A method and an arrangement for monitoring

Abstract

An arrangement and a method for observing presence, location, movement and / or attitude of one or more persons in a monitored area with an arrangement comprising at least one sensor (101, 201, 401, 501), measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data. The at least one sensor (101, 201, 401, 501) is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and the arrangement measures with the at least one sensor (101, 201, 401, 501) the area to be monitored, and determines the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person. The arrangement has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and in the first operating mode the arrangement detects falling of a person (206, 402, 502) and / or measures vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502), such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person (206, 402, 502), in the monitored area with the at least one sensor (101, 201, 401, 501) and sends an alarm if the person (206, 402, 502) has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502) are not within the predefined limits, and in the second operating mode the sensor (101, 201, 401, 501) and / or the arrangement detects presence and / or location of a person (206, 402, 502) in the monitored 5 area with the at least one sensor (101, 201, 401, 501) and sends an alarm if a person (206, 402, 502) is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is in use.

Description

[0001] A METHOD AND AN ARRANGEMENT FOR MONITORING

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for observing and monitoring an area.

[0004] Background of the invention

[0005] The monitoring of the condition of elderly people in a home, retirement home or hospital environment is important for ensuring wellbeing and safety of the persons. One of the systems used for this kind of purpose are safety bracelet systems. Their weakness is that the user must wear the bracelet continuously and must be able to press the alarm button in an emergency. There are also bracelets that check the state of health of the user, but they have the same problems as described above, and additionally, there are further problems with false alarms.

[0006] There have also been presented solutions, in which a film of piezoelectric material is installed on the floor, in which the film registers pressure changes caused by movement on the surface of the floor. Also known in the prior art is the use of sensors to be installed on the floor, or under it, that detects the presence and movements of people, without requiring a change in pressure, but functions by means of capacitive sensors.

[0007] The possibility of using video cameras or movement detectors that are based e.g. on detecting infrared light or e.g. ultrasound sensors, for monitoring the condition and state of elderly people is also presented in prior art. For example, WO2012164169 document discloses a method and a system that are based on ultrasound technology for tracking objects. However, there are privacy concerns in the monitoring systems which use camera-based monitoring as the cameras have monitor persons in all the areas the persons are moving, e.g. in toilets and bathrooms.

[0008] Some prior art solutions are known, which use millimeterwave (MMW) radar for tracking persons.

[0009] A drawback with prior-art radar-based observation systems and monitoring systems is that the sensors in the systems can be used for only one functionality, e.g. for monitoring the condition and / or state of elderly people.

[0010] Brief description of the invention

[0011] By using the method and / or the arrangement according to the invention, the problems of the state of the prior art can be eliminated. The invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the claims.

[0012] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a method for observing presence, location, movement and / or attitude of one or more persons in a monitored area with an arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data. The at least one sensor is a radarbased sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor. The arrangement measures with the at least one sensor the area to be monitored, and determines the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person. The arrangement has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and in the first operating mode the arrangement detects falling of a person and / or measures vital signs of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person, in the monitored area with the at least one sensor and sends an alarm if the person has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person are not within the predefined limits, and in the second operating mode the sensor and / or the arrangement detects presence and / or location of a person in the monitored area with the at least one sensor and sends an alarm if a person is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is in use.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention in the first operating mode the arrangement sends the alarm, e.g. a health alarm, to a health monitoring party, e.g. directly or via a security monitoring party.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention in the second operating mode the arrangement sends the alarm, e.g. a burglar alarm, to a security monitoring party, e.g. directly or via a health monitoring party.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement comprises means for changing the operating mode between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, such as a switch or a button, arranged in connection with the monitored area.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention the means for changing the operating mode comprises an RFID-reader and a change of mode is activated with an RFID tag and / or the means for changing the operating mode comprises a keyboard and a change of mode is activated with a code selected via the keyboard.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement does not send an alarm in the second operating state, e.g. a burglar alarm, if it recognizes that the object for which movement was detected, is measured to be under certain predefined height, e.g. under 1 meter, for avoiding alarms caused by a pet, such as a cat or a dog, moving in the monitored area when the second operating mode is active.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention in the first operating mode the arrangement sends an alarm if the monitored person moves outside the monitored area and / or a specified part of the monitored area, such as a door to balcony. In one embodiment of the invention sending the alarm is based on outside temperature, season and / or duration the person has been outside the monitored area.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement comprises means for detecting that a door of a refrigerator is opened, and the arrangement detects when the person has been in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to detect how long duration person spends in a toilet and / or in a shower.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement determines how long duration the person is moving, e.g. walking, in the monitored area, and what is the activity level of the person.

[0022] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement detects if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement sends an alarm if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode, and / or wherein no alarm is sent if the second person checks in with an RFID tag and / or with a code selected via the keyboard.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention the at least one sensor of the arrangement is disposed on a floor, wall and / or ceiling of the area to be monitored and / or the measuring range of the at least one sensor essentially covers the area to be monitored.

[0025] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement uses the same sensor in both the first operating mode and the second operating mode. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement automatically switches from the first operating mode into the second operating mode when a person whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored leaves the area to be monitored.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement automatically switches from the second operating mode into the first operating mode when a person whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored arrives in the area to be monitored.

