A method for controlling a RF sensing system to operate in a security monitoring mode

Abstract

A method (600) of controlling a RF sensing system (100) to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system (100) comprising a plurality of nodes (300, 300', 300''), the method (600) comprising: determining (S601) an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; selecting (S602) a first set of nodes to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; selecting (S603) a subset of the first set of nodes (300', 300'') to act as corner nodes (300'') with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configuring (S604) a first corner node to send messages to a second corner node via multi-hop communication; configuring (S605) one or more nodes (300') belonging to the first set of nodes (300', 300'') to forward the messages to assist the multi-hop communication; and performing (S606) intrusion detection on a path defined by the first corner node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second corner node.

Description

[0001] 2024PF80212

[0002] 1

[0003] A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A RF SENSING SYSTEM TO OPERATE IN A

[0004] SECURITY MONITORING MODE

[0005] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention relates to the field of a radio frequency based sensing system. More particularly, various methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed herein related to controlling the RF sensing system to operate in a security monitoring mode.

[0007] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Radio frequency (RF) based sensing is a technique widely used for motion detection, which involves one or more transmitters arranged for transmitting RF signals on a regular basis, such as according to a certain transmission frequency, and one or more receivers for receiving the RF signals. These RF signals, which may also be used for data communication, when passing through a sensing volume, are affected by presence / movement of a person within the sensing volume. By monitoring such variations of RF signals, it is possible to infer presence or motion of the person. RF based sensing may also be extended to other applications such as location detection, fall detection, gesture detection, or vital signs detection, which are also based on monitoring how RF signals are affected in the sensing volume.

[0009] RF sensing based motion detection has been used in various applications. For example, in smart home automation scenario RF sensing can be used to detect motion in a room and trigger the lights, fans, and other appliances to turn on or off automatically. In a retail analysis scenario, RF sensing can be used to track the movement of customers in a store and analyze shopping patterns to improve sales and marketing strategies.

[0010] Since RF sensing can be used to detect and locate people and objects in a given space, it can also be useful for security monitoring, as it can detect and identify intruders in real-time, even in complete darkness. However, for security monitoring it is more important to observe any movement close to the boundary of the coverage area rather than inside the coverage area. Consequently, system deployments for security monitoring and building or home automation can be quite different. 2024PF80212

[0011] 2

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] RF sensing based presence or motion detection has been commonly used for automatic control in smart home or smart building environments. By detecting motion, the system can trigger various actions, such as turning lights on or off, adjusting heating or cooling, or even unlocking doors. It is recognized by the inventor that it is beneficial by reconfiguring the system to expand the functionality to security monitoring. Thus, it is an intention of the present invention to reuse a same RF sensing system for both automatic control and security monitoring in an efficient manner.

[0014] More particularly, the goal of this invention is achieved by a control device as claimed in claim 1, by a system as claimed in claim 7, by a method as claimed in claim 12, and by a computer program as claimed in claim 15.

[0015] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention a control device is provided. A control device for controlling a radio frequency, RF, sensing system to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system comprising a plurality of nodes; the control device configured to: determine an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; select a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes, to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; select a subset of the first set of nodes to act as corner nodes with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configure a first comer node, out of the at least two comer nodes, to send messages to a second comer node, out of the at least two corner nodes, via multi-hop communication; configure one or more nodes belonging to the first set of nodes to forward the messages between the first comer node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication; and perform intrusion detection on a path defined by the first comer node, the second comer node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second corner node.

[0016] A control device is used to control and manage the operation of the RF sensing system, which may be deployed to perform tasks such as collecting data from the nodes or sensors, analyzing the data, and sending instructions to the nodes based on the analysis. The control device may be a bridge device, a gateway device, or a central server. The control 2024PF80212

[0017] 3 device may be further configured to perform RF sensing in addition to the system control and management tasks. Thus, the control device may also act as a RF sensing device.

[0018] The messages may be sensing messages dedicated for RF based motion detection. Alternatively, the messages may also be data messages or messages for network control purposes.

[0019] RF nodes or sensors are able to detect motions, presence, and other physical activities by measuring the changes in radio frequencies caused by those activities. Presence detection used for automated control focuses on identifying the presence of individuals or objects in a given area for purposes such as turning on lights, adjusting temperature, or triggering other automated actions. This is different from security monitoring, where the detection is often focused on the boundary of the detection area to identify a potential security threat, such as for intrusion detection. To optimize the RF sensing system to carry out the security monitoring task, it is then beneficial that the plurality of nodes is configured accordingly.

