System and method for determining position of an entity on in an area

Abstract

A novel and advantageous system and method of location determination using on capacitive floor sensors is provided. In particular, a system and method is provided using capacitive floor sensors to gather information about an individual and determine the location of the individual in an area. The system and method may coordinate with a smart home or building such that identification of an entity in a room may trigger certain actions or otherwise be used for various applications, such as occupancy detection, security systems, or interactive installations.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITION OF AN ENTITY

[0002] ON IN AN AREA

[0003] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0004]

[0001] The present disclosure claims priority to Provisional Application No.

[0005] 63 / 623,621, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITION OF AN ENTITY IN AN AREA, and filed 22 January 2024, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0006] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0007]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous system and method of location determination using floor sensors. In particular, a system and method is provided using capacitive floor sensors to gather information about an individual and determine the location of the individual in an area. The system and method may coordinate with a smart home or building such that identification of an entity in a room may trigger certain actions or be otherwise used for various applications, such as occupancy detection, security systems, or interactive installations.

[0008] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0009]

[0003] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0010]

[0004] The Internet of Things (loT) refers to the network of connected objects that are able to collect and exchange data in real time using embedded sensors. Thermostats, cars, lights, refrigerators, appliances, and other devices can be connected to the loT. The rapid growth of the loT has led to the possibility of smart communities, smart buildings, and smart homes. More specifically, the loT can be used to make communities, buildings, and homes (as examples) smarter and more efficient. The smart communities, buildings, and homes in turn enable assessment of conditions quantitatively. Such smart communities, buildings, and homes can use state-of-the-art technology and real-time data analytics to improve environmental sustainability, and enhance people’s lives with smarter, personalized, and more intuitive services and experiences

[0011]

[0005] A smart building is a structure that uses automated processes to automatically control and monitor the building’s operations, including HVAC, lighting, security, and others, maximizing user comfort while minimizing energy consumption. A smart home refers to a habitation having a communication network, sensors, household devices, and appliances that can be remotely identified, accessed, monitored, and controlled.

[0012]

[0006] Smart communities, buildings, and homes can make life and work easier in the following ways:

[0013] • Comfort for occupants with controlled lighting, temperature, and humidity;

[0014] • Automated control of a building’s HVAC, lighting, electrical, shading, access, and security systems;

[0015] • Cost optimization with analyzing building usage patterns and adjusting;

[0016] • Reduced environmental impact by analyzing indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, occupants’ behavior, and other data that can optimize energy and water consumption;

[0017] • Integration capabilities with the ability to be embedded into older structures;

[0018] • Preventative maintenance by analyzing real-time and historical equipment data; and

[0019] • Enhanced health and well-being with access to control systems and improving indoor air quality through efficient HVAC operation.

[0020]

[0007] Ongoing issues with smart home technology are thought to have slowed the pace of adoption thereof and development of smart communities, buildings, and homes. The technology currently used in smart buildings is piecemeal, relying on a range of connected devices to perform different functions. These devices can control different aspects of a building or home, such as the thermostat, garage doors, or security cameras, but are not generally integrated in a meaningful manner.

[0021]

[0008] One pervasive issue with creating an integrated smart community, building, or home that uses loT devices is that devices today use a variety of different network protocols. For example, smart home communication protocols may include wifi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Z-wave. This means that the devices cannot all connect or communicate with each other directly, and typically must communicate through an intermediary. Another side effect of this issue is the overreliance on wireless devices, such as network cameras and PIR occupancy sensors that must communicate high volumes of data using one or more network protocols in a reliable and predictable manner. When such devices are relied upon for critical security, occupancy, and location determination functions, there is a risk that these sometimes unreliable, slow, and error-prone sensors fail to perform their basic functions.