[0027] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to an arrangement for observing presence, location, movement and / or attitude of one or more persons in a monitored area, wherein the arrangement comprises at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data. The at least one sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and the arrangement is configured to measure with the at least one sensor the area to be monitored, and determine the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person. The arrangement has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and in the first operating mode the arrangement is configured to detect falling of a person and / or measure vital signs of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person, in the monitored area with the at least one sensor and send an alarm if the person has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person are not within the predefined limits, and in the second operating mode the sensor and / or the arrangement is configured to detect presence and / or location of a person in the monitored area with the at least one sensor and send an alarm if a person is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is the active operating mode.

[0028] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to implement a method according to any embodiment of the invention.

[0029] One advantage, among others, in the arrangement according to the invention compared to prior art solutions is that the arrangement does not require separate sensors and the use of a parallel intruder alarm system for monitoring the area against break-ins and / or unknown persons, but instead by means of the arrangement according to the invention the existing sensors being used for monitoring the health and / or attitude of people can also be used for implementing intruder alarm functionality. Also, because the sensors used in the solution of the invention are radar-based sensors, they are able to monitor the health of a person in detail, e.g. by measuring heartbeat or other vital signs of the person, and the monitoring can be achieved in a privacy preserving manner.

[0030] The terms “first”, “second” and “third” are herein used to distinguish one element from other element, and not to specially prioritize or order them, if not otherwise explicitly stated. The expression "a number of’ may herein refer to any positive integer starting from one (1 ). The expression "a plurality of’ may refer to any positive integer starting from two (2), respectively.

[0031] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented herein are not to be interpreted to pose limitations to the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "to comprise" is used herein as an open limitation that does not exclude the existence of also unrecited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0032] The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Brief description of the figures

[0034] The invention is illustrated with the following drawings, of which: Figure 1 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement in the area to be monitored,

[0035] Figure 2 presents the operation of one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement in monitoring of health of a person,

[0036] Figure 3 presents the operation of one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement in intruder alarm monitoring,

[0037] Figure 4 presents one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement, and

[0038] Figure 5 presents one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement.

[0039] Detailed description of the invention

[0040] In the solution according to the invention, the arrangement comprises at least one sensor and can further comprise measuring electronics producing sensor observations by means of the sensors, and a processor, a control unit, central unit and / or a computer configured to process the sensor observations. The control unit, central unit and / or the computer can comprise a processor, a memory and / or a storage. For the purposes of this function, the unit or computer of the arrangement can comprise the necessary software and information about the characteristic properties of the signals being detected. In general, the measuring electronics and / or the control or central unit and / or the computer can deduce information from a signal received via a sensor. The arrangement can have a unit, e.g. a central unit, which can manage one or more sensors or sensor groups. In one embodiment of the invention, one sensor group comprises e.g. the sensors in the same space, such as in the same room. An area to be monitored with sensors can be the whole area where the person is usually present or only a part of that area. The area to be monitored can comprise e.g. of one or more rooms and certain parts of the area, e.g. fixed installations such as cupboards, can be left outside the area to be monitored. In one embodiment, e.g. in which a sleeping person is monitored, the sensor can be arranged in connection with the bed, above the bed and / or beside the bed so that the monitoring area of at least one sensor covers at least a part of the bed or a person lying on the bed.

[0041] In the solution according to the invention, the sensor can detect persons in the monitored area and measure and detect the location, velocity and / or shape of the monitored person and / or measure vital signs of the person. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor can be configured to observe the person based on signal strength and / or by filtering out probable false measurement results. The monitored person can be e.g. an elderly person or some other person benefiting from supervision or other special persons, such as personnel and / or person of law enforcement.

[0042] The sensors, e.g. sensor units, can comprise at least one radar sensor which is configured to monitor presence, location, movement and / or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and / or presence, location, movement of at least one identification tag in the monitored area. The radar sensor can be for example a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar-based sensor, which can operate for example with the MIMO radar principle. In one example embodiment, there can be, for example, three transmitter and four receiver antennas in the radar sensor. In that example this forms a virtual antenna of 12 elements. Additionally and / or optionally the monitoring arrangement can comprise at least one of some of the following sensors: a floor sensor, a motion detector and / or a camera. In one embodiment, the arrangement comprises at least two radar sensors and is configured to detect and measure the persons in the monitored area based on the measurement signal of at least two radar sensors, which can monitor the same area and / or a different part of the monitored area. For example, the measurement area of the radar sensors can overlap for example at a certain part of the area. In one embodiment of the invention the radar-based sensor of the arrangement can operate essentially on a frequency band located in frequency range 50 - 75 GHz, e.g. 60 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, and / or 57 GHz - 64 GHz frequency range and / or at a frequency range above 60 GHz. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can operate in sub terahertz frequency area, e.g. in frequency range 222,5 - 267,5 GHz.

[0043] In one embodiment of the invention the components of the arrangement can be integrated into a single unit, e.g. into a sensor unit, comprising the components of the arrangement. In one embodiment of the invention a sensor unit can comprise at least some of the following components in a single unit: a sensor, a means for processing the measurement signal of the sensor (such as measuring electronics), a means for communicating measurement results and / or data relating to the measurement results for further processing. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor unit can also comprise a means for producing and / or capturing audio. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor unit can comprise multiple radar sensors, e.g. 2 - 4, radar sensors, in which case the radar sensors of the sensor unit can be each configured to measure to different directions, e.g. so that the measurement area of the sensor unit covers 360 degrees on the horizontal plane, and the measuring area of a sensor is e.g. 90 - 120 degrees on the horizontal plane, in one embodiment approx. 90 degrees on the horizontal plane.