[0020] Different aspects may be monitored for security monitoring. For example, RF nodes may be used to detect any unauthorized access to a restricted area, such as in perimeter detection. These nodes are usually installed on fences, gates, doors, or boundaries of the restricted area, and can detect any attempts to bypass or tamper with these areas. Motion detection may be used to detect motions caused by human or animal movements and can trigger an alarm if the movement is unauthorized. RF nodes may also be used to detect the proximity of individuals or objects to a given area, such as in proximity detection. This can be used to trigger an alarm if an individual or object gets too close to a restricted area.

[0021] The area to be covered by the security monitoring mode may be determined automatically. For example, the control device may determine the area based on the size or layout of the total area covered by the plurality of nodes. The control device may also determine the area by identifying the entry points, such as windows, doors, and any other potential access points that could be used by burglars. The area may also be specified by a user, such as by defining certain boundaries of a house or by defining certain areas for security purpose. A user may also assign a name to each specific area, such that once intrusion detection is confirmed in that specific area, an alarm can be generated with the corresponding name to help the user easily find out the location of the intrusion.

[0022] To make the RF sensing system more efficient for security monitoring, it is proposed to select a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes, to participate in RF sensing, instead of letting all the nodes to participate in the task. 2024PF80212

[0023] 4

[0024] For security monitoring, it is important that the system can respond quickly in case there is a security threat, allowing security personnel to take appropriate action promptly. Instead of checking if there is any violation between any two adjacent nodes, it is more beneficial if a quick check can be done to identify if there is any violation along an edge or section of the detection area, such as across several nodes. It is proposed to select a subset of the first set of nodes to act as corner nodes with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range, and a first corner node, out of the at least two comer nodes, can be configured to send RF sensing messages to a second comer node, out of the at least two corner nodes, via multi-hop communication. One or more nodes belonging to the first set of nodes are configured to forward the RF sensing messages between the first comer node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication. Intrusion detection is performed by the second comer node, based on the multi-hop RF sensing messages detected by the second corner node, for the path defined by the first corner node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes.

[0025] The multi-hop RF sensing messages are sent periodically, and the frequency of sending the RF sensing messages may be determined based on the latency requirement of the security detection. For example, if more intense security detection is required, RF sensing messages may be sent by the first corner node every second or every 100ms. Otherwise, RF sensing messages may be sent less frequently.

[0026] Each intermediate node may adjust the transmission power when forwarding a message based on the signal strength when it is received from a previous hop or from the first corner node. For example, when the received signal strength us lower than normal, an intermediate node will also reduce its own transmission power when forwarding the message to the next hop or to the second comer node, such that the variation on received signal strength indication, RSSI, may be propagated from hop to hop. And then, the second comer node may obtain the knowledge about the variation on RSSI along the entire path. It may also be the case that the second corner node will miss one or more messages due to the reduced transmission power determined by one or more intermediate nodes, which is also an indication on the variation of RSSI along the route.

[0027] In an alternative option, the comer node and the intermediate node will always use a default transmission power level for sending messages. Each intermediate node will first detect the RSSI of a message it receives from a previous hop and attach the detected RSSI information in the message. And then, the newly compiled message is forwarded to the 2024PF80212

[0028] 5 next hop. This also helps the destination node, the second corner node, have a good overview of the RS SI information along the path.

[0029] Since the multi-hop RF sensing messages are sent periodically, the second corner node may also be able to know the variations of RSSI for each hop on a message by message basis.

[0030] In summary, each intermediate node may adjust its transmission power when forwarding a message based on received signal strength from a previous hop or add information related to the received signal strength in the message before forwarding the message.

[0031] In this way, multi-hop communication is used to improve the efficiency of security monitoring for the path defined by the coverage of the two comer nodes, which saves the effort on processing RF sensing results for each single hop along the path and on collecting the RF sensing results in order to derive a combined detection result of the path.

[0032] The plurality of nodes may follow a wireless communication standard. The wireless communication standard may be related to a standard of Zigbee, Thread, or Bluetooth Low Energy. And the messages used for security monitoring may be send according to a multi-hop communication mode of a corresponding communication standard.

