CONTROLLER AND METHOD FOR RECONFIGURING A RADIO FREQUENCY BASED SENSING SYSTEM - Patent application

Abstract

A method for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system including a transmitter node that transmits radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node that receives the transmitted radio frequency signals, wherein an external device external to the transmitter / receiver node processes the radio frequency signals for radio frequency based sensing, the method including: collecting the received radio frequency signals at a collector node; transmitting the collected radio frequency signals at a second transmission rate to the external device for processing; receiving sensing results based on the processing from the external device; and adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system, and further to a controller, a system and a computer program product for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Radiofrequency based sensing is a sensing mechanism that involves a wireless transceiver (or transmitter / receiver) that is positioned to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals. These RF signals, which may also be used for wireless communication, are affected by the presence / motion of a person within the sensing volume, e.g., via reflection, absorption, scattering, etc., as they pass through the sensing volume. Radiofrequency based sensing exploits such deviations in the radio frequency signals to infer the presence of a person. Processing of the affected radio frequency signals to infer the presence can be performed locally, e.g., at the receiving node, or externally at an external device. In the case of external processing, a collector node is typically used to collect the radio frequency signals and transmit them to an external device. Radiofrequency based sensing is also extended to other applications, such as location detection, fall detection, gesture detection, vital signs detection, etc., that are also based on how the radio frequency signals are affected in the sensing volume. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The inventors have recognized that when the processing of RF signals is performed externally, for example, in an external device such as a cloud or a gateway, the transmission of radio frequency signals to the external device becomes one of the main reasons for radio frequency traffic congestion, which impedes wireless communication within the sensing area and also degrades the performance of RF sensing due to increased message collision probability, etc. Furthermore, this limits the number of detection areas in the sensing environment, since each detection area requires collection and transmission of radio frequency signals to an external device.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to address the above-mentioned and other (related) problems and to improve the performance of RF sensing systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect, the object is achieved by a method of reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system including a transmitter node transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals, wherein an external device, external to the transmitter / receiver node, processes the radio frequency signals for radio frequency based sensing, the method including: collecting the received radio frequency signals at a collector node; transmitting the collected radio frequency signals at a second transmission rate to the external device for processing; receiving sensing results based on the processing from the external device; and adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results.

[0006] The method relates to reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system including at least two nodes, e.g., a transmitter node transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals. The transmission rate may be defined as the number of messages sent per second. In one example, the messages transmitted / received between the transmitter node and the receiver node include Interpan messages. The radio frequency based sensing system may include three nodes or any n number of nodes (n>1). In one example, if the number of nodes is three, one node may be positioned to transmit radio frequency signals and the other two nodes may be positioned to receive the transmitted radio frequency signals. Any other number of nodes and possible combinations of transmitters / receivers may also be envisioned, and may be based, for example, on the radio frequency based sensing application, the spatial location of the nodes, etc.

[0007] The radio frequency based sensing system may be deployed for presence and / or location detection. Presence sensing may include vital signs detection, gesture detection, etc. Additionally and / or alternatively, other known or future applications of the radio frequency based sensing system (e.g., respiration detection, activity detection, vital signs detection, gesture detection, etc.) are not excluded.

[0008] The transmitted / received radio frequency signals may be used for presence and / or location detection and for network communication. The network communication and / or message transmission / reception may follow any suitable type of wireless communication protocol, such as, for example, Bluetooth, ZigBee, UWB or WiFi, and the nodes may have suitable circuitry corresponding to the protocol.

[0009] The radio frequency based sensing and optionally wireless network communication takes place in an environment. The environment may be an outdoor space such as a garden, balcony, park, road, etc. The environment may be an indoor space such as a home, an office, a store, an animal house, a warehouse, a manufacturing site, etc.

[0010] The method includes collecting the received radio frequency signals at a collector node. In one example, the receiver node may be the collector node. In another example, the collector node may be an external node that is external to the receiver node and / or the transmitter node. The collector node may be included in a radio frequency based sensing system.

