Method and apparatus for operating a fall detection system and fall detection system

Abstract

A method of operating a fall detection system is disclosed. The system includes at least one fall detection sensor communicatively connected to an alarm device. The fall detection system is configured to have a particular mode of operation that does not issue an alarm when the at least one fall detection sensor detects a specified activity. The method comprises the following steps: initiating a specific operation mode of the fall detection system; controlling the fall detection sensor to monitor activity of the user; when no activity is detected within a defined period of time, a particular mode of operation of the fall detection system is exited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of fall detection, and more particularly to a method of operating a fall detection system and an apparatus for operating a fall detection system and a fall detection system. Background Art

[0002] In modern society, one of the healthcare issues facing most states and regions is caring for an increasing number of elderly people, many of whom live alone. A major health risk for vulnerable groups, including, for example, the elderly, the infirm or the disabled, is injury caused by accidental falls, such as in the bathroom. A fall, which can be defined as an uncontrolled and sudden displacement of a person's body toward the ground or floor, can lead to serious health problems or even death if not noticed.

[0003] Therefore, monitoring falls occurring in vulnerable populations is of great interest to the healthcare industry. Automatic fall detection currently plays an important role in most elderly care solutions.

[0004] Contactless fall detection using remote sensors has some unique advantages over wearable device-based fall detection methods and is therefore becoming mainstream.

[0005] US2011043630A1 discloses an image processing sensor system that is used as a standalone unit to capture images and process the resulting signals to detect objects or events of interest. It automatically disables alarm or notification functions when a caregiver or other visitor arrives at the patient's bedside.

[0006] EP3978949A2 discloses a method, device and system for wireless monitoring, mobile tracking, human recognition and sound sensing, which obtains a time series of channel information (TSCI) of a wireless multipath channel based on a received wireless signal; calculates spatiotemporal information (STI) based on TSCI; monitors the movement of an object based on TSCI and STI; performs a task based on the monitoring; and generates a response based on the task.

[0007] WO2020207649A2 discloses an elderly care and safety system, which includes one or more networked lighting fixtures and sensors. When the sensor does not detect presence for a period longer than a predetermined time interval, the system automatically activates an alarm system.

[0008] Radar sensors, such as frequency modulated continuous wave radar sensors, have been used in many elderly care solutions for many years to achieve remote fall detection. In recent years, fall detection solutions based on 3D (3D) time-of-flight (ToF) sensors have emerged.

[0009] In a fall detection system using a 3D ToF sensor, the sensor monitors a space, such as a bathroom, to capture the position and posture of people in the space in real time. If a person falls and lies on the floor, his or her posture sensed by the sensor is different from when the person is standing or sitting.

[0010] Unlike other sensors (such as accelerometers and radar sensors in wearable devices), 3D ToF sensors do not consider the falling behavior / process itself (i.e., before the person lies on the floor) to be important for detecting and confirming a fall.

[0011] Since 3D ToF sensor-based fall detection does not rely on falling behaviors that can vary greatly from person to person and from situation to situation to detect fall events, 3D ToF sensor-based fall detection systems can greatly reduce false negatives (missed detections) and false positives / false alarms.

[0012] On the other hand, a 3D ToF sensor (especially a low-resolution one) may have difficulty distinguishing a lying person who has fallen from a lying person who is fixing a toilet / drain, or a bulky human-like object (such as, for example, a pile of clothes thrown on the floor before being put into the washing machine). These will trigger false alarms if not handled properly.

[0013] A known method for preventing false alarms from being triggered is to configure a special mode for the fall detection system, such as a no fall detection mode. In this mode, no alarm is sounded even if a fall-like activity of the user is detected.

[0014] One disadvantage of operating a fall detection system without a fall detection mode is that the user forgets to exit or deactivate the mode. This can lead to serious problems because a fall event occurring to the user may not be detected in time, which poses many risks to the user's safety.

[0015] In view of the foregoing, there exists a real need for a fall alarm detection system and a method of operating a fall detection system that allows the fall detection system to operate properly to effectively prevent false alarms without compromising accurate detection of any possible fall events. Summary of the invention

[0016] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a fall detection system is provided, the system comprising at least one fall detection sensor communicatively connected to an alarm device, the at least one fall detection sensor being arranged to monitor an activity of a user, and triggering the alarm device to sound an alarm when a fall event of the user is detected, wherein the fall detection system is configured to have a specific operation mode in which no alarm is sounded when the at least one fall detection sensor detects a specified activity, the method comprising the following steps:

[0017] - Activate a specific operating mode of the fall detection system;

[0018] -Control fall detection sensors to monitor user activity;

[0019] - Exiting a specific operating mode of the fall detection system when no activity is detected for a defined period of time, the length of which is variable depending on different conditions monitored by the fall detection sensor.

