Method for defining zones in a space managed by a space management device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LEGRAND FRANCE SA
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
Smart Images
Figure EP2024070447_30012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
DESCRIPTION TITLE: Method for defining zones in a space managed by a space management device TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The technical field of the invention is that of space management.
[0002] The present invention relates to a method of defining zones in a space and in particular to a computer-implemented method of defining zones in a space managed by a space management device. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] With the development of coworking spaces and flexible offices, there has been a need to manage spaces automatically, particularly workspaces, such as offices.
[0004] To achieve automated management, some spaces are equipped with space management devices. These devices manage a set of space metrics, such as ventilation, temperature, or occupancy. Devices for managing space occupancy are often positioned on the ceiling of the managed space and include a component for counting and / or obtaining the position of space users within the space. For example, some space management devices include an imager, such as a camera, an infrared motion detector, or any sensor that can obtain the position of a space user within the space.
[0005] To better manage the space, these devices are configured to transmit the information they measure to a computer program, for example an application, the computer program making it possible to reserve the space for a time slot, and to check the occupancy of the space, for example in real time, thanks to the occupancy information obtained from the space management device. For more detailed space management, these programs are configured to be able to define zones of the managed space, and thus manage the different zones of the space, for example groups of desks in a room. The space management device can monitor the presence and number of people in each zone. The space management device can also monitor metrics independent of the zones, i.e. applying to the entire space managed by the space management device. space. For example, the space management device may manage the temperature of the space, as well as other space metrics, by actuating means capable of modifying the metric.
[0006] To define zones, computer programs use the location of an existing user obtained by one or more space management devices. To do this, a starting point of the zone is defined by an initial position of the user. One or more other points of the zone are then defined following the movement(s) of the user. To do this, the user moves from a first point to a second point, and a shape extending between these two points is then a zone. For example, a rectangular or square-shaped zone can be defined by two positions of the user: their initial position and their final position, thus creating two opposite points forming one of the two diagonals of the zone, thus defining the rectangular or square zone. The terms "initial" and "final" refer to the geographical positions of the user in the managed space during a predefined time window of zone definition.Thus, the user configures the delimitation of the area of interest by configuring shapes on a representation of the space in which his position, obtained by the space management device, is represented. The user can then delimit the areas of interest and the exclusion zones. An exclusion zone is an area that the space management device does not have to manage or for which an instruction relating to a metric or a set of metrics does not have to be applied by the space management device. The area or areas thus created and the position of the user can be displayed on a mobile device of the user, for example a smartphone, or on a computer or any other user interface.
[0007] In the case of configuring adjacent areas of interest or exclusion, there is a risk that some parts of the managed space are not included in the zones configured by the user. Indeed, user positioning errors due to the positioning accuracy of the space management device and / or user movements after the definition of a first zone and before the definition of a second zone can lead to the creation of a gap between the zones. This gap is then a part of the space that will not be managed by the space management device, which poses a problem because the space is not entirely managed by the space management device.
[0008] There is therefore a need to facilitate the configuration of delimitation of adjacent zones in a space managed by a space management device, in the field of space management and lighting in tertiary and residential buildings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention provides a solution to the problems mentioned above, by making it possible to avoid gaps between zones by modifying the initial point when creating a zone.
[0010] One aspect of the invention relates to a computer-implemented method of defining zones in a space, at least one metric of the space being managed by a space management device, the method comprising the steps of: Receiving a user's position in the space detected by the space management device, When the user's position is outside an existing area and is within a threshold distance of at least one predefined notable point of the existing area: Defining a new area of space from the notable point, the area of space being defined between the notable point and a final position of the user after the user has moved.
