Sensing apparatus, sensing method, and program

Abstract

A sensing apparatus comprises: a first master unit (master unit (13)) capable of transmitting a Wi-Fi radio signal; a first slave unit (slave unit (14)) for receiving a Wi-Fi radio signal from the first master unit and acquiring first radio device information from the received signal; and an estimation unit (sensing unit (33)) for performing first sensing on the basis of the first radio device information and outputting first information on the basis of a first sensing result resulting from the first sensing.

Description

Sensing device, sensing method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sensing device, a sensing method, and a program for performing accurate sensing of a living body.

[0002] Methods using radio signals are being considered as a method for determining the presence or absence, location, etc. of a person. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for estimating the location and status of a person to be detected by analyzing components including Doppler shift using differential calculation.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-117972

[0004] When the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied to Wi-Fi devices, the sensing range is affected by the positions of the Wi-Fi base station and the Wi-Fi slave station, making it difficult to determine the sensing range using only the Wi-Fi slave station.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a sensing device and the like that can identify a sensing range by itself.

[0006] A sensing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first base unit capable of transmitting wireless signals via Wi-Fi, a first child unit that receives wireless signals via Wi-Fi from the first base unit and acquires first wireless device information from the received signals, and an estimation unit that performs first sensing based on the first wireless device information and outputs first information based on the first sensing results obtained by the first sensing.

[0007] These general or specific aspects may be realized by a system, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized by any combination of an apparatus, a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0008] According to the sensing device and the like according to the present disclosure, the sensing range can be identified by the sensing device alone.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a sensing system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensing device according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a sensing method using the sensing device according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a sensing system according to a first modification. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a sensing device according to the first modification. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a conventional sensing system.

[0010] (Findings forming the basis of the present disclosure) Methods using wireless signals have been considered as methods for sensing a living body. Here, sensing a living body includes, for example, at least one of detecting the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification.

[0011] In conventional technologies such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, a transmitting device that transmits a wireless signal and a receiving device that receives the wireless signal perform biological sensing on the premise of acquiring CSI (Channel State Information). Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a conventional sensing system. As shown in Fig. 6, in the conventional sensing system, a sensing range 1001 is an elliptical space that includes the space between the wireless master device 110 and the wireless slave device 140. Therefore, the sensing range 1001 depends on the positions of the wireless master device 110 and the wireless slave device 140. Therefore, if the position of the wireless master device 110 is unknown, there is a problem in that the sensing range 1001 cannot be identified by the wireless slave device 140 alone.

[0012] The above problem will be described in more detail. When biological sensing is performed using CSI in Wi-Fi communication, the wireless slave device 140 acquires CSI through a signal transmitted from the wireless master device 110. If a biological organism is present on the wireless propagation path between the wireless master device 110 and the wireless slave device 140, the influence of the biological organism (biological components) is superimposed on the CSI. Therefore, biological sensing can be performed to estimate the presence and state of the biological organism by analyzing changes in the CSI. When the wireless master device 110 and the wireless slave device 140 are installed in an open space with little radio wave reflection, the sensing range is an elliptical space with the positions of the wireless master device and the wireless slave device as focal points. Therefore, if the positions of the wireless master device 110 and the wireless slave device 140 are identified, the sensing range can also be identified. However, for example, if the position of the wireless master device 110 is unknown, the sensing range cannot be clearly determined, which may result in a decrease in the accuracy or reliability of sensing.

[0013] Therefore, the inventors adopted a configuration in which a wireless master unit and a wireless slave unit are mounted on a single sensing device, which enabled wireless sensing to be performed by the sensing device alone, and enabled the sensing range to be specified using an inexpensive wireless chip.

[0014] A sensing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a first base unit capable of transmitting wireless signals via Wi-Fi, a first child unit that receives wireless signals via Wi-Fi from the first base unit and acquires first wireless device information from the received signals, and an estimation unit that performs first sensing based on the first wireless device information and outputs first information based on the first sensing results obtained by the first sensing.

