on the angle of arrival of the signal 134.

[0033] Sensor 110 also transmits signal 142 toward left wall 140, and signal 142 reflects from left wall 140 as signal 143. Signal 143 does not travel from wall 140 back to sensor 110. Instead, signal 143 travels toward walls 130 and 150. Signal 143 reflects from wall 130 or 150 as signal 144 and returns to sensor 110. Sensor 110 may determine the distance between sensor 110 and a point on wall 130, 140, or 150 (e.g., depending on whether sensor 110 has a directional transmitter or a directional receiver). Sensor 110 may make this determination based on the travel time of signals 142-144 and / or based on the frequency of signal 144. Because the travel time of signals 142-144 is much greater than any round-trip path in room 100, sensor 110 may determine that signal 144 is reflected from an object located outside the actual boundaries of room 100. The multi-path travel of signals 142 - 144 may ultimately lead to inaccurate determination of room dimensions and room volumes, which may subsequently lead to poor performance of HVAC systems, security systems, lighting systems, entertainment systems, and / or smart home systems.

[0034] although Figure 1 1, but sensor 110 may also transmit and receive signals reflected from objects 160 and 170. In addition, Figure 1 Signals 132 and 142 are shown as directional signals, but sensor 110 may be configured to transmit signals 132 and 142 as a single beam. Sensor 110 may include one or more of the following sensors: radar, lidar, ultrasonic, visible light camera, infrared camera, microphone, and / or any other type of sensor. Radar sensors are particularly well suited for residential applications due to privacy issues regarding cameras, but cameras are also common for non-residential applications.

[0035] Although the present disclosure describes sensor 110 as determining the locations of walls 120, 130, 140, and 150 and objects 160 and 170, sensor 110 may only determine estimates for the locations of walls 120, 130, 140, and 150 and objects 160 and 170. The ability of sensor 110 to determine the locations of walls 120, 130, 140, and 150 and objects 160 and 170 is limited by the range resolution and angular resolution of sensor 110. This ability is also limited by multipath returns that cause sensor 110 to make inaccurate estimates. Therefore, the determination of the location of a wall or object is only an estimate of that location.

[0036] The location of the wall 120, 130, 140, or 150 or the object 160 or 170 may be determined by processing circuitry onboard the sensor 110. For example, the sensor 110 may include a circuit board having processing circuitry coupled thereto, wherein a transmitter and / or a receiver of the sensor 110 is coupled to the processing circuitry through the circuit board. Although the present disclosure describes location determinations made by the sensor 110, these location determinations may instead be made by processing circuitry remote from the sensor 110, such as a computing system in the cloud. For example, the sensor 110 may transmit data to a remote processing circuitry, wherein the data indicates characteristics of a signal received by the sensor 110. The connection between the sensor 110 and the remote processing circuitry may include a wired connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any other communication means. As another example, the processing circuit system onboard sensor 110 can determine the locations of walls 120, 130, 140 and 150 and objects 160 and 170, and transmit the determined locations to a remote processing circuit system for further processing to determine the locations of walls 120, 130, 140 and 150.

[0037] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the estimated positions of room boundaries 240, 250 and 250 obtained by detecting stationary objects. Figure 2 In the example shown in FIG. 2 , room 200 is free of furniture and other objects except walls 230 , 240 , and 250 . Estimated position 272 and ghost targets 274A and 274B may form a static point cloud generated by sensor 210 of stationary, non-moving objects sensed in room 200 .

[0038] The sensor 210 uses the estimated position 272 to determine the position of the opposite wall 230. The sensor 210 may also use the estimated position 272 and some of the ghost targets 274A and 274B to determine the positions of the left wall 240 and the right wall 250. The estimated position 272 is more accurate for the opposite wall 230 than for the left wall 240 and the right wall 250. The ghost targets 274A and 274B are outside the actual physical boundaries of the room 200 due to multipath returns, in which the signal bounces off the walls 240 and 250 before returning to the sensor 210. If the sensor 210 determines the ghost target 274A as the estimated position of the left wall 240, then the estimated position of the left wall 240 has a considerable error (e.g., a difference of more than one foot). Similarly, if the sensor 210 determines the ghost target 274B as the estimated position of the right wall 250, then the estimated position of the right wall 250 has a considerable error. Figure 2 The static point cloud shown in is not, by itself, good data about the locations of walls 230 , 240 , and 250 .

[0039] If the sensor 210 has the correct room boundary information, the sensor 210 can reject the ghost targets 274A and 274B as inaccurate. The sensor 210 can use the correct boundary information to determine which of the estimated positions 272 are accurate and which are inaccurate ghost targets caused by multipath returns. In addition, with the correct room boundary information, the HVAC system can determine the room volume and the appropriate airflow settings for comfort and energy conservation. The airflow settings may include fan speeds, zone control settings, and / or baffle settings. Therefore, generating accurate boundary information for the room 200 can improve the performance of the sensor 210 and other systems.

