U.S. patent application number 15/196066 was filed with the patent office on 2018-01-04 for presence indicator signal.
The applicant listed for this patent is Cisco Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Rama DARBHA, Jay Kemper JOHNSTON, Magnus MORTENSEN, David C. WHITE, JR..
Application Number | 20180007498 15/196066 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60789018 |
Filed Date | 2018-01-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180007498 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WHITE, JR.; David C. ; et
al. |
January 4, 2018 |
PRESENCE INDICATOR SIGNAL
Abstract
In one embodiment a method for providing presence information in
a smart environment is implemented on a personal computing device
associated with a user and includes: broadcasting a presence
indicator signal in the smart environment, where the presence
indicator signal indicates presence of the user in the smart
environment, and the personal computing device is not provided by
an operator of the smart environment.
Inventors: |
WHITE, JR.; David C.;
(Durham, NC) ; MORTENSEN; Magnus; (Cary, NC)
; JOHNSTON; Jay Kemper; (Raleigh, NC) ; DARBHA;
Rama; (Raleigh, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cisco Technology, Inc. |
San Jose |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
60789018 |
Appl. No.: |
15/196066 |
Filed: |
June 29, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/22 20130101;
H04W 8/245 20130101; H04W 64/00 20130101; H04W 40/244 20130101;
H04W 4/80 20180201; H04M 1/72522 20130101; H04L 67/24 20130101;
H04M 1/72519 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/00 20090101
H04W004/00; H04L 29/08 20060101 H04L029/08; H04W 40/24 20090101
H04W040/24; H04W 64/00 20090101 H04W064/00 |
Claims
1-4. (canceled)
5. A method for providing presence information in a smart
environment, the method implemented on a first computing device
associated with a user and comprising: detecting at least a second
computing device associated with said user; exchanging information
regarding at least broadcast capabilities and human presence
detection capabilities with said second computing device; scoring
said broadcast capabilities for said first computing device and
said at least a second computing device; and electing a primary
device to broadcast a presence indicator signal according to at
least said scoring, said primary device being elected from among
said first and at least second devices.
6. A method for providing presence information in a smart
environment, the method implemented on a first computing device
associated with a user and comprising: detecting at least a second
computing device associated with said user; exchanging information
regarding at least broadcast capabilities and human presence
detection capabilities with said second computing device; electing
a primary device to broadcast a presence indicator signal, said
primary device being elected from among said first and at least
second devices according to said information regarding at least
broadcast capabilities and human presence detection capabilities;
determining whether said user is in dose vicinity to said at least
one of: said first computing device or said at least a second
computing device; and upon determining that said user is in close
vicinity to said at least one of said first computing device or
said at least a second computing device, broadcasting said presence
indicator signal via wireless transmission, wherein said electing
comprises electing said first computing device as said primary
device.
7. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising:
periodically providing updated human presence detection information
to said primary device, wherein said electing comprises electing at
least a second computing device as said primary device.
8. The method according to claim 5 and wherein at least one of said
first and second devices is a wearable smart device.
9. The method according to claim 5 and wherein at least one of said
first and second devices is a smartphone.
10. The method according to claim 5 and wherein at least one of
said first and second devices is a computer tablet or computer
laptop.
11. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said information
regarding broadcast capabilities is information regarding at least
one of a battery state or an antenna range.
12. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said information
regarding human presence detection capabilities is information
regarding at least one of biometric sensors, location based
services, or movement detection.
13. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising:
detecting a re-election event, wherein said re-election event is
triggered by at least one of: losing communication with any of the
computing devices associated with said user, detecting the
introduction of another computing device associated with said user,
or detecting a change in said information regarding at least
broadcast capabilities and human presence detection capabilities;
and in response to said re-election event, performing said
electing.
14. The method according to claim 5 and further comprising:
detecting a Bluetooth transceiver associated with said smart
environment.
15. A method for providing presence information in a smart
environment, the method implemented on a first computing device
associated with a user and comprising: detecting at least a second
computing device associated with said user; exchanging information
regarding at least broadcast capabilities and human presence
detection capabilities with said second computing device; and
electing a primary device to broadcast a presence indicator signal,
said primary device being elected from among said first and at
least second devices according to said information regarding at
least broadcast capabilities and human presence detection
capabilities, wherein said presence indicator signal is a personal
beacon signal associated with said user.