[0015] According to this, by providing a first parent unit and a first child unit within the sensing device, the sensing range can be identified independently without relying on an external device, and stable sensing performance can be achieved regardless of the installation environment.

[0016] A sensing device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the sensing device according to the first aspect, further comprising a control unit that performs control based on whether the first information satisfies a first condition.

[0017] This allows control to be performed based on the first sensing result, thereby realizing adaptive operation according to the detection result.

[0018] A sensing device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first sensing includes at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the first radio information.

[0019] This makes it possible to support a variety of sensing applications, such as detecting the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, distance measurement, posture detection, or personal identification.

[0020] A sensing device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the estimation unit extracts a state change based on the difference between the first sensing result and a reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as the first information.

[0021] This allows for stable detection of substantial changes in the state of the living organism that are not due to environmental changes, by extracting the difference from the reference state.

[0022] A sensing device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to the second aspect, further comprising a second sub-unit unit capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals via Wi-Fi with a second wireless device connected to an external network.

[0023] According to this, by providing a second sub-unit that can be connected to an external network, it is possible to achieve both sensing functions and network functions, thereby increasing the expandability as an IoT device.

[0024] A sensing device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the second sub-unit acquires second radio unit information from a signal received from the second radio unit, and the estimation unit performs second sensing based on the second radio unit information and outputs second information based on the second sensing result obtained by the second sensing.

[0025] As a result, by performing sensing based on the second wireless device information, sensing can be performed in a sensing range other than the sensing range of the first base unit, and the sensing range can be expanded.

[0026] A sensing device according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the sensing device according to the sixth aspect, wherein the control unit performs the control based on whether the second information satisfies a second condition.

[0027] As a result, by using the second information, the state within the sensing range of the second sensing can also be used as a basis for control decisions, making it possible to achieve control that is appropriate for situations over a wider area.

[0028] A sensing device according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the control unit (i) performs a first control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition, (ii) performs a second control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information does not satisfy the second condition, and (iii) performs a third control when the first information does not satisfy the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition.

[0029] This makes it possible to switch the control operation depending on the combination of the first information and the second information, and makes it possible to execute flexible control depending on the state of the sensing target.

[0030] A sensing device according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, wherein the second sensing includes at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the second radio device information.

[0031] As a result, in the second sensing, at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification can be performed based on the second radio device information, and a variety of sensing can be accommodated within the sensing range of the second sensing.

[0032] A sensing device according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, wherein the estimation unit extracts a state change based on the difference between the second sensing result and a reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as the second information.

[0033] This allows for stable detection of substantial changes in the state of the living organism that are not due to environmental changes, by extracting the difference from the reference state.

[0034] A sensing device according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a sensing device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the sensing device is a home appliance that performs a predetermined operation, and the control unit controls the predetermined operation in the control.

[0035] According to this, by configuring the sensing device to be incorporated into a home appliance that executes a predetermined operation, it is possible to control the operation of the home appliance in accordance with the sensing result.

[0036] A sensing device according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is the sensing device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the reference state is a state in which there is no detection target within a sensing range of the wireless signal.

[0037] By defining the reference state as a state in which there is no detection target within the sensing range of the wireless signal, the reference state can be used as a standard for more appropriately determining changes in the state of the sensing target.

[0038] A sensing method according to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes receiving a Wi-Fi wireless signal from a first base unit capable of transmitting a Wi-Fi wireless signal by a first slave unit provided in the same device as the first base unit, acquiring first wireless device information from the received signal, performing first sensing based on the first wireless device information, and outputting first information based on the first sensing result obtained by the first sensing.

[0039] According to this, since the sensing method uses a sensing device provided with a first parent unit and a first child unit, the sensing range can be identified independently without relying on an external device, and stable sensing performance can be achieved regardless of the installation environment.

[0040] A program according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the sensing method according to the thirteenth aspect.

[0041] The present disclosure may be realized not only as an apparatus, but also as an integrated circuit including the processing means of such an apparatus, as a method in which the processing means constituting the apparatus have steps, as a program that causes a computer to execute those steps, or as information, data, or signals indicating the program.These programs, information, data, and signals may be distributed via recording media such as CD-ROMs or communication media such as the Internet.