[0011] By means of the invention, the configuration of adjacent zones by moving the user is facilitated, and the creation of spaces between the configured zones is prevented. Indeed, by implementing the method according to the invention, the starting point for the creation of a new zone is a predefined notable point of an existing adjacent zone close to the position of the user at the time of creation of the new zone, and not the position of the user detected by the space management device. Thus, as long as the user has a position close to a predefined notable point of an existing zone, "close" being understood as "at a distance less than a predefined distance", there is no gap between two zones less than the adjacent predefined distance, regardless of the position of the user.This predefined distance can be called the "snap tolerance", where snapping is the replacement of the user's position with the notable point as the starting point of the new area.
[0012] In addition to the characteristics which have just been mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the method according to one aspect of the invention may have one or more additional characteristics among the following, considered individually or according to all technically possible combinations: the predefined remarkable point is at least one of the following remarkable points: a vertex of the existing zone, a projection of the position of the user onto an edge of the existing zone, the center of an edge of the existing zone. the position of the user is outside a plurality of existing zones and is at a distance less than a threshold from at least one predefined remarkable point of each existing zone of the plurality of existing zones,and wherein the definition of the new area of the space is performed from the predefined notable point of the existing area among the plurality of existing areas for which the position of the user is at the shortest distance from the notable point of the existing area, the managed metric is the temperature, the lighting and / or an occupancy of at least one area of the space, the space management device is placed on the ceiling of the space or on a wall of the space, the space management device detects the position of the user by imaging and the user is located in a part of the space imaged by the space management device, the space management device comprises at least one imager for detecting the position of the user by imaging, the part of the space imaged by the space management device being a field of view of the camera,the user confirms the definition of the new zone via a user device, the new area of space from the predefined remarkable point has a shape defined by a point cloud, the points of the point cloud being defined by a succession of positions of the user, at least one point of the point cloud of the new area of space other than the predefined remarkable point from which the new area is defined is another predefined remarkable point.
[0013] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the method according to the invention.
[0014] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the method according to the invention.
[0015] The invention and its various applications will be better understood by reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0016] The figures are presented for information purposes only and in no way limit the invention. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a room comprising a space, Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of a space managed by a space management device, Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a user's position in a space managed by a space management device, Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a zone created in a space managed by a space management device, Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a method according to the invention, Figure 6 shows a schematic representation of the result of the invention compared to the prior art, Figure 7 shows another schematic representation of the result of the invention compared to the prior art, Figure 8 shows a schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to an existing area according to the invention, Figure 9 shows another schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to an existing area according to the invention, Figure 10 shows a schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to an existing area from a first notable point of the existing area according to the invention, Figure 11 shows a schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to an existing area from a second notable point of the existing area according to the invention, Figure 12 shows a schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to an existing area from a third notable point of the existing area according to the invention, Figure 13 shows a schematic representation of the selection of an initial point for the creation of an area adjacent to several existing areas according to the invention, Figure 14 shows a schematic representation of the creation of an area adjacent to several existing areas according to the invention Figure 15 shows the use of a point cloud for the creation of an area according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Unless otherwise specified, the same element appearing in different figures has a single reference.
[0018] [Fig. 1] shows a schematic representation of a room comprising a ceiling and a floor, a space management device 10 being mounted on the ceiling, and a plurality of tables 11 to 13 being placed on the floor. The tables 11 to 13 are, for example, desks. Figure 1 shows an example of a room in which a space is managed by the space management device 10, but the invention applies to any space managed by a space management device 10, whether this space is indoors and / or outdoors.
[0019] The space management device 10 may be positioned on the ceiling, on a wall, on the floor or on any other surface of the environment comprising the space it controls. manages. The space management device 10 makes it possible to manage a space E shown in Figure 2.
[0020] [Fig. 2] shows a schematic representation of a space managed by a space management device 10, in the room of Figure 1. The space E comprises six tables 11 to 16, represented by an oval shape. The tables can be, for example, desks. The space E is only one example of a space that can be managed by a space management device 10, and the invention covers any type of space E manageable by such a device 10.