[0040] Figure 3 3 is a diagram representing a trajectory 370 of a person moving through a room 300 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Trajectory 370 represents the movement of the person during a sensing phase of a user-assisted semi-automatic wall detection procedure implemented by sensor 310. Sensor 310 may initiate the wall detection procedure in response to receiving a user input from the person. Sensor 310 may stop the sensing phase of the wall detection procedure in response to receiving a subsequent user input from the person. Additionally or alternatively, sensor 310 may end the sensing phase of the wall detection procedure in response to the expiration of a timer or the reaching of a threshold, wherein sensor 310 may start the timer when the wall detection procedure begins. In other words, an end point 374 of trajectory 370 may coincide with receipt of a second user input or expiration of a timer.

[0041] After starting point 372, the person moves to right wall 350 and touches the right wall, then moves to opposite wall 330 and touches the opposite wall, and then moves to left wall 340 and touches the left wall. The person moves through room 300 avoiding objects 360-363 to touch walls 330, 340, and 350. In an example where room 300 has a rectangular shape, the person can touch any point on opposite wall 330, any point on left wall 340, and any point on right wall 350. In a cluttered room, the person can complete the procedure by extending one arm to touch the wall without standing next to the wall, which may be blocked by furniture.

[0042] The person may also touch the first wall 320, but the sensor 310 may be able to determine an estimated location based on the assumption that the sensor 310 is attached to the first wall 320 and also based on the locations of the walls 330, 340, and 350. The sensor 310 may generate the track 370 during the sensing phase (e.g., in real time), or the sensor 310 may collect data during the sensing phase and form the track 370 after the sensing phase ends. In other words, the determination phase of the wall detection procedure may occur simultaneously with or after the sensing phase of the wall detection procedure.

[0043] To determine the locations of walls 320, 330, 340, and 350, sensor 310 may begin by assuming that room 300 has a rectangular shape bounded by the location of sensor 310 and the location of starting point 372. Sensor 310 may also assume that the user is the only person or moving object in the room. Sensor 310 may begin the process with a rectangular box that contains only the location of sensor 310 and the location of the moving object (e.g., the user at starting point 372). Sensor 310 may set the orientation of the rectangular box based on the known orientation of sensor 310 relative to walls 320, 330, 340, and 350, which in some instances may assume values ​​of zero and ninety degrees.

[0044] As track 370 moves around in room 300 to walls 330, 340, and 350, sensor 310 expands the rectangular box to encompass track 370 while maintaining the orientation of the rectangle. In other words, as the user moves around in room 300, sensor 370 pushes the border of the rectangular box back. Sensor 370 can track the coordinates of the user moving throughout room 300 and set the positions of walls 330, 340, and 350 to minimum or maximum world space coordinates. Sensor 310 can be configured to determine an estimated position of right wall 350 based on portion 392 of track 370, and determine an estimated position of left wall 340 based on portion 394 of track 370.

[0045] Before, during, and / or after the sensing phase of the wall detection procedure, the sensor 310 may be configured to generate a static point cloud of data representing the locations of stationary objects in the room 300, such as walls 320, 330, 340, and 350 and objects 360-363. The sensor 310 may use the static point cloud to refine the estimated locations of the walls 320, 330, 340, and 350. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor 310 may use the estimated wall locations from the trajectory 370 to reject one or more data points in the static point cloud as ghost targets.

[0046] Compared to walls 330, 340, and 350 and objects 360-363, track 370 may be more easily detected by sensor 310 because sensor 310 is more capable of detecting moving objects than stationary objects. Track 370 represents the moving parts of a person, so that track 370 may include data points representing the movement of the person's arms and hands. Therefore, when a person touches walls 330, 340, and 350, sensor 310 may detect the position of the person's arms and hands. Depending on the resolution of sensor 310, a person only needs to move close enough to touch walls 330, 340, and 350 with his or her hand, which is beneficial for rooms with furniture and other objects that hinder a person's movement.

[0047] The user may be aware of the user-assisted wall detection procedure based on a user manual printed on the sensor 310, text, a computing device running a software application, audible information output by the sensor 310 (e.g., via a speaker, integrated or remote), and / or some other information source. For example, to guide the user through this process, the sensor 310 may be configured to output audible instructions or send text instructions to a mobile device running the software application. Additionally or alternatively, the instruction manual or text printed on the sensor 310 may provide a demonstration to the user. The user may be a homeowner with little experience in setting up sensors or a professional installer who is more familiar with the setup process. Either way, the procedure described in the present disclosure may be simple enough for users without experience.

[0048] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a diagram of a room 400 including sensors 410 and 412, electronic devices 414, 416, 418A and 418B, and a user 470, according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4 4, sensor 410 is mounted on a wall of room 400, and sensor 412 is mounted on a ceiling in room 400. Electronic device 414 is a smart home hub, electronic device 416 is a smart TV mounted on the wall, and electronic devices 418A and 418B are mobile devices. Sensors 410 and 412 and electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B may be communicatively coupled to other devices or systems via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, etc.

[0049] Any sensor in room 400 may be used to determine the estimated location of a wall in room 400. For example, any of the following devices may include the functionality described in this disclosure for determining the location of a wall: a motion sensor, an occupancy sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a smart home hub, a smart speaker, an exhaust fan, a security sensor, a ceiling fan, a socket, any other IoT device, or any other electronic device. Thus, the techniques of this disclosure may be implemented by sensor 410 or 412 or electronic device 414, 416, 418A, or 418B.

