A method for deriving placement information of an elongated lighting device

Abstract

A method (600) for deriving placement information of an elongated lighting device (500) comprising a first node (300); wherein the first node (300) is attached to or integrated in the elongated lighting device (500); wherein the first node (300) is placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device (500) and a further radio (300'') is placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device (500); the method (600) comprising transmitting (S601) one or more messages, by the further radio (300'') to the first node (300) or by the first node (300) to the further radio (300''), to estimate a distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300''); and deriving (S602) placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) based on the estimated distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300'').

Description

[0001] 2024PF80324

[0002] 1

[0003] A method for deriving placement information of an elongated lighting device

[0004] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0005] 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 improving RF sensing based lighting control by deriving placement information of an elongated lighting device.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 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 an object (e.g., a person, an animal, fans / ventilators, a moving device, etc.) 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.

[0008] Passive RF sensing relies on the detection of changes in the radio frequency signals that are already present in the environment, such as those from Wi-Fi, cellular, Zigbee, Thread, BLE, or other wireless communication systems. Since there is no need for active transmissions or emissions from objects, passive 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. The sensing nodes operate by detecting changes in the radio frequency signals, and the distance and orientation between the nodes can impact the strength and quality of the signals that are being detected. Thus, selecting suitable sensing nodes is crucial for a passive RF sensing system because it has direct impact on the accuracy and reliability of the system. 2024PF80324

[0009] 2

[0010] US2023328866A1 relates to a linear lighting fixture comprising a fixture controller configured to control a linear lighting fixture comprising multiple segments, with each segment comprising a sensor and a lighting control device.

[0011] US 12041513B2 relates to a system for selecting one or more devices in a wireless network for transmitting, receiving, and / or processing a radio frequency signal for presence and / or location detection

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] For RF sensing, it is very common that the one or more sensor nodes are attached to or integrated in different electronic devices in the room, such as a node may attached to or integrated in a lighting device.

[0014] For an elongated lighting device, the situation becomes even more complicated. For example, since an elongated lighting device has a certain length and usually only a single node is deployed with each lighting device, it may not be straightforward for a user to figure out at which location in the elongated lighting device the node is deployed. Usually, a user is more aware of where the light is coming from but not about other “auxiliary” parts, such as a RF sensing node, attached to or integrated in the luminaire. And due to the length, different parts of the elongated lighting device may be distributed at different sections of the room and close to different objects.

[0015] It is recognized by the inventor that it is beneficial to attach at least a further radio to the elongated lighting device to derive a more accurate placement information of the elongated lighting device.

[0016] More particularly, the goal of this invention is achieved by a method as claimed in claim 1, by an elongated lighting device as claimed in claims 7 and 8, and by a radio frequency sensing system as claimed in claim 10.

[0017] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention a method is provided. A method for estimating a suitability of a first node for performing presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system; wherein the RF sensing system comprises the first node and one or more other nodes, each configured to perform presence or motion detection based on RF sensing when selected; wherein the first node is attached to or integrated in the elongated lighting device; wherein the first node is placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device and a further radio is placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device; the method comprising: 2024PF80324

[0018] 3

[0019] transmitting one or more messages, by the further radio to the first node or by the first node to the further radio, to estimate a distance between the first node and the further radio;

[0020] deriving placement information of the elongated lighting device based on the estimated distance between the first node and the further radio, along with a physical length of the elongated lighting device, such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device is arranged in a compact pattern or not; and

[0021] estimating the suitability of the first node for performing presence or motion detection based on RF sensing according to the derived placement information and a distance estimated between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system.

[0022] The distance between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system may be estimated by transmitting one or more messages between the first node and the other node separately. It may also be possible that the other node overhears messages transmitted from the first node to the further radio, and the other node can also estimate the distance without transmitting additional messages. In a further scenario, the other node may be in communication with a third node in the RF sensing system, and the first node may derive the distance information by overhearing the communication between the other node and the third node.

[0023] For the advanced control of a lighting device, the location of the lighting device is one of the important parameters. For RF sensing based autonomous lighting control, it is even more important to get the location information, as well as the relative distance between the sensors deployed for RF sensing and the corresponding one or more luminaires to be controlled.