[0022]

[0009] A method of determining location and orientation in an area, that may be integrated into a smart home or community, has been developed and is disclosed in PCT International Application No. PCT / US2025 / 011435, entitled DETERMINATION OF LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF AN ENTITY IN AN AREA, filed 12 January 2025, which claims priority to Provisional Application No. 63 / 620,664, entitled DETERMINATION OF LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF AN ENTITY IN AN AREA, and filed 12 January 2024, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0023]

[0010] There is a need in the art for a method to identify the location of humans and animals within a smart building in a reliable and predictable manner, including for applications like occupancy detection, security systems, or interactive installations.

[0024] BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0025] [OH] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments.

[0026]

[0012] In one or more embodiments, a system for determining location of an entity in an area is provided. In one embodiment, the system comprises a capacitive floor sensor unit, a sensor evaluation unit, and a location determination unit. The capacitive floor sensor unit may comprise a film substrate, a capacitive sensor, and an electrically conductive connection. The capacitive sensor may comprise an electrode provided on the film substrate. In some embodiments, the film substrate has three electrodes provided thereon. The capacitive floor sensor unit may comprise a proximity floor sensor. When an entity is proximate the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor outputs an output signal. The electrically conductive connection connects the electrode to the sensor evaluation unit and the sensor evaluation unit transmits the signal to the location determination unit. The location determination unit can determine the location of the entity in the area based on the output signal and a location of the capacitive floor sensor unit outputting the output signal. In some embodiments, the sensor evaluation unit and the location determination unit may be combined.

[0027]

[0013] In some embodiments, the system may include a plurality of capacitive floor sensor units and the location determination unit can extrapolate stride length of the entity based on which of the capacitive floor sensor units outputs an output signal. The location determination unit may further identify the entity based on the stride length. In embodiments wherein the system includes a plurality of floor sensor units, the system may further include data concentrator, wherein the data concentrator is provided between the sensor evaluation unit and the location determination unit, and wherein the data concentrator combines signals from a plurality of sensor units into a single signal.

[0014] The capacitive sensor may be an analog sensor with the output signal being analog, wherein the sensor evaluation unit converts the output signal to a digital signal. The digital signal may be used for occupancy detection, security systems, and / or interactive installations.

[0028]

[0015] In some embodiments, the system may further include a pressure sensor unit, wherein the pressure sensor unit is positioned relative the capacitive floor sensor to cross-check readings of the capacitive floor sensor.

[0029]

[0016] The film substrate may comprise a polycarbonate film and the electrode may be printed or vapor-deposited on the film substrate.

[0030]

[0017] The capacitive floor sensor unit may be installed in a floor, wherein the capacitive sensor unit is placed over a subfloor and a top floor is placed over the capacitive sensor unit.

[0031]

[0018] In some embodiments, a system for determining location of an entity in an area is provided comprising plurality of capacitive floor sensor units, a location determination unit, and a sensor evaluation unit. Each capacitive floor sensor unit may comprising a film substrate a capacitive sensor, and an electrically conductive connection. The capacitive sensors may each comprise at least one electrode provided on the film substrate. Each capacitive floor sensor unit comprises four electrodes. When an entity is proximate the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor outputs an output signal. The electrically conductive connection connects the capacitive sensor to the sensor evaluation unit and the sensor evaluation unit transmits the signal to the location determination unit. The location determination unit can determine the location of the entity in the area based on the output signal and a location of the capacitive floor sensor unit outputting the output signal. The capacitive floor sensor units may be installed in a floor with the capacitive sensor units being placed over a subfloor and a top floor being placed over the capacitive sensor units. The capacitive floor sensor unit may be integral to one of the subfloor or the top floor.

[0032]

[0019] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

[0033] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034]

[0020] While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:

[0035]

[0021] Figure 1 illustrates a capacitive floor sensor unit, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0036]

[0022] Figure 2 illustrates a sensor film of three sensor units, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0037]

[0023] Figure 3 illustrates a capacitive floor sensor unit installed in a floor in one embodiment, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0038]

[0024] Figure 4 illustrates a distribution of capacitive floor sensor units in a portion of a room, in accordance with one embodiment.

