Method and system for radio frequency sensing node selection and / or configuration

Abstract

A method (100) and a system (300) for selecting and / or configuring (140) at least two nodes (220, 230, 320) out of a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, are provided. The plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment (200), and at least one node of the plurality of nodes is co-located with at least one lighting unit (210a, 210b). The method comprises obtaining (110) environmental information associated with the outdoor environment, and determining (120) at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information. The method further comprises obtaining (130) node information on a spatial property and / or a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, and selecting and / or configuring (140) at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information.

Description

[0001] 2024PF80456

[0002] 1

[0003] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RADIO FREQUENCY SENSING NODE SELECTION AND / OR CONFIGURATION

[0004] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a method for selecting and / or configuring nodes in a radio frequency (RF) sensing system for performing RF -based sensing in an outdoor environment, a system implementing this method and a computer program product.

[0006] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Traffic adaptive outdoor lighting is often used for city wide traffic counting (vehicles, pedestrians, etc.). For this purpose, radio frequency (RF) sensing utilizing the existing radios of outdoor lighting controllers (OLCs) can be implemented for a low-cost sensing solution.

[0008] Passive RF sensing is specific example of RF sensing, wherein the passive RF sensing provides a low-cost solution for city wide traffic counting. It relies upon receiving and analyzing electromagnetic waves that are emitted by one or more sources, and to detect the presence of a moving object by observing the variation of received signal strength or channel state information, which will fluctuate when there are obstructions on the signal propagation path between the transmitter and the receiver.

[0009] Raw passive RF sensing signals captured by any RF sensing Transmitting / Receiving radio pair fundamentally do not contain all the information required for different sensing use cases. Thus, it is desired to provide a low-cost, city-wide trafficsensing solution which can be activated without requiring elaborate commissioning efforts. Therefore, in view of the above, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for configuring RF sensing nodes in an outdoor environment.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] It is realized as a part of the present disclosure that, within an outdoor environment such as a city, there are vastly different sensing needs for different locations. In addition, differences in the built / constructed environment result in a variety of wireless2024PF80456

[0012] 2

[0013] multipaths available for sensing. This means that it is challenging to configure such an RF sensing system.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for selecting and / or configuring at least two nodes out of a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment, and wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes is co-located with at least one lighting unit. The method comprises obtaining environmental information associated with the outdoor environment, and determining at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information. The method further comprises obtaining node information on a spatial property and / or a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, and selecting and / or configuring at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes, based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a system is provided comprising a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment. The system further comprises at least one lighting unit, wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes in co-located with the at least one lighting unit and a processor communicatively connected to at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes. The processor is configured to obtain environmental information associated with the outdoor environment, and to determine at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information. The processor is further configured to obtain node information on a spatial property and / or a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes and to select and / or configure at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product configured to, when executed in a system according to the second aspect of the present invention, cause the processor to perform the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0017] Thus, the present invention is based on the idea of leveraging specific information about the nodes, the environment and the task(s) to be performed to determine specifics about the selection of nodes and their respective configuration. This is particularly advantageous as it facilitates accurate usage of RF sensing nodes throughout an outdoor environment, such as an urban (e.g. city) environment, which in turn results in more accurate2024PF80456

[0018] 3

[0019] performance of desired sensing tasks. Examples of such sensing tasks may include counting vehicles, counting pedestrians, monitoring locations, etc.

[0020] The method of the present invention is provided for selecting and / or configuring at least two nodes out of a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment. Hence, the method may select and / or configure two or more nodes of a plurality of nodes distributed (e.g., placed, positioned and / or arranged) in the outdoor environment. At least one node is co-located with at least one lighting unit. By “co-located”, it is here meant that the node(s) is (are) positioned together with the lighting unit(s) and / or located at the same place as the lighting unit(s). The node(s) being co-located with the lighting unit(s) may further encompass an attachment of the node(s) on the lighting unit(s) or the node(s) being adjacently arranged the lighting unit(s). The method comprises obtaining environmental information, implying that the environmental information may be received and / or acquired.