[0024] The elongated lighting device may be placed in a variety of locations in a room to create different lighting effects. For example, it may be placed under cabinets in the kitchen or bathroom to provide indirect lighting and enhance the ambiance, or behind a TV or computer monitor to reduce eye strain and create a unique viewing experience. In another example, the elongated lighting device may be placed along the perimeter of the ceiling of the room to create a perimeter of light that can enhance the overall ambiance or to highlight architectural features. In a further example, the elongated lighting device may be placed along a staircase or hallway to provide a guide for navigating through the space.

[0025] On top of the location, given the shape of the elongated lighting device, it may also be placed in a room with different patterns. For example, the elongated lighting device 2024PF80324

[0026] 4

[0027] may be placed as a straight line following the edge of the room. Another option is to surround the elongated lighting fixture in concentric circles around a central point. Similarly, it may also be an option to create a grid pattern by placing the elongated lighting fixture in a series of squares or rectangles on a wall or ceiling. Alternatively, the elongated lighting fixture can also be placed in a random pattern to create a unique and playful effect.

[0028] Thus, more insight on the location and / or the placement pattern of the elongated lighting device is beneficial to the more advanced lighting control. In view of this, the present invention discloses a method to derive the placement information based on the estimated distance between the first node and the further radio, such as the distance between the two ends of the elongated lighting device. By placing the first node at or near one end of the elongated lighting device and the further radio at or near the other end, there is also a more fixed relationship between the physical deployment of radio nodes and the lighting device.

[0029] The further radio is capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals. The first node is a device or sensor that is capable of detecting and processing RF signals. The first node may comprise a radio, a processor, and / or other components. The first node may be configured to carry out other tasks related to the control of the elongated lighting device.

[0030] Beneficially, the placement information is derived by further considering at least one of a physical length of the elongated lighting device, a type of the elongated lighting device, a name of the elongated lighting device, one or more setting options of the elongated lighting device, a current consumption of the elongated lighting device, a user input, a layout of a room in which the elongated lighting device is located.

[0031] The placement information may be enriched by taking additional parameters into account. The additional parameters may be related to the characteristics of the elongated lighting device itself, the deployment environment, or the placement of other radio nodes in the surroundings.

[0032] For example, by knowing the physical length of the elongated lighting device and the distance between the two ends of the device, it can at least infer if the elongated lighting device is placed in a more scattered pattern or a more compact pattern.

[0033] The layout of the room, such as the dimension of the room, may also provide an additional clue on the placement of the lighting device in the room.

[0034] With the knowledge of the type of the elongated lighting device, it may be possible to infer a corresponding mechanical design or a certain type of installation. 2024PF80324

[0035] 5

[0036] In another example, based on the type of device it may also derive if this would be a ceiling, wall, or floor mounted device, which can be used in combination with an estimated installation shape of the device to enrich the lighting control or improve the configuration in an RF Sensing system.

[0037] It may have the knowledge about the reference current consumption related to a fixed or known setting of the elongated lighting device. By comparing an actual current consumption against the reference, the setting of the device may be derived. Furthermore, based on the setting derived from RF sensing and a user input to change the setting of the lighting device, it may derive if the control under the current configuration of the RF sensing system satisfies the user or not, and / or in which direction a user favourable control is intended.

[0038] In one example, the elongated lighting device is extendable, and for each extended segment a new further radio is placed at or near one end of the extended segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device than the other end; wherein the method further comprises:

[0039] transmitting one or more messages, by each new further radio to the first node or by the first node to each new further radio, to estimate a distance between the first node and each new further radio;

[0040] deriving placement information of the elongated lighting device by further considering the estimated distance between the first node and each new further radio.

[0041] An extendable lighting device provides more flexibility as compared to a conventional elongated lighting device with a fixed length, such that a user can easily adjust the length to fit the exact space that he or she needs it for. This also means that it is possible to use the device in a variety of settings and to customize the lighting device to specific needs. Accordingly, the extendable version of the device may have more options in terms of the placement patterns. By adding a new further radio to each extended segment, it is possible to measure the distance between each new further radio and the first node, and hence the placement information of each extended segment can be estimated.