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present disclosure will be described as optional components that constitute a more preferred embodiment. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration will be assigned the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[0043] In the embodiment, a method of sensing a living body using a MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) system in which both a plurality of transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas is described. Note that the configuration of the present disclosure can also be applied to a SIMO (Single-Input Multiple-Output) system in which either a plurality of transmitting antennas or a plurality of receiving antennas is used, a MISO (Multiple-Input Single-Output) system, and a SISO (Single-Input Single-Output) system in which both a single transmitting antenna and a single receiving antenna are used.

[0044] [Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a sensing system 1 according to an embodiment.

[0045] Specifically, Figure 1 shows the sensing device 10, the parent unit 13, the child unit 14, the living body 50, the direct wave 23 of the communication from the parent unit 13 to the child unit 14, the reflected wave 24 reflected by the living body 50, and the sensing range 1002 of the wireless sensing.

[0046] For example, the sensing system 1 includes a sensing device 10. The sensing device 10 is placed within a desired sensing range (i.e., a sensing target range). The sensing device 10 is a wireless device capable of at least transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The sensing range 1002 is a range of space in which the sensing device 10 can sense a living body 50, and is the space that is the target of sensing. The sensing device 10 is, for example, a refrigerator. The sensing device 10 is not limited to a refrigerator, and may be a home appliance such as a television or a washing machine, a shared printer in an office, a desk in a shared conference space, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensing device according to an embodiment. In FIG. 2, the sensing device 10 includes a parent-child unit 30, a parent-child antenna unit 111, a child unit 14, a state change extraction unit 15, a condition determination unit 16, a control unit 17, a storage unit 18, and a child unit antenna unit 112. The child unit 14 includes a sensing unit 33. The parent-child unit 30 includes a parent unit 13. That is, the sensing device 10 further includes the sensing unit 33 and the parent unit 13. In this embodiment, the parent-child unit 30 operates as the parent unit 13, which realizes the functions of a parent unit. The child unit 14 is provided in the same device (sensing device 10) as the parent-child unit 30 (parent unit 13).

[0048] The sensing device 10 is a device capable of wireless communication, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The sensing device 10 incorporates a master unit 13 and a slave unit 14. In the sensing device 10, the slave unit 14 is connected (joined) to the master unit 13 and transmits and receives wireless signals to and from the master unit 13. Here, "joined" refers to a state in which the slave unit 14 is connected to the access point of the master unit 13 through a connection procedure in the Wi-Fi network.

[0049] In Figure 1, to make it easier to understand the configuration of the sensing device 10, the parent unit 13 and the child unit 14 are shown on the outside of the sensing device 10, but in reality they may be located inside the housing of the sensing device 10.

[0050] The base unit 13 has a Wi-Fi access point function and transmits beacon signals and the like using a pre-stored SSID. The base unit 13 has a function of accepting connection requests from Wi-Fi slave units and authenticating and managing the connections. The base unit 13 also receives signals transmitted from other wireless devices such as the slave unit 14, and performs communication processing based on the Wi-Fi standard. For example, the base unit 13 can transmit wireless signals via Wi-Fi. The base unit 13 is an example of a first base unit.

[0051] The parent-child antenna unit 111 is a wireless antenna provided in the parent-child unit 30. Although M antennas are shown in the figure, the number of antennas may be one, where M is a natural number equal to or greater than 1.

[0052] The slave unit 14 can join the master unit 13 via the parent-child antenna unit 111 and receive wireless signals via Wi-Fi from the master unit 13. The slave unit 14 acquires at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and channel state information (CSI) from the signal received from the master unit 13. More specifically, the slave unit 14 acquires at least one of the RSSI and CSI when receiving a predetermined type of packet, such as a beacon signal, an acknowledgement (ACK), a null data packet (NDP), a NULL, or a data packet, transmitted from the master unit 13 as a direct wave 23 or a reflected wave 24 of communication. The slave unit 14 is an example of a first slave unit. The RSSI and CSI are examples of first wireless device information.