[0011] The method further includes transmitting the collected radio frequency signals to an external device for processing at a second transmission rate. The first transmission rate may be the same as the second transmission rate, or alternatively, may be different. In one example, the collected radio frequency signals are instantaneous received radio frequency signals that are transmitted as they are received. The amount of collected radio frequency signals may be based on the first and second transmission rates. The transmission of the collected radio frequency signals to the external device may include unicast messages, defined as messages sent directly to a single host.

[0012] The method further includes receiving the sensing result based on the processing from the external device. The processing of the collected signals is performed in the external device. For example, the processing is performed by comparing deviations of the received collected signals to a baseline, which may be defined as an initial value for the sensing / detection area. Deviations above a threshold, or a signature deviation, may indicate a sensing event. For example, in case of presence sensing, the sensing result may be the presence or absence of a user. The sensing result may be received at a collector node and / or at a transmitter / receiver node (transmitter and / or receiver). The sensing result may be received directly from the external device or indirectly via another device.

[0013] The method further includes adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing results, so that network traffic is reduced and thus performance of the radio frequency based sensing system is improved. The adjustment may include increasing the second transmission rate or decreasing the second transmission rate.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method may further include adjusting the first transmission rate based on the received sensing result.

[0015] In this advantageous embodiment, not only is the second transmission rate (message transmission from the collector node to the external device) adjusted, but the first transmission rate (message transmission from the transmitter node to the receiver node) is also adjusted, increased or decreased, e.g., to further reduce network traffic and thus improve the RF sensing system.

[0016] In one embodiment, the method may further include determining, at the collector node, whether a deviation of the received radio frequency signal over a period of time exceeds a threshold, and the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on said determination.

[0017] For example, if the collected radio frequency signal does not change over time, this may indicate that there is no change in the environment. In such a situation, the first transmission rate may be advantageously adjusted, e.g., reduced, to further improve the performance of the RF sensing system.

[0018] In one embodiment, the radio frequency based sensing system may be arranged for presence sensing, the sensing result being a presence of a user, and adjusting the second transmission rate may include reducing the second transmission rate compared to the normal transmission rate when the presence of the user is detected.

[0019] In presence sensing, if the presence of a user is detected, i.e., if the sensing result is the presence of a user in the detection area, the external device communicates the result, and based on the result, the second transmission rate may be reduced. Advantageously, if a presence is detected, the transmission of the collected radio frequency signal may be reduced compared to the normal transmission rate. If there is no presence, the normal transmission rate may be used.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second transmission rate may be reverted back to the normal transmission rate once the presence is no longer detected for a predetermined period of time.

[0021] When presence is no longer detected for a period of time, for example when the user has already moved out of the detection area and the sensing results indicate that the user is no longer in the detection area, the second transmission rate is advantageously returned to the normal operating mode.

[0022] In one embodiment, adjusting the second transmission rate may include reducing the second transmission rate relative to a normal transmission rate, and during the period when the second transmission rate is reduced, the collector network node may stitch the received radio frequency signals and transmit the stitched signals based on the adjusted second transmission rate. In one example, stitching the signals may include a final set of messages received by the collector node from the transmitter nodes being combined into a single message from the collector node to the external device.

[0023] In one embodiment, the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on one or more of the type of environment, the number of transmitter / receiver nodes, and the spatial locations of the collector node and / or the transmitter / receiver nodes.

[0024] Additionally and / or alternatively to the aforementioned adjustment criteria, the second transmission rate may be adjusted based on the type of environment. For example, a different second transmission rate may be selected in a living room compared to a hallway. Furthermore, the second transmission rate may be adjusted based on the number of transmitter / receiver nodes, the collector nodes and / or the spatial locations of the transmitter / receiver nodes.

[0025] In one embodiment, the radio frequency based sensing system may include multiple detection areas, and the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on the amount of active detection areas.