[0039] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040]

[0025] The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous system and method of location determination using floor sensors. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and method using capacitive floor sensors to gather information about an individual and determine the location of the individual in an area. The system and method may coordinate with a smart home or building such that identification of an entity in a room may trigger certain actions or otherwise be used for various applications, such as occupancy detection, security systems, or interactive installations.

[0026] In some embodiments, capacitive floor sensors, and a system incorporating capacitive floor sensors, are provided. Capacitance is a property of electrical systems that describes the ability to store an electric charge. A capacitor comprises two conductive components separated by a dielectric material. Capacitive floor sensors detect changes in capacitance caused by the presence of an object on or over their surface. More specifically, the sensors detect and identify human or animal electrical potential and a system using such sensors as disclosed herein can extrapolate from the detected electrical potential that a human or animal is on or over a floor sensor unit. Capacitive sensors are useful for floor applications because they are minimally affected by factors such as dust, dirt, or physical wear. Further, capacitive sensors are noncontact, and are more durable and reliable than many other sensing technologies.

[0041]

[0027] One type of capacitive floor sensor that may be used is a proximity capacitive floor sensor. An entity such as a human or an animal in the presence of a proximity sensor changes the capacitance in the sensor area. The sensor can detect the capacitance change and interpret the change as a proximity event indicating that an entity is proximate the sensor. As opposed to a touch sensor, when a capacitive sensor is used, touch is not needed.

[0042]

[0028] In some embodiments, the system for location determination using floor sensors may include pressure sensors or pressure sensor units in lieu of or in addition to capacitive floor sensors. Pressure floor sensor units may comprise pressure pads provided in the floor. The pressure floor sensors change their electrical properties in response to applied pressure. More specifically, when pressure is applied to the sensor, materials within the sensor deform or compress, causing a change in their electrical properties, including, for example resistance, capacitance, and / or voltage. A pressure threshold or sensitivity may be set such that pressures above a certain level are deemed to indicate an entity on the pressure sensor. In some embodiments, pressure sensor may be provided at certain locations to provide cross-checking of capacitance sensors.

[0043]

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates aspects of a capacitive floor sensor system 10 location determination, each sensor unit having one or more electrodes. The capacitive floor sensor system 10 includes a sensor film 16 having a plurality of electrodes 14. The electrodes 14 comprise a conductive surface that acts as a sensor electrode. The capacitive sensor units 12 may be connected to a sensor evaluation unit 20 via electrically conductive connections 18 applied to the film 16. The ground beneath the sensor units 12 acts as a reference electrode. The intervening area between the sensor and the ground comprises dielectric material and has an electric field. When something having an electrical potential is above and proximate the sensor unit, the electric field is disturbed, indicating a proximity event and presence of an entity.

[0044]

[0030] Figure 2 illustrates a sensor film comprising three sensor units, each sensor unit being connected to a sensor evaluation unit 20. The sensor units 12 each comprise one or more electrodes 14 provided on a film 16. The film 16, also referred to as a film substrate, provides a structural substrate for supporting the electrodes 14. Any suitable substrate material may be used, including, for example, polycarbonate film or foil. The electrodes may be metal electrodes (such as aluminum, copper, or gold), conductive polymer electrodes, or other. In the embodiment shown, the electrodes are metal electrodes. The system for location determination using floor sensors may include detection circuitry that can sense variations in capacitance.

[0045]

[0031] Each film 16 may be provided with any suitable number of electrodes. The distribution of the electrodes 14 may be along the length of the film and along the width of the film. The film may have 1 to n sensor units in width and length and the number of electrodes along each of the width and the length need not be equal. The electrodes 14 may be printed (e.g. screen printed or inject printed), vapor-deposited, or otherwise provided on the film 16. In the embodiment shown, each sensor unit comprises four electrodes. The capacitive sensor units 12 may be functionally associated with a sensor evaluation unit 20. For example, the capacitive sensor units 12 may be connected to a sensor evaluation unit 20 via electrically conductive connections 18 applied to the film via electrically conductive connections 18 applied to the film.