[0050] In some examples, the functionality described in this disclosure for determining the location of a wall is spread across two or more devices. For example, sensor 410 may be configured to sense an object such as furniture 460 in room 400, and one of electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, or 418B may be configured to determine the location of a wall in room 400 based on data from sensor 410. Alternatively, one of electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, or 418B may be configured to sense an object and transmit the data to a security system or HVAC system for further processing, thereby determining the location of a wall in room 400 based on data from sensor 410.

[0051] Sensors 410 and 412 and electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B are located at various locations in room 400. Sensors 410 and 412 and electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B are oriented at various angles in room 400. For example, sensor 410 is mounted high on a wall near a corner, and the sight is oriented toward the center of room 400. Sensor 412 is mounted on the ceiling and may include a sensor with a 360-degree field of view. Smart home hub 414 is located on a table and may include a sensor with a 360-degree field of view.

[0052] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is a diagram of a sensor 510 mounted on a wall 520 at an angle according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 5 As shown, room 500 includes a first wall 520, an opposite wall 530, a left wall 540, a right wall 550, and a ceiling 590 on which a sensor 510 is mounted. Sensor 510 is mounted on first wall 520 near right wall 550 just below ceiling 590. In an example where sensor 510 is mounted in a corner of room 500 at an oblique azimuth, accurately determining the orientation of sensor 510 may be particularly important.

[0053] exist Figure 5 In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the sensor 510 is shown at an elevation angle θ relative to the horizontal plane and at an azimuth angle θ relative to the planes of the left wall 540 and the right wall 550. Although Figure 5 , but the orientation of sensor 510 may include a third angle similar to the roll of the aircraft, where the elevation angle θ is similar to the pitch of the aircraft, and the azimuth angle Similar to the yaw of an aircraft. In some examples, sensor 510 includes built-in components for detecting the direction of gravity (eg, a level) and / or detecting the direction of magnetic north (eg, a compass).

[0054] Figure 5 Two coordinate systems are shown: world space W and tracker space T. World space W consists of three axes x W ,y W and z W . Horizontal axis x W parallel to walls 520 and 530, and horizontal axis y W Parallel to walls 540 and 550. Vertical axis z W Orthogonal to the floor 580 and the ceiling 590. The three orthogonal axes x of the tracker space T t ,y t and z t Based on the orientation of sensor 510. Tracker axis y tAligned with the sight or lens of sensor 510, and the tracker axis x t and z t With axis y t Orthogonal.

[0055] If sensor 510 senses that a person touches a point on right wall 550, then sensor 510 may determine the point on right wall 550. However, sensor 510 may not have enough information to determine the entire extent of right wall 550 because sensor 510 does not have information about the angle of right wall 550 relative to the orientation of sensor 510. Sensor 510 may assume that right wall 550 is parallel to the sight of sensor 510, but that assumption may not be accurate. Figure 5 The azimuth of is non-zero. In other words, Or when the elevation angle θ is non-zero, at least one axis of the tracker space T will not be aligned with an axis of the world space W.

[0056] To assist the sensor 510 in determining the elevation angle θ and the azimuth angle During the user-assisted semi-automatic calibration procedure, a person may move along a line parallel to one of the walls 520, 530, 540, and 550. The sensor 510 may be configured to initiate the calibration procedure after receiving user input. The movement sensed by the sensor 510 during the calibration procedure may be used to determine the elevation angle θ and the azimuth angle θ of the sensor 510. .

[0057] Fig. 6A and 6B FIG. 6 is a diagram showing trajectories 670A and 670B of a person moving along lines 672A and 672B parallel to a wall according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 6A , 6B , 7A and 7B, because the sensor 310 can be configured to perform a user-assisted calibration procedure as well as perform Figure 3 Alternatively, the user-assisted calibration procedure described herein may be used in sensors that are not configured to perform the user-assisted wall detection procedure.

[0058] Tracks 670A and 670B represent the movement of a person during the sensing phase of a calibration procedure implemented by the sensor. The calibration procedure may be initiated by the person providing user input to the sensor 310. The calibration procedure may be terminated by the person providing user input to the sensor 310. Additionally or alternatively, the calibration procedure may be terminated by the expiration of a timer or the reaching of a threshold, wherein the sensor 310 may start the timer at the beginning of the calibration procedure. The end of tracks 670A and 670B may coincide with the receipt of a second user input or the expiration of a timer. When the data of tracks 670A and 670B is received, the sensor 310 may determine the angle of the sensor 310 (e.g., in real time), or the sensor 310 may make this determination after the calibration procedure has ended.

[0059] Sensor 310 may be configured to store a room coordinate transformation matrix R E Initially, the matrix R E (shown in equation (1) below) may contain only the elevation angle θ, assuming that the elevation angle is fixed and known. Initially, the azimuth angle may be set to zero.