[0026] For larger indoor / outdoor environments, the number of detection areas may be more than one, and the environment may be divided into multiple detection areas for sensing. A detection area includes at least two nodes (transmitter / receiver) and preferably a collector node covering the sensing area. An active detection area is an area where a device (transmitter / receive node) is actively transmitting / receiving. A detection area may also be referred to as a boundary, and an active boundary is a boundary where a transmitter node and a receiver node are actively transmitting / receiving inter-pane messages. In the case of multiple active detection areas, in addition to and / or in place of the aforementioned adjustment criteria, the second transmission rate may be adjusted based on the amount of active detection areas to improve traffic congestion and thus RF sensing system performance.

[0027] In one embodiment, the second transmission rate adjustment may be further based on network communications between the transmitter node and the receiver node and / or between the transmitter / receiver node and a collector node.

[0028] In one example, the radio frequency signal is also used for network communication. In other words, the radio frequency signal for network communication may be used for radio frequency-based sensing (passive RF sensing). In such a case, in addition to and / or in place of the above adjustment criteria, the second transmission rate may be adjusted based on the network communication requirements, for example, when the RF signal traffic of the network communication is high, the second transmission rate may be reduced, or vice versa.

[0029] In one embodiment, the transmitter node and / or the receiver node include a lighting device, and an operational state of the lighting device is changed based on the sensing result.

[0030] The transmitter node and / or the receiver node may include a lighting device. In another example, the collector node may include a lighting device. A lighting device is a device or structure configured to emit light suitable for illuminating an environment, providing or substantially contributing to a scale of illumination suitable for that purpose. In a simple example, the lighting device is powered on to provide illumination based on the sensing result, e.g., if a presence is detected, the light is powered on. The lighting device may be configured to stay on (provide illumination) for a hold period, even if no presence is detected during the hold period.

[0031] According to a second aspect, the above object is achieved by a controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system including a transmitter node transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals, the controller comprising a processor for controlling execution of the method steps of the first aspect. Additionally and / or alternatively, the processor performs the method steps of the first aspect.

[0032] According to a third aspect, the object is achieved by a system for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system, the system including a controller according to the second aspect, a transmitter node for transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate, and a receiver node for receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals. The system may further include an external device, external to the transmitter / receiver node, for processing the radio frequency signals for radio frequency based sensing. The system may further include a collector node for collecting the received radio frequency signals and for transmitting the collected radio frequency signals at a second transmission rate to the external device for processing.

[0033] According to a fourth aspect, the above object is achieved by a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect.

[0034] It should be understood that the computer program product, controller, and system may have similar and / or identical embodiments and advantages to the methods described above. All figures are schematic and not necessarily to scale, and generally show only those parts necessary to clarify the invention, while other parts may be omitted or merely suggested. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] The above and additional objects, features and advantages of the disclosed systems, devices and methods will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the systems, devices and methods, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] 1 illustrates, in a schematic and exemplary manner, one embodiment of a system for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates, in a schematic and exemplary manner, one embodiment of a controller for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates, generally and exemplarily, a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] 1 illustrates, in a schematic and exemplary manner, one embodiment of a system 100 for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. The system 100 may be included in an environment 101. The environment may be an indoor environment such as a home, an office, a store, an animal house, etc., or an outdoor environment such as a road, a parking lot, etc.

[0037] The system 100 includes a plurality of lighting devices 110a-c that transmit radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and receive the transmitted radio frequency signals. The lighting devices 110a-c are devices or structures configured to emit light suitable for illuminating an environment, providing or substantially contributing to a scale of illumination suitable for that purpose. The system 100 may include any number of lighting devices 110a-c. The lighting devices 110a-c include at least one light source or lamp, such as an LED-based lamp, a gas discharge lamp, or a filament bulb, and any associated support, casing, or other such housing. Each of the lighting devices 110a-c may take any of a variety of forms, such as a ceiling mounted luminaire, a wall mounted luminaire, a wall washer, or a freestanding luminaire (the luminaires need not all be of the same type). In the exemplary illustration, the lighting devices 110a-c are ceiling mounted luminaires. Additionally and / or alternatively, the transmitter nodes and / or receiver nodes may include sensors, gateways, switches, and the like.