[0044] The sensor can be installed on a stand, on a surface, e.g. on a wall, door, floor or ceiling, and / or in the proximity of a surface, such as e.g. floor surfaces, wall surfaces, door surfaces or ceiling surfaces of an apartment and / or of the area to be monitored to which the person has access. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor or sensors are installed in the corner of the space to be monitored right below the ceiling and tilted towards the center of the space. A tilt angle can be e.g. 15 degrees which can give the sensor a good view over obstacles such as furniture. In one embodiment of the invention the sensor or sensors are installed on a wall or in a corner of the space to be monitored, typically above the floor-level plane, e.g. at a height of approx. 40 - 150 cm from the floor.

[0045] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or the sensor unit comprises an attachment structure, in which the sensor or sensor unit can be placed, wherein the attachment structure is fixable on a stand, a wall or ceiling. In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or sensor unit is removable from the attachment means without any tools e.g. for charging the battery of the sensor.

[0046] In the solution of the invention an arrangement comprising at least one sensor measures with the at least one sensor the area to be monitored, and determines the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the object. The object can be a person in the solution of the invention and in different embodiments of the invention. The at least one sensor of the arrangement can be disposed on a floor, wall and / or ceiling of the area to be monitored. The measuring range of the at least one sensor can essentially cover the area to be monitored. In the solution of the invention at least two operating modes are used: first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first operating mode the arrangement detects falling of a person and / or measures vital signs of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person, in the monitored area with the at least one sensor. In the first operation mode the arrangement can send an alarm if the person has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person are not within the predefined limits. In the in the second operating mode the sensor and / or the arrangement detects presence and / or location of a person in the monitored area with the at least one sensor and sends an alarm if a person is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is in use. In the first operating mode the arrangement can send the alarm, e.g. a health alarm, to a health monitoring party. In the second operating mode the arrangement can send the alarm, e.g. a burglar alarm, to a security monitoring party. In one embodiment of the invention the alarms are sent directly to the above-mentioned parties and / or in one embodiment of the invention the alarm made in first operating state is sent to health monitoring party via a security monitoring party and / or the alarm made in the second operating state is sent to a security monitoring party via a health monitoring party. The arrangement can use the same sensor in both the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

[0047] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement comprises means for changing the operating mode between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, such as a switch or a button, arranged in connection with the monitored area. The means for changing the operating mode can comprise an RFID-reader and a change of mode is activated with an RFID tag and / or the means for changing the operating mode comprises a keyboard and a change of mode is activated with a code selected via the keyboard.

[0048] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement does not send an alarm in the second operating state, e.g. a burglar alarm, if it recognizes that the object for which movement was detected, is measured to be under certain predefined height, e.g. under 1 meter, for avoiding alarms caused by a pet, such as a cat or a dog, moving in the monitored area when the second operating mode is active.

[0049] In one embodiment of the invention in the first operating mode the arrangement sends an alarm if the monitored person moves outside the monitored area and / or a specified part of the monitored area, such as a door to balcony. In one embodiment of the invention sending the alarm is based on outside temperature, season and / or duration the person has been outside the monitored area.

[0050] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement comprises means for detecting that a door of a refrigerator is opened, and the arrangement detects when the person has been in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

[0051] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to detect how long duration person spends in a toilet and / or in a shower. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement determines how long duration the person is moving, e.g. walking, in the monitored area, and what is the activity level of the person.

[0052] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement detects if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode.

[0053] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement sends an alarm if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode, and / or no alarm is sent if the second person checks in with an RFID tag and / or with a code selected via the keyboard.

[0054] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement automatically switches from the first operating mode into the second operating mode when an object whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored leaves the area to be monitored. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement automatically switches from the second operating mode into the first operating mode when an object whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored arrives in the area to be monitored.

[0055] Based on the monitoring the monitored area with at least one sensor the arrangement can assess the situation in the monitored area and to determine if an action, such as sending an alarm, is required. The arrangement can in one embodiment of the invention to determine that the monitored person has fallen, is lying on the floor, is staying too long in certain part of the monitored area, such as a bathroom or a bed, is not eating or exercising and / or is going to certain part of the monitored area, such as to the balcony during the winter. The arrangement can in one embodiment of the invention to determine whether the vital functions of the monitored person, such as tracked heartbeat and / or the monitored person’s breathing, are not within the predefined limits.

[0056] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is configured to detect falling and / or sitting of the person by the determined elevation of the person, e.g. such that when the elevation of the person is under a certain threshold elevation value, the person can be determined to have fallen.

[0057] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor is configured to analyze the measurement signal by at least filtering the measurement signal in such a way that the phase of the measurement signal is determined in order to observe movement of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing.

[0058] In one embodiment a speech dialog can be initiated in the monitored area, which speech dialog can comprise e.g. a question or a suggestion to the monitored person, for example so that the person is asked if he or she is ok and / or if he or she needs help. In one embodiment of the invention, if no response is received from the person, an alarm or notification is sent because the arrangement is unable to verify that the monitored person does not need help.

[0059] In one embodiment of the invention a notification can be sent in addition and / or instead of an alarm. In one embodiment sending an alarm or notification comprises sending a message to a person and / or a party, such as an organization, monitoring the health of the person, e.g. as a message to a phone, to a nurse, to relatives or to an emergency center. The alarm or notification can comprise identity information of the monitored person or information relating to the identity of the monitored persons. In one embodiment of the invention the notification or alarm can comprise information of also other persons, e.g. nurses, in the same area.