[0060]

[0061] After providing user input to sensor 310, the person moves through the room parallel to the walls. In instances where the room has a rectangular shape, the person may move parallel or perpendicular to either wall. The person may walk along or away from the walls in an unobstructed straight path parallel to the walls. Fig. 6A , line 672A is not parallel or perpendicular to scope orientation 612A. Sensor 310 may be configured to use a linear fit to the xy coordinates of trajectory 670A to determine the angle of line 672A relative to scope orientation 612A. Sensor 310 may be configured to then calculate the transformation matrix R AE (shown in equation (2) below) to include the estimated azimuth The sensor 310 may use this determined angle for later determination of room boundaries and other object detection procedures.

[0062]

[0063] in

[0064]

[0065] Coordinates in tracking space T may be converted to coordinates in world space W using equation (4), where H represents the height of sensor 310 from the floor.

[0066]

[0067] Figure 6BSight orientation 612B, track 670B, and line 672B are shown rotated relative to sensor 310 . Figure 6B Relative to Fig. 6A The rotation of is equal to the determined angle of line 672A relative to sight orientation 612A. Figure 6B , track 670B and line 672B are oriented in a direction parallel to walls 340 and 350, while sight orientation 612B is oriented at an angle relative to the direction. When sensor 310 determines the positions of walls 320, 330, 340, and 350, sensor 310 may use the orientations of lines 672A and 672B to determine the orientations of walls 320, 330, 340, and 350 based on the assumption that the room has a rectangular shape.

[0068] Sensor 310 may be able to detect tracks 670A and 670B with greater accuracy than walls 320, 330, 340, and 350 in room 300 because sensor 310 is better able to detect moving objects than stationary objects. Thus, tracks 670A and 670B may provide a more accurate representation of the orientation of walls 320, 330, 340, and 350 than a static point cloud generated by sensor 310.

[0069] Fig. 7A and 7B 770A, 771A, 770B, and 771B are diagrams showing trajectories 770A, 771A, 770B, and 771B of a person moving along a line parallel to walls 320, 330, 340, and 350, according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Trajectories 770A, 771A, 770B, and 771B represent the movement of a person during a sensing phase of a calibration procedure performed by a sensor. The person may be walking back and forth parallel to walls 340 and 350, and this movement is represented by trajectories 770A and 770B. Additionally or alternatively, the person may be walking back and forth parallel to walls 320 and 330, and this movement is represented by trajectories 771A and 771B.

[0070] Sensor 310 may be configured to use linear interpolation and / or smoothing to produce a linear fit of a set of trajectory points representing the movement of a person to estimate the Fig. 7A or any of the angles labeled α in 7B. Sensor 310 can use equation (5) to calculate the angle based on The absolute value of is less than or equal to forty-five degrees and the azimuth angle of the sensor 310 is determined. .exist Fig. 7A and 7B In the example shown in is the angle between the scope axis 712A or 712B and the linear fit of trajectory 770A, 771A, 770B or 771B. Fig. 7A Display azimuth Instances greater than zero. Figure 7BDisplay azimuth Less than zero instances.

[0071]

[0072] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a conceptual block diagram of an apparatus 800 including a sensor 810 and a processing circuit system 830 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8 In the example shown in FIG. 8 , device 800 includes a sensor 810, a user input receiver 820, a processing circuit system 830, a memory 840, and a communication circuit 850. Device 800 may be configured as a motion sensor, an occupancy sensor, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector, a smart home hub, a smart speaker, an exhaust fan, a security sensor, a ceiling fan, a socket, any other Internet of Things device, or any other electronic device or a portion thereof. Device 800 may be configured to be mounted on a wall or ceiling of a room. Additionally or alternatively, device 800 may be configured to rest on a table or the ground, or device 800 may be a mobile device held by a user.

[0073] Sensor 810 may include a continuous wave radar sensor, a pulse radar sensor, a lidar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a visible light camera, an infrared camera, a microphone, and / or any other type of sensor. In the example where sensor 810 includes a radar, the radar may be a low-resolution IoT radar sensor that includes one or more (e.g., three) transmitter channels and one or more (e.g., four) receiver channels. The techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented by a low-resolution radar to achieve the same level of wall detection accuracy as a more expensive multiple-input multiple-output phased array radar. Additional example details of radar sensors may be found in commonly assigned U.S. patent application publication No. 2018 / 0279884, filed on September 27, 2017, and entitled “Multi-Person Vital Signs Monitoring Using Millimeter Wave (mm-Wave) Signals,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 388,954, filed on July 29, 2021, and entitled “Method and Apparatus for Low Power Motion Detection,” each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0074] The user input receiver 820 is configured to receive input from a user 870. The input from the user 870 may be in the form of the user 870 pressing a button on the device 800, pressing a button on a remote device (e.g., a remote controller or a mobile device), interacting with an application running on a computing device, voice input, gestures in the field of view of the user input receiver 820, etc. The user input receiver 820 may include a radar, a camera, a motion sensor, a microphone, a tactile input (e.g., a button or a touch screen), a wireless or wired transceiver, and / or any other type of receiver. In some examples, the sensor 810 and / or the communication circuit 850 are configured to receive input from the user 870, and the device 800 does not include a separate user input receiver 820.