[0033] Beneficially, the control device is further configured to: select the first set of nodes that are located along a boundary of the area.

[0034] Because the perimeter area is where attackers are most likely to attempt unauthorized access, it is a key monitoring area for intrusion detection. It is thus beneficial to have the first set of nodes located along the boundary or perimeter of the area.

[0035] In one example, the control device is configured to: select the corner nodes based on comparing a connectivity performance of each node out of the first set of nodes with its neighboring nodes out of the first set of nodes.

[0036] In addition to the consideration about the location when selecting a corner node, it is beneficial to select a comer node when it has good connectivity to its neighboring nodes. Otherwise, false alarm or miss detection may be resulted due to an unstable communication link.

[0037] Advantageously, the control device is configured to: select the corner nodes based on one of a user configuration, a location of a node, a hardware performance of a node, a type or function of an electronic device attached to or connected to a node.

[0038] In one example, the control device is configured to: 2024PF80212

[0039] 6 determine to switch the RF sensing system to operate in a control mode; divide the plurality of nodes into more than one subset for presence detection; configure one or more nodes belonging to a same subset to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes.

[0040] In a control mode, the RF sensing system is primarily focused on detecting the movement of people and pets within the space. This is because the system is designed to trigger actions that are related to automatic control of the space, such as turning lights on or off or adjusting the thermostat. These actions are intended to improve the convenience and comfort of the occupants of the space.

[0041] Preferably, each one of the plurality of nodes participates in the RF sensing for presence or motion detection. One-hop direct communication is used to accurately locate the motion for a more advanced control. In one example, the messages may be either InterP AN messages according to a Zigbee standard, or Bluetooth beacons according to a Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

[0042] The presence detection may be related to a binary presence indication, and a more advance detection regarding a type of the motion, such as gesture detection, activity detection, vital sign detection, etc, may be followed. The type of the motion may be detected by classification, or a pattern recognition based on a comparison against an established baseline.

[0043] Each subset of nodes can be considered as a sensing group. Different subsets for nodes may be located in different rooms or on different floors. The more than one subset may also be divided based on different control functions, or different capabilities of nodes. Each node of a subset may ignore sensing messages received from nodes belong to a different subset. The presence or motion detection may be used for building automation to control sensors and actuators integrated in or co-located with the one or more nodes.

[0044] The messages or sensing messages for presence detection may be transmitted by each node via broadcasting. Alternatively, the messages may also be transmitted by each node of a subset or a sensing group via multicasting to other nodes in the same subset, such that the sensing messages comprise a group address for a particular sensing group.

[0045] Beneficially, the control device is configured to: 2024PF80212

[0046] 7 determine an operation mode of the RF sensing system based on at least one of a user request, a presence detection result, a preconfigured schedule.

[0047] In one example, the security monitoring mode may be triggered based on a user request or a preconfigured schedule of one or more owners of a house. Beneficially, the security monitoring mode may be triggered when the owners are not at home. It may also be possible that upon detecting that the owners leave the house, the RF sensing system is switched automatically from the control mode to the security monitoring mode.

[0048] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention a system is provided. A radio frequency (RF) sensing system is configured to operate in a security monitoring mode. The RF sensing system comprises a control device according to the present invention, and a plurality of nodes; wherein a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes, are configured to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; a subset of the first set of nodes is configured to act as comer nodes with at least two comer nodes are adjacent comer nodes but not within a direct communication range; a first corner node, out of the at least two corner nodes, is configured to send messages to a second corner node, out of the at least two corner nodes, via multi-hop communication; one or more nodes belonging to the first set of nodes are configured to forward the messages between the first corner node and the second comer node to assist the multi-hop communication; and the control device, the second corner node, or a node out of the first set of nodes is configured to perform an intrusion detection on a path defined by the first corner node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second comer node.

[0049] The intrusion detection may be performed in a centralized manner of distributed manner. In one option, the control device tracks detections performed in one or more comer nodes. For example, the one or more comer nodes may detect the messages routed via multi-hop communication and report the detection results to the control device, and the control device takes care of the intrusion detection based on the report from the corner nodes. In another option, the intrusion detection may be carried out by the second 2024PF80212

[0050] 8 corner node or another node out of the first set of nodes directly, which may further reduce the response time of the system.