[0046]

[0032] A capacitive sensor is an analog sensor measuring an electrical wave. Translation of the analog wave to digital is done at a circuit board. The system for location determination using floor sensors 10 may include at least one sensor evaluation unit 20 comprising such circuit board to perform the analog to digital conversion. If it is above a certain threshold, it is a one, if it is below it, it is a zero.

[0047]

[0033] Returning to Figure 1, in the embodiment shown, the capacitive floor sensor system 10 includes a sensor evaluation unit 20, also referred to as a touch controller, a data concentrator 22, and a location determination unit 24, also referred to as a data controller. In some embodiments, the location determination unit and the sensor evaluation unit may be combined.

[0034] In a given area, the layout of sensor units of the capacitive floor sensor system may be mapped and know. The location of each sensor unit may be mapped with respect to other sensor units and / or with respect to features of the area - such as walls of a room. The location and size of each sensor unit may be stored in memory of the capacitive floor sensor system.

[0048]

[0035] When an entity, such as a person or an animal (or some other conductive material), is on or over the floor above the capacitive sensor unit 12, there is a change in the capacitance of the sensor. The capacitive floor sensor detects changes in capacitance due to human or animal electrical potential. The sensor unit then generates an analog output signal, indicating the presence of an entity. This signal is converted to a digital signal, processed, and can be used for various applications, such as occupancy detection, security systems, or interactive installations.

[0049]

[0036] When a sensor unit electrode has its electrostatic field disrupted, such as by the presence of a human or animal, the detected change is sent to the sensor evaluation unit 20. Conversion of the analog signal (or raw signal) from the sensor unit is done by the sensor evaluation unit 20. The sensor evaluation comprises a touch controller and interprets the raw signal that from the sensor unit.

[0050]

[0037] The sensor evaluation unit 20 transmits a signal, digitally or via analog, to a location determination unit 24. This transmission may comprise an analog to digital conversion. The signal from the sensor evaluation unit 20 provides information about the measured values of each sensor unit. More specifically, the signal from the sensor evaluation unit provides information about at what sensor units an entity was detected.

[0038] The location determination unit 24 stores information about the location and size of each of the sensor units in an area in a memory storage. The location determination unit 24 thus can determine the position of an entity within the room and can extrapolate data about that entity. For example, because the location determination unit 24 knows the size of each sensor unit and what sensor units experienced a disruption, the location determination unit can extrapolate a stride length of an entity after multiple sensor units experience a disruption. In some embodiments, the location determination unit uses that information for further applications.

[0051]

[0039] A data concentrator 22 can be provided between the sensor evaluation unit 20 and the location determination unit 24. The data concentrator 22 may be used to combine signals from a plurality of sensor units and relay the combined signals to the location determination unit 24. The data concentrator 22 effectively takes multiple signals and combines them into a single signal with a single value. The data concentrator 22 may have higher functionality including, for example, internet connectivity.

[0052]

[0040] The location determination unit 24 comprises the data controller of the system. It manages and processes data generated by the sensor units. The location determination unit 24 may include signal processing algorithms and may use filtering or other techniques to extract meaningful information from the sensor unit data. One piece of data generated by the location determination unit 24 is the location of each sensor that indicates disruption of the electrostatic field. In some embodiments, the location determination unit 24 may include algorithms for actions to take based on the determined location and / or information about a detected person or animal at the determined location. In general, the location determination unit 24, as a standalone physical unit or as embodied in a server, may comprise a general purpose controller or processor to perform logic on the data received from the sensor evaluation unit.