[0053] The handset antenna unit 112 is a wireless antenna provided in the handset unit 14. Although N antennas are shown in the figure, the number of antennas may be one, where N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1.

[0054] The sensing unit 33 extracts biological components attributable to a living organism from the received signal using at least one of the acquired RSSI and CSI. The sensing unit 33 performs sensing including at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living organism, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification, using the MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) method, the beamformer method, the Capon method, and other known methods, and outputs the sensing result as sensing information. The sensing information is information indicating the state of a living organism in the sensing range 1002. The sensing unit 33 is an example of an estimation unit. The sensing information is an example of first information.

[0055] The state change extraction unit 15 extracts state changes in the sensing range 1002 based on the sensing information from the sensing unit 33 .

[0056] Specifically, after the sensing device 10 is installed, the sensing device 10 acquires at least one of RSSI and CSI in a reference state such as an unmanned state or a steady state. The sensing unit 33 calculates a sensing result based on at least one of the RSSI and CSI acquired by the sensing device 10. The sensing unit 33 stores this sensing result in the storage unit 18 as a reference sensing result.

[0057] During operation, the sensing unit 33 sequentially acquires at least one of RSSI and CSI. The sensing unit 33 sequentially calculates sensing results based on the sequentially acquired results. The state change extraction unit 15 extracts state changes based on the difference between the reference sensing result and the sequentially calculated sensing result, and outputs the extracted state change as state change information. The sensing result is an example of a first sensing result. The state change extraction unit 15 is an example of an estimation unit. The state change information is an example of first information.

[0058] The condition determination unit 16 determines whether a preset condition (an example of a first condition) is satisfied based on the sensing information calculated by the sensing unit 33 or the state change information calculated by the state change extraction unit 15. For example, with respect to an item that the condition determination unit 16 can determine from a single sensing result, the condition determination unit 16 may directly determine whether the sensing information satisfies the condition. The condition to be determined may be one or more. These conditions are stored in the storage unit 18.

[0059] The control unit 17 executes a predetermined control operation based on the determination result output by the condition determination unit 16. For example, when the sensing device 10 is a home appliance that executes a predetermined operation, the control unit 17 may control the operation of the home appliance.

[0060] In other words, the control unit 17 performs control such as starting, stopping, or changing a specified operation of the controlled object (home appliance) based on whether or not the sensing information calculated by the sensing unit 33 or the status change information calculated by the status change extraction unit 15 satisfies the first condition.

[0061] For example, when controlling the brightness of a home appliance display, the display can be controlled to be brighter when the sensing result indicates the presence of a person within the sensing range, and darker when no person is present, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption when no person is present.

[0062] Moreover, by configuring the system so that notifications are sent only when a person is present within the sensing range, unnecessary notifications can be suppressed.

[0063] The storage unit 18 stores various parameters, processing results, condition information, etc. used in each block of the sensing device 10. The storage unit 18 includes, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

[0064] In addition, the sensing device 10 may be equipped with a processor, and the processor may execute a program stored in the memory unit 18 to realize the functions corresponding to each block of the parent-child unit 30, parent unit 13, child unit 14, sensing unit 33, state change extraction unit 15, condition determination unit 16, and control unit 17 through software.

[0065] [Operation] Next, the operation of the sensing device 10 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0066] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a sensing method performed by the sensing device according to the embodiment.

[0067] First, the handset unit 14 joins the base unit 13 (S1000). Specifically, in joining, the handset unit 14 transmits a connection request to the access point of the base unit 13, and after authentication and connection processing, the handset unit 14 and the base unit 13 are able to communicate with each other on the network.

[0068] Next, the sensing device 10 performs sensing in the sensing range 1002 (S1100). Specifically, the slave unit 14 receives a signal transmitted from the master unit 13 and acquires at least one of RSSI and CSI from the received signal. Next, the sensing unit 33 calculates the state of the living body in the sensing range 1002 as a sensing result based on the acquired at least one of RSSI and CSI. The state of the living body is at least one of detection of the presence or absence of the living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification.