[0051] Advantageously, the RF sensing system is further configured to operate in a control mode with the plurality of nodes divided into more than one subset for presence detection; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes; wherein one or more nodes belonging to a same subset are configured to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one-hop direct communication.

[0052] To detect the presence or motion in the sensing area timely, preferably the messages may be transmitted by each node on a regular basis. The nodes in a same subset, such as belong to a same sensing group, may use a same duty cycle or transmission frequency for sending sensing messages repeatedly. It may also be an option that each node in the same subset also adopts a different duty cycle or transmission frequency for sending sensing messages.

[0053] Beneficially, the RF sensing system is further configured to control an electronic device attached to or connected to a node out of the plurality of nodes based on a presence detection result or an intrusion detection result.

[0054] The motion or presence detection may be used to trigger a control command to one or more electronic devices connected to or controlled by one or more nodes, or each node, of the plurality of nodes. It may also be possible that each node out of the plurality of nodes is integrated in an electronic device.

[0055] The electronic device may be a lighting device, a wall switch, a bridge, a speaker, a television, a thermostat, a wireless sensor, a power outlet plug, a doorbell, a smart home assistant device, and / or a smart home appliance. For example, the control command may be related to a turn on or power on command to the one or more electronic devices. The control command may be related to changing a setting or an operation mode of the one or more electronic devices.

[0056] The presence detection may not be limited to binary presence sensing of a people in the detection area, which may also be used to identify and classify the motion, such as for gesture detection, fall detection, sleep monitoring, vital sign detection by means of heart rate detection, breathing detection etc.

[0057] In one example, the electronic device is a lighting device, and the RF sensing system is configured to control the lighting device based on a predetermined pattern to mimic 2024PF80212

[0058] 9 a control state with people presence when the RF sensing system is in the security monitoring mode.

[0059] In another example, the RF sensing system is configured to turn on the electronic device when an intrusion is detected.

[0060] For example, upon intrusion detection, the RF sensing system may turn on a luminaire to threaten the intruder. In another example, the RF sensing system may trigger an alarm when an intrusion is detected. In a further example, the RF sensing system may trigger a smart home console or a smart home assistant device to send a notification to the homeowner or security personnel.

[0061] In accordance with a third aspect of the invention a method is provided. A method of controlling a radio frequency, RF, sensing system to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising: determining an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; selecting a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes, to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; selecting a subset of the first set of nodes to act as corner nodes with at least two comer nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configuring a first comer node out of the at least two comer nodes to send messages to a second corner node out of the at least two corner nodes via multi-hop communication; configuring one or more nodes belonging to the first set of nodes to forward the messages between the first corner node and the second comer node to assist the multi-hop communication; and performing intrusion detection on a path defined by the first comer node, the second comer node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second corner node.

[0062] Preferably, the method further comprises: determining to switch the RF sensing system to operate in a control mode; dividing the plurality of nodes into more than one subset for presence detection; configuring one or more nodes belonging to a same subset to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication; 2024PF80212

[0063] 10 wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes.

[0064] Beneficially, the method further comprises: determining an operation mode of the RF sensing system based on at least one of a user request, a presence detection result, a preconfigured schedule.

[0065] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different figures. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0067] Fig. 1 illustrates a RF sensing system comprising a plurality of nodes according to the present invention;

[0068] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a RF sensing system deployed on a single floor; and

[0069] Fig. 3 shows a flow chart of a method according to the present invention.

[0070] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0071] The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0072] In order to repurpose an RF sensing system originally deployed for home automation for security monitoring, it is beneficial or even necessary to reconfigure the nodes of the RF sensing system to operate in a new mode of operation. The present invention provides a control device, a system, and a method to carry out this task in an efficient manner.

[0073] FIG. 1 illustrates a radio frequency (RF) sensing system 100 configured to operate in a security monitoring mode. The RF sensing system 100 comprises a control device 200 and a plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300”.

[0074] The control device 200 may be a bridge device, a gateway device, or a central server. The control device may also be configured to perform RF sensing in addition to the system control and management tasks, such as acting as a RF sensing node. The control 2024PF80212

[0075] 11 device 200 is configured to control the RF sensing system 100 to operate in a security monitoring mode or a control mode.