[0021] The access to node information is further advantageous in the selection and / or configuration of the nodes. This node information may, for example, contain and / or disclose a spatial property of a node. By the term “spatial property of a node”, it is here meant a property associated with a spatial position, arrangement, or the like, of a node. For example, in the case of the nodes being arranged to be attached to for example a lighting pole, it should be noted that mounting height(s) of the node(s) is an example of a spatial property and may vary due to a wide range of pole heights. Another example may comprise a first light source mounted at the top of a pole (for example a road lighting luminaire) and a second light source mounted half-way on the same pole (luminaire illuminating the sidewalk or bike path). Besides the variation in mounting heights of the node(s), there may be a large variation in the mechanical design of lighting units, which also may be of importance for determining whether a node can be selected and / or configured for a particular sensing task. The spatial property may also contain information about the distance to the next nearest node, which may influence the communication capability between nodes.

[0022] The node information may further contain and / or disclose a communication capability. By the term “communication capability”, it is meant the (wireless) technology which may be used by the nodes for communication with each other, and thus the (wireless) technology which may be used to perform the sensing task(s). To illustrate this, an example is given with 5G cellular and mm-wave communication. The mm-wave signals have a limited communication range and require a clear line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver2024PF80456

[0023] 4

[0024] without any objects in the wireless channel, with exception of the to-be sensed objects. This clear line of sight requirement may be challenging to achieve with nodes that, for example, are positioned or provided near a ground level. It will be appreciated that the access to the node information may thus benefit the decision-making on which nodes to select and / or configure for a specific task. The obtained sensing task may be performed by one sensing pair (with a receiving and a transmitting node), but depending on the information obtained about the environment as well as the nodes, multiple pairs may be involved in the sensing.

[0025] 5G and millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication technologies offer complementary capabilities for outdoor RF sensing tasks such as vehicle and pedestrian detection, counting, trajectory tracking, and location monitoring. mmWave, operating at high frequencies, such as above 24 GHz, provides high-resolution sensing due to its short wavelength and large bandwidth, making it ideal for detailed object tracking when deployed at elevated positions — such as a streetlight. This RF sensing configuration leverages mmWave’ s precision for tasks like vehicle trajectory tracking and counting. However, mmWave’ s performance is highly dependent on line-of-sight and is vulnerable to obstructions such as parked vehicles or foliage. To address these limitations in environments with lower mounting heights, nodes operating at sub-6 GHz 5G cellular spectrum may be selected. This sub-6 GHz 5G mode offers more robust propagation characteristics, including better penetration and reduced sensitivity to line-of-sight disruptions. While it provides lower spatial resolution compared to mmWave, it enhances reliability in cluttered urban environments, making it well-suited for pedestrian detection and location monitoring where occlusions are common.

[0026] By selecting and / or configuring nodes based on their communication capabilities, such as dynamically selecting between mmWave and sub-6 GHz cellular nodes based on streetlight metadata, mounting height, or anticipated sensing coverage, the system optimizes sensing performance for diverse urban scenarios, balancing precision and robustness across different tasks and environmental conditions.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the environmental information obtained by the method may comprise static information and / or dynamic information. The static information may be associated with an infrastructure of the outdoor environment. The dynamic information may be associated with an event and / or an activity in the outdoor environment.2024PF80456

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[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the infrastructure may comprise vegetation, at least one construction comprising at least one building and / or at least one thoroughfare and / or at least one infrastructure component, comprising at least one imagebased surveillance unit and / or at least one lighting arrangement. The infrastructure may be further associated with other objects in the environment. By “vegetation”, it is hereby meant organic flora such as e.g. trees, bushes, plants, etc. By “thoroughfare”, it is here meant substantially any road, street, passage, or the like. By “infrastructure component”, it is here meant substantially any component being part of an (urban) infrastructure, such as e.g. CCTV cameras, traffic lights, etc. The access to this infrastructure information is advantageous as it may disclose the location of suitable nodes to be selected for a specific task. The infrastructure information may also indicate potential obstructions that may compromise the capability of the sensing nodes to perform the task, in which case different nodes may be selected in order to accurately perform the task.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in case the infrastructure comprises vegetation, the static environmental information comprises information associated with an amount, a distribution and / or a dimension of the vegetation. In case the infrastructure comprises at least one construction, the static environmental information comprises a building code of the outdoor environment. By “construction”, it is here meant substantially any construction, building, house, etc. In case the infrastructure comprises at least one infrastructure component, the static environmental information comprises information associated with at least one physical property of the infrastructure component. Outdoor environments, such as cities, may have policies per street or per neighborhood on how many trees should be present along a road and some may even specify the tree species per street, neighborhood or zone, revealing the average trunk diameter when fully grown. A higher number of trees results in a richer RF sensing environment but also into more absorption losses as the RF sensing signals interact on a rainy day with wet leaves. Hence, if many trees are present, it may be beneficial to increase the RF sensing transmission energy, and high transmit / receive beamforming can be utilized while the reflections from the tree branches and trunks on the roadside ensure sufficient multi-path coverage of the road. Building codes, on the other hand, may provide relevant information about the dimensions of the buildings in an outdoor environment. Examples of such dimensions include setback of the building(s), number of stories, open space percentage, boundaries between plots and roads, density regulations, etc. With “physical property” of the infrastructure component, it is here meant2024PF80456