[0053]

[0041] In some embodiments, the location determination unit may be provided at the data concentrator 22. In other embodiments, the location determination unit may be done at a server to which the data concentrator 22 transmits data from the sensor evaluation units. Accordingly, position detection and similar analysis may be done at the data concentrator (with an onboard location determination unit), at a separate location determination unit, upstream at a server, or as otherwise suitable in the capacitive floor sensor system.

[0054]

[0042] The location determination unit establishes the spatial relationship of a sensor signal an area, such as a room, in which it is housed. That is, in some embodiments, the location determination unit knows the location of each sensor in space, relative to a coordinate system in which the space itself is defined. This allows the localization unit to assign the signals from each sensor to a specific point or area in space - and thus also to the determine what sensor was triggered and, in some embodiments, what triggered it, i.e. the person, animal or object on the ground.

[0055]

[0043] Figure 3 illustrates a capacitive floor sensor unit installed on a floor in one embodiment. As shown, one or more sensor units 12 (comprising a sensor film and applied electrodes) is placed over a subfloor 30. A top floor 32 is then provided over the sensor units 12. The top floor 32 can be a tile, wood, laminate, PVC, carpet, or other flooring. In general, the capacitive sensors are functional regardless of the floor type. Optionally, the sensor units 12, and more specifically the sensor film, can also be attached directly to the underside of the top floor 32. In other embodiments, the sensor units may be built into the flooring material, such as into the top floor or the subfloor. For example, or the top floor can be supplied directly with fitted sensor units.

[0056]

[0044] The capacitive floor sensors may be used for localization, movement prediction, and recognition of people and / or animals in buildings. This information may be used for occupancy detection, security systems, interactive installations, and the like. In some embodiments, the sensor units may be arranged in such a way that the details of the gait or stride can be detected and conclusions can therefore be drawn about the individual (animal, child, adult). Such details may include, for example, step length, horizontal step displacement, shoe size, etc. By training the system, the system can identify specific types of entities (adult human, adult child, animal), and specific people.

[0057]

[0045] Figure 4 illustrates a distribution of floor sensor units 12 in a portion of a room, in accordance with one embodiment. The size of the sensor units themselves, their arrangement, and their distance from each other may be selected for desired spatial resolution of an area. The illustrated area may be, for example, 5 ft x 5 ft. Accordingly, in this embodiment the sensor units 12 are each approximately 1 ft x 1 ft such that the sensors are sufficient to detect a footstep. The sensor units may be arranged such the step length can be determined and conclusions can therefore be drawn about the individual (animal, child, adult). Figure 4 illustrates uniformly sized and spaced sensor units. In other embodiments, the sensor units may have varying sizes and or spacing. For example, more sensor units may be provided proximate a door or a central room space while fewer sensor units may be provided along a wall of a room space.

[0058]

[0046] As an example, Figure 4 illustrates an area divided evenly into squares shown along rows 1-4 and columns A-E. Discussion is made of sensor units X (at A-2), Y (at B-2), and Z (at C-2). If an entity walks from along column 2, the entity may be detected at X, Y, and / or Z. Because the location determination unit knows the placement and size of each of X, Y, and Z, the location determination unit can extrapolate data about the entity. For example, if the capacitance at X and Z, but not Y, is disturbed, the entity has a stride length more than the length of X+Y. If the capacitance at each of X, Y, and Z is disturbed, the entity has a stride length less than X+Y. In general, granularity of the data obtained by the sensor units correlates to the size of the sensor. The size of the sensor also correlates with the height of the detection field. The smaller the sensor, the more information can be gathered about location of a footstep. However, the smaller sensor also will have a lower height of detection field.

[0059]

[0047] In various embodiments, a sensor evaluation unit 20 for use with a system for location determination using floor sensors may be approximately 1x1 millimeter. As such, a sensor evaluation unit 20 may easily be provided at any location in a room, such as below the floor and optionally with each floor unit. A balance may be chosen between useful size of the sensor units and requirements for associated sensor evaluation units. More specifically, the more sensor units that are used, the smaller the area of detection is, allowing for more data, but the more sensor evaluation units needed. Returning to Figure 1, for example, a sensor evaluation unit 20 is provided for three sensor units 12. The location determination unit may comprise a microcontroller board that is approximately 1x1 inch with a connector for ethemet. A single location determination unit may be provided for a plurality of sensor units, as shown in Figure 1, and may be positioned proximate a wall of a room.