[0060] In one embodiment of the invention an alarm is only sent if no other persons are detected in the area by the sensors. In one embodiment of the invention, the alarms can be automatically disabled, if a certain person, such as a nurse, is detected in the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention, the alarm conditions of the arrangement can include the identity of the person. For example, an alarm can be triggered when an unauthorized person enters certain locations. In this solution the arrangement can have a database which lists the identities of the allowed persons and if a person with an identification not on the list or with no identification is entering a predefined area, an alarm or notification can be made and / or sent.

[0061] In one embodiment of the invention the sensor and / or the monitoring arrangement is configured to provide a local alarm on the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention, the local alarm comprising an audible alarm, e.g. via a speaker, headphones or a hearing aid device, a visual alarm, such as a light, and / or an alarm, causing vibrations to the bed, mattress and / or to the monitored person. In one embodiment of the invention, the local alarm is an alarm on a wearable device, such as a bracelet or a watch, wherein the alarm is vibrating on the wearable device and / or there is an electric shock caused by the wearable device. In one embodiment of the innovation the local alarm can be provided at the same time with the speech dialog and / or alternately with the speech dialog.

[0062] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor and / or the arrangement is configured to provide the local alarm until the person is determined to have moved, woken up and / or to started to breathe again. In one embodiment of the invention, the alarm, e.g. remote alarm, is provided, if the person does not respond to the local alarm, e.g. if the person does not respond to speech dialog, move, wake up and / or start breathing in response to the local alarm after a predetermined time.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor and / or the arrangement is configured to provide a local alarm and / or a remote alarm or notification if communication or electrical connection to the sensor from the arrangement is lost, if the sensor is removed from its monitoring or installation location and / or if communication and / or electrical connection is removed from the sensor. This way the arrangement and / or the sensor can indicate for example situations in which the person who is monitored, removes the sensor or someone tries to steal the sensor.

[0064] The arrangement can also have a memory means, in which the arrangement is adapted to record a measurement signal, or information derived from it, for observing the chronological dependency of the area being monitored and the behavior of people. By means of this, the arrangement can give an alarm or initiate a speech dialog e.g. if a person being monitored has not got out of bed or visited the kitchen for a certain time, or if the person has gone to the toilet too often or if the vital functions of the observed person, such as breathing or heartbeat, have changed during a specific time. The memory means also enables learning of a more common daily rhythm and the detection of aberrations occurring in it.

[0065] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement is configured to submit information related to sensor observations, e.g. measurement related data or data derived from the sensor measurements and / or identities of the identified persons, to an external server or service, e.g. a cloud-based server or service.

[0066] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or sensor unit comprises a means for detecting the orientation of the sensor or sensor unit, such as an accelerometer, and the sensor, sensor unit or the arrangement is configured to take the detected orientation of the sensor or sensor unit into account when determining the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the monitored person, e.g. by compensating the measurement results based on the detected orientation.

[0067] Figure 1 presents at least some of the components of one example embodiment of the monitoring arrangement in the area to be monitored. The sensor(s) 101 to be used in the invention are arranged in connection with the area to be monitored in such a way that the area to be monitored can be monitored by with the sensor 101 or sensors. Sensors can be installed on top of a surface, e.g. a wall, floor or ceiling surface, and fastened to the surface e.g. with double-sided tape or with a sticker strip, in which case they can easily be removed. The sensor 101 can be connected wirelessly or by wireline to the gateway 104, which collects measured values obtained from the sensors 101 or status information formed by the arrangement, e.g. the persons detected, identification of the persons, the state of health of the persons, and / or the movement and attitudes of the persons. The arrangement can comprise at least one means for producing audio 105, e.g. a speaker, and / or at least one means for capturing audio, e.g. a microphone or a microphone array. The means for producing audio and / or the means for capturing audio can be integrated to the sensor 101 and / or the means for producing audio and / or the means for capturing audio can be separate units.

[0068] The gateway 104 can send the information onwards to a party, e.g. a control center of a party, for example organization, that supervises the area and / or the objects, such as persons, therein. The transfer of information between the arrangement and some recipient can be performed e.g. using a phone connection, a wireline broadband connection or wireless connections. It is advantageous in the data transfer to take into account issues relating to data security and privacy, which many official regulations also address.

[0069] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor 101 , e.g. a sensor a unit, or sensors comprise their own central unit and the central unit of a sensor is in connection with the gateway 104. In a second embodiment of the invention, the central units of the sensor 101 or sensors are integrated into a gateway 104.

[0070] It is possible that some of the functions of the central unit or of the gateway 104 are performed elsewhere via a data network connection, e.g. in a central control room or service center, such a server or cloud service.

[0071] The arrangement according to the one embodiment of the invention can also comprise a call pushbutton 102. After pressing the call pushbutton, the arrangement can connect to e.g. nursing personnel, security personnel, or it can perform various alarm procedures. The call pushbutton can be wireless, and it can be adapted to function with or without batteries.

[0072] The notification procedures and alarm procedures, according to the arrangement of the invention, can include e.g. activating a local alarm, indication signaling (such as a buzzer, light, siren, alarm clock, etc.), making contact with an alarm center or service center, a care provider or a relative. In some cases, an alarm can also be sent directly to the person being monitored or to the user, e.g. by means of speech synthesis or a speech recording. For performing these tasks, the sensor or the arrangement can comprise means needed for processing time data, such as e.g. a clock circuit.