[0069] The sensing device 10 extracts a state change related to the living body in the sensing range 1002 (S1200). Specifically, the state change extraction unit 15 reads out a reference sensing result obtained by sensing in a reference state, which is stored in the storage unit 18. The sensing device 10 then calculates the difference between the sensing result obtained in step S1100 and the reference sensing result, and extracts a state change based on the difference.

[0070] The sensing device 10 performs a condition determination by referring to the sensing result calculated in step S1100 or the state change extracted in step S1200 (S1300). Specifically, the condition determination unit 16 uses a condition stored in advance in the storage unit 18 to determine whether the sensing result or the state change satisfies the condition.

[0071] For example, when the distance from the sensing device 10 to a living body within the sensing range 1002 is obtained as a sensing result, the condition determination unit 16 determines whether the distance is equal to or less than a preset threshold. Furthermore, the condition determination unit 16 may determine, based on the state change extracted by the state change extraction unit 15, that the distance indicated by the sensing result has changed from a state exceeding the threshold to a state equal to or less than the threshold.

[0072] For example, when the sensing result indicates the presence or absence of a living organism within the sensing range 1002, the condition determination unit 16 determines whether or not the state indicates the presence of a living organism. Furthermore, the condition determination unit 16 may determine, based on the state change extracted by the state change extraction unit 15, that the state has changed from an absence state of a living organism to a presence state of a living organism.

[0073] The sensing device 10 executes a desired operation based on the result of the condition determination in step S1300 (S1400). Specifically, the control unit 17 controls the sensing device 10 in accordance with the result of the condition determination. For example, in step S1300, if the condition determination unit 16 determines that a living body is present, the control unit 17 executes a first control. On the other hand, if the condition determination unit 16 determines that a living body is not present, the control unit 17 executes a second control that is different from the first control.

[0074] Here, an example of the first control is a control to brighten the display of the home appliance. An example of the second control is a control to dim the display or to not send notifications. This enables power-saving operation according to the presence of a user and suppression of unnecessary notifications. In this way, the second control may be a control that saves more power than the first control.

[0075] [Effects, etc.] The sensing device 10 according to this embodiment includes a base unit 13 (first base unit), a slave unit 14 (first slave unit), and a sensing unit 33 (estimation unit). The base unit 13 is capable of transmitting wireless signals via Wi-Fi. The slave unit 14 receives wireless signals via Wi-Fi from the base unit 13 and acquires first wireless device information from the received signals. The sensing unit 33 performs first sensing based on the first wireless device information and outputs first information based on the first sensing result obtained by the first sensing.

[0076] According to this, by providing a parent unit 13 and a child unit 14 within the sensing device 10, the sensing range 1002 can be identified by the sensing device 10 alone without relying on an external device, and stable sensing performance can be achieved regardless of the installation environment.

[0077] The sensing device 10 according to this embodiment further includes a control unit 17 that performs control based on whether the first information satisfies the first condition.

[0078] This allows control to be performed based on the first sensing result, thereby realizing adaptive operation according to the detection result.

[0079] In addition, in the sensing device 10 according to this embodiment, the first sensing includes at least one of detecting the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the first radio device information.

[0080] This makes it possible to support a variety of sensing applications, such as detecting the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, distance measurement, posture detection, or personal identification.

[0081] Furthermore, in the sensing device 10 according to this embodiment, the sensing unit 33 extracts a state change based on the difference between the first sensing result and the reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as first information.

[0082] This allows for stable detection of substantial changes in the state of the living organism that are not due to environmental changes, by extracting the difference from the reference state.

[0083] Furthermore, in the sensing device 10 according to this embodiment, the sensing device 10 is a home appliance that executes a predetermined operation. In the above control, the control unit 17 controls the predetermined operation of the home appliance.

[0084] According to this, by configuring the sensing device 10 to be incorporated into a home appliance that executes a predetermined operation, it is possible to control the operation of the home appliance in accordance with the sensing result.

[0085] In addition, in the sensing device 10 according to this embodiment, the reference state is a state in which there is no detection target within the sensing range of the wireless signal.

