Work Area Occupancy Sensing With Motion-Triggered Optical Scans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current occupancy monitoring systems in work areas face challenges in efficiently tracking human presence and absence, particularly in dynamic environments like agile workspaces, and often require extensive infrastructure and power sources, which limits their deployment and battery life.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing sensor blocks equipped with optical and motion sensors that transition between active and inactive states based on motion detection, recording images, and transmitting non-visual insights to a remote computer system for occupancy updates, allowing for real-time monitoring and control of spaces while preserving privacy and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If occupancy monitoring systems use extensive infrastructure and continuous power sources, then monitoring reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring function into distributed sensor blocks that can operate independently. Each sensor block is a self-contained unit with motion sensors, optical sensors, and processing capabilities, eliminating the need for extensive centralized infrastructure while maintaining reliable monitoring coverage throughout the workspace.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensor blocks operate autonomously using battery power and self-contained processing units. They independently detect motion, capture images, process data locally, and transmit occupancy information without requiring continuous external power sources or complex centralized control systems, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining monitoring reliability.
2Speed
If sensor blocks remain in active state continuously, then occupancy detection speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensor blocks alternate between inactive (low-power) and active states based on motion detection. The motion sensor triggers periodic activation of the optical sensor and image processing only when motion is detected, enabling fast occupancy detection when needed while minimizing power consumption during periods of no activity.
3Measurement precision
If optical sensors continuously record images, then occupancy monitoring precision is improved, but power consumption and privacy concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when the motion sensor detects movement. This triggers image capture and processing only when occupancy changes occur, maintaining precise occupancy detection capability while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential visual information needed for occupancy detection rather than continuously recording and storing full images. Image processing focuses specifically on detecting human presence and occupancy status, eliminating unnecessary continuous imaging while maintaining detection precision.
4Measurement precision
If sensor blocks transmit data frequently, then occupancy update accuracy is improved, but communication energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from motion sensors to control data transmission timing. Occupancy data is transmitted to remote systems only when motion is detected and occupancy status changes, ensuring accurate and timely updates while minimizing communication energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary transmissions during periods of no activity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient monitoring of occupancy in various work areas, improving operational efficiency, comfort, and productivity by reducing the need for extensive infrastructure and minimizing power consumption, while maintaining privacy and security.
Implementation Method 1
an output of a motion sensor, integrated into the sensor block, indicating motion in a field of view of an optical sensor integrated into the sensor block
Implementation Method 2
recording a first image through the optical sensor at a first time
Data Source
AI summary
One variation of a method for monitoring occupancy in a work area includes, at a sensor block: transitioning from an inactive state into an active state when an output of a motion sensor indicates motion in a work area; during a scan cycle in the active state, recording an image through an optical sensor at a time, detecting a set of humans in the image, detecting a second set of human effects in the image, predicting a second set of humans occupying but absent the work area based on the second set of human effects, and estimating a total occupancy in the work area at the time based on the set of humans and the second set of humans; and transmitting the total occupancy to a remote computer system for update of a scheduler for the work area.