[0020] The present disclosure is based on the recognition that a fall detection system configured with a specific or special operating mode in which no alarm is issued can be reliably operated or functioned by controlling the fall detection system to exit the specific operating mode when it is determined that it is no longer necessary to operate the specific operating mode.

[0021] When the specific operation mode of the fall detection system is started or activated, the fall detection sensor of the fall detection system operates as usual to monitor the activities of the user without issuing an alarm regardless of whether a suspected fall event is detected.

[0022] Using the method of the present disclosure, the fall detection system is operated to exit a specific operating mode when no activity is detected within a defined period of time. The period can vary depending on different scenarios where no activity is detected at all or the expected activity is detected and ends.

[0023] The method thus ensures timely exit from a specific operating mode of the fall detection system without issuing an alarm, thereby preventing any risk of missed detection of a fall event due to unnecessary and continued operation of the specific operating mode of the fall detection system.

[0024] Therefore, a fall detection system so operated can effectively prevent false alarms by using a specific operating mode, while ensuring that necessary alarms in response to conventional fall events can still be reliably issued.

[0025] In one example of the present disclosure, the starting step is performed in response to receiving an instruction from a user.

[0026] Since the specific operation mode of the fall detection system is designed for the purpose of preventing false alarms, this mode is started or activated in response to an instruction from the user. The user can choose to turn on the specific operation mode, for example when planning to do some repair work in the bathroom involving a lying position. The user can then perform the necessary activities in a relaxed manner without worrying about triggering a fall alarm.

[0027] In one example of the present disclosure, the initiating step is performed by prohibiting the fall detection sensor from sending a trigger message to the alarm device.

[0028] In the special operation mode of the fall detection system, the fall detection system is still used to monitor the user's activities. The difference between the special operation mode and the normal operation mode is that even if a suspected fall event is detected, no alarm will be issued.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this can be achieved by disabling any trigger message sent from the fall detection sensor to the alarm device for triggering an alarm.

[0030] This control is easy to implement and does not require any substantial changes to the overall operation of the fall detection system.

[0031] In an alternative example of the present disclosure, the initiating step is performed by disabling the alarm device from sounding an alarm upon receiving a trigger message from the fall detection sensor.

[0032] When detecting a suspicious fall event, it is also possible to send a trigger message to the alarm device from the fall detection sensor as usual. In this case, for example, even when receiving the trigger message, the alarm device is prohibited from sounding the alarm, and the alarm device is controlled.

[0033] In one example of the present disclosure, the controlling step is performed for a first period equal to or longer than a period associated with a specified activity, and the exiting step includes exiting the specific operating mode when no activity is detected within a defined period after expiration of the first period.

[0034] When the specific operation mode is activated, the fall detection sensor operates as in the normal operation mode to monitor the user's activities. If a specified or expected activity of the user is detected, the fall detection sensor is controlled to continue monitoring the user until the specified or expected activity ends.

[0035] Thereafter, the fall detection sensor keeps monitoring the user. When no further activity is performed for a period of time, it can be determined that the specified activity is indeed completed and it is no longer necessary to keep running the specific operating mode. In this case, the fall detection system is operated to exit the specific operating mode.

[0036] Thus, the method ensures that a particular mode of operation runs for just the necessary duration and is then terminated. Thus, the fall detection system will not trigger any undesired false alarms, while returning to a normal mode of operation once the intended activity is completed.

[0037] In one example of the present disclosure, the controlling step is performed within a period of time, and the exiting step includes exiting the specific operating mode when no activity is detected during the period of time.

[0038] It may also happen that the user mistakenly activates the specific operating mode, or other urgent engagements prevent the user from performing the specified activity that should occur after activating the specific operating mode. In this case, the fall detection system will also exit the specific operating mode after monitoring the user for a period of time without detecting any specified activity.

[0039] In this case, exiting a specific operating mode is also important because the user may be busy with another task for a long time and at the same time a fall event may occur to the same or another user. The fall detection system is therefore operated to prevent any risk caused by such potential fall events.

[0040] In one example of the present disclosure, the step of exiting the specific operation mode includes controlling the fall detection system to exit the specific operation mode.

