Radar Occupant Counting With Coordinate Mapping for Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack the ability to accurately and economically monitor the number of people in specific regions of a space and determine occupancy changes, which is essential for energy management, air quality control, and security, while also raising privacy concerns.
Innovation Solution
An occupant detection device equipped with a radar detection circuit and a control circuit that converts occupant locations from a first coordinate system to a second coordinate system associated with a region of interest, allowing for accurate tracking of occupants within defined areas and reporting occupancy changes to a system controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional occupancy detection methods are used, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and reliability of occupancy detection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or simple sensor-based occupancy detection systems with a radar-based detection system. The radar circuit uses electromagnetic waves to detect occupants and their movements, providing high measurement precision without requiring complex mechanical structures or multiple sensor arrays. The radar signal processing circuit automatically processes the reflected signals to determine occupancy status, thereby achieving accurate detection while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive occupancy monitoring is implemented, then information completeness improves, but loss of privacy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential occupancy information needed for energy management and security purposes while deliberately excluding detailed personal information. The radar system detects presence, absence, and basic movement patterns of occupants but does not capture identifiable personal data such as faces, names, or specific behavioral patterns. This selective extraction of information provides complete occupancy monitoring data while preserving occupant privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The radar system acts as an intermediary that indirectly detects occupancy without direct observation or identification of individuals. By using electromagnetic wave reflection rather than visual or audio sensors, the system obtains occupancy information through an intermediate physical process that naturally filters out personal identifiable information, thus resolving the conflict between information completeness and privacy protection.
3Measurement precision
If region-specific occupancy tracking is implemented, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control circuit automatically performs coordinate system transformations and region mapping without requiring manual configuration or complex external processing systems. The device self-configures the relationship between the radar coordinate system and the building layout coordinate system, automatically calculating transformation parameters and applying them to determine which detected occupants are within regions of interest. This self-service capability achieves precise region-specific tracking while keeping the device architecture relatively simple.
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 precise monitoring of occupant counts in specific regions, improving energy management, air quality control, and security while addressing privacy concerns through accurate and efficient data reporting.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor may include an occupant detection circuit (e.g., a radar detection circuit)
Data Source
AI summary
An occupant detection device (e.g., sensor) may include an occupant detection circuit (e.g., a radar occupant detection circuit) and a control circuit. The occupant detection circuit may determine the location of an occupant in a space with reference to a global coordinate associated with the detection circuit and the control circuit may transform the location of the occupant into a local coordinate system associated with a region of interest in the space. The control circuit may use the location information to determine whether the occupant has entered or left the region of interest and adjust an occupant count for the region of interest based on the determination. The control circuit may acquire knowledge about the region of interest during a configuration or commissioning procedure.