[0031] 6

[0032] location, size and / or other measures of the infrastructure component, information about the placement of the infrastructure component in the outdoor environment and / or a relation to other objects present around the infrastructure component.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the event and / or activity may comprise time-dependent traffic information. Examples of activities that may require sensing include sporting events, after which people are expected to pour into one or more parking lots arranged in a vicinity of the venue of the sporting event(s). Sensing for people can then be of support in determining when lights around the parking lot(s) need to be activated.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the dynamic environmental information may further comprise at least one vehicle and / or traffic-imposed regulation. With vehicle and / or traffic-imposed regulation, it is here meant any rule or policy related to traffic (flow). For example, the vehicle and / or traffic-imposed regulation may comprise traffic (flow) rule(s) or policy(ies) related to day and night, parking times and / or parking zones, speed limits, etc. This also includes time dependent parking information, such as e.g. an (entire) roadside being filled by parked cars (which may severely affect the RF sensing and may require reconfiguration of the RF sensing). Obtaining this information is specifically advantageous in determining one or more sensing tasks. For example, if there is a traffic ban in a certain area during a certain time of day, it may be of interest to monitor this area during this exact time to detect unauthorized vehicles. According to another example, it may be of interest to monitor a parking lot based on applicable parking regulations to possibly act upon illegally parked vehicles. The more specific the sensing task, the more specific the selection and / or configuration of nodes can be performed, which in turn may result in even more improved sensing results.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the selecting and / or configuring of at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes comprises selecting the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task, and / or configuring at least one property of at least one of the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes, wherein the at least one property comprises at least one element of the at least one of the at least two nodes and / or at least one operation of the at least one of the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes. The selecting of the at least two nodes is based on the determined sensing task and is particularly advantageous in that nodes are selected that are capable of performing the task. In contrast, if nodes were selected that are in practice not2024PF80456

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[0037] suitable for the task, it would mean that these nodes would not be optimally used. Instead, by the present embodiment, they are configured for a different sensing task to optimize the use of the available nodes throughout the environment. Furthermore, by the term “property of the nodes”, it is here meant e.g. an element, characteristic, operation, etc., of the node. The element of the node may refer to a physical property of any hardware that is associated with the node. Such physical properties may comprise components such as e.g. antennas, impedance circuits, power supply, controllers, sensors to measure physical quantities or any other hardware component that supports the functioning of an RF node. The at least one property of the at least two nodes may further comprise an operation of the node. This operation may comprise substantially any operation associated with the functioning of the node, such as e.g. operating frequency, transmission power, channel selection, modulation scheme, network protocols, sensor interfaces, security settings, etc. Specifically configuring one or more of these properties based on the sensing task(s) to be performed may result in an improved configuration of the nodes and hence in an improved result of the sensing task(s).