[0076] To operate in the security monitoring mode, the control device 200 is configured to first determine an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode. The control device may determine the area automatically based on the size or layout of the total area covered by the plurality of nodes, or by identifying the entry points, such as windows, doors, and any other potential access points that could be used by burglars. The control device 200 may also be configured to determine the area based on an instruction given by a user. For example, the user may define certain boundaries of a house or certain areas for security monitoring purpose. A user may also assign a name to each specific area, such that once intrusion detection is confirmed in that specific area, an alarm can be generated with the corresponding name to help the user easily find out the location of the intrusion.

[0077] And then, based on the area determined, the control device 200 is configured to select a first set of nodes 300’, 300”, out of the plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300”, to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring. Within the first set of nodes 300’, 300”, a subset is further selected to act as corner nodes 300”. The first set of nodes 300’, 300” may be located along a boundary of the area, such that any person or object approaches the boundary of the area can be detected promptly.

[0078] Instead of checking if there is any violation between any two adjacent nodes that are within one-hop direct communication range, it is more beneficial if a quick check can be done to identify if there is any violation along an edge or section of the detection area, such as across several nodes. It is proposed to select a subset of the first set of nodes to act as corner nodes with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range, and then a first corner node 300” may send messages to a second comer node 300” via multi-hop communication. One or more nodes 300’ located between two corner nodes are configured to act as relay node to forward the messages between a first corner node and a second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication. In this way, intrusion detection can be performed on the path defined by the first corner node 300”, the second comer node 300”, and the one or more nodes 300’ based on the messages detected at the second comer node. Multi-hop communication is thus used to improve the efficiency of security monitoring for the path defined by the two adjacent comer nodes, which saves the effort on processing RF sensing results for each single hop along the path and on collecting the RF sensing results in order to derive a combined detection result of the path. 2024PF80212

[0079] 12

[0080] When selecting the corner nodes, it is also beneficial to consider the connectivity performance of the node to its neighboring nodes, since unstable communication link may lead to false alarm or miss detection. The corner nodes 300” may also be selected based on a user configuration, a location of a node, a hardware performance of a node, a type or function of an electronic device attached to or connected to a node.

[0081] The plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300” may follow a same wireless communication standard. The wireless communication standard may be related to a standard of Zigbee, Thread, or Bluetooth Low Energy. And the messages used for security monitoring may be send according to a multi-hop communication mode of a corresponding communication standard.

[0082] When the control device 200 determines to switch the RF sensing system 100 to operate in a control mode, the plurality of nodes will be reconfigured accordingly. For example, the plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300” are divided into more than one subset for presence detection, and one or more nodes belonging to a same subset are configured to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one-hop direct communication. RF sensing is performed among nodes belonging to a same subset or sensing group. The division of different subsets or sensing groups may be based on layout of the area or locations of the nodes, such as different subsets for nodes located in different rooms or on different floors, different control functions, or different capabilities of nodes. Each node of the sensing group may ignore sensing messages received from nodes belong to a different sensing group. The motion detection may be used for building automation to control sensors and actuators integrated in or co-located with the one or more nodes.

[0083] Each node out of the group may be integrated in, attached to, or connected to an electronic device to be controlled mainly or partially via motion detection. The electronic device may be a lighting device, a wall switch, a bridge, a speaker, a television, a thermostat, a wireless sensor, a power outlet plug, a doorbell, a smart home assistant device, and / or a smart home appliance. For example, a control command to be generated upon motion detection may be related to a turn on or power on command to the one or more electronic devices. The control command may be related to changing a setting or an operation mode of the one or more electronic devices.

[0084] With one or more nodes out of the group of nodes integrated in or attached to a luminaire, the RF sensing system may also be a lighting control system and is configured to carry out data communication in addition to RF sensing. 2024PF80212

[0085] 13

[0086] To reconfigure a RF sensing system into a security monitoring mode, several aspects may be considered.

[0087] - Firstly, establish a security area automatically by either extending or replacing the regular home automation areas.

[0088] Secondly, skip the restriction of setting up a subset or sensing group with nodes located in a same room for security purposes.

[0089] Thirdly, increase the minimum area size with longer paths by enforcing hops.

[0090] It is beneficial to choose different limits and areas for “full home” security with RF-sensing. By taking the RF sensing system deployed for lighting control as an example, the system may offer a user with different options to choose from:

[0091] - Next to areas he / she defined add areas to complete home coverage for security monitoring. Optionally, it’s an option to use the information that the user provided for regular light control (like bedroom, hallway, kitchen, and so on) to include all areas.