[0060]

[0048] In some embodiments, one or more pressure sensors may be provided at locations within a room to provide further data, such as as an accuracy check against the capacitive floor sensor data.

[0061]

[0049] Artificial Intelligence

[0062]

[0050] The system and method for location determination using floor sensors may use artificial intelligence to identify entities sensed by floor sensor units and further to evaluate and execute commands.

[0063]

[0051] Capabilities of the system and method may be enhanced using machine learning. More specifically, machine learning may be used to provide the system with capabilities to identify certain entities such as whether an entity is an adult, a child, or a pet (based, for example, on stride length). The system may further incorporate artificial intelligence to continually evolve identification, to take actions upon entity detection, to connect to other smart devices, etc.

[0064]

[0052] Entity detection and identification may be enabled by developing a training set for the entity(s) to be identified. A plurality of samples of each of the entity (including, for example, of a specific individual’s stride length and / or rate across sensor units) are collected and labelled as a dataset from a specific source. Relevant features relating to the entity are extracted. A training model is trained on each dataset by associating the extracted features with the labelled source. Any suitable machine learning model may be used including, for example, Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs). The trained model may then be integrated into software used in system and method.

[0065]

[0053] In some embodiments, the system may be trained to identify household members. For example, each individual may be prompted to walk over a certain area a number of times so that the system can detect the stride length or patterns of each individual and learn to identify each individual.

[0066]

[0054] In addition to training the system to detect, and optionally identify, certain entities, the system may be designed to trigger action upon detection of an entity at a certain location. In some embodiments, the system may be configured to trigger an action upon detection of any entity at certain location, such as turning on lights when someone enters a room.

[0067]

[0055] In some embodiments, the system may be configured to alert a homeowner, security, the police, or other upon detection of an entity in a location under certain conditions - such as at a certain time of day. The system may be trained with a variety of actions to take upon detection of detection of an entity, specific or not, at a location.

[0056] The system can be configured to constantly learn about the people in the smart building or smart house.

[0068]

[0057] For purposes of this disclosure, any system described herein may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, calculate, determine, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, communicate, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, a system or any portion thereof may be a minicomputer, mainframe computer, personal computer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, embedded computer, mobile device (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone) or other hand-held computing device, server (e.g., blade server or rack server), a network storage device, or any other suitable device or combination of devices and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. A system may include volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and / or other types of nonvolatile memory (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, etc.). A basic input / output system (BIOS) can be stored in the non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), and may include basic routines facilitating communication of data and signals between components within the system. The volatile memory may additionally include a high-speed RAM, such as static RAM for caching data.

[0069]

[0058] Additional components of a system may include one or more disk drives or one or more mass storage devices, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I / O) devices, such as digital and analog general purpose I / O, a keyboard, a mouse, touchscreen and / or a video display. Mass storage devices may include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, smart drive, flash drive, or other types of non-volatile data storage, a plurality of storage devices, a storage subsystem, or any combination of storage devices. A storage interface may be provided for interfacing with mass storage devices, for example, a storage subsystem. The storage interface may include any suitable interface technology, such as EIDE, ATA, SATA, and IEEE 1394. A system may include what is referred to as a user interface for interacting with the system, which may generally include a display, mouse or other cursor control device, keyboard, button, touchpad, touch screen, stylus, remote control (such as an infrared remote control), microphone, camera, video recorder, gesture systems (e.g., eye movement, head movement, etc.), speaker, LED, light, joystick, game pad, switch, buzzer, bell, and / or other user input / output device for communicating with one or more users or for entering information into the system. These and other devices for interacting with the system may be connected to the system through I / O device interface(s) via a system bus, but can be connected by other interfaces such as a parallel port, IEEE 1394 serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, etc. Output devices may include any type of device for presenting information to a user, including but not limited to, a computer monitor, flat-screen display, or other visual display, a printer, and / or speakers or any other device for providing information in audio form, such as a telephone, a plurality of output devices, or any combination of output devices.