[0042] It may be an option to also measure the distance between any two of the plurality of new further radios, such that more complicated placement patterns as well as spatial distribution information may be derived.

[0043] Preferably, the further radio is of reduced functionality as compared to the first node. 2024PF80324

[0044] 6

[0045] To reduce the additional cost, the further radio may have reduced functionality or less components as compared to the first node. For example, as the further radio may be a cheap radio without a processor or memory. Alternatively, It may also be possible that the further radio is identical to the first node from a hardware perspective but operate in a low power mode with reduced functionality for improved energy efficiency.

[0046] Advantageously, the method further comprises:

[0047] estimating, according to the derived placement information, a suitability of the first node for performing presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system; wherein the RF sensing system comprises the first node and one or more other nodes capable of RF sensing.

[0048] Presence or motion detection may be used for automated control, which identifies the presence of individuals or objects in a given area for purposes such as turning on lights, adjusting temperature, or triggering other automated actions. One way to perform RF sensing based presence detection is to observe the variations of received signal strength between two RF nodes in the sensing or detection area. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is one option to measure the power level of the received signal in wireless communication. There are several potential causes for RSSI fluctuations in practice. For example, RSSI will fluctuate when there are obstructions on the signal propagation path. The physical obstructions may be walls, doors, furniture, people, or another object that obstruct the wireless signal, leading to attenuation and fluctuations in RSSI. The fluctuations may also be caused by reflection and multipath effects. For example, a wireless signal may reflect off walls, floors, and ceilings, creating multiple paths for the signal to travel and arrive at the destination. This can lead to interference and signal cancellation, resulting in fluctuations in RSSI. The fluctuations may also be caused by interference from other electronic devices operating on the same frequency in the surroundings, such as from another RF sensing node in the neighbourhood. Thus, how to deploy or select RF nodes to participate in the presence or motion detection is crucial to the detection performance.

[0049] RF sensing is typically performed by sending or receiving messages regularly to or from another RF node in the RF sensing system. The messages may be sensing messages dedicated for RF based motion detection, such as dedicated beacons. Alternatively, the messages may also be messages mainly for network control or data communication purposes, but also used for RF sensing. The messages or sensing messages for presence detection may be transmitted by each node via broadcast, multicast, or unicast. In one example, the messages may be transmitted by each node of a certain sensing area in the RF 2024PF80324

[0050] 7

[0051] sensing system via multicasting to other nodes in the same sensing area, such that the sensing messages comprise a group address for a particular sensing group / area.

[0052] The placement information may also be used to improve the decision on assigning the first node to which one out of a plurality of sensing groups / areas. The placement information may also be used to decide if it is beneficial to use the first node for RF sensing.

[0053] In one example, the method further comprises:

[0054] providing the derived placement information of the elongated lighting device and / or the estimated suitability about the first node to a controller or another node of the RF sensing system, or to a user.

[0055] More accurate placement information of the elongated lighting device may be used to improve RF sensing based lighting control of the lighting device itself, or to assist a RF sensing system to determine the suitability of first node to participate in the RF sensing system. For example, if it is determined that the elongated lighting device is placed at a comer of the room, along a boundary of the room, or close to a piece of large furniture, it may be less favourable to select the first node to perform presence or motion detection in the RF sensing system. Instead, some other nodes next to the first node may be more suitable to be selected.

[0056] Beneficially, the placement information or the suitability is derived or estimated by further considering a distance estimated between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system.

[0057] The suitability of the first node for performing presence or motion detection may also depend on the distance between the first node and one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system. Given that there are only limited number of nodes deployed in a room, the suitability may be determined based on the evaluation of the relative locations of the plurality of nodes.

[0058] In one setup, the further radio is further configured to perform RF sensing in the RF sensing system.

[0059] Depending on the distance between the first node and the further radio, the relative locations of the further radio as compared to other nodes in the surroundings, the further radio may also be configured to perform RF sensing in addition to or instead of the first node.