[0038] The system provided in the present invention comprises a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment. The system further comprises at least one lighting unit, wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes is co-located with the at least one lighting unit, and a processor communicatively connected to at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes. The processor is configured to obtain environmental information associated with the outdoor environment. The processor is further configured to determine at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information and to obtain node information on a spatial property and / or a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, and to select and / or configure at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information. The processor may access sensing tasks through an external device configured to store a data structure comprising a variety of tasks. Alternatively, the processor may have an internal storage configured to store a data structure comprising a variety of tasks. The task may be determined according to priority. This priority can be time-dependent, location dependent, or dependent on other factors related to the outdoor environment.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system may further comprise at least one sensor communicatively connected to the processor wherein the at least one sensor is configured to register the environmental information associated with the outdoor2024PF80456

[0040] 8

[0041] environment. With sensor, it is here meant substantially any device, instrument or tool that can be configured to monitor and / or observe the environment, e.g. cameras, infrared sensors, audio sensors, LiDAR sensors, license plate recognition cameras, loT platforms, and the like. Environmental information may include a condition, state and / or aspect of the environment. For example, the environmental information may comprise darkness and / or weather conditions. The present embodiment is advantageous in that the sensor(s) of the system may conveniently and efficiently register the environmental information associated with the outdoor environment.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system may further comprise a database comprising the environmental information, wherein the database is communicatively connected to the processor. The information may be exchanged through communication protocols between the processor the database. Examples of such communication protocols are CAN, Ethernet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and UART. The present embodiment is advantageous in that information may be conveniently stored in (and accessed from) the database.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes may be inter-communicatively connected to share environmental information. With “inter-communicatively connected”, it is here meant a (wireless) communication between nodes that facilitates the sharing of information between said nodes. An advantage of such an inter-connectivity is that the processor communicatively connected to the nodes may only have to share information with a limited number of nodes. This may reduce the risk for loss of information as well as reduce the energy consumption of the processor. Consequently, the present embodiment is advantageous in that the selection and / or configuration of the nodes becomes more efficient concerning the aspects of information sharing as well as cost efficiency.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a lighting network comprising the system according to the second aspect of the present invention. The at least one lighting unit comprises at least one light pole respectively comprising at least one light source arranged to emit light, and at least one lighting controller communicatively connected to the at least one light source. A respective node of the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes is co-located with a respective light pole of the least one light pole. The respective node is communicatively coupled to the at least one lighting controller, wherein the at least one lighting controller is configured to control the emitted light2024PF80456

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[0046] based on at least one property associated with the determined at least one sensing task.

[0047] Examples of a lighting network may be streetlights in a city, luminaires alongside a highway, functional lights in an industrial area, and the like. Nodes can be located along the light pole at different heights, depending on design and function of the lighting unit. The light pole(s) in the network may be of many different architypes. For example, the light pole(s) may be decorative streetlights in a business district or high-powered road lights on a major road artery of a city. Furthermore, even within the same sub-category of architypes, several suppliers each with different designs may be employed. The mounting height and mounting position of the lighting controller (also referred to as outdoor lighting controller or OLC) may have consequences for the RF sensing performance. The communication between the lighting controller and the node may be facilitated by wireless or non-wireless communication. The information communicated between the node and the controller may be the result of the sensing task. This result can be indicative for on / off switching of the light source. Controlling the light source based on the at least one property associated with the determined sensing task(s) is advantageous as it caters to specific needs in particular parts of the outdoor environment. This means that power can be saved when no light sources are unnecessarily activated.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one property associated with the determined at least one sensing task may comprise at least one dynamic attribute and / or at least one static attribute of the outdoor environment. With dynamic attribute, it is here meant any object or person in (dynamic) motion, e.g. an object or person that moves through the outdoor environment. With static attribute, on the other hand, it is here meant any object that is (substantially) stationary in the outdoor environment, or any nontangible aspects of the environment. Examples of dynamic attributes are moving objects such as vehicles and / or people. Darkness and parked vehicles are examples of static attributes. In the case of the sensing task being to detect vehicles, the light source may be switched on when a car is detected to improve visibility for the driver. In the case of the sensing task being to detect daylight, the light source may be switched on when darkness falls. Thus, the present embodiment is advantageous in that it leverages the results of the sensing task to turn on lights in the outdoor environment, without needing to turn on all the lights available at the same time. This means that energy is saved, and that light sources are turned on where they are actually needed.2024PF80456

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[0050] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the environmental information is extracted from metadata associated with the outdoor environment. Such metadata may be data collected and / or stored by a city or municipality.

[0051] The provided computer program is configured to, when executed in a system according to the system as provided in the present invention, cause the processor to perform the method provided in the present invention.