[0092] - Replace the areas he / she defined only for security to cover the complete home for security.

[0093] The advantage of the first is that a security alarm can come with the name of a user created area which is recognisable, as the user created and named these areas. The advantage of the second is that we likely cover a larger area and have a bigger chance to cover the whole house. Best choice may depend on the number of lights and rooms, and the system can indicate the coverage to a user for comparison purpose.

[0094] RF sensing for home automations or in the control mode may pick rooms as a starting point and to select lights from. This is logical for users as they want to automate the light in a room and it avoids large distances in a user-friendly way, but it may restrict other possibilities. For security, it is more favourable to pick areas without the room restriction.

[0095] Instead of having a matrix of N devices where all devices receive a one-hop direct message, such as the “InterPAN” messages in a Zigbee system, it is proposed to introduce hops on circulating the messages. Increasing the distance via a multi-hop communication, it is more efficient to build a larger area.

[0096] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a RF sensing system 100 deployed on a single floor. For illustration purpose, each node of the RF sensing system is integrated in or attached to a luminaire in this example. Of course, each one of the plurality of nodes may also be integrated in or attached to a different type of electronic device or be deployed in a standalone manner. 2024PF80212

[0097] 14

[0098] RF sensing area A illustrates a regular sensing mode or the control mode, using 3 lights in one room as a subset. RF sensing area B is an example where the “room” restriction is dropped. As one option, to create such an area: an App of the RF sensing system may, when the user configures security mode or upon entering security monitoring mode automatically, first ask the bridge to measure. The control device or a bridge device in the RF sensing system may try out multiple permutations of RF sensing areas obtaining the signal strength and signal to noise ratio from all possible communication paths, such that knowledge is available on all combinations if nodes can communicate directly and with which quality. The procedure may be carried out in the background in advance (during the control mode), so results are already available. The control device or the bridge may provide this “full matrix” of connectivity about the plurality of nodes to a RF sensing App.

[0099] The control device or the RF sensing App can pick combinations to have nodes from all user defined rooms, in the meanwhile allowing the user to adjust the selection.

[0100] RF sensing areas C is an enhanced area where 3 lights (with circle) are selected as corner nodes to form an area with “hops” (non-circled lights) along the path. This creates larger areas. The selection may be based on measurements as suggested in the paragraph above or based on consideration of different factors related to the nodes / lights.

[0101] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a method 600 according to the present invention.

[0102] A method 600 of controlling a radio frequency, RF, sensing system 100 to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system 100 comprising a plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300”, the method 600 comprising: determining, in step S601, an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; selecting, in step S602, a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300”, to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; selecting, in step S603, a subset of the first set of nodes 300’, 300” to act as corner nodes 300” with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configuring, in step S604, a first comer node out of the at least two comer nodes to send messages to a second comer node out of the at least two corner nodes via multi-hop communication; configuring, in step S605, one or more nodes 300’ belonging to the first set of nodes 300’, 300” to forward the messages between the first corner node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication; and 2024PF80212

[0103] 15 performing, in step S606, intrusion detection on a path defined by the first corner node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second comer node.

[0104] The method 600 may further comprise: - determining to switch the RF sensing system 100 to operate in a control mode; dividing the plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300” into more than one subset for presence detection; configuring one or more nodes belonging to a same subset to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes 300, 300’, 300”.

Claims

2024PF8021216CLAIMS:

1. A control device (200) for controlling a radio frequency, RF, sensing system (100) to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system (100) comprising a plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”); the control device (200) configured to: determine an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; select a first set of nodes (300’, 300”), out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”), to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; select a subset of the first set of nodes (300’, 300’ ’) to act as corner nodes (300”) with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configure a first comer node, out of the at least two comer nodes, to send messages to a second comer node, out of the at least two corner nodes, via multi-hop communication; configure one or more nodes belonging to the first set of nodes to forward the messages between the first comer node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication; and perform intrusion detection on a path defined by the first comer node, the second comer node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second corner node; wherein the first comer node and the one or more nodes belonging to the first set are configured to send messages with a default transmission power level, and each out of the one or more nodes belonging to the first set is configured to detect a received signal strength of each message received from a previous hop, attach the detected received signal strength information to the message, and forward the newly compiled message to the next hop.

2. The control device (200) of claim 1 configured to: select the first set of nodes that are located along a boundary of the area.