[0073] According to one embodiment of the invention, a speech dialog can be initiated and / or an alarm signal can be given by the arrangement in the space being monitored, which lasts a predetermined period of time. This alarm signal can be given as a local alarm, e.g. before the sending of an alarm or notification, and it can be given via a light alarm unit and / or a sound alarm unit of the arrangement. The light alarm unit and / or sound alarm units can be in each different part, e.g. a room of the premises. This functionality can also be integrated into the sensor units, e.g. into all the sensors units or only some of the sensor units.

[0074] The arrangement, according to the invention, can also comprise fire detectors 103, which can be in connection with another system via a wireline or wireless connection. If the fire detectors 103 warn of a fire, alarm procedures can be performed, e.g. by sending an alarm message to a control center or to the rescue authorities.

[0075] The arrangement or a monitoring system comprising the monitoring arrangement can also comprise a control center and the predetermined information concerning the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person can be sent to the control center. The alarm terms used by the system can be changed, e.g. on the basis of presence information, which can be e.g. received from an RFID reader.

[0076] Figure 2 presents the operation of an embodiment of the arrangement, according to the invention, in which the state of health or attitude of a person 206 in the monitored area is monitored. If the arrangement detects based on measurement results from sensors 201 that the safety of a monitored person 206 is endangered (e.g. the person has fallen or vital functions of the person are not within the predefined limits), the arrangement can send an alarm or notification. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can initiate a speech dialog with the monitored person with means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio 205. In the example of Fig. 2 the means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio can be integrated to the sensor, e.g. the sensor unit 201 .

[0077] In the situation presented in Fig. 2, in which the arrangement sends a message e.g. based on falling of a person and / or based of determined vital functions of the person, the arrangement sends the information about the situation to the gateway 104 of the arrangement and the gateway 104 sends the information and / or an alarm onwards to the server 207 e.g. via an Internet connection or via some other connection. From the server 207, the information and / or alarm is sent to a party monitoring the health of the person, e.g. as a message to a mobile phone 202, as an alarm and / or e.g. to a nurse 203, to relatives or to an emergency center. In this way, for example information about the person reaches the necessary people or parties and the person who fell receives help as quickly as possible. In one embodiment of the invention, the arrangement can send information directly from the gateway 104 to a party or a person monitoring the health of the monitored person 206. In this example the monitored person can have stated in the speech dialog with the arrangement received by the means for capturing audio 205 that she needs help, or no response is received from the monitored person after the initiation of the speech dialog.

[0078] Fig. 3 presents the operation of an embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention in a second operating mode of the arrangement, e.g. in the intruder alarm mode. When the sensor(s) 201 of the arrangement detects that a person 306, e.g. an unknown person, has arrived in the area to be monitored, the arrangement sends this information via the arrangement gateway 104 onwards and at the same time the arrangement can perform predetermined alarm procedures. In the embodiment presented in Fig. 3 the sensor 201 sends information about the presence and / or location of an person 306 to the gateway 104 of the arrangement and the gateway 104 sends the information and / or an alarm, e.g. an intruder alarm, onwards to the server 207, e.g. via an Internet connection or other connection. From the server 207 the information and / or alarm is sent to a party monitoring safety, e.g. as a message to a phone 302, as an alarm and / or e.g. to a security company, to a guard 303, to an emergency center or to the police. In this way e.g. information about a break-in or an intrusion by an unknown person into the area to be monitored reaches the necessary people or party. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can send information directly from the gateway 104 to a party monitoring safety.

[0079] In the arrangement according to the invention a user uses the first operating mode of the arrangement e.g. when he / she is at home and in this case his / her state of health and / or attitude can be checked by means of the arrangement. When the user leaves his / her home or goes to sleep, he / she can set the arrangement into the second operating mode, e.g. the intruder alarm mode, in which case the arrangement functions as an intruder alarm system, giving an alarm when it detects an person in the area to be monitored. A user can change the mode from a switch, by means of a numerical code or by means of an RFID reader. When the user comes back home or gets out of his / her bed, he / she can set the arrangement from the second operating mode, e.g. the intruder alarm mode, into the first operating mode, e.g. the state-of-health monitoring mode. It is also possible to switch the arrangement off. Since also outsiders can change the mode of the arrangement by means of a simple switch, such as a pushbutton, the keying in of a numerical code on a numerical keyboard or an RFID reader offer better security against outsiders in the intruder alarm mode.

[0080] Also when organizations who have received an alarm or people otherwise authorized to go into the area to be monitored, e.g. a nurse or guard, go into the apartment, they can switch the arrangement from the second operating mode into the first operating mode, or off, because otherwise their arrival at the scene would trigger an alarm. Also the aforementioned bodies can change the mode in the same way as the person in the area whose state of health is being checked. Bodies who have received an alarm or people otherwise authorized to go into the area to be monitored can have e.g. their own numerical codes or RFID identifiers, by means of which the arrangement can be switched from the second operating mode into the first operating mode, or off completely. In one embodiment of the invention the mode of the arrangement can also be changed by means of remote control, e.g. from a control center.

[0081] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement mode can change automatically from the first operating mode into the second operating mode and from the second operating mode into the first operating mode. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can detect that a person has exited the area to be monitored and change the mode automatically from the first operating mode into the second operating mode, e.g. from monitoring the state of health / attitude into the intruder alarm mode. When the arrangement detects that a person, whose state of health is being checked, arrives back into the area to be monitored, it can automatically switch the mode of the arrangement from the second operating mode into the first operating mode, e.g. from the intruder alarm mode into the state-of- health monitoring mode. In one embodiment of the invention the operating mode of the arrangement can be automatically changed from the monitoring of state of health / attitude to the intruder alarm mode when the person whose state of health is being checked gets into his / her bed. The operating mode can also be automatically changed from the intruder alarm mode to the monitoring of state of health / attitude when the person gets out of his / her bed.