[0041] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, exiting a specific operating mode may be automatically performed when no activity is detected within a defined period of time. Depending on how the specific operating mode of the fall detection system as described above is, for example by disabling a trigger message sent to an alarm device or disabling an alarm from being issued, the specific operating mode may be exited by enabling the trigger message or alarm again. Some operations do not require any modification to the hardware of the fall detection system and may be conveniently implemented.

[0042] In one example of the present disclosure, the step of exiting the specific operation mode includes instructing a user to exit the specific operation mode.

[0043] Exiting the specific operation mode may also be achieved by prompting or instructing the user to manually restore the fall detection system to the normal operation mode. This may be more convenient for the user because it gives the user the option of continuing to operate the fall detection system in the specific operation mode when the user happens to have time to perform the planned activity at this moment.

[0044] In one example of the present disclosure, a fall detection system is preconfigured with specified activities.

[0045] When the designated activity is one of the activities known to be common to most users of the fall detection system, the designated activity may be conveniently pre-configured into the fall detection system, which may provide an improved user experience.

[0046] On the other hand, in further examples of the present disclosure, the designated activity is defined and input to the fall detection system by a user.

[0047] This provides users with greater flexibility, especially when the fall detection system is equipped in a different space than it was designed for. For example, when a user plans to do yoga in a room equipped with a fall detection system, she or he can define the activity and input it into the fall detection system, thereby enjoying the yoga class without worrying about triggering the fall detection system's alarm.

[0048] In one example of the present disclosure, the fall detection sensor includes a time of flight (ToF) sensor.

[0049] This approach is particularly beneficial for fall detection systems that employ ToF sensors, since ToF sensors typically rely more on discrete locations than on falling behavior to detect fall events.

[0050] In one example of the present disclosure, a ToF sensor is integrated with a lighting device.

[0051] The operating principle of ToF sensors makes it a very convenient solution to integrate such sensors into lighting equipment, which helps make the installation and configuration of fall detection systems easier.

[0052] A second aspect of the present disclosure proposes a device for operating a fall detection system according to the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The fall detection system comprises at least one fall detection sensor communicatively connected to an alarm device, the at least one fall detection sensor being arranged to monitor an activity of a user, and triggering the alarm device when a fall event of the user is detected, wherein the fall detection system is configured to have a specific operation mode in which the alarm device is not triggered when the at least one fall detection sensor detects a specified activity.

[0053] The device may be: a control device, such as a remote controller of the fall detection system; or a device that controls the fall detection system from a remote location, such as a server device of the fall detection system.

[0054] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a fall detection system operating according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The fall detection system comprises at least one fall detection sensor communicatively connected to an alarm device, the at least one fall detection sensor being arranged to monitor an activity of a user, and triggering the alarm device upon detecting a fall event of the user, wherein the fall detection system is configured to have a specific operation mode in which the alarm device is not triggered when the at least one fall detection sensor detects a specified activity.

[0055] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program product, comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0056] The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be best understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent the same parts or parts that perform the same or similar functions or operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] Figure 1a and Figure 1b Targets sensed by the ToF sensor of a fall detection system in a standing position and in a lying position are shown respectively.

[0058] Figure 2 A fall detection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0059] Figure 3 The flowchart-type diagram schematically illustrates the operation of the present invention. Figure 2 Embodiments of a method of a fall detection system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, the illustrated embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0061] Throughout this description, the terms "target," "user," and "subject" are used interchangeably.

[0062] As described in the background technology section, the 3D ToF sensor used in the fall detection system monitors a space to capture the position and posture of people in the space in real time. When a fallen person lies on the floor, the posture of the person as sensed by the ToF sensor is different from when the person is standing or sitting.

[0063] refer to Figure 1a and Figure 1b , which respectively show the targets sensed by the ToF sensor in a standing position and in a lying position, as Figure 1a The bar 11 shown in FIG. 1 represents a standing person from the perspective of a low resolution (e.g., an 8×8 3D ToF sensor), while Figure 1b The column 12 shown in FIG. 1 is how the 3D ToF sensor perceives a person when the person falls and lies on the floor.

[0064] For sensors that rely on the discrete real-time position of a target rather than the target's falling behavior to perform fall detection (such as low-resolution 3D ToF sensors), it may be difficult to distinguish a lying person who has fallen from a lying person who is fixing a toilet / drain or a bulky (human-like) object such as a pile of clothes thrown on the floor. This may lead to false alarms from the fall detection system.