[0075] Processing circuit system 830 may be configured to determine the location of object 860 and user 870 based on the signals received by sensor 810. To determine the location and velocity of the moving object, for example, processing circuit system 830 may be configured to apply a Kalman filter and / or a tracking algorithm (e.g., multi-hypothesis tracking) to the signals received by sensor 810.

[0076] The processing circuit system 830 may be configured to also perform Figure 5 The processing circuit system 830 may be configured to perform the user-assisted calibration procedure described in and 6. Figure 3 Alternatively, the calibration procedure and / or the wall detection procedure may be performed by processing circuitry remote from device 800. In these examples, communication circuitry 850 may send data indicative of signals received by sensor 810 to the remote processing circuitry. For example, the remote processing circuitry may be configured to receive user input directly (e.g., via a button or touch screen on the remote device) or indirectly (e.g., from device 800).

[0077] Processing circuit system 830 may determine that device 800 has received user input based on signals from user input receiver 820. In instances where the user input is a spoken word or phrase, processing circuit system 830 may implement speech recognition techniques to match the audio received by user input receiver 820 with a template associated with a particular word or phrase. Additionally or alternatively, processing circuit system 830 may be configured to determine that device 800 has received user input based on signals from sensor 810 indicating that user 870 has made a particular gesture.

[0078] In some examples, processing circuit system 830 includes a timer. Processing circuit system 830 may be configured to set a timer in response to receiving a user input from user 870 via sensor 810 or user input receiver 820. Processing circuit system 830 may set the timer at the start of a user-assisted wall detection procedure and / or at the start of a user-assisted calibration procedure. Processing circuit system 830 may end the sensing phase of the user-assisted procedure in response to determining that the timer has reached a threshold.

[0079] Memory 840 may be configured to store data related to the position and velocity of object 860 and user 870. Additionally, memory 840 may store instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry 830, cause processing circuitry 830 to implement a wall detection routine and / or a calibration routine.

[0080] The communication circuit 850 may be configured to transmit and receive data with other electronic devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Ethernet, or another type of communication. The communication circuit 850 may transmit data indicating signals received by the sensor 810, objects detected by the processing circuit system 830, and / or outputs of a calibration procedure or a wall detection procedure. In some examples, the device 800 may also include an output for communicating to the user 870 that the device 800 is in a sensing phase of a calibration procedure or a wall detection procedure. The output may be a light or a speaker that communicates to the user 870 whether the sensing phase is currently occurring.

[0081] Fig. 9 900 is a flow chart of a method 900 for determining a room boundary location according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Some processes of the method 900 may be performed in an order different from the order described, and many processes may be performed in parallel. In addition, in some examples of the present disclosure, processes of the method 900 may be omitted or replaced. Figure 4 The sensor 410 shown in the method 900 is described, but Figure 1-5 Other components such as sensors 110, 210, 310, 412, 510, and 810 and electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 may exemplify similar techniques.

[0082] Referring to block 910, the sensor 410 receives a first user input from the user 470. The sensor 410 may sense stationary objects and movement in the room 400 before receiving the first user input, but the sensor 410 may initiate a user-assisted wall detection procedure in response to receiving the first user input. Before receiving the first user input, the sensor 410 may generate a static point cloud based on echoes from stationary objects in the room 400.

[0083] The sensor 410 may receive the first user input directly from the user 470, or the sensor 410 may receive the first user input from the sensor 412 or one of the electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B via a wired or wireless connection. In response to receiving the first user input, the sensor 410 may be configured to activate a light or a speaker, or cause the device 416, 418A, or 418B to output a graphical user interface (GUI), thereby indicating that the sensor 410 is in the sensing phase of the wall detection procedure.

[0084] Referring to block 920, sensor 410 senses movement of user 470 in room 400. The sensed movement may include user 470 moving to and touching at least one wall in room 400. As discussed in further detail above, sensor 410 may have better accuracy in sensing movement of user 470, including smaller movements of an arm or hand, than in sensing stationary objects in room 400. Sensor 410 may be configured to store the sensed movement of user 470 for use in blocks 940 and 950 during the user-assisted wall detection procedure (e.g., after receiving the first user input).

[0085] Referring to optional block 930, sensor 410 receives a second user input from user 470. Sensor 410 may be configured to end the sensing phase of the user-assisted wall detection procedure in response to receiving the second user input. Alternatively, sensor 410 may end the sensing phase in response to a predetermined duration having passed since receiving the first user input. As another alternative, sensor 410 may end the sensing phase in response to a predetermined duration having passed since movement was last sensed in room 400. In response to receiving the second user input, sensor 410 may be configured to deactivate a light, speaker, or GUI, thereby indicating that sensor 410 is no longer in the sensing phase.

[0086] Referring to block 940, sensor 410 determines an estimated position of a first wall in room 400 based on the sensed movement of user 470 after receiving the first user input. Referring to optional block 950, sensor 410 determines an estimated position of a second wall in room 400 based on the sensed movement of user 470 after receiving the first user input. Sensor 410 may be configured to use both the sensed movement of user 470 and the static point cloud of data to determine the estimated position of one or more walls in room 400. Sensor 410 may make these determinations during the sensing phase or after the sensing phase has ended.