[0082] The automatic change in mode can function also between different parts of the area to be monitored. In this case if a person has gone into one part of the area to be monitored, e.g. to a second floor, into a second room, into the bedroom or into bed, then the other parts of the area to be monitored, e.g. the other floor, the other rooms or the living room, can be automatically switched into the second operating mode, e.g. into the intruder alarm mode. When the person comes out of the same area, e.g. after waking up, the mode is changed automatically into the first operating mode, e.g. to monitoring the state of health / attitude, and the intruder alarm mode automatically switches off in the relevant part of the space to be monitored. In one embodiment of the invention if the person whose state of health is being monitored has gone to bed, the arrangement is able to recognize this situation. With the arrangement according to the invention safety can therefore be monitored automatically, e.g. as follows: A resident of an apartment goes to sleep in the evening in his / her bed. If after this somebody arrives in the apartment, the arrangement performs alarm procedures. When the resident awakes and gets out of his / her bed, the intruder alarm mode is switched out of use.

[0083] In one embodiment of the invention the intruder alarm mode can be automatically switched on or off by means of a sensor arranged in one part of the space to be monitored, e.g. in one room, such as e.g. by means of the type of sensor presented in different embodiments of the invention. In this case by means of the information measured by the sensor arranged in one part of the space, the intruder alarm mode of the rest of the area to be monitored or of the whole area to be monitored can be switched on or off. This can be done e.g. in such a way that when it is detected on the basis of a sensor installed in one room that a person has gone to sleep, the intruder alarm mode is changed to the active state in the whole of the area to be monitored or in a part of the area to be monitored. When it is detected on the basis of the same sensor arranged in one part of the space that the person has woken up and got out of bed, the intruder alarm mode can be switched off in the whole of the area to be monitored or in a part of the area to be monitored. A person getting out of and / or into bed can be detected with the radar-based sensor.

[0084] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can operate as an intruder alarm also in the first operating mode of the arrangement. In this case the arrangement checks the state of health and / or attitude of the person in the area to be monitored and tracks the location of the person, but if another person, e.g. a person who is an outsider, arrives in the area to be monitored from another direction, an intruder alarm can be executed. By means of the sensors it is possible also to detect if a number of people are in the area to be monitored without authorization and also in this case an alarm procedure can be performed. This is the type of situation is e.g. a person who is an outsider has come in from the outer door without an identifier and the resident is in the room. In one embodiment of the invention the system can also determine location of the person in the area to be monitored and / or track the location of the person in the monitored area who is not the person whose health is monitored. In this way the system is able to track also route of an intruder or a burglar and it’s possible to see for example where the intruder or burglar has been and / or from which location he or she has entered the monitored area and / or from which location he or she has left the monitored area. Determining location and / or tracking of the intruder or burglar can be carried out in the first operating mode and / or the second operating mode.

[0085] The arrangement can also control the functions of the area to be monitored, such as the lighting, air-conditioning, access control, locking, and other alarms systems, control systems and / or monitoring systems. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement controls the operation of the water supply, electricity supply and / or heat supply in the area to be monitored when a person whose state of health and / or attitude is being checked leaves the area to be monitored or leaves a part, e.g. a room, of the area to be monitored. For example, the lights can be extinguished and the water and electricity disconnected from an area, or from a part of an area, from which the person has exited. In one embodiment of the invention when a person gets out of bed to go to the WC, the lights turn on in such a way that the person sees to walk to the WC. When the person goes into the WC, the light of the WC can be turned on. In one embodiment of the invention also the current of the cooker can be disconnected if the person goes away from in front of the cooker for a certain time, e.g. over 20 minutes. In one embodiment of the invention the water supply can be disconnected e.g. by means of a solenoid valve and e.g. in the WC / bathroom premises when the person is not in these premises. There can be a delay in the disconnection of water, so that e.g. the flushing tank of the toilet fills after use. A corresponding arrangement can also be in the kitchen, in which the water is switched off if the person leaves the kitchen.

[0086] In one embodiment of the invention when the person leaves the apartment and the arrangement is set into the second operating mode, e.g. the intruder alarm mode, the water and electrical devices can be closed automatically. Also the temperature can be adjusted on the basis of the presence of the person e.g. in such a way that the temperature in winter is decreased e.g. to 2 degrees lower and in the summer the cooling is reduced and the temperature is raised e.g. 2 degrees higher when the person is not in the area to be monitored or in a part of the area to be monitored.

[0087] Figure 4 illustrates at least a part of the components of one embodiment of the arrangement, which can be used to monitor the person. In this embodiment the sensor is an FMCW radar 401 which is configured to monitor the room 404 and track the people in it. When the person 402 enters the bed 410 the CPU 406 can instruct the radar to focus the beam 403 in the direction of the person e.g. to measure or monitor health status of the person. The CPU 406 can use the room configuration data store 407 to determine when the person is in bed. The configuration can be entered into the data store 407 with the user interface 408 that allows specifying the location of the bed 409. If the radar 401 or the arrangement determines based on the measurement data of the radar that the safety of the monitored person 402 is endangered, an alarm or a notification can be sent or made and / or a speech dialog can be initiated with the monitored person. The arrangement can identify the identity of the person based on the identification tag 411 carried by the person.