[0021] A space E is said to be “managed by a device 10” when the device 10 can control a system acting on a metric of the space E. A metric of the space E is, for example, ventilation, temperature, occupancy of the space E. The occupancy of the space E can be expressed as a percentage relative to the maximum occupancy, or as a number of people, i.e. as a number of users of the space E. To control a metric of the space E, the device for managing the space E has access to a measurement of the metric of the space E, either preferentially because it measures it via a sensor that it includes, or by receiving the measurement from an external device, for example via a network.
[0022] Preferably, and in the remainder of the description, the space management device 10 comprises a presence sensor, capable of measuring the occupancy of the space E, and therefore of counting the number of users of the space E at a given time. The space management device 10 comprises for this purpose an imager, capable of acquiring an image of at least a portion of the space E and of identifying the presence of each user of the space E and the position of each user of the space E. An imager is for example preferably a camera. The imager has a field of view FC, shown in Figures 6 and 7. The field of view FC of the imager may cover only a portion of the space E, or may preferably cover the entire space E, or may cover an area larger than the space E. The position of each user of the space E is obtained for example by image analysis.Preferably, the position of the users can be tracked as the users move, i.e. the position of the users must be obtained in real time, in near real time, or for example at each predefined time interval, for example every 5 seconds. Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of the initial position PI1 of a user in space E.
[0023] The term “zone” of the space E is understood to mean a part of the space E defined by one or more users of the space E and making it possible to manage one of the metrics managed by the space management device 10 for this zone, independently of the other zones of the space E and of the rest of the space E. Thus, the definition of zones makes it possible, for example, to manage the occupation of the zones and therefore to reserve a zone for a time slot by knowing the occupation of the zone.
[0024] To define an area of a space E, a user of the space E uses a computer, for example a laptop, desktop computer, a smartphone or a tablet, or any other human-machine interface. The user uses the human-machine interface to validate the different points of the area of the space E to be created. For example, the user can use his smartphone to validate each point of the area to be created. An area can be created from two points, for example two points located on a diagonal when the area is rectangular or square. The number of points in the area and the shape of the area are predefined, and can be chosen by the user. The invention applies to any shape of area comprising any number of points greater than or equal to two. For example, and preferably, an area can be rectangular or square, or can be round, oval, triangular, hexagonal, or of any other shape.A zone is preferably in two dimensions, in the ground plane of the space E managed by the space management device 10.
[0025] A zone is defined by a user of space E during a time interval whose start corresponds to the user's validation of an initial position and whose end corresponds to the user's validation of a final position. During this time interval, the user moves and can define other points in the zone, via his position. A point in the zone then corresponds to the user's position when he performs a validation via the computer allowing the zone to be defined, for example his smartphone.
[0026] For example, Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a zone Z1 defined between an initial position PI1 and a final position PF1. The zone Z1 is rectangular. To create this zone Z1 , the user moved from position PI1 to position PF1 , and validated the points of the zone Z1 , respectively when he was at position PI1 and then when he was at position PF1 .
[0027] The method according to the invention makes it possible to improve the creation of adjacent zones according to the way of creating zones of space E described previously. This improvement is shown in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows a schematic representation of the “magnetism” of a new zone Z2 with respect to an old zone Z1. The “magnetism” according to the invention makes it possible to avoid the presence of gaps lower than the resolution of the imager of the space management device 10 between the zones of the space E. Thus, as shown in Figure 6, a new zone Z2 will necessarily be stuck to an existing zone Z1 if the position of the user creating the new zone Z2 is at a distance lower than a threshold from the existing zone Z1. Thus, unlike the prior art shown in the left part of Figure 6, there is no gap lower than the resolution of the imager of the space management device 10 between two zones, as shown according to the invention on the right in Figure 6.Similarly, as shown in the left part of Figure 7, if the imager of the space management device 10 has a field of view FC greater than the size of the space E, a new zone could be created outside, at least in part, the managed space E. In such a case, the invention allows the “magnetism” of the new zone Z1 with respect to the managed space E, as shown in the right part of Figure 7.