[0060] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention an elongated lighting device is provided. An elongated lighting device comprising: 2024PF80324

[0061] 8

[0062] a light source for illumination;

[0063] a first node placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device; and a further radio placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device; wherein the further radio is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node, and the first node is configured to estimate a distance between the first node and the further radio based on the one or more messages received from the further radio;

[0064] wherein the first node is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device based on the estimated distance, along with a physical length of the elongated lighting device, such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device is arranged in a compact pattern or not.

[0065] Beneficially, the elongated lighting device is extendable, and each extended segment of the extendable elongated lighting device comprises a further light source for illumination and a new further radio; wherein the new further radio is placed at or near one end of the extended segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device than the other end. Each new further radio is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node, and the first node is configured to estimate a distance between the first node and each new further radio based on the one or more messages received from each new further radio. The first node is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device by further considering the estimated distance between the first node and each new further radio.

[0066] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention an elongated lighting device is provided. An elongated lighting device comprising:

[0067] a light source for illumination;

[0068] a first node placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device; and a further radio placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device; wherein the first node is capable to perform presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system comprising the first node and one or more other nodes capable of RF sensing;

[0069] wherein the further radio is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node, and the first node is configured to estimate a distance between the first node and the further radio based on the one or more messages received from the further radio;

[0070] wherein the first node is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device based on the estimated distance or to provide the estimated distance to a controller or another node of the RF sensing system for deriving the placement information 2024PF80324

[0071] 9

[0072] of the elongated lighting device, along with a physical length of the elongated lighting device, such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device is arranged in a compact pattern or not.

[0073] Beneficially, the elongated lighting device is a light strip, a light string, a light ribbon, a light tape, a light curtain, or a light rope.

[0074] Beneficially, the elongated lighting device is extendable, such as an extendable light strip, an extendable light string, an extendable light ribbon, an extendable light tape, an extended light curtain, or an extendable light rope.

[0075] Each extended segment of the extendable elongated lighting device comprises a further light source for illumination and a new further radio; wherein the new further radio is placed at or near one end of the extended segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device than the other end. Each new further radio is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node, and the first node is configured to estimate a distance between the first node and each new further radio based on the one or more messages received from each new further radio. The first node is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device by further considering the estimated distance between the first node and each new further radio. One or more new further radios may also participate in the RF sensing.

[0076] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a radio frequency, RF, sensing system is provided. A radio frequency, RF, sensing system comprising a controller and a plurality of nodes capable to perform presence or motion detection based on RF sensing; wherein a first node out of the plurality of nodes is attached to or integrated in an elongated lighting device according to the present invention; wherein the first node, the controller, or another node out of the plurality of nodes is configured to derive the placement information of the elongated lighting device;

[0077] wherein the first node, the controller, or another node out of the plurality of nodes is further configured to estimate a suitability of the first node for performing presence or motion detection based on RF sensing according to the derived placement information and a distance estimated between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system.

[0078] The controller or control device may be used to control and manage the operation of the RF sensing system, which may also 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 controller may be a bridge device, a gateway device, or a 2024PF80324

[0079] 10

[0080] central server. The control 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.

[0081] 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. 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.

[0082] The RF sensing system may be deployed for home or building automation. Beneficially, the RF sensing system is also used for the control of the elongated lighting device.

[0083] 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.

[0084] The presence or motion detection may be performed in a distributed manner, such as by one or more nodes out of the plurality of nodes, it is also possible to have the presence or motion detection algorithm performed in a centralized manner, such as by a controller, or by a server in the cloud, or via an APP in a user device. The user device may be a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop.

[0085] Advantageously, the placement information is derived by further considering at least one of a physical length of the elongated lighting device, a current consumption of the elongated lighting device, a user input, a layout of a room in which the elongated lighting device is located.

[0086] Given the length and shape of the elongated lighting device, the RF sensing based lighting control may be more challenging. With the fixed deployment of the first node regarding the lighting device (near or close to one end of the lighting device) and more insight on the placement information of the elongated lighting device, enriched information can be provided to improve the RF sensing system around or close to the elongated lighting device, such as selecting more suitable nodes to participate the RF sensing. As a reward, an improved lighting control or building automation can be expected.