[0086] By defining the reference state as a state in which there is no detection target within the sensing range of the wireless signal, the reference state can be used as a standard for more appropriately determining changes in the state of the sensing target.

[0087] (Modification 1) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a sensing system according to Modification 1. In FIG.

[0088] 4 shows the handset unit 12, the wireless base station 11, a direct wave 21 in communication from the wireless base station 11 to the handset unit 12, a reflected wave 22 reflected by a living body 50, and a sensing range 1001 of wireless sensing using the wireless base station 11 and the handset unit 12. Note that the position of the handset unit 12 is fixed, whereas the sensing range 1001 is determined by the wireless base station 11, which is movable and has an unfixed position. In other words, the sensing range 1001 is a range that can be determined as an arbitrary range that can change depending on the position of the wireless base station 11. Note that in the description of this modification, descriptions of matters common to the embodiment will be omitted.

[0089] The wireless master device 11 is a wireless master device that can connect to a network in the room where the sensing device 10A is installed or an external network. The wireless master device 11 is an example of a second wireless device.

[0090] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensing device 10A according to Modification 1. In Fig. 5, a parent-child unit 30 has a child unit 12, and the child unit 12 has a sensing unit 32. In Modification 1, the parent-child unit 30 operates as a parent unit 13 and a child unit 12. The wireless parent unit 11 is a different device that is physically independent from the sensing device 10A, and is located in a different position from the sensing device 10A.

[0091] The sensing device 10A of the first modification has a configuration in which a wireless master device 11 and a slave unit 12 are added to the sensing device 10 of the embodiment. The slave unit 12 joins the wireless master device 11, thereby enabling the sensing device 10A to communicate with the outside of the sensing system 2. Here, "joining" means that the slave unit 12 transmits a connection request to the access point of the wireless master device 11, and becomes capable of communication after going through authentication and connection processing.

[0092] 4 and 5, the parent unit 13 and the child unit 12 are arranged adjacent to each other, but these functions may be integrated into a single wireless chip or wireless module, or may be implemented as separate wireless chips or wireless modules. In either configuration, the desired sensing and communication functions can be achieved.

[0093] The sensing device 10A according to the first modification shown in Fig. 5 is obtained by adding a slave unit 12 and a sensing unit 32 to the sensing device 10 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. Like the sensing device 10 according to the embodiment, the sensing device 10A according to the first modification performs sensing based on at least one of the RSSI and CSI acquired from the wireless master device 11, and performs control based on the sensing result.

[0094] The slave unit 12 (an example of a second slave unit) joins the wireless master unit 11 (an example of a second wireless device) via the parent-child antenna unit 111, and can transmit and receive wireless signals via Wi-Fi to and from the wireless master unit 11. The slave unit 12 receives a signal transmitted from the wireless master unit 11, and acquires at least one of RSSI and CSI (an example of second wireless device information) from the signal.

[0095] The sensing unit 32 performs second sensing based on at least one of the acquired RSSI and CSI (second radio device information) and outputs sensing information (an example of second information) based on the second sensing result. The status change extraction unit 15 extracts status changes in the sensing range 1002 based on the sensing information output by the sensing unit 32 and outputs the status change information (an example of second information). The condition determination unit 16 determines whether a predetermined condition (an example of a second condition) is satisfied based on the sensing information by the sensing unit 32 or the status change information by the status change extraction unit 15. The control unit 17 executes a control operation depending on whether the sensing information calculated by the sensing unit 32 or the status change information calculated by the status change extraction unit 15 satisfies the second condition.

[0096] The sensing device 10A can communicate with an external network by transmitting and receiving wireless signals between the slave unit 12 and the wireless master unit 11. This enables the sensing device 10A to cooperate with a cloud server or exchange data with external devices.

[0097] It should be noted that the sensing device 10A may be controlled based on only one of the sensing results obtained by the slave unit 12 and the slave unit 14, or may be controlled using both sensing results, thereby enabling flexible control according to the application and the scene.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit 17 can perform control based on both the first information and the second information. For example, the control unit 17 performs the first control when (i) the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 17 performs the second control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information does not satisfy the second condition. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 17 may perform the third control when the first information does not satisfy the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition. In this way, by making a determination based on a combination of the first information and the second information, the number of control operation options increases, making it possible to achieve appropriate control according to the scene.