16. A method for providing presence information in a smart
environment, the method implemented on a first computing device
associated with a user and comprising: detecting at least a second
computing device associated with said user; exchanging information
regarding at least broadcast capabilities and human presence
detection capabilities with said second computing device; and
electing a primary device to broadcast a presence indicator signal,
said primary device being elected from among said first and at
least second devices according to said information regarding at
least broadcast capabilities and human presence detection
capabilities, wherein said presence indicator signal is a generic
ID indicating a presence of a human.
17. The method according to claim 15 and wherein said electing
comprises: scoring said broadcast capabilities for said first
computing device and said at least a second computing device; and
selecting said primary device according to said scoring.
18. The method according to claim 5 and wherein said scoring
further comprises: delaying said scoring for a configurable period
of time; detecting said second competing device acting as said
primary device; and selecting said second computing device acting
as said primary device.
19. The method according to claim 6 and wherein said determining
comprises: based on said information regarding human presence
detection capabilities from said exchanging, requesting human
presence detection information from said second computing device;
receiving said human presence detection information from said
second computing device; and based at least on said human presence
detection information from said receiving, determining whether or
not said user is in close vicinity to said at least one of said
first computing device or said at least a second computing
device.
20. A mobile smart device comprising: means for broadcasting a
presence indicator signal in a smart environment, wherein said
presence indicator signal indicates presence of a user associated
with said mobile smart device in said smart environment, and said
mobile smart device is not provided by an operator of said smart
environment; means for defining said presence indicator signal as
either a personal beacon signal or a generic human signal, wherein
said personal beacon signal indicates said user, and said generic
human signal Indicates a generic user that is not associated with a
specific user; means for detecting at least one other mobile smart
device associated with said user; means for exchanging information
regarding at least broadcast capabilities and human presence
detection capabilities with said at least one other mobile smart
device; and means for, based on said exchanged information,
electing a primary device to broadcast said presence indicator
signal from among said mobile smart device and said at least one
other mobile smart device.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to the broadcast of
presence indicator signals to track human presence in a smart
environment
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Smart environments are designed to leverage pervasive
computing and the availability of inexpensive computing power to
provide optimized facility services (e.g. illumination, thermal
comfort, air quality, physical security, sanitation, etc.) while
minimizing resource usage and environmental impact. A variety of
systems and methods for employing wireless technologies such as,
for example, RFID, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc., can be leveraged to
monitor human movement and/or presence in smart environments in
order to more optimally provide such services.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The present invention will be understood and appreciated
more fully from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the drawings in which:
[0004] FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a
presence-aware smart environment, constructed and operative in
accordance with embodiments described herein;
[0005] FIG. 2 is a simplified pictorial illustration of an occupant
of the smart environment of FIG. 1 wearing and/or holding smart
devices to be employed in the smart environment as monitoring
devices;
[0006] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device,
constructed and operative in accordance with embodiments described
herein to transmit a presence indicator signal as described with
respect to FIGS. 1 and 2; and
[0007] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustration of an exemplary presence
indicator signal transmission process, constructed and operative in
accordance with embodiments described herein.
DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
Overview
[0008] A method for providing presence information in a smart
environment is implemented on a personal computing device
associated with a user and includes: broadcasting a presence
indicator signal in the smart embodiment, where the presence
indicator signal indicates presence of the user in the smart
environment, and the personal computing device is not provided by
an operator of the smart environment,
[0009] A method for providing presence information, in a smart
environment, is implemented on a first computing device associated
with a user and includes: detecting at least a second computing
device associated with the user, exchanging information regarding
at least broadcast capabilities and human presence detection
capabilities with the second computing device, and based on the
exchanged information, electing a primary device to broadcast a
presence indicator signal, the primary device elected from among
the first and at least second devices.
Detailed Description of Example Embodiments
[0010] A common objective of smart environment management systems
is to customize the environment in response to the presence and/or
movements of the environment's occupants (both human and machine).
Efficient operation of a smart environment is therefore typically
predicated at least in part on an awareness of its occupants; e.g.,
where they are, where they are going, and how many are in a given
area.