[0065] In the following a fall detection system and method of operating a fall detection system will be described which may be used to prevent false alarms as described above without compromising accurate detection of any possible fall events.

[0066] Figure 2 A fall detection system 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The fall detection system 20 comprises one or more fall detection sensors 21 and an alarm device 22 operatively connected to each other.

[0067] The one or more fall detection sensors 21 may include a variety of sensors that may be used to monitor a user or target for any possible fall events based on the activities that the user continually performs in his or her daily life.

[0068] The one or more fall detection sensors 21 may be, for example, a visual sensor for capturing an image of a target or a surrounding environment sensor for detecting changes in the environment due to a fall.

[0069] The at least one fall detection sensor 21 may include a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor, which may be based on indoor lighting fixtures readily available at every home, such as LED lights fixed to the ceiling.

[0070] The at least one fall detection sensor 21 is arranged to trigger the alarm device 22 to sound an alarm when a fall event of a user is detected.

[0071] The alerting device 22 may comprise one or more alarms arranged to alert an associated user in the form of an audible sound, a visual signal, a telephone call or a message.

[0072] The fall detection system 20 is deployed in, for example, a home, where one or more sensors 21 are arranged in different rooms of the house and are connected to an alarm device 22 in a wired or wireless manner.

[0073] As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the fall detection system may further include a processor 23, which may be, for example, a processor connected to each of the fall detection sensors 21, or a processor remotely deployed and configured to communicate with the fall detection sensors 21 via, for example, a communication network.

[0074] The processor 23 is configured to receive data acquired or captured by the one or more sensors 21 and determine whether a fall event is occurring or has occurred to the user based on the data obtained from the sensors.

[0075] The processor 23 is further configured to trigger the alarm device 22 when a fall event is detected, for example by means of a trigger message transmitted to the alarm device.

[0076] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the processor 23 and the sensor 21 may be a single integrated device or configured as separate components of the fall detection system 20. As an example, the sensor 21 may include a sensing portion and also have a built-in processor that may process the raw data captured by the sensing portion of the sensor to determine any possible events occurring to the user.

[0077] Alternatively, the processor 23 may be a separate component from the sensor 21. In this case, the processor may also be configured for other functionality, such as controlling electronic devices, such as lighting in a home.

[0078] The fall detection system 20 is configured to have a specific operating mode in which no alarm is sounded when one or more fall detection sensors 21 detect a specified activity.

[0079] The specified activities involve positions and postures that may be confused by the fall detection sensor with positions and postures associated with a fall event. Such activities may generally be referred to as false positive activities.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the phrase "a fall detection sensor detects a specific activity" as used herein refers to determining that a user is performing a specific activity based on user measurement data such as obtained by the fall detection sensor. Methods for making such determinations are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

[0081] The specific operation mode may be referred to as, for example, a no fall detection mode, in which the fall detection function of the fall detection system appears to be deactivated.

[0082] In fact, in the no-fall detection mode, one or more fall detection sensors 21 still operate to monitor the user's activities, that is, the fall detection sensor 21 still captures the user's position and posture in real time, but no alarm is issued even if a suspected fall event is determined.

[0083] Thus, the no fall detection mode may be activated by inhibiting the transmission of a trigger message from the fall detection sensor or from a processor processing measurement data acquired by the fall detection sensor to the alarm device.

[0084] It is also possible that the trigger message for triggering the alarm is still sent to the alarm device. In this case, when the trigger message is received from the fall detection sensor, the no fall detection mode can be activated by forbidding the alarm device to sound an alarm.

[0085] The operations for implementing the above-mentioned control are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

[0086] The no fall detection mode may be initiated or activated via a suitably designed user interface. In this case, a user or operator of the fall detection system changes the system to the no fall detection mode prior to a specific activity that is known to pose no risk of falling but may result in a false alarm. After completing the activity, the user or operator changes or switches the fall detection system back to the normal operating mode.

[0087] Based on the present disclosure, a mechanism for automatically exiting the no-fall detection mode or triggering the exit of the no-fall detection mode is proposed. The mechanism is activated in the case where the user or operator forgets to switch back to the normal operation mode, or in the case of any unintentional activation of the no-fall detection mode due to, for example, misoperation.

[0088] The specific design of the user interface or mechanism for entering / exiting the no-fall detection mode is not part of the present disclosure and will not be discussed in detail here. As an example, for a fall detection system that employs a ToF sensor integrated into a lighting fixture, a switch set on the wall may be quickly flipped several times as a way to initiate the no-fall detection mode. In response, the lights may dim or brighten, thereby confirming that the no-fall detection mode has been successfully activated.