[0087] Sensor 410 may determine a position on the first wall based on the sensed movement of user 470. Sensor 410 may then determine a range to the first wall based on a known or estimated orientation of sensor 410 relative to the plane of the first wall. For example, sensor 410 may assume that the first wall is parallel or perpendicular to the sight of sensor 410. Alternatively, sensor 410 performs a separate user-assisted calibration procedure to determine the orientation of the first wall relative to the sight of sensor 410.

[0088] Fig.10 1 is a flow chart of a method 1000 for determining an orientation of a sensor according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Some processes of the method 1000 may be performed in an order different from the order described, and many processes may be performed in parallel. In addition, in some examples of the present disclosure, processes of the method 1000 may be omitted or replaced. Figure 5 The sensor 510 shown in the method 1000 is described, but Figure 1-4 Other components such as sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, and 810 and electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B shown in FIGS.

[0089] Referring to box 1010, the sensor 510 receives a first user input. The sensor 510 may sense movement in the room 500 before receiving the first user input, but the first user input received by the sensor 510 may initiate a user-assisted calibration procedure. The sensor 510 may receive the first user input directly from the user, or the sensor 510 may receive the first user input from another device via a wired or wireless connection. In response to receiving the first user input, the sensor 510 may be configured to activate a light or speaker, or cause a remote device to output a GUI, indicating that the sensor 510 is in the sensing phase of the calibration procedure. The light, sound, or GUI associated with the calibration procedure may be different from the light, sound, or GUI associated with the wall detection procedure. For example, the sensor 510 may activate a green light for the calibration procedure and a red light for the wall detection procedure.

[0090] Referring to block 1020, sensor 510 senses movement of a user in room 500. Sensor 510 may transmit a signal and receive the signal after the signal reflects from user 570. As discussed in further detail above, sensor 510 may have better accuracy in sensing the movement of a user than in sensing stationary objects in room 500. Sensor 510 may be configured to store the sensed movement of the user for use in block 1040 during a user-assisted wall detection procedure (e.g., after receiving a first user input).

[0091] Referring to optional block 1030, sensor 510 receives a second user input. Sensor 510 may be configured to end the sensing phase of the user-assisted calibration procedure in response to receiving the second user input. Alternatively, sensor 510 may end the sensing phase in response to a predetermined duration having elapsed since receiving the first user input. As another alternative, sensor 510 may end the sensing phase in response to a predetermined duration having elapsed since movement was last sensed in room 500. In response to receiving the second user input, sensor 510 may be configured to deactivate a light, speaker, or GUI, thereby indicating that sensor 510 is no longer in the sensing phase.

[0092] Referring to box 1040, the sensor 510 determines an estimated inclination of the sensor 510 based on the sensed movement of the user after receiving the first user input. The sensor 510 may make this determination during the sensing phase or after the sensing phase has ended. In other words, the determination phase of the calibration procedure may occur simultaneously with or after the sensing phase of the calibration procedure. The sensor 510 may fit the user's movement to a line during the sensing phase. The sensor 510 may be configured to determine that the plane of one or more walls in the room 500 is parallel to the fitted line. In some examples, the sensor 510 may also use a built-in level and / or compass to determine the estimated inclination.

[0093] After determining the estimated inclination, sensor 510 may be configured to use the estimated inclination when determining the estimated position of a wall or object in room 500. The angle determination may improve the accuracy of the room boundary estimate by sensor 510. Although sensor 510 is described as making these determinations, sensor 510 may be configured to send data about the sensed movement of a user in room 500 to another device so that the other device can determine the estimated inclination of sensor 510.

[0094] The sensor can be configured to implement Fig. 9 and 10 , as a single combined method. For example, the sensor may begin a first sensing phase of a calibration procedure in response to receiving a first user input. In response to receiving a second user input, the sensor may end the first sensing phase and begin a second sensing phase of a wall detection procedure. The sensor may end the second sensing phase in response to receiving a third user input.

[0095] The following numbered aspects demonstrate one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0096] Aspect 1. A method includes receiving a first user input at a processing circuit system. The method also includes, after receiving the first user input, determining, by the processing circuit system, a movement of a user in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor. Additionally, the method includes determining, by the processing circuit system, a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The method further includes determining, by the processing circuit system, a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0097] Aspect 2. The method according to the preceding aspect further comprises generating a static point cloud of non-moving objects in the room.

[0098] Aspect 3. The method according to the preceding aspect, further comprising determining a third estimated position of the first wall based on the static point cloud.

[0099] Aspect 4. The method according to the preceding aspect, further comprising determining a combined estimated position of the first wall based on the first and third estimated positions of the first wall.

[0100] Aspect 5. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising receiving a second user input.

[0101] Aspect 6. The method according to the preceding aspect, wherein determining the movement of the user comprises determining the movement of the user after receiving a first user input and before receiving a second user input.

[0102] Aspect 7. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising activating a light in response to receiving a first user input.

[0103] Aspect 8. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising deactivating the light in response to receiving a second user input.