[0038] The system 100 may include at least one detection area. A detection area or sensing area is defined as an area / volume covered by the sensing system 100. For example, in a residence, sensing in different rooms defines different detection / sensing areas. Each of the detection areas includes at least a transmitter node and a receiver node, and may further include a collector node. The detection areas may be (at least partially) overlapping such that a receiver node in a detection area may receive radio frequency signals from a transmitter node in another detection area. Alternatively, the detection areas may not be overlapping.

[0039] The system 100 further includes a collector node 140. The collector node 140 may be a lighting device or any other device such as a sensor, a gateway, a switch, etc. The collector node 140 may be a separate device, or alternatively, the collector node 140 may be one of the receiver nodes 110a-c. The collector node 140 may receive radio frequency signals, for example from the receiver nodes 110a-c, and collect the received radio frequency signals. The collector node 140 may further transmit the collected radio frequency signals at a second transmission rate to an external device for processing. The collector node 140 may be included in the radio frequency sensing system 100.

[0040] The system 100 may further include an external device 130 that is external to the transmitters / receivers 110a-c and / or the collector device 140. The external device 130 is included in the environment 101, for example, the external device 130 may be a gateway, bridge device, etc., or may be external to the environment 101, such as a cloud or service device. The external device 130 may process the received radio frequency signal from the collector node 140. The processing may be based on comparing a characteristic of the received radio frequency signal to a baseline. The baseline is an initial or reference value defined for the sensing environment 101. A change in the characteristic compared to the baseline that exceeds a threshold indicates a sensing event. The characteristic may be a signal strength of the received radio frequency signal, such as RSSI, and / or may be channel state information CSI. Sensing applications may include, but are not limited to, presence sensing of the user 120 in a detection area, location detection, gesture detection, fall detection, sleep monitoring, vital signs detection, such as heart rate detection, respiration detection, etc.

[0041] The wireless radio communication between the transmitter nodes 110a-c and the receiver nodes 110a-c, and / or between the receiver nodes 110a-c and the collector node 140, and / or between the collector node 140 and the external device 130 may follow any suitable type of protocol, such as, for example, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, Thread and / or WiFi®, and the transmitters 110a-c / receivers 110a-c / collector nodes 140 and / or the external device 130 may have suitable circuitry (not shown) corresponding to the protocol used.

[0042] 2 illustrates, in a schematic and exemplary manner, one embodiment of a controller 210 for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system. The controller 210 may include an input unit 214 and an output unit 215. For receiving (input unit 214) and transmitting (output unit 215) radio frequency signals, the input unit 214 and the output unit 215 may be included in a transceiver (not shown), or the input 214 may be included in a receiver and the output 215 may be included in a transmitter.

[0043] The controller 210 may further include a memory 212 in which communication IDs of the lighting devices 110a-c and / or the collector device 140 and / or the external device 130 etc. The controller 210 may include a processor 213 for performing or at least controlling the performance of the steps of the method according to the first aspect.

[0044] The controller 210 may be implemented in a separate unit from the lighting devices 110a-c / collector node 140 / external device 130, such as a wall panel, a desktop computer terminal, or even a portable terminal such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Alternatively, the controller 210 may be integrated in the same unit as the collector node 140 and / or in the same unit as one of the lighting devices 110a-c and / or in the same unit as the external device 130. Furthermore, the controller 210 may be implemented in the environment 101 or remotely from the environment (e.g. in a server), the controller 210 may be implemented in a single unit or in the form of a distributed function distributed among several separate units (e.g. a distributed server including several server units in one or more geographical sites, or a distributed control function distributed among the lighting devices 110a-c or among the lighting devices 110a-b and the collector node 140 and / or the external device 130). Furthermore, the controller 210 may be implemented in the form of software stored in a memory (including one or more memory devices) and configured for execution on a processor (including one or more processing units), or the controller 210 may be implemented in the form of dedicated hardware circuitry, or a configurable or reconfigurable circuitry such as a PGA or FPGA, or any combination thereof.