[0052] In summary, the present invention provides a method, a system and a computer program to facilitate more efficient selection and / or configuration of nodes for radio frequency sensing based on information about the environment. This type of information is also referred to as “metadata”. This results in a more accurate selection of nodes to activate for sensing, a more specific configuration for the task and thus an improved sensing result.

[0053] Further objectives of, features of, and advantaged with the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will realize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following.

[0054] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] This and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing embodiment(s) of the invention.

[0056] Fig. 1 schematically shows a method for selecting and / or configuring at least two nodes according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention,

[0057] Fig. 2 schematically shows an outdoor environment in which a system according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention is implemented,

[0058] Fig. 3 schematically shows a system according to exemplifying embodiments of the present invention, and

[0059] Fig. 4 schematically shows a lighting unit of a system connected to a database according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Fig. 1 schematically shows a method 100 for selecting and / or configuring 140 at least two nodes out of a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. The plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment, and at least one node of the plurality of nodes2024PF80456

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[0063] is co-located with at least one lighting unit. The method 100 comprises obtaining 110 environmental information associated with the outdoor environment. The method 100 further comprises determining 120 at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information. The method 100 further comprises obtaining 130 node information on a spatial property and / or a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, and selecting and / or configuring 140 at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information. The method 100 could be performed in a different order as the one shown in Fig. 1. The method 100 may also comprise more steps than those shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the method 100 could be computer implemented. The steps shown in the method 100 could be instructions implemented as computer code, so as to be a computer program. The computer program could be stored on a computer readable medium.

[0064] Fig. 2 shows an example of an outdoor environment 200 in which a system according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention is implemented. The system comprises a plurality of lighting units 210, including lighting units 210a and 210b. The outdoor environment 200 in this example comprises a road 250 as well as vegetation 260. In other embodiments, the outdoor environment 200 may be a city, an industrial area or any other type of environment 200 where lighting units 210 may be distributed. The lighting unit 210a may provide traffic adaptive outdoor lighting. The lighting unit 210a comprises a node 220 which is co-located with the lighting unit 210a. The node 220 may be selected and / or configured based on the determined sensing task(s) and the obtained node information according to Fig. 1 and the associated text. The node 220 may be a collection of hardware (such as a radio) and software (such as a computer implemented program to control the hardware). The node 220 may be integrated with the lighting unit 210a or may be separately manufactured and installed. In this current example, with “co-located” it is meant that the node 220 is configured to be attached to or mounted on a part of the lighting unit 210a, such as a pole 240 of the lighting unit 210a. The lighting unit 210a could also be a suspended lighting unit, e.g. hanging between two poles or other supporting members. It is appreciated that any other type of lighting unit may comprise at least one node that is to be selected and / or configured for radio frequency sensing.

[0065] Fig. 2 further shows a (second) lighting unit 210b and a (second) node 230, wherein the node 230 is configured to be co-located with the lighting unit 210b. The node 230 may be selected and / or configured based on the determined sensing task(s) and the obtained2024PF80456

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[0067] node information according to Fig. 1 and the associated text. In this current example, the nodes 220 and 230 are each configured to be co-located with a different lighting unit 210a and 210b, respectively. In other examples, the nodes 220 and 230 might be co-located with the same lighting unit, e.g. one at the top and one half-way up on the lighting unit, or side-by-side. In this current embodiment, an example of static environmental information may comprise the dimension(s) of the road 250 and the dimension(s) (e.g. size and / or number) of the vegetation (trees / bushes) 260 around or in the vicinity of the lighting units 210a and 210b. In other embodiments, for example when the lighting units 210a and 210b are distributed or deployed in a city, the static environmental information may comprise a building code, indicating building dimensions, distances between building and / or other regulations regarding buildings in the area. The building code of a city can comprise information such as the setback of a building, meaning the distance between the street and the property line. Other examples of information that can be disclosed by a building code are the number of stories of the buildings, the minimum open space percentage and whether the area constitutes a residential area, a business / office area, or a mix thereof. These parameters may have an impact on a multipath environment, with certain conditions creating a richer multipath environment than others. A richer multipath environment means, for example, that a wireless transmit power may be reduced which in turn enables the use of mm-wave frequencies of sensing nodes that are very close to each other, without risking disturbance or interference. Another example of environmental information is traffic related information. Knowing where, for example, large vehicles such as trucks and buses, drive and maybe stop, may be useful as they may induce strong reflections of sensing signals. In other cases, the presence of vehicles may be diametral, for instance if a large vehicle in front of a lighting unit blocks an RF sensing signal such that no multipaths can reach the targeted sensing zone (e.g. pedestrians on a sidewalk). The presence of stop signs, bus stops, (un)loading areas, etc., may all impact the selecting and / or configuring of nodes in the area. Besides static information, the environmental information may comprise dynamic environmental information. This type of information may be related to events and / or activities that are happening in the outdoor environment 200. Examples include sporting events, markets, but even traffic-related events such as parking and / or traffic bans. It is appreciated that both static and dynamic environmental information may be any type of information registered and stored by, for example, an authority, wherein the information is available to the public. This type of data may be referred to as metadata.2024PF80456