[0087] In one example, at least one of the first node, the controller, or another node in the RF sensing system is configured to estimate a suitability of the first node for performing 2024PF80324

[0088] 11

[0089] presence or motion detection in the RF sensing system, based on the placement information of the elongated lighting device.

[0090] The RF sensing system may be organized in a distributed or centralized manner, such that the estimation on the suitability of the first node for performing presence or motion detection can be made by the first node itself, the controller or another node in the system.

[0091] In one preferred setup, at least a further node out of the plurality of nodes is attached to or integrated in a luminaire, and the luminaire is controlled by the presence or motion detection performed by the RF sensing system.

[0092] The motion or presence detection may also be used to trigger a control command to one or more electronic devices connected to or controlled by one or more nodes of the plurality of nodes. It may also be possible that one or more further nodes out of the plurality of nodes are integrated in, attached to or connected to an electronic device, and the electronic device may be a luminaire, 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.

[0093] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] 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.

[0095] Fig. 1 illustrates an elongated lighting device comprising a first node deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes;

[0096] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of an elongated lighting device comprising a first node and a further radio deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes;

[0097] Fig. 3 illustrates a further example of an elongated lighting device comprising a first node and a further radio deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes;

[0098] Fig. 4 illustrates a further example of an elongated lighting device comprising a first node and a further radio deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes;

[0099] Fig. 5 illustrates a further example of an extendable elongated lighting device comprising a first node and a plurality of further radios with each extended segment a new further radio; 2024PF80324

[0100] 12

[0101] Fig. 6 shows a basic block diagram of an elongated lighting device according to the present invention; and

[0102] Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a method according to the present invention.

[0103] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0104] 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.

[0105] Performance of RF Sensing is greatly determined by the location of devices doing the sensing, both relative to each other and to other objects or areas of motion of users. In some applications, a user may be instructed to select the applicable smart lights based on what the user knows about the room, with indications about height, distance between lights, rough location within a room, etc.

[0106] Incorrect selection of nodes or devices for RF sensing based on their position can lead to either false negatives (e.g. nodes are too close to each other and therefore are not significantly influenced by user motion) or false positives (e.g. nodes are so far apart and the noise or interference in the wireless channel plays a significant role in the total received signal strength or signal-to-noise ratio, based on which presence or motion detection is performed).

[0107] Therefore, for RF Sensing it is always critical to select the best suited, best located devices. However, critical information needed for selection of proper devices for RF Sensing is usually not available to the systems running the algorithm. For example, they might not know the accurate location of the device within a floorplan, what objects exist in between them, etc. As a result, most systems rely on providing high level guidance to the users in hopes that they can select appropriately, given that they do have that information available. However, this leads to a complex and sometimes error-prone configuration step and poor user experience.

[0108] Particularly, elongated lighting devices that are long like a light strip, light string, etc. present additional challenges as users might not associate the location of the radio (which is the one that participates in RF Sensing) with the length along which the light gets 2024PF80324

[0109] 13

[0110] emitted. This turns worse when these devices are extendable, have power cables that put larger distances between control boxes with radios and the actual light emitting parts, etc.

[0111] Actual layout or deployment pattern of the elongated lighting device is also a potential source of confusion, as light strips / strings placed on a single line could be perceived to be at a different location than the same strip / strings place around a couch, bed, etc.

[0112] It is thus proposed to add a low-cost, simple RF node at the opposite end of the elongated lighting device, such that it can provide a secondary measurement point, either as part of RF Sensing or to disambiguate actual physical location of the first node and the lighting device.

[0113] Fig. 1 illustrates an elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300 deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes 300’. In this example, an elongated lighting device 500, such as a light strip, is placed along two walls, with its connector close to a third wall. There are three other nodes 300’ in the room. When selecting lights for RF Sensing, a user might be inclined to think that since the elongated lighting device 500 is placed mainly along the top and right walls, it could be used together with nodes 1, 2, and 3. However, this would be an suboptimal choice as the first node 300 (e.g. integrated in the control box) of the elongated lighting device 500 would be quite close to node 1, impacting the overall performance of the area.

[0114] In one option, the nodes 1, 2 and 3 are respectively integrated in or attached to smart light bulbs in the room.