[0011] Current occupancy detection systems typically rely on
thermal or optical detection of movement as a method for
identifying the presence of a person. However, common obstructions,
such as bookcases and other furniture, may prevent such systems
from functioning properly. Such systems may also be prone to false
positives caused by, for example, moving shadows cast from sunlight
outside, thermal changes in the room due to changes in HVAC/thermal
hot spots, animal movements, rotating fans, or motion prompted by
air movement, e.g., paper floating on air currents from an open
window, a fan, or an HVAC unit.
[0012] For example: smart environment management systems often use
occupancy detection systems based on motion detection sensors to
determine whether or not to turn off office lighting in order to
conserve electricity. If no motion is detected for a given period
(e.g., fifteen minutes), the occupancy detection system may
indicate that an office is empty (i.e., there are no people in the
office) and the smart environment management system may turn off
the lights. However, if a person is relatively still while reading
or working on a computer, the motion sensors may not adequately
detect him/her. In some situations this may lead to a recurring
irritant to the person who may be forced with the choice of either
sitting in the dark, getting up to turn on the lights every fifteen
minutes, or to constantly make waving motions in order to prevent
the smart environment management system from turning off the
lights. Furthermore, it will he appreciated that many fluorescent
lights have a ramp up period before they achieve maximum
efficiency. Therefore, turning them off and on many times a day may
actually be more costly than leaving them running continuously
throughout the day.
[0013] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, is a simplified pictorial
illustration of an exemplary presence-aware smart environment 10,
constructed and operative in accordance with embodiments described
herein As depicted in FIG. 1, environment 10 may represent a
typical office set up to accommodate users 100A and 100B.
Environment 10 comprises air conditioner 20, window 30, bookcase
40, fish tank 50, fan 60, laptop computers 70A and 70B, and
Bluetooth receiver 90.
[0014] It will be appreciated that common office artifacts such as
air conditioner 20, window 30, bookcase 40, and fish tank 50 may
impede the proper operation of conventional occupancy detection
systems. Systems employing heat detection to isolate human profiles
may be affected by air conditioner 20 or sunlight from window 30.
Systems employing motion sensors may be affected by shadows from
objects moving outside of window 30, the movements of fish in fish
tank 50, rotating motions by fan 60, and/or paper blown in the air
by either fan 60 or air conditioner 20. Bookcase 40 may block
reception for typical sensors as well.
[0015] It will be appreciated that most people carry or wear at
least one Bluetooth low energy (LE) capable device. Typical
examples of such devices include smartphones, computer
tablets/laptops, and wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness
trackers, and Bluetooth headsets. These devices may be configured
to periodically broadcast a presence indicator signal via Bluetooth
LE. In accordance with some embodiments, the presence indicator
signal may be a personal ID broadcast specifically associated with
an individual user, typically the owner of the device. Accordingly,
the personal ID Beacon may provide one or more identifying details
associated with the individual user, such as, for example, the
user's name, nickname, email address, phone number, etc. In some
cases the identifying details may not be specific to an individual
user. For example the identifying details may be associated with a
group of users or users characterized by common user preferences
and/or attributes. Alternatively, or in addition, the presence
indicator signal may be "generic", such that it may signify the
presence of a person without providing an indication of the user's
identity.
[0016] In accordance with embodiments described herein, a smart
environment system may use presence information provided by
Bluetooth LE devices to adjust/maintain the smart environment. For
example, while in use by users 100A and 100B, laptops 70A and 70B
may be configured to periodically broadcast a presence indicator
signal that may be received by Bluetooth receiver 90. The smart
environment management system may then turn on/off lights and/or
adjust temperature settings in environment 10 in accordance with
the detection (or non-detection) of users 100A and 100B in the
affected area. The smart environment management system may also
employ Internet of Things (IoT) devices and/or robots to adjust the
smart environment.
[0017] The smart environment management system may employ the
presence indicator signals as proxies for the humans associated
with the device transmitting the signals. In such manner, the smart
environment management system may count the number of humans in a
location or vicinity. Similarly, the transmissions of the presence
indicator signals may be tracked/plotted to detect the movement (or
lack of, thereof) of the associated humans. This information may
then be used by the smart environment management system to instruct
building facilities, robots, etc. to act to modify the environment
in accordance with the presence (or non-presence) of the associated
humans. For example, the smart environment management system may be
configured to turn on/off lighting, turn on/off air conditioning,
adjust thermostat settings, permit/deny physical access, and/or
prioritize safety and rescue measures during emergencies based on
the presence of humans in specific areas of the smart
environment.