[0099] For example, when the first information satisfies the first condition, the control unit 17 can determine that a living organism 50 is present in the sensing range 1002, and when the second information satisfies the second condition, the control unit 17 can determine that a living organism 50 is present in the sensing range 1001.

[0100] In this case, if the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition, the control unit 17 may determine that a living organism 50 is present in the area where the sensing range 1001 and the sensing range 1002 overlap, and may perform sensing using the first information and / or the second information.

[0101] If the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information does not satisfy the second condition, the control unit 17 can determine that the living organism 50 is present in a specific area within the sensing range 1002, but that the living organism 50 is not present in the sensing range 1001. Therefore, the control unit 17 may determine that the living organism 50 is present in an area of ​​the sensing range 1002 that is different from the sensing range 1001, or may perform sensing using only the first information.

[0102] If the first information does not satisfy the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition, the control unit 17 can determine that the living organism 50 is present in a specific area within the sensing range 1001, but that the living organism 50 is not present in the sensing range 1002. Therefore, the control unit 17 may determine that the living organism 50 is present in an area of ​​the sensing range 1001 that is different from the sensing range 1002, or may perform sensing using only the second information.

[0103] In addition, the control unit 17 may determine that a living body 50 is present within the area combining the sensing range 1001 and the sensing range 1002 when the first information satisfies the first condition or the second information satisfies the second condition.

[0104] In this way, the control unit 17 can more precisely identify the area in which the living body 50 is present based on whether the first information satisfies the first condition and whether the second information satisfies the second condition, thereby making it possible to realize flexible control of the control target in accordance with the presence of the living body 50.

[0105] In the first modification, the sensing range 1001 may be dynamically changed by changing the location of the wireless master device 11. This allows the sensing range to be flexibly adjusted according to the user's environment and needs.

[0106] Furthermore, the control unit 17 may weight the first information and the second information according to their respective reliability or importance, thereby enabling more accurate sensing in a closer range by weighting the first information more heavily than the second information. That is, the greater the reliability or importance of the first information and the second information, the greater the weighting. Note that the reliability may be set higher when the distance between the transmitter (master unit) and the receiver (slave unit) is shorter. The reliability may also be set higher as the number of receiving antennas increases. For example, the reliability may be set higher for a receiver with multiple receiving antennas than for a receiver with a single receiving antenna. The importance may also be set higher for devices whose control is significantly changed based on sensing information. For example, the importance may be set higher as the range of change in control parameters increases. Furthermore, the first information and the second information, which are sensing information, may be weighted using different indices for different devices each having a receiver. In this way, the control unit 17 determines the control operation of the controlled object based on the weighting results, thereby achieving more accurate and adaptive control.

[0107] The sensing device 10A of variant example 1 further includes a slave unit 12 (second slave unit) capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals via Wi-Fi between the sensing device 10 of the embodiment and a wireless master unit 11 (second wireless unit) connected to an external network.

[0108] According to this, by providing the slave unit 12 that can be connected to an external network, it is possible to achieve both sensing functions and network functions, thereby increasing the expandability as an IoT device.

[0109] In the sensing device 10A according to the first modification, the slave unit 12 acquires second wireless device information from a signal received from the wireless master unit 11. The sensing unit 32 performs second sensing based on the second wireless device information, and outputs second information based on the sensing result of the second sensing.

[0110] As a result, by performing sensing based on the second wireless device information, sensing can be performed in a sensing range 1001 other than the sensing range 1002 of the slave unit 14, and the sensing range can be expanded.

[0111] In the sensing device 10A according to the first modification, the control unit 17 performs control based on whether the second information satisfies the second condition.

[0112] By using the second information, the state in the sensing range 1001 can also be used as a basis for control decisions, making it possible to achieve control that is appropriate for the situation in a wider area.