[0104] Aspect 9. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising presenting a graphical user interface via the mobile device in response to receiving a first user input.

[0105] Aspect 10. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising setting a timer in response to receiving a first user input.

[0106] Aspect 11. The method according to the preceding aspect, further comprising determining that the timer has reached a threshold after setting the timer.

[0107] Aspect 12. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, wherein determining the movement of the user comprises determining the movement of the user after receiving the first user input and before determining that the timer has reached a threshold.

[0108] Aspect 13. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, wherein the movement of the user comprises the user touching the first wall.

[0109] Aspect 14. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising determining an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor based on the second movement of the user after receiving a third user input.

[0110] Aspect 15. The method according to the preceding aspect, further comprising determining the movement of the user based on the signal received by the radar sensor.

[0111] Aspect 16. The method according to any one of the two preceding aspects, wherein the second movement of the user comprises the user walking parallel to the first wall.

[0112] Aspect 17. The method according to the three preceding aspects or any combination thereof, wherein determining the first estimated position of the first wall is based on movement of the user and further based on an estimated inclination.

[0113] Aspect 18. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising sensing movement of the user at least by transmitting a radar signal and receiving reflections of the radar signal from the user, wherein determining the first estimated position is based on the reflections of the radar signal.

[0114] Aspect 19. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, wherein receiving the first user input transmits a second signal, receiving a reflection of the second signal from the user, and determining that the user performs a gesture based on the reflection.

[0115] Aspect 20. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, wherein receiving the first user input comprises receiving a second signal from a mobile electronic device.

[0116] Aspect 21. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising, in response to receiving the first user input, outputting an audible signal to the user indicating that the user touched the first wall.

[0117] Aspect 22. The method according to the preceding aspect or any combination thereof, further comprising, in response to receiving the first user input, causing the mobile device to present a graphical user interface indicating that the user touched the first wall.

[0118] Aspect 23. A method includes receiving a first user input at a processing circuit system. The method also includes determining, by the processing circuit system, movement of a user in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor after receiving the first user input. Additionally, the method includes determining, by the processing circuit system, an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor based on the movement of the user after receiving the first user input.

[0119] Aspect 24. The method according to the preceding aspect, wherein the movement of the user comprises the user walking parallel to a wall in the room.

[0120] Aspect 25. The method according to any one of the two preceding aspects, further comprising the method of aspects 1-22 or any combination thereof.

[0121] Aspect 26. A device comprising a radar sensor configured to sense movement of a user in a room. The device further comprises processing circuitry configured to receive a first user input and determine the movement of the user in the room based on a signal from the radar sensor after receiving the first user input. Additionally, the processing circuitry is configured to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0122] Aspect 27. A device comprising a radar sensor configured to sense movement of a user in a room. The device further comprises processing circuitry configured to receive a first user input and determine the movement of the user in the room based on a signal from the radar sensor after receiving the first user input. Additionally, the processing circuitry is configured to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The processing circuitry is further configured to determine an estimated tilt of the radar sensor based on the user's movement after receiving the first user input.

[0123] Aspect 28. The device according to any one of the two preceding aspects, wherein the processing circuit system is configured to perform the method of aspects 1-25 or any combination thereof.

[0124] Aspect 29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium has executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions configured to be executable by a processing circuit system for causing the processing circuit system to receive a first user input, and after receiving the first user input, determine the user's movement in a room based on signals from a radar sensor. Additionally, the instructions configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The instructions are also configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0125] Aspect 30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium has executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions configured to be executable by a processing circuit system for causing the processing circuit system to receive a first user input, and after receiving the first user input, determine a user's movement in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor. Additionally, the instructions are configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The instructions are also configured to be executable by the processing circuit system to further cause the processing circuit system to determine an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor based on the user's movement after receiving the first user input.

[0126] Aspect 31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of the two preceding aspects, wherein the instructions are configured to be executable by the processing circuit system for further causing the processing circuit system to perform the method of aspects 1-25 or any combination thereof.

[0127] Aspect 32. A system comprises: means for receiving a first user input; and means for determining a user's movement in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor after receiving the first user input. In addition, the system comprises means for determining a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The system further comprises means for determining a second estimated position of a second wall in the room based on a second portion of the user's movement.

[0128] Aspect 33. A system comprises: means for receiving a first user input; and means for determining a user's movement in a room based on a signal from a radar sensor after receiving the first user input. Additionally, the system comprises means for determining a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the user's movement. The system further comprises means for determining an estimated tilt of the radar sensor based on the user's movement after receiving the first user input.

[0129] Aspect 34. The system according to any one of the two preceding aspects, further comprising means for performing the method of aspects 1-25 or any combination thereof.

[0130] The present disclosure has attributed functionality to sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, 510, and 810, electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B, receiver 820, processing circuitry 830, and communication circuitry 850. Sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, 510, and 810, electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B, receiver 820, processing circuitry 830, and communication circuitry 850 may include one or more processors. Sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, 510 and 810, electronic devices 414, 416, 418A and 418B, receiver 820, processing circuit system 830 and communication circuit 850 may include any combination of integrated circuit systems, discrete logic circuit systems, analog circuit systems, such as one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, central processing units, graphics processing units, field programmable gate arrays and / or any other processing resources.