[0018] Additionally, the robots, e.g., drones or Internet of Things
(IoT) devices, may similarly be equipped with Bluetooth LE
functionality. As described with respect to the IDs associated with
humans, each robot may be assigned either a personal or generic ID
(i.e. genetically signifying that it is associated with a robot, or
type of robot, as opposed to a human), depending on a desired level
of granularity. This may be leveraged, for example, in emergency
situations to provide information to rescue personnel regarding the
number of human occupants in a building during evacuation
situations, and to differentiate between humans and robots from
among moving objects in the building.
[0019] Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which is a simplified
pictorial illustration of one of the users 100 from the embodiment
of FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that a person, e.g., user 100,
may have multiple Bluetooth LE capable devices on, or near, his/her
person at a given time, for example, user 100 may carry smartphone
110 in a pocket, wear Bluetooth headset 120, hold computer tablet
130 in a band, have laptop 140 in a computer bag, and wear
smartwatch or fitness tracker 150 on a wrist.
[0020] In accordance with embodiments described herein, if user 100
has multiple Bluetooth LE enabled devices, one of the devices may
be designated as a "primary device" and configured to transmit a
presence indicator signal to be associated with user 100. It will
be appreciated that the other, non-primary, devices may be
configured to prevent them from transmitting presence indicator
signals, which would otherwise misrepresent the actual number of
humans being tracked by the smart environment management or cause
unnecessary resource (battery) consumption on those non-primary
devices.
[0021] In accordance with embodiments described herein, the devices
(e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, etc.) may be configured to
intelligently provide a single presence indicator signal.
Specifically, if user 100 has more than one device in close
vicinity, they may communicate with each other to determine which
device should transmit the presence indicator signal. Furthermore,
the devices are configured to only transmit the presence indicator
signal if it is reasonably determined that they are in close
proximity to user 100. Therefore if user 100 leaves the vicinity of
the device(s), the transmitting device is configured to stop
transmitting the presence indicator signal; after all, it would be
counter-productive to notify a smart environment management system
of a person's presence if that person had actually left without
taking the device(s) with him/her.
[0022] Similarly, the type of presence indicator signal may be
configurable based on the current environment. For example, when
user 100 is at home or at work, the presence indicator signal may
represent a personal ID beacon that is specifically associated with
that particular user 100. When in other environments, the presence
indicator signal may default to a generic setting. For example,
when in a shopping mall, the presence indicator signal may
represent a generic human with no personally identifying
details.
[0023] In accordance with embodiments described herein, the current
environment may be identified by the participating device according
to geographical or location based services, such as, for example,
global positioning satellite (GPS) systems or cell tower
associations. User 100 may configure the smart device (e.g.
smartphone 110, computer tablet 130, etc.) to broadcast the
personal ID beacon when located in certain specific locations, for
example, when, per the geographical/location based services the
smart device is at home or work. A default setting may also be set
for other locations; for example, to broadcast a generic beacon
when not located at the certain specific locations. Accordingly,
user 100 does not have to proactively select the type of beacon to
broadcast whenever entering a new smart environment.
[0024] Alternatively, or in addition, the current environment may
be determined, at least in part based on data exchanged during a
Bluetooth pairing process prior to transmitting the presence
indicator signal. For example, a smart environment such as a
workplace or courthouse may have installed Bluetooth transceivers
that identify themselves and request that user 100 transmit their
personal ID beacon, for safety reasons. Depending on the
configuration of the smart device, the personal ID beacon for user
100 may be transmitted in response to the request.
[0025] Each of the personal devices associated with user 100 may
participate in an "election" process in order to determine which
device is to be designated as the primary device that transmits a
presence indicator to Bluetooth access point 90 based on
information provided by the group of devices. The information
provided by the group of devices is leveraged to provide a higher
degree of confidence that the devices are indeed in the presence of
user 100 (i.e., to avoid a situation where a device broadcasts a
presence indicator signal even though associated user 100 is not
actually in the vicinity), and that the most appropriate device is
selected for transmitting the information.