[0028] When a new zone Z2 is created according to the invention, the space management device 10 can then manage at least one metric of the new zone Z2, for example the occupancy of the zone. As shown in the right part of Figure 6, the space management device 10, using its imager, detected low occupancy in the new zone Z2 and high occupancy in the existing zone Z1.
[0029] When at least one zone already exists in space E, the user may want to create a new zone. The user may be the same user who created the existing zone or a different user. It is important to note that the process only works for one user creating a zone. The process does not allow zones to be created by two users simultaneously.
[0030] The method 2 according to the invention is shown schematically in Figure 5. The method 2 according to the invention is a computer-implemented method. By "computer-implemented" is meant that the steps, or substantially all of the steps, are executed by at least one computer or processor or any other similar system. Thus, steps are performed by the computer, possibly fully automatically, or semi-automatically. In examples, the triggering of at least some of the steps of the methods may be performed by user-computer interaction. The level of user-computer interaction required may depend on the level of automation intended and balanced against the need to implement the user's wishes. In examples, this level may be user-defined and / or predefined.
[0031] A typical example of a computer implementation of a method is to execute the method with a system adapted for this purpose. The system may include a processor coupled to a memory and a graphical user interface (GUI), the memory having recorded thereon a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method. The memory may also store a database. Memory is any hardware adapted for such storage, possibly comprising several distinct physical parts.
[0032] The method 2 according to the invention comprises 3 steps 21 to 23. The method 2 according to the invention is a method for defining a zone in a space E, at least one metric of the space E being managed by a space management device 10.
[0033] In a first step 21, the position of the user defining the zone in the space E is received by the computer implementing the method 2. The position was detected by the space management device 10 as described previously.
[0034] In a second step 22, the position of the user received in step 21 is compared to at least one existing zone defined in space, for example in Figure 8, the position Pos1 of the user is compared to the zone Z1.
[0035] "Comparing a position to an area" means verifying that the user's position is outside the existing area and is within a threshold distance of at least one predefined notable point in the existing area.
[0036] As shown in Figure 8, the threshold is for example a predefined radius R1, whose center is the user's position. An existing area is then considered quite "close" to the user's position when the user's position Pos1 is at a distance less than a predefined distance R1 from a remarkable point of the existing area.
[0037] A “remarkable point” within the meaning of the present invention is a predefined point in the area. A remarkable point is then, for example, a vertex of the area, a projection of the user’s position onto an edge of the existing area, or the center of an edge of the existing area. The projection may be orthogonal or any other type of projection.
[0038] [Fig. 9] is an enlarged representation of a portion of Figure 8, notably “zoomed in” to the user’s position Pos1.
[0039] The user's position Pos1 is orthogonally projected onto a first abscissa edge of the zone Z1 in order to check whether the user's position Pos1 is at a distance less than the predefined threshold R1 from the remarkable point PR1 corresponding to the projection of the user's position Pos1 onto the edge of the zone Z1. Two other remarkable points are represented: point PR2 is a vertex of the zone Z1, and point PR3 is the middle of the edge of the zone Z1.
[0040] Since the user's position Pos1 is at a distance less than the threshold R1 from the remarkable point PR2, the method 2 comprises a third step 23 of defining the new zone Z2 from the remarkable point PR2, and not from the user's position Pos1 as in the prior art. Thus, deviations less than the predefined threshold R1 between the existing zone Z1 and the new zone Z2 are avoided.
[0041] Preferably, when defining a new area from a notable point rather than from the user's position, when the existing area and the new area each have at least one straight edge, the two areas have an edge in common, of the same length or of different lengths.