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[0069] Node information may include, among other properties, the distance between the nodes 220 and 230 and / or the mounting height(s) of the nodes 220 and 230. There can be a large variation in the mounting height of the different nodes 220 and 230 due to, for example, a wide range of the height(s) of the pole 240 and / or configurations as to where the nodes 220 and 230 are mounted on the pole 240. An example of a sensing task that may be performed in this outdoor environment 200 (e.g. in the case that the road 250 leads into a city), is to count cars during rush hour, in order to support any decision that might need to be made by an authority of a city, such as number of available parking spots. The sensing task may be associated with an attribute of the outdoor environment 200. The attribute may be static or dynamic. Examples of static properties of the outdoor environment 200 may be parked cars along the road 250 or intangible aspects of the outdoor environment 200, such as daylight. Examples of dynamic attributes, on the other hand, may be cars and / or pedestrians driving / walking by. In other embodiments, in the case of the road 250 being shared between cars and bikes, other sensing tasks may be selected. Shared lanes are typically associated with a higher volume of people on bikes, and bike riders often use the full road 250 rather than cycling on the side of the road 250. The node(s) 220 and 230 of the system may then be selected and / or configured to detect bikers. Furthermore, the node(s) may be able to detect bikers cycling at the side of the road 250 as well as bikers cycling in the middle of a lane of the road 250. Sensing tasks may be selected based upon priority given a certain day, time and / or location within the outdoor environment. For instance, it may be of interest to monitor at a “do-not-turn-right” traffic sign whether a ban of through traffic between 8 AM and 10 AM on a certain residential street is actually adhered to. The node(s) of the system 100 may be selected and / or configured during those hours for trajectory tracking of cars while at other hours the sensing task may be pedestrian counting. Based on the obtained information and the determined sensing task, it may in this example be sufficient to select and / or configure the nodes 220 and 230 to perform this specific sensing task. The nodes 220 and 230 shown in Fig.

[0070] 2 may be inter-communicatively connected with each other. In other examples, more node pairs may be required or desired for selection and / or configuration based on the complexity and requirements of the task at hand. In another example, the obtained sensing task may be to deduce the driving speed of a vehicle. In this case, two pairs of lighting units at the beginning, and at the end, of the road 250 may be selected to measure the presence of a car and assign a timestamp to the car for deduction of the driving speed. A city may use the aggregated data collected by the RF sensing nodes to schedule the deployment of speed-checks by police at2024PF80456

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[0072] certain times of the night (e.g. at 2 AM as a road may be used for illegal street racing) or adjust the dimming level of lighting units depending on the traffic density. Similarly, the vehicle’s driving speed measured by the RF sensing node(s) 220 and 230 may be used by a traffic-adaptive streetlighting system to decide in real time how many streetlights ahead of the current location of the car to switch on the light. It is appreciated that there are many other examples of suitable sensing tasks both for the outdoor environment 200 shown in Fig. 2 and for outdoor environments in general.