[0026] It will be appreciated that each of the personal devices
depicted in FIG. 2 has different characteristics and capabilities
that impacts its appropriateness for the task of transmitting a
presence indicator signal and/or verification of actual presence of
user 100 in the vicinity, for example, laptop computer 140 may
typically have a stronger battery and superior broadcasting
capability when compared with smartwatch 150. However, computer
laptop 140 may often be turned off as user 100 moves through a
smart environment. In contrast, smartwatch 150 may more reasonably
be assumed to be in continuous operation, and may also be
configured to directly track heart rate, blood pressure, activity,
etc., thereby providing a higher degree of certainty that it is, in
fact, actually in proximity to, or being worn by a person such as
user 100.
[0027] Similarly, when in operation, Bluetooth headset 120 may also
provide a reasonably reliable indication of the presence of user
100. However, it's not unusual, for a user to turn off a headset
when not in actual use; thereby impacting on the reliability of
headset 120 as a continuously available primary device. Smartphone
110 and computer tablet 130 may also have advantages in terms of
battery strength and broadcasting power, but are more likely to be
lost, misplaced, or purposely left behind by user 100 when moving
through a smart environment.
[0028] Accordingly, the election process, may take into account a
"beacon profile" for each device, i.e., the device characteristics
that collectively indicate the suitability of the device to either
broadcast the presence indicator signal, and/or to verify the
actual presence of user 100 in the vicinity. Each characteristic
may be scored, for example, from zero to one hundred, to derive a
composite score for a device which may then be used to
differentiate between the capabilities of the different devices. It
will be appreciated that other scoring, ranges, e.g., one to ten,
may be used in a similar manner.
[0029] For example, the device's ability to broadcast based on
battery power, antenna characteristics, etc., may be determined.
Accordingly, computer laptop 140 may be accorded a score of ninety,
based on battery life and antenna range. However, if computer
laptop 140 is plugged in to a power source, it may receive a score
of one hundred. Alternatively, if the battery is almost depleted,
computer laptop 140 may receive a score often. Smartwatch 150, with
limited battery storage and reduced antenna range may also receive
a score of ten. Broadcast output power (expressed in mW) may also
be used as a proxy for antenna range.
[0030] The estimated duration of broadcast, i.e., an estimate of
how long the device may continue broadcasting the presence
indicator signal before fully depleting the battery, may also be
calculated and scored.
[0031] A presence confidence score may be calculated to reflect the
likelihood that the device accurately represents a human's current
presence. For example, computer laptop 140 may receive a score of
zero if it is not in current use or the lid is closed. However, if
laptop computer 140 detects ongoing key presses/mouse movement the
presence confidence score might be increased to 100. Smartwatch 150
may be configured with biometric sensors such as a pulse monitor or
step counter functionality. If smartwatch 150 detects a pulse or
movements indicative of walking, the confidence may be scored as
one hundred. However, if no pulse or even slight, movement is
detected (which may indicate that it is not being worn and sitting
idle), the confidence may zero. In a further example, the presence
confidence score for smartphone 110 may be a function of in use
status, location based services, and/or motion detection.
[0032] The type of information provided by the device may also be
scored. For example, smartwatch 150 might be best configured to
detect heart rate, while smartphone 110 might be best configured to
transmit historical information about location; even though both
devices may have the ability to transmit generally the same type of
data, one device will, have a comparative advantage to transmit
more information.
[0033] Accordingly, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill
in the art that in order to be efficient and effective, the
election process will be configured to take into account several
variables. It will further be appreciated that the election process
may be leveraged to fine time the detection of the presence of user
100, and/or when users leaves the vicinity of one, some, or all of
the devices with which it is associated.
[0034] Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which is a block diagram of
an exemplary computing device 200, constructed and operative in
accordance with embodiments described herein to broadcast a
presence indicator signal as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and
2.
[0035] As depicted in FIG. 2, computing device 200 may be
implemented on a variety of Bluetooth LE enabled devices, for
example, but not limited to, smartphone 110. Bluetooth headset 120,
computer tablet 130, laptop 140, smartwatch 150, etc. As such, it
will be appreciated that computing device 200 may be under the
administrative and physical control of user 100, as opposed to the
operator of the smart environment. Computing device 200 may also
represent a robot or IoT device. It will be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art that computing device 200 comprises
hardware and software components that provide at least the
functionality of the embodiments described herein. For example,
computing device 200 may comprise at least processor 210,
input/output (I/O) module 220, and signaling application 250. It
will also be appreciated that computing device 200 comprises other
components and functionalities that have not been presented herein
i n the interests o f clarity of presentation of the embodiments
described herein.