3. The control device (200) of claim 1 or 2 configured to:2024PF8021217 select the corner nodes (300’ ’) based on comparing a connectivity performance of each node out of the first set of nodes with its neighboring nodes out of the first set of nodes.

4. The control device (200) of claim 1 or 2 configured to: select the corner nodes (300’ ’) based on one of a user configuration, a location of a node, a hardware performance of a node, a type or function of an electronic device attached to or connected to a node.

5. The control device (200) of any one of the previous claims configured to: determine to switch the RF sensing system (100) to operate in a control mode; divide the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”) into more than one subset for presence detection; configure one or more nodes belonging to a same subset to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes.

6. The control device (200) of any one of the previous claims configured to: determine an operation mode of the RF sensing system (100) based on at least one of a user request, a presence detection result, a preconfigured schedule.

7. A radio frequency, RF, sensing system (100) configured to operate in a security monitoring mode, the RF sensing system (100) comprising a control device (200) according to any one of the previous claims 1-6, and a plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”); wherein a first set of nodes (300’, 300”), out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”), are configured to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; a subset of the first set of nodes is configured to act as corner nodes (300’ ’) with at least two corner nodes are adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range;2024PF8021218 a first corner node, out of the at least two corner nodes, is configured to send messages to a second comer node, out of the at least two corner nodes, via multi-hop communication; one or more nodes (300’) belonging to the first set of nodes (300’, 300”) are configured to forward the messages between the first comer node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication; and the control device (200), the second corner node, or a node out of the first set of nodes (300’, 300”) is configured to perform an intrusion detection on a path defined by the first comer node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second comer node.

8. The RF sensing system (100) of claim 7 further configured to operate in a control mode with the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”) divided into more than one subset for presence detection; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”); wherein one or more nodes belonging to a same subset are configured to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication.

9. The RF sensing system (100) of claim 7 or 8 further configured to control an electronic device attached to or connected to a node out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”) based on a presence detection result or an intrusion detection result.

10. The RF sensing system (100) of claim 9, wherein the electronic device is a lighting device, and the RF sensing system (100) is configured to control the lighting device based on a predetermined pattern to mimic a control state with people presence when the RF sensing system (100) is in the security monitoring mode.

11. The RF sensing system (100) of claim 9 further configured to turn on the electronic device when an intrusion is detected.

12. A method (600) of controlling a radio frequency, RF, sensing system (100) to operate in a security monitoring mode with the RF sensing system (100) comprising a plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”), the method (600) comprising:2024PF8021219 determining (S601) an area to be covered by the security monitoring mode; selecting (S602) a first set of nodes, out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”), to participate in RF sensing for security monitoring; selecting (S603) a subset of the first set of nodes (300’, 300”) to act as corner nodes (300”) with at least two corner nodes being adjacent corner nodes but not within a direct communication range; configuring (S604) a first comer node out of the at least two comer nodes to send messages to a second corner node out of the at least two corner nodes via multi-hop communication; configuring (S605) one or more nodes (300’) belonging to the first set of nodes (300’, 300”) to forward the messages between the first comer node and the second corner node to assist the multi-hop communication; and performing (S606) intrusion detection on a path defined by the first comer node, the second corner node, and the one or more nodes based on the messages detected at the second comer node; wherein the first corner node and the one or more nodes belonging to the first set are configured to send messages with a default transmission power level, and each out of the one or more nodes belonging to the first set is configured to detect a received signal strength of each message received from a previous hop, attach the detected received signal strength information to the message, and forward the newly compiled message to the next hop.

13. The method (600) of claim 12 further comprising: determining to switch the RF sensing system (100) to operate in a control mode; dividing the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”) into more than one subset for presence detection; configuring one or more nodes belonging to a same subset to send messages to one or more other nodes belonging to the same subset to carry out presence detection via one- hop direct communication; wherein the more than one subset is divided based on a user configuration or a layout of an area covered by the plurality of nodes (300, 300’, 300”).

14. The method (600) of claim 12 or 13 further comprising2024PF8021220 determining an operation mode of the RF sensing system (100) based on at least one of a user request, a presence detection result, a preconfigured schedule.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed on a processing unit of a control device (100) according to any one of the previous claims 1-6, cause the control device (100) to carry out the steps of the method (600) according to any one of the previous claims 12-14.

Images