[0073] Fig. 3 schematically shows a system 300 according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. The system 300 comprises two nodes 320 intercommuni catively connected 320a to each other. It will be appreciated that these two nodes 320 may be the nodes 220 and 230 from Fig. 2 and the associated text, or alternatively, constitute other nodes. The nodes 320 may further be communicatively connected 310a, 310b to a processor 310. In other examples, only one of the two nodes 320 may be communicatively connected to the processor 310. The processor 310 may be configured to perform the method 100 as described in Fig. 1 and the associated text. The processor 310 may execute the steps of method 100 in a different order as illustrated in Fig. 1. The processor 310 may be a central control unit co-located with the nodes 320, or may be located at a different location, separated from the nodes 320. Depending on the implementation, the processor 310 may use cloud computing, or any other service model delivered over the Internet such as a Platform-as-a-Service or an Infrastructure-as-a-Service, to store information that is shared between the processor 310 and the nodes 320. The communication between the processor 310 and the nodes 320 may be wired or wireless, depending on the implementation. In one example, Bluetooth may be used, when the distance between the processor 310 and the nodes 320 allows for a connection to be established. In other examples, it should be noted that other communication protocols may be used. It is appreciated that the skilled person will be able to judge which mode of communication is suitable for specific cases. The communication protocol between the processor 310 and the nodes 320 may be the same or may be different from the communication protocol between the two nodes 320 themselves.

[0074] Fig. 3 further shows a sensor 330 configured to register the environmental information associated with an outdoor environment. The sensor 330 is communicatively connected 310c to the processor 310. In the current example, the sensor 330 may be a surveillance camera, but it is appreciated that the sensor 330 could be any sensor that monitors the outdoor environment. In the case of the sensor 330 being a surveillance camera,2024PF80456

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[0076] such as a CCTV camera or a camera mounted on a city’s garbage truck, the camera may register environmental information. Furthermore, the location of the sensor 330 (camera) may be of interest for the selection and / or configuration of the nodes 320. Assuming that the sensor(s) / camera(s) 330 are co-located with lighting units in an outdoor environment, and that the location of the sensor(s) / camera(s) 330 (e.g. CCTV(s)) is chosen such that the field of view thereof is not obstructed, it may be suitable to select nodes 320 that are co-located with the same lighting units. The processor 310 may further be communicatively connected 310d with a database 340. The database 340 may comprise environmental information. The database 340 may be an external device to the processor 310. According to another example, the database 340 may be an internal storage in the processor 310.

[0077] Fig. 4 shows a lighting unit 400 of a system according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. The lighting unit 400 may be the same lighting unit 210 or 230 as in the outdoor environment 200 in Fig. 2 and the associated text. It should be noted that there may be a large variation in the mechanical design of lighting units, and that different luminaire architypes may be used within the same city. For example, the lighting unit 400 may be a decorative streetlight in a business district of a city, or a high-powered road light on a major road artery of a city. Even within the same sub-category of outdoor luminaires, typically multiple architypes may be used in the same city. For instance, a city may have several suppliers for cobra-head road lights (e.g. a Cree Guideway has a very different design compared to a Lumec roadlight). Similarly, a city may have an installed base of residential streetlights consisting of many different architypes for different parts of the city (e.g. a first cast-iron luminaire architype for an ultra high-end shopping street, a second modern-minimalistic architype for a central business district vs. a third vandal-proof architype for a nightlife district). It may be possible to infer the pole height and / or luminaire architype for a specific location in an outdoor environment. For instance, a first street may have a 40 km / h speed limit indicative of residential area while a second street may have a 70 km / h speed limit. It is derived from the 40 km / h speed limit that the first streetlight is mounted on a residential road, and based thereupon its likely pole height may be derived. Then, sensing node(s) may be (re)configured based on an assumed mounting height of e.g. 3 m. For the second streetlight, node(s) may be (re)configured based on an assumed mounting height of e.g. 15 m. The node that is to be selected and / or configured for radio sensing is not shown in Fig. 4 but may be co-located with the lighting unit 400. Lighting unit 400 comprises a light pole 410 and a light source 420. The light source 420 is configured to emit light. A lighting2024PF80456

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[0079] controller 430 is communicatively connected 430a to the light source 420. The lighting controller 430 is configured to control the emitted light based on at least one property associated with the determined at least one sensing task. The lighting controller 430 may be communicatively connected to multiple light sources of multiple lighting units. Alternatively, each light source may be controlled by a respective lighting controller. A lighting network may comprise one or more lighting units such as lighting unit 400 together with the system 300 from Fig. 3 and the associated text.