[0115] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of an elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300 and a further radio 300” deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes 300’.

[0116] As one example, an elongated lighting device 500, such as light strip, a light string, a light ribbon, a light tape, a light curtain, or a light rope. The elongated lighting device 500 may shine light along a certain direction and is semi -flexible in positioning.

[0117] The elongated lighting device 500 has a primary radio, which may be used for communication / control of the device itself, with this primary radio placed close to one of the ends of this device (e.g. the “start” of the strip). The primary radio may also be sued for performing presence and / or motion detection in a RF sensing system. It is proposed that the elongated lighting device 500 has a secondary radio located at the other end of this device (e.g. the “stop” of the strip) for deriving placement information of the elongated lighting device 500.

[0118] There is an algorithm, running on the elongated lighting device 500 or the primary radio locally or on the overall system, such as in the cloud or on a controller of the 2024PF80324

[0119] 14

[0120] RF sensing system to determine the most likely layout / placement of the strip based on the estimated distance between the primary and secondary radios, and based on this expected layout / placement provides suggestions to a user about the eligibility of the device for doing RF Sensing.

[0121] The further radio 300” could be used mainly to measure (e.g. via RSSI, CSI, etc.) the estimated distance towards the primary radio, the first node 300. It does not need to be very accurate, since coarse estimations like close vs far could already be useful. In this case it would conclude that it is far, and this information can be used to trigger the user or the system to re-check or confirm if the elongated lighting device 500, or the light strip, is indeed close to other nodes 300’ or lights given the large area covered by it.

[0122] This further radio 300” may communicate with the RF sensing system in different ways:

[0123] • Via powerline communication as potentially used by the different LED ICs along the strip (e.g. for doing gradient effects);

[0124] • Via its radio directly to a wireless network used by the RF sensing system or for lighting control;

[0125] • Via its radio in a parent-child relationship towards the primary radio, the first node 300.

[0126] This further radio 300” may also be used as an RF sensing node towards other nodes 300’. In this option, the RF sensing system may internally decide if the further radio 300” instead of the first node 300 should be the one doing RF Sensing, or both the further radio 300” and the first node 300 shall participate in the RF sensing. This configuration may be changed later on dynamically if the location of other nodes 1,2,3 changes in the room, or if the system concludes over time that certain node combinations are not efficient.

[0127] 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. The nodes are able to detect motions, presence, and other physical activities by measuring the changes in radio frequencies caused by those activities.

[0128] A node 300’ out of the plurality of nodes 300’ 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 2024PF80324

[0129] 15

[0130] 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.

[0131] Fig. 3 illustrates a further example of an elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300 and a further radio 300” deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes 300’. In this example, the system might conclude that given the distance measurement between the primary node 300 and the secondary node 300” the light strip is not covering a large area and therefore no suggestions will be needed from the user. However, the actual layout of the light strip along the room would most likely lead the user to think that it is suitable given it covers mainly the top, right, and bottom walls.

[0132] In this case metadata about the product itself might be helpful to derive the more accurate placement information. For example, the physical length of the elongated lighting device 500, or the light strip, may be used to additionally validate if the conclusions about relative distance between the primary and secondary radios are representative of a “compact” layout. This metadata can be explicit (e.g. provided as parameters by the user / installer when commissioning it), or implicit (the device comes in fixed lengths).

[0133] Furthermore, the metadata may also be derived by the system (based on how much current it draws at a fixed, known setting).

[0134] Fig. 4 illustrates a further example of an elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300 and a further radio 300” deployed in a room with a plurality of nodes 300’. In this example, the elongated lighting device 500 is placed along a compact distance, which may be around a bed or couch for indirect accent lighting. Based on the estimated short distance between the primary and secondary radios, as well as short physical length of the strip, the placement information may be derived with high certainty that the device acts like a spot-like object instead of a long one, and hence no specific disambiguation is needed by the user.

[0135] In this example, it would also not be necessary for the system to actively use the secondary radio for either measuring or RF Sensing, as the differences with regard to the primary radio would be quite small.

