Systems and methods for detecting occupancy of rooms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional occupancy detection methods, such as motion sensors and single sensor-based systems, suffer from blind spots, high false negative and false positive rates, and increased processing time and cost, making them inefficient for accurately determining room occupancy.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a first door sensor to detect the opening operation of a room door and a second door sensor to detect the closing and/or locking operation, with a control unit using processor-based logic to validate occupancy status and trigger supplemental detection processes when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If motion sensors are used for occupancy detection, then the system can detect moving occupants, but blind spots are created leading to high false negative rates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the detection task by using multiple different sensor types (motion sensors, proximity sensors, door sensors) instead of relying on a single sensor. Each sensor type covers different detection scenarios, collectively eliminating blind spots and reducing false negatives while maintaining system reliability.
2Measurement precision
If proximity sensors are used for occupancy detection, then the system can detect occupants near the sensor, but field of view and distance are limited resulting in high false positive rates
Solution Approach 1:
Door sensors act as intermediaries that provide contextual information about door operations. This additional information mediates the detection process by helping to validate whether detected occupancy is genuine, thereby reducing false positives while extending the effective detection range through indirect detection methods.
3Device complexity
If single sensor-based systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the system is not resilient as sensor failure results in complete system failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system assigns different local functions to different sensors (motion detection, proximity detection, door operation detection) rather than relying on a single sensor for all functions. This segmentation of functions ensures that failure of one sensor does not compromise the entire system, as other sensors can continue to provide their specific detection capabilities.
4Reliability
If algorithms and models are continuously engaged to determine occupancy, then detection accuracy can be maintained, but processing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic door sensor events (door open/close operations) as triggers to initiate occupancy detection algorithms rather than continuously running algorithms. This periodic activation based on meaningful events maintains detection accuracy at critical moments while significantly reducing overall processing time and computational cost.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for detecting an occupancy of a room. The method comprises receiving, from a first door sensor associated with a door of the room, sensor readings indicative of an opening operation of the door. The method comprises determining, based on the sensor readings of the first door sensor, the occupancy status of the room to be a positive status. The method comprises receiving, from a second door sensor, sensor readings indicative of a closing and/or locking operation of the door. The method comprises determining whether the closing and/or locking operation has been performed. The method comprises upon determining that the closing and/or locking operation has been performed, validating the occupancy status of the room to be the positive status; and upon determining that the closing and/or locking operation has not been performed, triggering a supplemental detection process to detect the occupancy of the room.