[0042] By "defining" an area is meant the implementation of a method for defining an area, the method for defining an area comprising at least the reception, by the computer implementing the method 2 according to the invention, of information concerning the area obtained from a user using a human-machine interface and then the storage of information concerning the area in a memory of a device, for example of the computer implementing the method 2 according to the invention. Information concerning the area may be vertices of the area, dimensions of the area, geographical coordinates of the area, or any other information concerning the area, obtained from the user or deduced from information obtained from the user. This information concerning the area is then used by another device or system or by the same device or system as that implementing the method 2 according to the invention.Information about the zone allows for example to calculate the occupancy in the zone, to obtain the temperature in the zone and regulate it, or to obtain any metric of the zone and / or to act on this metric.
[0043] As shown in [Fig. 10], the new zone Z2 has an edge merged with a part of the edge of the existing zone Z1 onto which the user's position Pos1 was projected during the verification of step 22. By "merged edges" is meant two overlapping edges having a different length or having the same length. The user, after validating the remarkable point PR1 of zone Z1 as the initial point PI2 of zone Z2, moves to form zone Z2 by validating its final position as the end point PF2.
[0044] In the same way, in another embodiment shown in [Fig. 1 1 ], a new zone Z3 has an edge merged with a part of the ordinate edge of the existing zone Z1 onto which a position Pos2 of the user was projected during the verification of step 22. The user, after validating the remarkable point PR4 of the zone Z1 as the initial point PI3 of the zone Z3, moves to form the zone Z3 by validating its final position as the end point PF3.
[0045] Similarly, in another embodiment shown in [Fig. 12], a new zone Z4 has an edge merged with a part of the upper edge of the existing zone Z1. The starting remarkable point of the new zone Z4 is then the vertex PR2 of the zone Z1, because the user has his position Pos3 closer to this remarkable point PR2 than to the other remarkable points of the existing zone Z1. The user, after validating the remarkable point PR4 of the zone Z1 as the initial point PI4 of the zone Z4, moves to form the zone Z4 by validating his final position as the end point PF4.
[0046] In [Fig. 13], the user has a position Po5 close to two existing zones Z1 and Z6. The invention applies to any number of existing zones close to the user's position, i.e. to any zone having a remarkable point at a distance from the user's position less than the threshold R1.
[0047] In a case such as that shown in Figure 13, that is to say in the case in which the user has a position close to at least two existing zones, at least one rule can be used to determine the remarkable point used to define the initial point of the new zone. This rule, or these rules when there are several, can be defined by an operator, preferably are predefined by configuration. These rules can be stored in a memory, for example in a memory of the computer implementing the method 2 according to the invention or in a memory accessible by this computer.
[0048] The rule(s) allows you to define an order of priority for notable points and / or existing zones. For example, a rule may indicate that a Z1 zone created before a Z6 zone is to be prioritized for the definition of a new zone.
[0049] Alternatively, and as shown in Figure 13, the smallest distance from the user position Pos5 to a remarkable point is used to select the remarkable point as the initial point of the new area. In such a case, the distances D1 from the user position Pos5 to its orthogonal projection PR6 on an edge of the existing area Z6, D2 from the user position Pos5 to its orthogonal projection PR7 on an edge of the existing area Z1 and D3 from the user position Pos5 to the midpoint of the edge PR3 are compared. Since the distance D2 is the smallest distance among the three distances D1 to D3, the remarkable point PR7 is selected as the initial point PI7 of the new area Z7 as shown in [Fig. 14].
[0050] When only one existing area is close to the user's position and multiple notable points in that existing area are close to the user's position, one or more rules may also be used to determine which notable point to select, in the same way as when multiple existing areas are close. Rules may prioritize notable points without regard to areas, existing areas without regard to notable points, or any combination of existing areas and their notable points.