[0088] The CPU 406 and the room configuration store 407 can be integrated with or within the radar 401 or they can be located in a separate computer. The user interface can be a computer program, or a web-based application used with a web browser, accessing the configuration store remotely. The CPU 406 can be a single CPU, or it can comprise multiple CPUs, each running their own task of the data processing pipeline. In the example of Fig. 4 the arrangement can comprise a means for producing audio and the means for capturing audio 405 which can be integrated to the sensor 401 or it can be a separate unit from the sensor 401 .

[0089] Figure 5 illustrates at least a part of the components of one embodiment of the arrangement, which can be used to monitor the person. In this embodiment the sensor can be a radar-based sensor 501 which is configured to monitor the room 504 and track persons and identification tags in the room. The sensor and arrangement will acquire measurement data from the sensor 501 and track targets, e.g. persons 502 and identification tags 506, in the monitored area. Based on this the sensor or arrangement can assess the situation in the monitored area and determine when the safety of a monitored person 502 is endangered. In one example embodiment, based on the determined endangered safety of the monitored person the arrangement can use the means for producing audio 505 to initiate a speech dialog with the monitored person and use the means for capturing audio to listen to the reply from the monitored person 502. The sensor or arrangement can use speech synthesis and speech recognition in the speech dialog with the person. Based on the captured audio the sensor or the arrangement can assess the situation and determine if an action, such as an alarm, is required. If an alarm is required, it can be delivered to the specified recipients, e.g. to a person and / or an organization monitoring the health of the person. In one example embodiment the arrangement can proceed to alarm delivery before and / or without speech dialogue.

[0090] In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement can include a user interface or another configuration interface that can be used to specify the locations of beds, couches and other locations of interest and to save these in the room configuration data store. A processor or control unit can receive the location of the person from the radar and consults with the room configuration to determine if the resident is located in a bed or another place for resting. When this happens, the processor or control unit can send instruction to the radar to focus on the location of interest and start monitoring the fine motions. This focusing can be done e.g. by using beam forming with the antenna array to amplify the signal originating from the direction of interest. Large motions can be detected by observing changes in the range or the doppler spectrum of the signal. Small motions can be detected by observing changes in the phase angle of the signal.

[0091] In one embodiment of the invention, the radar-based sensor can have two operating modes. The arrangement can track the movement of the observed person in a first operating mode by analyzing the signal reflected from the person, e.g. doppler frequency, the range and angle of arrival of the signal. The arrangement can track in a second operating mode vital functions of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the monitored person in the second operating mode by analyzing the phase of the measurement signal. In one embodiment of the invention, the sweep time of the sensor is longer in the second operating mode than in the first operating mode. In one embodiment of the invention the second operating mode can differ from the first operating mode only by the digital signal processing algorithm applied to the signal. The solution of the invention can measure and determine the location and movement of the identification tags in one of the modes, e.g. the first operating mode or the second operating mode, or both the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

[0092] In one embodiment of the invention, in the second operating mode, tracking of the persons is not performed. In one embodiment of the invention one radar-based sensor can use the first and second operating mode at the same time, e.g. so that the first operating mode is always used and the second operating mode is activated when it is needed, and when it is not needed, the second operating mode is deactivated. In one embodiment of the invention, one sensor can use the first and the second operating mode in an interleaved manner.

[0093] The radar-based sensor can be configured to activate the second operating mode based on detecting that the monitored person is not moving, has fallen and / or the speed of the monitored person is slower than a predefined threshold value. The sensor can be configured to deactivate the second operating mode based on detecting that the monitored person is not determined as fallen, the person is moving and / or the speed of the monitored person is higher than a predefined threshold value.

[0094] In the second operating mode, the radar-based sensor can be configured to analyze the measurement signal in such a way that the phase of the measurement signal is determined in order to observe the movement of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing. In one embodiment of the invention, in the second operating mode, the radar-based sensor and / or the measuring electronics of the sensor are configured to analyze the measurement signal from the area and / or certain distance around the area relating to the determined azimuth, elevation and / or distance from the sensor of the person determined in the first operating mode.

[0095] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor or arrangement is configured to detect a person falling and / or sitting by the determined elevation of the person, e.g. such that when the elevation of the person is under certain threshold elevation values, the person can be determined to have fallen. In one embodiment of the invention, the elevation of a person is tracked and filtered with a filter, such as a Kalman filter or a low pass filter, in order to prevent false alarms due to noisy measurements.

[0096] In the following, one example embodiment is described. In this example embodiment the sensor is a radar-based sensor which comprises two operating modes. The first operating mode of the sensor is used to track the presence, location and / or movements of people, e.g. in a single room. In this embodiment the tracking can be carried out with the measured point cloud data. Doppler range needed is given by

[0097] In one example, if the person is moving with a speed of 1 m / s, the needed Doppler range is +- 400 Hz and the maximum measurement interval is 2.5 ms at 60 GHz frequency. Inbreathing lasts about 2 seconds. If the corresponding movement is 5 mm, the Doppler range needed is +- 1 Hz and the sweeping time is one second.

[0098] When the arrangement observes that the person has stopped, it can activate the second operating mode, in which it is able to track vital functions of the person, such as heartbeat and / or breathing, such as breathing interruptions and / or frequency. In one embodiment of the invention the arrangement needs to carry out measurements for a certain duration before it can detect the breathing period of a person. After the vital functions of the persons are determined, the arrangement can deactivate the second operating mode. In one example embodiment, the arrangement can determine the vital functions of the same person periodically, e.g. as long as the person stays stationary. If the arrangement observes stationary persons, it’s starts to determine vital functions of these persons by using the second operating mode.