[0131] In some examples, sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, 510, and 810, electronic devices 414, 416, 418A, and 418B, receiver 820, processing circuitry 830, and communication circuitry 850 include multiple components, such as any combination of the processing resources listed above, as well as other discrete or integrated logic circuitry and / or analog circuitry. Additionally or alternatively, sensors 110, 210, 310, 410, 412, 510, and 810 may be communicatively coupled to one or more remote processors that include any of the above circuitry.

[0132] The techniques described in this disclosure may also be embodied or encoded in an article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as memory 840. Exemplary non-transitory computer-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM, erasable programmable ROM, electronically erasable programmable ROM, flash memory, solid state drive, hard disk, magnetic media, optical media, or any other computer-readable storage device or tangible computer-readable medium. The term "non-transitory" may indicate that the storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or propagating signal. In some examples, non-transitory storage media may store data that may change over time (e.g., in RAM or cache).

[0133] In this specification, the term "coupled" may encompass connections, communications, or signal paths that enable a functional relationship consistent with this specification. For example, if device A generates a signal to control device B to perform an action, then: (a) in a first instance, device A is coupled to device B through a direct connection; or (b) in a second instance, device A is coupled to device B through an intermediate component C, provided that the intermediate component C does not change the functional relationship between device A and device B, so that device B is controlled by device A via the control signal generated by device A.

[0134] It should be understood that the present disclosure provides several exemplary embodiments, and these embodiments may be modified. Such modifications are clearly within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the application of these teachings to other environments, applications and / or purposes is consistent with the present disclosure and is contemplated by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, by the processing circuit system, a first user input; after receiving the first user input, determining, by the processing circuitry, movement of a user in a room based on signals from a radar sensor; determining, by the processing circuitry, a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the movement of the user; as well as A second estimated position of a second wall in the room is determined by the processing circuitry based on a second portion of the movement of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a static point cloud of non-moving objects in the room; determining a third estimated position of the first wall based on the static point cloud; as well as A combined estimated position of the first wall is determined based on the first and third estimated positions of the first wall. 3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a second user input, wherein determining the movement of the user comprises determining the movement of the user after receiving the first user input and before receiving the second user input.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: activating a light in response to receiving the first user input; as well as The light is deactivated in response to receiving the second user input.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: setting a timer in response to receiving the first user input; as well as determining that the timer has reached a threshold after setting the timer, Wherein determining the movement of the user comprises determining the movement of the user after receiving the first user input and before determining that the timer has reached the threshold. The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the user comprises the user touching the first wall.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement is a first movement, the method further comprising: determining the first movement of the user based on signals received by the radar sensor; receiving a third user input; as well as After receiving the third user input, an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor is determined based on a second movement of the user. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second movement of the user comprises the user walking parallel to the first wall. 9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the first estimated position of the first wall is based on the first movement of the user and further based on the estimated inclination.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing the movement of the user by at least: Transmit radar signals; and receiving a reflection of the radar signal from the user, Wherein determining the first estimated position is based on the reflection of the radar signal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first user input comprises: transmitting a second signal; receiving a reflection of the second signal from the user; as well as A determination is made based on the reflection that the user performed a gesture. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the first user input comprises receiving a second signal from a mobile electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving the first user input, outputting an audible signal to the user indicating that the user touched the first wall.

14. An apparatus comprising: a radar sensor configured to sense movement of a user in a room; as well as A processing circuit system configured to: receiving a first user input; after receiving the first user input, determining the movement of the user in the room based on signals from the radar sensor; determining a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the movement of the user; as well as A second estimated position of a second wall in the room is determined based on a second portion of the movement of the user.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: generating a static point cloud of non-moving objects in the room; determining a third estimated position of the first wall based on the static point cloud; and A combined estimated position of the first wall is determined based on the first and third estimated positions of the first wall.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive a second user input, and Wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the movement of the user after receiving the first user input and before receiving the second user input.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the movement is a first movement, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: determining the first movement of the user based on signals received by the radar sensor; receiving a third user input; and After receiving the third user input, an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor is determined based on a second movement of the user.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions configured to be executable by a processing circuit system for causing the processing circuit system to: receiving a first user input; after receiving the first user input, determining movement of the user in the room based on signals from the radar sensor; determining a first estimated position of a first wall in the room based on a first portion of the movement of the user; as well as A second estimated position of a second wall in the room is determined based on a second portion of the movement of the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are configured to be executable by the processing circuitry for further causing the processing circuitry to: generating a static point cloud of non-moving objects in the room; determining a second estimated position of the first wall based on the static point cloud; as well as A combined estimated position of the first wall is determined based on the first and second estimated positions of the first wall.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the movement is a first movement, and wherein the instructions are configured to be executable by the processing circuitry for further causing the processing circuitry to: determining the first movement of the user based on signals received by the radar sensor; receiving a third user input; as well as After receiving the third user input, an estimated tilt angle of the radar sensor is determined based on a second movement of the user.

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