[0051] In one embodiment, the areas may have a shape other than a rectangular shape and a square shape. This area may be created via the creation, by the user, of a point cloud. This point cloud may be created by the user moving in space E, and, for each point, by the user validating, on his user device, the creation of a point of the point cloud associated with his position at the time of validation. This is represented in Figure 15, which shows a schematic representation of a point cloud created by a user via his movements and a created area corresponding to the point cloud. The created area may have a predetermined shape, the size and position of which are then adapted to the point cloud, i.e. the shape is adjusted to have at least one point in common with the point cloud.Alternatively, the created area can have a shape comprising multiple edges, each edge connecting two points in the point cloud to create a shape from all the points in the cloud. of points. The shape can be created by following an order defined by the order of validation of the points of the point cloud by the user. An area created with a point cloud is "magnetized" to an adjacent area according to the method according to the invention, with at least one of the points of the created area, preferably the starting point of the created area, being the predefined remarkable point of the area adjacent to the created area. This embodiment makes it possible to create areas of different shapes, adapted to the user's wishes and to the space E managed. For example, in Figure 15, the initial point PI8 is the remarkable point PR7, determined from the user's position Pos6, and the final point is the point PF8. The created area Z8 has a shape defined by the point cloud Pos6 to Pos14.Each point in the point cloud can be "snapped" to an adjacent area if the user's position is within a threshold distance of a notable point, for example, notable points PR6 and PR3 from positions Pos7 and Pos14. In the invention, when a point cloud is used to create an area, when the user's position is within a threshold distance of a notable point of an adjacent area upon user validation, this notable point belongs to the point cloud rather than the user's position.
Claims
CLAIMS
1. A computer-implemented method (2) for defining an area in a space (E), at least one metric of the space (E) being managed by a space management device (10), the method (2) comprising the steps of: - Reception (21) of the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of a user in the space (E) detected by the space management device (10), - When (22) the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of the user is outside an existing zone (Z1, Z6) and is at a distance less than a threshold (R1) from at least one predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7) of the existing zone (Z1, Z6): o Definition (23) of a new zone (Z2,...,Z5,Z7) of the space (E) from the predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7), the zone of the space (E) being defined between the remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7) and a final position (PF1,...,PF5) of the user after movement of the user.
2. Method (2) according to claim 1 according to which the predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7) is at least one of the following remarkable points: - a summit of the existing zone (Z1, Z6), - a projection of the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of the user onto an edge of the existing zone (Z1, Z6), - the center of an edge of the existing zone (Z1, Z6).
3. Method (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of the user is outside a plurality of existing zones (Z1, Z6) and is at a distance (D1, D2, D3) less than a threshold (R1) from at least one predefined remarkable point (PR3, PR6, PR7) of each existing zone (Z1, Z6) of the plurality of existing zones, and wherein the definition of the new zone (Z7) of the space is carried out from the predefined remarkable point (PR3, PR6, PR7) of the existing zone (Z1, Z6) among the plurality of existing zones for which the position of the user (Pos5) is at the shortest distance (D2) from the remarkable point of the existing zone.
4. Method (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the managed metric is the temperature, the lighting and / or an occupancy of at least one zone of the space (E).
5. Method (2) according to one of the preceding claims according to which the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of the user is detected by the space management device (10) by imaging and the user is located in a part of the space (E) imaged by the space management device (10).
6. Method (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the user confirms the definition of the new zone (Z2,...Z5,Z7) via a user device.
7. Method (2) according to one of the preceding claims according to which the new zone (Z2,...,Z5,Z7) of the space (E) from the predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7) has a shape defined by a cloud of points, the points of the cloud of points being defined by a succession of positions of the user.
8. Method (2) according to the preceding claim according to which at least one point of the point cloud of the new zone (Z2,...,Z5,Z7) of the space (E) other than the predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7) from which the new zone (Z2,...,Z5,Z7) is defined is another predefined remarkable point (PR1,...,PR7).
9. Space management device (10) configured to implement the method according to one of the preceding claims.
10. Device (10) according to claim 9 comprising at least one imager for detecting the position (Pos1,...,Pos5) of the user by imaging, the part of the space imaged by the space management device (10) being a field of vision of the camera. [Claim 1 1 ] Device (10) according to one of claims 9 or 10 according to which the space management device (10) is placed on the ceiling of the space (E) or on a wall of the space (E).
12. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the method (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8.