[0089] Another known method is to use a mobile application or a web-based application with specific access controls, including, for example, passwords, role-based controls, etc. Through a user manual for consumers or training for professional operators, the user or operator is made aware of activities that may lead to false alarms and changes the operating mode of the system accordingly before and after these activities.

[0090] When the fall detection system enters the no-fall detection mode under the control of the user, a fall detection sensor, such as a ToF sensor, begins monitoring the space where the activity is expected to occur.

[0091] If the fall detection system uses an app-based user interface, the user or operator may be required to specify or select the false alarm activity. The fall detection sensor will thus know exactly what will happen, such as fixing the toilet or doing the laundry.

[0092] For repair activities, the worker's behavior is different from normal use of the bathroom. The repair person may perform more squatting, bending, lying down, and standing up during the repair process. Multiple detections of relevant postures within a specific period of time can be used to confirm that repair activities may be occurring.

[0093] For laundry activities, the fall detection sensor can increase its sampling rate, for example, from 1 frame per second to 15 frames per second, and process data from only a few areas covering a specific floor area. In this way, the sensor can capture the fall of clothes without significantly increasing the computing load, thereby confirming the occurrence of laundry activities.

[0094] The reason for not attempting to identify these activities in the normal operating mode is the confidence level that can be achieved with a low resolution ToF sensor. There must be a repair activity that resembles normal use of the bathroom. If the normal operating mode is used, it is likely that such a repair activity could be mistaken for normal use of the bathroom with a fall, which would result in a false alarm. It is also possible that normal use of the bathroom with a fall could be mistaken for a repair activity, which would then result in a false alarm with more serious consequences.

[0095] After the fall detection sensor confirms that the expected activity has occurred and completed (such as the fall detection sensor now finds the space to be empty), if the fall detection system continues to operate in the no fall detection mode for a defined period of time (e.g. 5 minutes), the fall detection system will remind the user / operator to change back to normal mode, e.g. via the user interface. The fall detection system may also automatically change back to normal mode directly in case the user / operator forgets to do so.

[0096] Alternatively, after entering the no fall detection mode, if the fall detection sensor does not "see" the expected activity occurring within a defined period, the fall detection system will do the same thing to change back to the normal operating mode. This is because the no fall detection mode may have been initiated by mistake or due to a different emergency occupation preventing the user from performing the specified activity that should occur after initiating a particular operating mode.

[0097] The following will refer to Figure 3 Summarizing the above process of operating the fall detection system of the present disclosure, Figure 3 An embodiment of a method of operating a fall detection system according to the present disclosure is shown in a schematic diagram of the flow chart type.

[0098] In step 31 , a specific operation mode or a no fall detection mode of the fall detection system is activated.

[0099] As described above, this may be achieved by transmitting instructions from a user or operator to the fall detection system via, for example, a user interface or a control mechanism such as a switch.

[0100] In certain operating modes, no alarm is sounded when the fall detection sensor of the fall detection system detects specified activities.

[0101] From a control perspective, this may be achieved by inhibiting a trigger message sent to an alarm device in response to a fall detection sensor detecting a specified activity similar to a fall activity.

[0102] Alternatively, activation of the specific operating mode of the fall detection system is achieved by disabling the alarm device from sounding an alarm.

[0103] At step 32, a fall detection sensor is controlled to monitor the user's activities.

[0104] In fact, the fall detection sensor does not change its normal operation, it continues to capture the position and posture of any object within its monitoring range.

[0105] At step 33, the particular operating mode of the fall detection system is exited when no activity is detected within a defined period of time.

[0106] As described above, when it is determined from the data captured by the fall detection sensor that no activity has been performed for a defined period of time, the exit from the specific operation mode of the fall detection system may be automatically performed. Alternatively, the fall detection system may remind the user or operator to exit the specific operation mode of the fall detection system by, for example, a reminder alert different from the fall alarm.

[0107] In real life applications, the length of this defined period is variable depending on the different conditions monitored by the fall detection sensor.

[0108] As an example, after initiating a specific operating mode, when it is detected and determined that the expected or specified activity from the user has been completed, if the fall detection system continues to be in the specific operating mode, it may be determined that it is no longer necessary for the detection system to operate in this no fall detection mode, and therefore it is time to exit the specific operating mode.

[0109] In this case, the fall detection sensor monitors the user's activity for a period at least equal to the period of time during which the specified activity lasts. The fall detection sensor typically monitors the user for a longer period than the specified activity.