[0099] In one example embodiment of the invention, operation in the second operating mode can be implemented, for example, so that when the stationary object has been detected, the point cloud data around an area of the detected object is saved and analyzed. The saved packages can be generated periodically, e.g. every 600 ms. In one embodiment of the invention, the data can be transferred to central control units for analysis. With the analysis of the signal, e.g. the point cloud data, information about small movements of the object can be observed and thus the arrangement is able to determine e.g. breathing activity and / or heartbeat of the person.

[0100] In one embodiment of the invention, the sweep time of the sensor is longer in the second operating mode, and because of this, a better signal to noise ratio can be achieved. Also, more TX-antennas can be utilized because there is more time available for measurement. In this way, the angle resolution can be improved. For improving the distance resolution, the frequency sweep range can be increased.

[0101] The doppler frequency can be determined e.g. with Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT). The vital function activity, e.g. heartbeat and breathing activity, can be determined based on the determined doppler frequency. In one embodiment of the invention, there are more TX antennas used in the second operating mode to increase the spatial resolution. Signal processing can be done for a smaller area because the monitored person is not moving.

[0102] It is obvious to the person skilled in the prior art that the different embodiments of the invention are not limited solely to the examples described above, and that they may, therefore, be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. The characteristic features possibly presented in the description in conjunction with other characteristic features can also, if necessary, be used separately from each other. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

Claims1 . A method for observing presence, location, movement and / or attitude of one or more persons in a monitored area with an arrangement comprising at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ), measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and the arrangement measures with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) the area to be monitored, and determines the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person, wherein the arrangement has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and in the first operating mode the arrangement detects falling of a person (206, 402, 502) and / or measures vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502), such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person, in the monitored area with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and sends an alarm if the person (206, 402, 502) has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502) are not within the predefined limits, and in the second operating mode the sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and / or the arrangement detects presence and / or location of a person (206, 306, 402, 502) in the monitored area with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and sends an alarm if a person (206, 306, 402, 502) is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is in use.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein in the first operating mode the arrangement sends the alarm, e.g. a health alarm, to a health monitoring party, e.g. directly or via a security monitoring party.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the second operating mode the arrangement sends the alarm, e.g. a burglar or intruder alarm, to a security monitoring party, e.g. directly or via a health monitoring party.

4. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement comprises means for changing the operating mode between the first operating mode and the second operating mode, such as a switch or a button, arranged in connection with the monitored area.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the means for changing the operating mode comprises an RFID-reader and a change of mode is activated with an RFID tag and / or the means for changing the operating mode comprises a keyboard and a change of mode is activated with a code selected via the keyboard.

6. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement does not send an alarm in the second operating state, e.g. a burglar or intruder alarm, if it recognizes that the object for which movement was detected, is measured to be under certain predefined height, e.g. under 1 meter, for avoiding alarms caused by a pet, such as a cat or a dog, moving in the monitored area when the second operating mode is active.

7. A method according to any previous claim, wherein in the first operating mode the arrangement sends an alarm if the monitored person (206, 402, 502) moves outside the monitored area and / or a specified part of the monitored area, such as a door to balcony.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein sending the alarm is based on outside temperature, season and / or duration the person (206, 402, 502) has been outside the monitored area.

9. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement comprises means for detecting that a door of a refrigerator is opened, and the arrangement detects when the person (206, 402, 502) has been in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

10. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement is configured to detect how long duration the person (206, 402, 502) spends in a toilet and / or in a shower.11 . A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement determines how long duration the person (206, 402, 502) is moving, e.g. walking, in the monitored area, and what is the activity level of the person (206, 402, 502).

12. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement detects if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement sends an alarm if another person enters the monitored area when the arrangement is in the first operating mode, and / or wherein no alarm is sent if the second person checks in with an RFID tag and / or with a code selected via the keyboard.

14. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) of the arrangement is disposed on a floor, wall and / or ceiling of the area to be monitored and / or the measuring range of the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) essentially covers the area to be monitored.

15. A method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement uses the same sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) in both the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

16. Method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement automatically switches from the first operating mode into the second operating mode when a person whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored (206, 402, 502) leaves the area to be monitored.

17. Method according to any previous claim, wherein the arrangement automatically switches from the second operating mode into the first operating mode when a person whose state of health and / or attitude is being monitored (206, 402, 502) arrives in the area to be monitored.

18. An arrangement for observing presence, location, movement and / or attitude of one or more persons in a monitored area, wherein the arrangement comprises at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ), measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, and the arrangement is configured to measure with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) the area to be monitored, and determine the presence, location, movement and / or attitude of the person, wherein the arrangement has a first operating mode and a second operating mode, and in the first operating mode the arrangement is configured to detect falling of a person (206, 402, 502) and / or measure vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502), such as heartbeat and / or breathing of the person (206, 402, 502), in the monitored area with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and send an alarm if the person (206, 402, 502) has been determined as fallen and / or vital signs of the person (206, 402, 502) are not within the predefined limits, and in the second operating mode the sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and / or the arrangement is configured to detect presence and / or location of a person (206, 402, 502) in the monitored area with the at least one sensor (101 , 201 , 401 , 501 ) and send an alarm if a person (206, 402, 502) is present in the monitored area when the second operating mode is the active operating mode.

19. An arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the arrangement is configured to carry out the method of any claim 2 - 17.

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