[0070]

[0059] A system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components. A system bus may be any of several types of bus structure that can further interconnect, for example, to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller) and / or a peripheral bus (e.g., PCI, PCIe, AGP, LPC, I2C, SPI, USB, etc.) using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures.

[0071]

[0060] One or more programs or applications, such as a web browser and / or other executable applications, may be stored in one or more of the system data storage devices. Generally, programs may include routines, methods, data structures, other software components, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Programs or applications may be loaded in part or in whole into a main memory or processor during execution by the processor. One or more processors may execute applications or programs to run systems or methods of the present disclosure, or portions thereof, stored as executable programs or program code in the memory, or received from the Internet or other network. Any commercial or freeware web browser or other application capable of retrieving content from a network and displaying pages or screens may be used. In some embodiments, a customized application may be used to access, display, and update information. A user may interact with the system, programs, and data stored thereon or accessible thereto using any one or more of the input and output devices described above.

[0072]

[0061] A system of the present disclosure can operate in a networked environment using logical connections via a wired and / or wireless communications subsystem to one or more networks and / or other computers. Other computers can include, but are not limited to, workstations, servers, routers, personal computers, microprocessor-based entertainment appliances, peer devices, or other common network nodes, and may generally include many or all of the elements described above. Logical connections may include wired and / or wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), hotspot, a global communications network, such as the Internet, and so on. The system may be operable to communicate with wired and / or wireless devices or other processing entities using, for example, radio technologies, such as the IEEE 802. xx family of standards, and includes at least Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), WiMax, and Bluetooth wireless technologies. Communications can be made via a predefined structure as with a conventional network or via an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.

[0073]

[0062] Hardware and software components of the present disclosure, as discussed herein, may be integral portions of a single computer, server, controller, or message sign, or may be connected parts of a computer network. The hardware and software components may be located within a single location or, in other embodiments, portions of the hardware and software components may be divided among a plurality of locations and connected directly or through a global computer information network, such as the Internet. Accordingly, aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced in distributed computing environments where certain tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In such a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and / or remote storage and / or memory systems.

[0074]

[0063] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied as a method (including, for example, a computer- implemented process, a business process, and / or any other process), apparatus (including, for example, a system, machine, device, computer program product, and / or the like), or a combination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium, having computer-executable program code embodied in the medium, that define processes or methods described herein. A processor or processors may perform the necessary tasks defined by the computer-executable program code. Computerexecutable program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present disclosure may be written in an object oriented, scripted or unscripted programming language such as Java, Perl, PHP, Visual Basic, Smalltalk, C++, or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present disclosure may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the C programming language or similar programming languages. A code segment may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, an object, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0075]

[0064] In the context of this document, a computer readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the systems disclosed herein. The computer-executable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (RF) signals or other wireless signals, or other mediums. The computer readable medium may be, for example but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of suitable computer readable medium include, but are not limited to, an electrical connection having one or more wires or a tangible storage medium such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a compact disc read-only memory (CD- ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device. Computer-readable media includes, but is not to be confused with, computer-readable storage medium, which is intended to cover all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer-readable media.

[0076]

[0065] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products. It is understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and / or combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computerexecutable program code portions. These computer-executable program code portions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the code portions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. Alternatively, computer program implemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or human implemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of the invention.