[0110] In another example, where the fall detection sensor does not detect any activity at all after entering the specific operation mode, the execution of exiting the fall detection system from the specific operation mode is performed much faster. Therefore, the monitoring operation of the fall detection sensor in the specific operation mode is much shorter.

[0111] In the following, a mechanism for enabling a user or operator of a fall detection system to add new local correlated false alarm activities into the no fall detection mode will be described.

[0112] In practice, it is difficult for a fall detection system to predict all false positive activities before deployment. If a user or operator encounters a false positive caused by a specific activity that is actually safe and does not involve a fall risk, he or she may choose to add it to the no fall detection mode.

[0113] This can be achieved via an app-based user interface. To do this, first the user or operator needs to identify the exact activity that caused the false alarm and repeat it. The fall detection system then guides the user or operator to perform the activity via the user interface and collects sensor data for post-processing. The user or operator can repeat the activity multiple times, and the fall detection sensor can increase the sampling rate throughout the process.

[0114] The fall detection system may also ask the user or operator to describe the activity in text via the user interface. The system provider may also contact the user or operator (eg, via telephone) to obtain more details.

[0115] Using the collected sensor data and the description of the activity, a service engineer of the fall detection system can decide whether to add the activity to the no-fall detection mode. The service engineer can choose to add the activity only for the accurate sensors reporting false positives, or to add the activity for all sensors (in the case that the activity is common to all users).

[0116] The present disclosure is not limited to the examples disclosed above and may be modified and enhanced by those skilled in the art outside the scope of the present disclosure disclosed in the appended claims without applying creative skills and for use in any data communication, data exchange and data processing environment, system or network.

Claims

1. A method (30) of operating a fall detection system (20), the system (20) comprising at least one fall detection sensor (21) communicatively connected to an alarm device (22), the at least one fall detection sensor (21) being arranged to monitor an activity of a user and trigger the alarm device (22) to sound an alarm when a fall event of the user is detected, wherein the fall detection system (20) is configured to have a specific operation mode in which no alarm is sounded when the at least one fall detection sensor (21) detects a specified activity, the method (30) comprising the following steps: - starting (31) a specific operating mode of the fall detection system (20); - controlling (32) a fall detection sensor to monitor the user's activities; - exiting (33) a specific operating mode of the fall detection system when no activity is detected for a defined period of time, the length of which depends on a specified activity monitored by the fall detection sensor; The control (32) step is executed within a period of time. The exit (33) step includes exiting the particular operating mode when no activity is detected during the period.

2. The method (30) of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating (31) is performed in response to receiving an instruction from a user.

3. The method (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of initiating (31) is performed by inhibiting a trigger message sent by the fall detection sensor (21) to the alarm device (22).

4. The method (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of initiating (31) is performed by disabling the alarm device (22) from sounding an alarm upon receiving a trigger message from the fall detection sensor (21).

5. The method (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of controlling (32) is performed during a first period of time equal to or longer than a period of time associated with a specified activity, The exit (33) step includes exiting the specific operating mode when no activity is detected within a defined period of time after expiration of the first period of time.

6. The method (30) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein exiting (33) the specific operating mode comprises controlling a fall detection system to exit the specific operating mode.

7. The method (30) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein exiting (33) the specific operating mode comprises instructing a user to exit the specific operating mode.

8. The method (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the specified activity is preconfigured by the fall detection system (20).

9. The method (30) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein the specified activity is defined and input into the fall detection system (20) by a user.

10. A device for operating a fall detection system (20) according to the method (30) of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9, the system (20) comprising at least one fall detection sensor (21) communicatively connected to an alarm device (22), the at least one fall detection sensor (21) being arranged to monitor an activity of a user, and to trigger the alarm device (22) when a fall event of the user is detected, wherein the fall detection system (20) is configured to have a specific operating mode in which no alarm is issued when the at least one fall detection sensor (21) detects a specified activity.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the fall detection sensor (21) comprises a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the ToF sensor (21) is integrated with the lighting device.

13. A fall detection system (20) operated according to the method (30) of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 12, the system (20) comprising at least one fall detection sensor (21) communicatively connected to an alarm device (22), the at least one fall detection sensor (21) being arranged to monitor the activities of a user, and trigger the alarm device (22) to sound an alarm when a fall event of the user is detected, wherein the fall detection system (20) is configured to have a specific operating mode in which no alarm is sounded when the at least one fall detection sensor (21) detects a specified activity.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 9.

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