[0113] In the sensing device 10A according to variant example 1, the control unit 17 (i) performs the first control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition, (ii) performs the second control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information does not satisfy the second condition, and (iii) performs the third control when the first information does not satisfy the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition.

[0114] This makes it possible to switch the control operation depending on the combination of the first information and the second information, and makes it possible to execute flexible control depending on the state of the sensing target.

[0115] In the sensing device 10A according to the first modification, the second sensing includes at least one of detecting the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the second radio device information.

[0116] As a result, in the second sensing, at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification can be performed based on the second radio device information, and a variety of sensing can be supported in the sensing range 1001.

[0117] In the sensing device 10A according to the first modification, the sensing unit 32 extracts a state change based on the difference between the second sensing result and the reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as second information.

[0118] This allows for stable detection of substantial changes in the state of the living organism that are not due to environmental changes, by extracting the difference from the reference state.

[0119] In each of the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0120] Furthermore, the present disclosure can be realized not only as a sensing device having such characteristic components, but also as a sensing method in which the characteristic components included in the sensing device are included as steps. Furthermore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in such a method. It goes without saying that such a computer program can be distributed on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0121] The present disclosure can be used in sensing devices and sensing methods that estimate the distance and position of a living body using wireless signals, and in particular in measuring devices that measure the distance and position of a living body, home appliances that perform control according to the distance and position of a living body, and monitoring devices that detect the intrusion of a living body.

[0122] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2 Sensing system 10, 10A Sensing device 12 Child unit 13 Parent unit 14 Child unit 15 State change extraction unit 16 Condition determination unit 17 Control unit 18 Memory unit 30 Parent-child unit 32, 33 Sensing unit 50 Living body 110 Wireless parent unit 111 Parent-child antenna unit 112 Child unit antenna unit 140 Wireless child unit 1001 Sensing range 1002 Sensing range

Claims

1. A sensing device comprising: a first base unit capable of transmitting wireless signals via Wi-Fi; a first child unit that receives the wireless signals via Wi-Fi from the first base unit and acquires first wireless device information from the received signals; and an estimation unit that performs first sensing based on the first wireless device information and outputs first information based on the first sensing results obtained by the first sensing.

2. The sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that performs control based on whether the first information satisfies a first condition.

3. The sensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first sensing includes at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the first radio information.

4. The sensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the estimation unit extracts a state change based on the difference between the first sensing result and a reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as the first information.

5. The sensing device according to claim 2, further comprising a second sub-unit capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals via Wi-Fi to and from a second wireless device connected to an external network.

6. The sensing device according to claim 5, wherein the second handset unit acquires second radio unit information from a signal received from the second radio unit, and the estimation unit performs second sensing based on the second radio unit information and outputs second information based on the second sensing result obtained by the second sensing.

7. The sensing device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit performs the control based on whether the second information satisfies a second condition.

8. The sensing device described in claim 7, wherein the control unit (i) performs a first control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition, (ii) performs a second control when the first information satisfies the first condition and the second information does not satisfy the second condition, and (iii) performs a third control when the first information does not satisfy the first condition and the second information satisfies the second condition.

9. A sensing device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the second sensing includes at least one of detection of the presence or absence of a living body, positioning, ranging, posture detection, and personal identification based on the second radio information.

10. A sensing device as described in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the estimation unit extracts a state change based on the difference between the second sensing result and a reference sensing result obtained by performing sensing in a reference state, and outputs the state change as the second information.

11. The sensing device according to claim 2, wherein the sensing device is a home appliance that performs a predetermined operation, and the control unit controls the predetermined operation in the control.

12. The sensing device according to claim 4, wherein the reference state is a state in which there is no detection target within the sensing range of the wireless signal.

13. A sensing method comprising: receiving a Wi-Fi wireless signal from a first base unit capable of transmitting a Wi-Fi wireless signal by a first slave unit provided in the same device as the first base unit; acquiring first wireless device information from the received signal; performing first sensing based on the first wireless device information; and outputting first information based on the first sensing result obtained by the first sensing.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute the sensing method according to claim 13.

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