[0045] For example, communication may be performed by any suitable wireless means, such as a local (short-range) RF network, e.g., a Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth network, to enable the controller 210 to receive or transmit radio frequency signals, or any combination of these and / or other means.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method 300 for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system, in a schematic and exemplary manner. The radio frequency based sensing system includes transmitter nodes 110a-c transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and receiver nodes 110a-c receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals. The transmitter nodes and / or receiver nodes 110a-c may be lighting devices, sensors, gateways, switches, or any network device capable of transmitting and / or receiving radio frequency signals. The radio frequency signals may include any radio band, such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. The transmission and reception of the radio frequency signals may follow known or future wireless communication protocols. The first transmission rate may include transmitting 5 messages per second, or may be in the range of 1-10 messages per second. The first transmission rate may be based on the network, the transmitter nodes, the receiver nodes, and other contextual factors. Therefore, other first transmission rates are not excluded.

[0047] An external device 130, external to the transmitter node and / or the receiver node, processes the radio frequency signal for radio frequency based sensing. The external device 130, such as a gateway, a bridge, etc., may be located in the environment 101 or may be external to the environment 101, such as a cloud, a server device, etc. The processing may include comparing the received radio frequency signal to a baseline and determining whether the difference between the received radio frequency signal and the baseline exceeds or does not exceed a threshold. The baseline is defined for each environment / detection area. The received radio frequency signal is affected by the presence of, for example, a human, an animal, or any waterbody object, through reflection, absorption, scattering, etc. Such deviation compared to the baseline (e.g., a null value for the environment) represents a presence (or other sensing function). The processing may include determining a signature variation of the received radio frequency signal, such as a variation that may represent the presence of a human, an animal, etc.

[0048] The method 300 may include collecting 310 the received radio frequency signals at the collector node 140. The received radio frequency signals may be received from receiver nodes 110a-c, which are also configured to transmit the received radio frequency signals (received from transmitter nodes 110a-c) to the collector node 140. In another example, the collector node 140 receives the radio frequency signals from the transmitter nodes 110a-c. The collector 140 may include a memory for storing the received radio frequency signals.

[0049] The method 300 may include transmitting 320 the collected radio frequency signals to the external device 130 for processing at the second transmission rate. The method 300 may further include receiving 330 a sensing result based on the processing from the external device. The external node 130 may include a processor for processing the received radio frequency signals. The sensing result is based on a sensing function, for example, in case of presence sensing, the sensing result is the presence or absence (absence) of a user. In one example, each transmitter node sends one message to a collector node, which then sends the aggregated result to the external device. The collection of the received radio frequency signals may be configurable, affecting the latency of the system.

[0050] The method 300 may further include adjusting 340 the second transmission rate based on the received sensing result. The adjustment may include varying the second transmission rate, e.g., increasing the second transmission rate or decreasing the second transmission rate. For example, if the radio frequency based sensing is for presence sensing and the sensing result is the presence of the user 120, the adjustment of the second transmission rate may include decreasing the second transmission rate compared to the normal transmission rate when the presence of the user is detected. For example, the lighting devices 110a-c may be controlled based on the presence detection, e.g., powered on based on the presence. The lighting devices 110a-c may be configured to remain in a power-on state regardless of the sensing result for a hold period. In this hold period, the second transmission rate may be adjusted, e.g., decreased. The lighting devices 110a-c are powered on anyway regardless of the sensing result, and the decrease in the second transmission rate is beneficial because it reduces the traffic network, thus improving RF sensing and network communication. The second transmission rate may be adjusted, such as to send the collected radio frequency signal just before the hold period expires. Further, by way of example, the second transmission rate is returned to the normal transmission rate when presence is no longer detected for a predetermined period of time. A typical transmission rate may be 1-10 messages per second from the collector node to the external device. For each of the 1-10 messages, the transmitter node may typically send 3-5 messages to the collector node. In one example, if the collector node does not have a direct path to a gateway, the message "hops" through other nodes to the external device, which again increases the number of unicast packets in the air. The transmission rate may be configurable and based on the collector node, the network configuration, and the like.

