US-20260127951-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING PEOPLE

US20260127951A1US 20260127951 A1US20260127951 A1US 20260127951A1US-20260127951-A1

Abstract

A monitoring system and a method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system, which monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement ( 101 , 201 , 301 , 302 , 303 , 304 ) comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, monitoring presence, location, movement and/or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and, the system determines with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at the least one person ( 402 , 403 , 404 , 405 ) in the monitored area ( 200 , 401 ), the system sends information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person ( 402 , 403 , 404 , 405 ) in the monitored area ( 200 , 401 ) to a device ( 400 , 500 ), such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet, wherein the device ( 400 , 500 ) indicates the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person ( 402 , 403 , 404 , 405 ) in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area.

Inventors

Göran Sundholm

Assignees

MARIELECTRONICS OY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231020
Priority Date: 20221028

Claims (20)

1 . A method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system, wherein: the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, monitoring presence, location, movement and/or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and, the system determines with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area, the system sends information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet, wherein the device indicates the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system and/or the device determines location of the device and the location of the device is presented in the map or the floor plan of the monitored area with the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the location of the device, is determined by an indoor positioning system and/or acquired with a GPS positioning function of the device.
4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area.
5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor of the sensor arrangement is disposed on a floor, wall and/or ceiling of the area to be monitored and/or the measuring range of the at least one sensor arrangement and/or all sensor arrangements essentially cover the area to be monitored.
7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor arrangement comprises multiple radar type sensors, e.g. 2-4 radar type sensors, which are arranged to a same structure with each other and/or configured to measure to different directions.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system and the device comprise communication means for communicating with each other and wherein the devices comprise software, and a map or a floor plan has been stored in the system and/or the software.
9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises or is connected to an electronic price label system and the electronic price label system stores locations of products or price labels linked to products and the monitoring system or the electronic price label system collects customer product selection event information for a specific product based on the determined location of persons in the monitored area and the determined purchase and/or location information from the electronic label system.
10 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein a fire detector, a smoke detector and/or a flame detector is arranged in connection with the at least one radar based-sensor, e.g. in same enclosure and/or structure with the radar based-sensor.
11 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises means for guiding people, such as remotely controlled displays, dynamic signs or light source strips, and the system guides people with the means for guiding people at least in part based on indications of the fire, smoke and/or flame detectors in the monitored area and determined locations of the people, e.g. so that people are guided away from the location of a fire detector that has detected a fire.
12 . A monitoring system for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area, wherein: the monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, configured to monitor presence, location, movement and/or attitude of a person in the monitored area, and the system is configured to determine with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at least one person in the monitored area, the system is configured to send information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet, wherein the device is configured to indicate the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area.
13 . A system according to claim 12 , wherein the system is configured to determine location of the device and the location of the device is presented in the map or the floor plan of the monitored area with the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area.
14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 .
15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 2 .
16 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the location of the device is determined by an indoor positioning system and/or acquired with a GPS positioning function of the device.
17 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area.
18 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area.
19 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area.
20 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the map of the monitored area comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or the sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a monitoring system and a monitoring method using a sensor arrangement which can be utilized e.g. under hazardous situations and evacuation of areas or buildings. BACKGROUND Various systems are known for guiding people in emergency situations to emergency exits of various buildings or ships. These include various emergency exit lighting systems and emergency exits marked with reflective paint or tape, for example. For example, separate guidance lights designed for emergency exit use are known, in which the light sources are affixed consecutively in the shape of a strip. The light sources on the strip are arranged to light up in an emergency and to guide people and illuminate the way out. Many applications, such as shopping malls, stores, hotels, or passenger ships, have designated escape routes in emergencies that people should follow in evacuation situations. In emergencies, people often do not behave as planned nor follow pre-determined exit routes. There can be many reasons for this. People may not be aware of emergency exit routes and the related signage. In the event of a fire, the signs may be covered in smoke and become invisible. In addition, in emergencies, people prefer to use routes that are familiar to them. On the other hand, in the event of a fire, a pre-determined escape route may be impossible to use due to the location of the threat (such as fire, flood, water damage, violence, etc.) that caused the need to escape, so that known solutions may steer people in the wrong direction or even toward the threat. Despite of the emergency guidance systems the emergency personnel has to check the area e.g. in a fire situation and in this case the area has to be checked by searching the area for remaining people by the personnel or e.g. fire brigade. This is dangerous and challenging for example in fire situation because the smoke hinders visibility, and the area is dangerous due to the heat and collapsing structures. The object of the present invention is to provide a completely new type of solution, by means of which the disadvantages of the known solutions are reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the solution according to the invention is to eliminate the problems of the prior art and to enable a monitoring system which can be utilized e.g. under hazardous situations and evacuation of areas or buildings. The monitoring method according to the invention is characterized by what is mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1. The monitoring method according to the invention is further characterized by what is mentioned in claims 2-11. The system according to the invention is characterized by what is mentioned in the characterizing part of the method claim 12. The system according to the invention is also characterized by what is mentioned in the characterizing parts of the method claim 13. Accordingly, the invention relates to a method for detecting location of at least one person in a monitored area with a monitoring system. The monitoring system comprises at least one sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, measuring electronics and a processor configured to process the sensor data, wherein the sensor is a radar-based sensor, such as frequency-modulated continuous-wave MIMO radar-based sensor, monitoring presence, location, movement and/or attitude of at least one person in the monitored area and, the system determines with the at least one sensor arrangement presence, location and/or movement of at the least one person in the monitored area. The system sends information relating to presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area to a device, such as a portable device, e.g. a mobile telephone or a tablet. The device indicates or presents the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area in a map or a floor plan of the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention the system and/or the device determines location of the device and the location of the device is presented in the map or the floor plan of the monitored area with the determined presence, location and/or movement of the at least one person in the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention the location of the device is determined by an indoor positioning system and/or acquired with a GPS positioning function of the device. In one embodiment of the invention the map of the monitored area comprises an indoor map or floor plan of the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention the map of the monitored area comprises position of the at least one radar-based sensor and/or sensor arrangement in the map of the monitored area. In one embodiment of the invention the at least one sensor of the sensor arrangement is disposed on a floor, wall and/or ceiling of the area to be monitored and/or the measuring range of the at least one sensor arrangement and/or all sensor arrangeme