[0136] Fig. 5 illustrates a further example of an extendable elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300 and a plurality of further radio 300”s with each extended segment a new further radio 300”. Each extended segment of the extendable elongated lighting device 500 comprises a further light source for illumination and a new further radio 300”; wherein the new further radio 300” is placed at or near one end of the extended 2024PF80324

[0137] 16

[0138] segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device 500 than the other end. Each new further radio 300” is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node 300, and the first node 300 is configured to estimate a distance between the first node 300 and each new further radio 300” based on the one or more messages received from each new further radio 300”. The first node 300 is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device 500 by further considering the estimated distance between the first node 300 and each new further radio 300”.

[0139] Fig. 6 shows a basic block diagram of an elongated lighting device 500 according to the present invention. An elongated lighting device 500 comprising at least a light source 501 for illumination; a first node 300 placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device 500; and a further radio 300” placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device 500. The further radio 300” is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node 300, and the first node 300 is configured to estimate a distance between the first node 300 and the further radio 300” based on the one or more messages received from the further radio 300”. The first node 300 is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device 500 based on the estimated distance. The first node 300 and the further radio 300” are attached to or integrated in an elongated lighting device 500.

[0140] In a preferred setup, an elongated lighting device 500 comprises at least a light source 501 for illumination; a first node 300 placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device 500; and a further radio 300” placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device 500. The first node 300 is capable to perform presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system 100 comprising the first node 300 and one or more other nodes 300’ capable of RF sensing. The further radio 300” is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node 300, and the first node 300 is configured to estimate a distance between the first node 300 and the further radio 300” based on the one or more messages received from the further radio 300”. The first node 300 is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device 500 based on the estimated distance or to provide the estimated distance to a controller or another node of the RF sensing system 100 for deriving the placement information of the elongated lighting device 500. The first node 300 and the further radio 300” are attached to or integrated in an elongated lighting device 500.

[0141] The elongated lighting device 500 may be a light strip, a light string, a light ribbon, a light tape, a light curtain, or a light rope. 2024PF80324

[0142] 17

[0143] The elongated lighting device 500 may also be an extendable light strip, an extendable light string, an extendable light ribbon, an extendable light tape, an extendable light curtain, or an extendable light rope.

[0144] Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a method 600 according to the present invention. A method 600 for deriving placement information of an elongated lighting device 500 comprising a first node 300; wherein the first node 300 is attached to or integrated in the elongated lighting device 500; wherein the first node 300 is placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device 500 and a further radio 300” is placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device 500; the method 600 comprising:

[0145] transmitting, in step S601, one or more messages, by the further radio 300” to the first node 300 or by the first node 300 to the further radio 300”, to estimate a distance between the first node 300 and the further radio 300”; and

[0146] deriving, in step S602, placement information of the elongated lighting device 500 based on the estimated distance between the first node 300 and the further radio 300”.

[0147] In one example, the elongated lighting device 500 is extendable, and for each extended segment 500’ a new further radio 300” is placed at or near one end of the extended segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device 500 than the other end. The method 600 may further comprise the steps of:

[0148] transmitting one or more messages, by each new further radio 300” to the first node 300 or by the first node 300 to each new further radio 300”, to estimate a distance between the first node 300 and each new further radio 300”;

[0149] deriving placement information of the elongated lighting device 500 by further considering the estimated distance between the first node 300 and each new further radio 300”.

Claims

2024PF8032418CLAIMS:

1. A method (600) for estimating a suitability of a first node (300) for performing presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system (100); wherein the RF sensing system (100) comprises the first node (300) and one or more other nodes, each configured to perform presence or motion detection based on RF sensing when selected; wherein the first node (300) is attached to or integrated in an elongated lighting device (500); wherein the first node (300) is placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device (500) and a further radio (300”) is placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device (500); the method (600) comprising:transmitting (S601) one or more messages, by the further radio (300”) to the first node (300) or by the first node (300) to the further radio (300”), to estimate a distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300”);deriving (S602) placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) based on the estimated distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300”), along with a physical length of the elongated lighting device (500), such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device (500) is arranged in a compact pattern or not; andestimating the suitability of the first node (300) for performing presence or motion detection based on RF sensing according to the derived placement information and a distance estimated between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system.