[0051] The second transmission rate adjustment 340 may be reduced based on deviations in the received radio frequency signal. For example, if the received radio frequency does not change over time, the second transmission rate may also be reduced. Additionally and / or alternatively, the second transmission rate adjustment 340 may be based on one or more of the type of environment 101, the number of transmitter / receiver nodes 110a-c, the spatial location of the collector node 140 and / or the transmitter / receiver nodes. For example, a hallway may require a faster transmission rate compared to a room. Similarly, a transmitter / receiver node located at an exit / entrance may require faster processing / forwarding of messages compared to nodes located elsewhere in the room.

[0052] Additionally and / or alternatively, the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on the amount of active detection areas. The radio frequency based sensing system may include multiple detection areas, each detection area may include at least two nodes and a respective collector node 140 for transmitting collected radio frequency signals to an external device. In such a case, the adjustment of the second transmission rate may be further based on the amount of active detection areas.

[0053] Additionally and / or alternatively, the second transmission rate adjustment may be further based on network communications between the transmitter node and the receiver node and / or between the transmitter / receiver node and the collector node.

[0054] The method 300 may be performed by computer program code of a computer program product when the computer program product is executed on a processing unit of a computing device, such as the processor 213 of the controller 210 .

[0055] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting of the invention, and that those skilled in the art can design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0056] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer or processing unit. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used to advantage.

[0057] Aspects of the invention may be embodied in a computer program product, which may be a collection of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device that may be executed by a computer. The instructions of the invention may be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including, but not limited to, a script, an interpretable program, a dynamic link library (DLL), or a Java class. The instructions may be provided as a complete executable program, a partial executable program, a modification (e.g., an update) to an existing program, or an extension (e.g., a plug-in) to an existing program. Additionally, parts of the processing of the invention may be distributed across multiple computers or processors, or a "cloud."

[0058] Suitable storage media for storing computer program instructions include all forms of non-volatile memory, including, but not limited to, EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal and external hard disk drives, removable disks and CD-ROM disks. The computer program may be distributed on such storage media or may be made available for downloading via HTTP, FTP, email or a server connected to a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. 1. A method of reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system including a transmitter node transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals, the method comprising: collecting the received radio frequency signals at a collector node; transmitting the collected radio frequency signals to the external device for processing at a second transmission rate; receiving a sensing result based on the processing from the external device, the sensing result indicating a presence of a user; adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing result, the adjustment including decreasing the second transmission rate if a user presence is detected; and A method comprising:

2. The method comprises: adjusting the first transmission rate based on the received sensing result; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The method comprises: determining at the collector node whether a deviation of the received radio frequency signal over a period of time exceeds a threshold; 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjusting the second transmission rate based on the determining.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second transmission rate is restored to a normal transmission rate when the presence is no longer detected for a predetermined period of time.

5. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the second transmission rate comprises reducing the second transmission rate compared to a normal transmission rate, and during a period when the second transmission rate is reduced, a collector network node stitches received radio frequency signals and transmits the stitched signals based on the adjusted second transmission rate.

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

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency based sensing system includes a plurality of detection areas, and the adjustment of the second transmission rate is further based on an amount of active detection areas.

8. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the second transmission rate is further based on network communications between a transmitter node and a receiver node and / or between a transmitter / receiver node and a collector node.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the transmitter node and / or the receiver node comprises a lighting device, an operational state of the lighting device being changed based on the sensing result.

10. 1. A system for reconfiguring a radio frequency based sensing system, the system comprising: a transmitter node for transmitting radio frequency signals at a first transmission rate and a receiver node for receiving the transmitted radio frequency signals; an external device, external to the transmitter / receiver node, that processes the radio frequency signals for radio frequency based sensing; a collector node for receiving and collecting the radio frequency signals; and the collector node comprises: transmitting the collected radio frequency signals to the external device for processing at a second transmission rate. receiving a sensing result based on the processing from the external device, the sensing result indicating a presence of a user; and adjusting the second transmission rate based on the received sensing result, the adjustment including reducing the second transmission rate if a user presence is detected. The system is configured as follows.

11. A computer program comprising instructions which, when said program is executed by a computer, cause said computer to carry out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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