[0080] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the preferred embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the nodes 220, 230, 320, the lighting units 210a and 210b, the light pole(s) 410, etc., may have different positions, dimensions and / or sizes than those depicted / de scribed.

Claims

2024PF8045617CLAIMS1. A method (100) for selecting and / or configuring (140) at least two nodes (220, 230, 320) out of a plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment (200), and wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes is co-located with at least one lighting unit (210a, 210b), the method comprisingobtaining (110) environmental information associated with the outdoor environment,determining (120) at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information,obtaining (130) node information on a spatial property and a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, andselecting and / or configuring (140) at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information to perform said sensing task using RF sensing;wherein the communication capability indicates a wireless communication technology supported by a node to perform RF sensing, and the at least one sensing task comprises vehicle or pedestrian detection, vehicle counting, pedestrian counting, trajectory tracking of cars, or location monitoring.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental information comprisesstatic environmental information associated with an infrastructure of the outdoor environment, and / ordynamic environmental information associated with event and / or activity information in the outdoor environment;wherein the infrastructure of the outdoor environment comprises vegetation, at least one construction comprising at least one building, and / or at least one thoroughfare, and / or at least one infrastructure component, comprising at least one image-based surveillance unit and / or at least one lighting arrangement;2024PF8045618wherein the static environmental information comprises data related to an amount, distribution and / or dimensions of the vegetation, building code of the outdoor environment, or a physical property of the infrastructure; and wherein the dynamic environmental information comprises vehicle and / or traffic-related regulations, or traffic rules or policies concerning day and night, parking times and / or parking zones, and speed limits.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the event and / or activity information gives rise to time-dependent traffic information resulting from crowd movement associated with the event and / or activity.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2-3, wherein the dynamic environmental information comprises at least one vehicle and / or traffic imposed regulation.

5. The method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the selecting and / or configuring at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes comprisesselecting the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task, and / orconfiguring at least one property of at least one of the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes, wherein the at least one property comprisesat least one element of the at least one of the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes, and / orat least one operation of the at least one of the at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes.

6. A system (300), comprisinga plurality of nodes configured to perform radio frequency, RF, sensing, wherein the plurality of nodes is distributed in an outdoor environment (200),at least one lighting unit (210a, 210b), wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes is co-located with the at least one lighting unit,a processor (310) communicatively connected (310a, 310b) to at least two nodes (220, 230, 320) out of the plurality of nodes, wherein the processor is configured to obtain environmental information associated with the outdoor environment,2024PF8045619determine at least one sensing task based on the obtained environmental information,obtain node information on both a spatial property and a communication capability related to each node out of the plurality of nodes, andselect and / or configure at least two nodes out of the plurality of nodes based on the determined at least one sensing task and the obtained node information to perform said sensing task using RF sensing;wherein the communication capability indicates a wireless communication technology supported by a node to perform RF sensing, and the at least one sensing task comprises vehicle or pedestrian detection, vehicle counting, pedestrian counting, trajectory tracking of cars, or location monitoring.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprisingat least one sensor (330) communicatively connected (310c) to the processor, wherein the at least one sensor is configured toregister the environmental information associated with the outdoor environment.

8. The system according to claim 6, further comprisinga database (340) comprising the environmental information, wherein the database is communicatively connected (3 lOd) to the processor.

9. The system according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes are communicatively connected (320a) for inter-communication of the environmental information.

10. A lighting network, comprisingthe system according to any one of claims 6-9, wherein the at least one lighting unit comprises at least one light pole (410) respectively comprising at least one light source (420) arranged to emit light, andat least one lighting controller (430) communicatively connected to the at least one light source,2024PF8045620wherein a respective node of the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes is co-located with a respective light pole of the least one light pole, and wherein the respective node is communicatively coupled to the at least one lighting controller, wherein the at least one lighting controller is configured to control the emitted light based on at least one property associated with the determined at least one sensing task.

11. The lighting network according to claim 10, wherein the at least one property comprisesat least one dynamic attribute, and / orat least one static attribute,of the outdoor environment.

12. The lighting network according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the environmental information is extracted from metadata associated with the outdoor environment.

13. A computer program product configured to, when executed in a system according to any one of claims 6-9, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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