[0077]

[0066] Additionally, although a flowchart or block diagram may illustrate a method as comprising sequential steps or a process as having a particular order of operations, many of the steps or operations in the flowchart(s) orblock diagram(s) illustrated herein can be performed in parallel or concurrently, and the flowchart(s) or block diagram(s) should be read in the context of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the order of the method steps or process operations illustrated in a flowchart or block diagram may be rearranged for some embodiments. Similarly, a method or process illustrated in a flow chart or block diagram could have additional steps or operations not included therein or fewer steps or operations than those shown. Moreover, a method step may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc.

[0078]

[0067] As used herein, the terms “substantially” or “generally” refer to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” or “generally” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have generally the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” or “generally” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment, or composition that is “substantially free of’ or “generally free of’ an element may still actually contain such element as long as there is generally no significant effect thereof.

[0079]

[0068] To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.

[0080]

[0069] Additionally, as used herein, the phrase “at least one of [X] and [Y],” where X and Y are different components that may be included in an embodiment of the present disclosure, means that the embodiment could include component X without component Y, the embodiment could include the component Y without component X, or the embodiment could include both components X and Y. Similarly, when used with respect to three or more components, such as “at least one of [X], [Y], and [Z],” the phrase means that the embodiment could include any one of the three or more components, any combination or sub-combination of any of the components, or all of the components.

[0081]

[0070] In the foregoing description various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The various embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the disclosure and their practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A system for determining location of an entity in an area, the system comprising: a capacitive floor sensor unit comprising: a film substrate; a capacitive sensor comprising an electrode provided on the film substrate, wherein when an entity is proximate the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor outputs an output signal; and an electrically conductive connection; a location determination unit; and a sensor evaluation unit, wherein the electrically conductive connection connects the electrode to the sensor evaluation unit, wherein the sensor evaluation unit transmits the signal to a location determination unit; wherein the location determination unit determines the location of the entity in the area based on the output signal and a location of the capacitive floor sensor unit outputting the output signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of capacitive floor sensor units and wherein the location determination unit extrapolates stride length of the entity based on which of the capacitive floor sensor units outputs an output signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location determination unit identifies the entity based on the stride length.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor is an analog sensor and the output signal is analog and wherein the sensor evaluation unit converts the output signal to a digital signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the digital signal is used for occupancy detection, security systems, and / or interactive installations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor evaluation unit and the location determination unit are combined.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive floor sensor unit comprises a proximity capacitive floor sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of floor sensor units and further comprises a data concentrator, wherein the data concentrator is provided between the sensor evaluation unit and the location determination unit, and wherein the data concentrator combines signals from a plurality of sensor units into a single signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the film substrate has three electrodes provided thereon, and wherein the system is further configured to identify the entity in the area.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pressure sensor unit is positioned relative the capacitive floor sensor to cross-check readings of the capacitive floor sensor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the film substrate comprises a polycarbonate film.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrode is printed or vapor-deposited on the film substrate.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive floor sensor unit is installed in a floor, wherein the capacitive sensor unit is placed over a subfloor and a top floor is placed over the capacitive sensor unit.

16. A system for determining location of an entity in an area, the system comprising: a plurality of capacitive floor sensor units, each capacitive floor sensor unit comprising:a film substrate; a capacitive sensor, wherein when an entity is proximate the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor outputs an output signal; and an electrically conductive connection; a location determination unit; and a sensor evaluation unit, wherein the electrically conductive connection connects the capacitive sensor to the sensor evaluation unit, wherein the sensor evaluation unit transmits the signal to the location determination unit; wherein the location determination unit determines the location of the entity in the area based on the output signal and a location of the capacitive floor sensor unit outputting the output signal; and wherein the capacitive floor sensor units are installed in a floor with the capacitive sensor units being placed over a subfloor and a top floor being placed over the capacitive sensor units.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the capacitive sensors comprise at least one electrode provided on the film substrate,18. The system of claim 17, wherein each capacitive floor sensor unit comprises four electrodes.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the capacitive floor sensor unit is integral to one of the subfloor or the top floor.

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