2. The method (600) of claim 1, wherein the placement information is derived by further considering at least one of a type of the elongated lighting device (500), a name of the elongated lighting device (500), one or more setting options of the elongated lighting device (500), a current consumption of the elongated lighting device (500), a user input, a layout of a room in which the elongated lighting device (500) is located.

3. The method (600) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongated lighting device (500) is extendable, and for each extended segment (500’) anew further radio (300”) is placed at2024PF8032419or near one end of the extended segment that is further away from the original elongated lighting device (500) than the other end;wherein the method (600) further comprises:transmitting one or more messages, by each new further radio (300’ ’) to the first node (300) or by the first node (300) to each new further radio (300”), to estimate a distance between the first node (300) and each new further radio (300”);deriving placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) by further considering the estimated distance between the first node (300) and each new further radio (300”), along with a physical length of each extended segment (500’).

4. The method (600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the further radio (300”) is of reduced functionality as compared to the first node (300).

5. The method (600) of any one of the previous claims further comprising:providing the derived placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) and / or the estimated suitability about the first node (300) to a controller or another node of the RF sensing system (100), or to a user.

6. The method (600) of any one of the previous claims, wherein the further radio (300”) is further configured to perform RF sensing in the RF sensing system (100).

7. An elongated lighting device (500) comprising:a light source (501) for illumination;a first node (300) placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device (500); anda further radio (300”) placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device (500);wherein the further radio (300”) is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node (300), and the first node (300) is configured to estimate a distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300”) based on the one or more messages received from the further radio (300”);wherein the first node (300) is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) based on the estimated distance, along with a physical length2024PF8032420of the elongated lighting device (500), such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device (500) is arranged in a compact pattern or not.

8. An elongated lighting device (500) comprising:a light source (501) for illumination;a first node (300) placed at or near one end of the elongated lighting device (500); anda further radio (300”) placed at or near the other end of the elongated lighting device (500);wherein the first node (300) is configured to perform presence or motion detection based on radio frequency, RF, sensing in a RF sensing system (100) when selected; wherein the RF sensing system (100) comprises the first node (300) and one or more other nodes, each configured to perform RF sensing when selected;wherein the further radio (300”) is configured to transmit one or more messages to the first node (300), and the first node (300) is configured to estimate a distance between the first node (300) and the further radio (300”) based on the one or more messages received from the further radio (300”);wherein the first node (300) is further configured to derive placement information of the elongated lighting device (500) based on the estimated distance or to provide the estimated distance to a controller or another node of the RF sensing system (100) for deriving the placement information of the elongated lighting device (500), along with a physical length of the elongated lighting device (500), such that the placement information indicates whether the elongated lighting device (500) is arranged in a compact pattern or not.

9. The elongated lighting device (500) of claim 8, wherein the elongated lighting device (500) is a light strip, a light string, a light ribbon, a light tape, a light curtain, or a light rope.

10. A radio frequency, RF, sensing system (100) comprising a controller and a plurality of nodes (300, 300’) configured to perform presence or motion detection based on RF sensing when selected; wherein a first node (300) out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’) is attached to or integrated in an elongated lighting device (500) according to claim 8; wherein the first node (300), the controller, or another node out of the plurality of nodes (300,2024PF8032421300’) is configured to derive the placement information of the elongated lighting device (500);wherein the first node (300), the controller, or another node out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’) is further configured to estimate a suitability of the first node (300) for performing presence or motion detection based on RF sensing according to the derived placement information and a distance estimated between the first node and another node out of the one or more other nodes in the RF sensing system.

11. The RF sensing system (100) of claim 10, wherein the first node (300), the controller, or another node out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’) is further configured to derive the placement information by considering at least one of a current consumption of the elongated lighting device (500), a user input, a layout of a room in which the elongated lighting device (500) is located.

12. The RF sensing system (100) of any one of the previous claims 10-11, wherein at least a further node out of the plurality of nodes (300, 300’) is attached to or integrated in a luminaire, and the luminaire is controlled by the presence or motion detection performed by the RF sensing system (100).

Images