[0036] It will be appreciated that computing device 200 may
comprise more than one processor 210. For example, one such
processor 210 may be a special purpose processor operative to
execute signaling application 250. Signaling application 250 may be
any suitable application implemented in software and/or hardware
that is operative to provide presence indicator signals as per the
embodiments described herein. Signaling application 250 comprises
election module 255. Election module 255 may be implemented in
software and/or hardware and may be employed as necessary by
signaling application 250 to "elect" a primary device from, among
multiple computing devices 200. It will be appreciated by one of
ordinary skill in the art that some or all of the functionality of
election module 255 may be implemented on a smart; environment
server (not shown) that may be configured to facilitate the
operation of enterprise application 250. For example, the
enterprise server may be configured to arbitrate "disputes" between
two devices 200 that for whatever reason have transmitted the same
personal ID beacon as a presence indicator signal,
[0037] I/O module 220 may be implemented as a Bluetooth LE
transceiver or similar means suitable for transmitting and
receiving data between multiple computing devices 200 and/or
Bluetooth access point 90 (FIG. 1). Such data may comprise
Bluetooth, pairing signals, presence indicator signals, and/or data
used by devices 200 to determine a primary device. It will be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that other wireless
technologies may be used instead of, or in addition to, Bluetooth
to provide the functionality of I/O module. For example, I/O module
220 may also be implemented using WiFi.
[0038] Reference is now made also to FIG. 4 which is a flowchart
illustration of an exemplary presence indicator signal transmission
process 300 to be performed by signaling application 250 (FIG. 3)
constructed and operative m accordance with embodiments described
herein. Signaling application 250 may employ I/O module 220 to
detect (step 310) a Bluetooth receiver (e.g. Bluetooth receiver 90
from FIG. 1) associated with a smart environment management system.
Alternatively, signaling application 250 may be configured to
broadcast a presence indicator signal without first checking for
the existence of a Bluetooth receiver (or any other type of
receiver, depending on the technology used to implement I/O module
220 of FIG. 3). If computing device 200 is not associated with a
personal mesh (step 320), i.e., multiple devices 200 configured to
work in concert to provide presence indicator signals, signaling
application 250 may employ I/O module 220 to broadcast (step 325)
an appropriate presence indicator signal. It will be appreciated
that if computing device 200 is a robot or IoT device, step 320
will return an answer of "No" and process control will flow to step
325.
[0039] If no other computing devices ate detected (step 330) i.e.,
I/O module 220 cannot detect other computing devices 200 associated
with the personal mesh, process control will flow to step 325.
Otherwise, signaling application 250 will employ I/O module 220 to
exchange (step 340) beacon profiles with the other computing
devices 200 in the personal mesh. It will be appreciated that since
by definition the other computing devices 200 are in close
vicinity, i.e., close enough to communicate with each other via
short-range communication technologies such as Bluetooth or Wifi,
this exchange may performed using a low power, small radius
broadcast.
[0040] Signaling application 250 may employ election module 255 to
determine (step 350) the primary device for the purposes of
transmitting the presence indicator signal. It will be appreciated
that each computing device 200 in the personal mesh may be
configured to run the same election process to determine the
primary device. However, in accordance with embodiments described
herein, low powered, or constrained computing device 200 may delay
executing step 350 for a configurable period of time (e.g., five or
ten seconds) in order to conserve energy, with the assumption that
a more powerful computing device 200 is likely associated with the
personal mesh and will determine (based on the election process)
that it will be the primary device. If a low powered/constrained
computing device 200 detects another computing device 200 assume
the role as primary device, it will skip step 250.
[0041] If computing device 200 is not the primary device (step
360), signaling application may provide (step 365) updates to the
primary device. For example, if the non-primary device is
smartwatch 150 it may provide human presence indications to the
primary device which then broadcasts the presence indicator signal
based on the human presence indications. It will be appreciated
that the primary device may be configured to request specific
information for updates based on the previously provided beacon
profiles. This information may be requested periodically (e.g.,
every thirty or sixty seconds).
[0042] If computing device 200 is the primary device (step 360), it
may periodically broadcast (step 370) the presence indicator signal
if a termination event occurs (step 380), i.e., the primary device
determines, based on the available information, that user 100 is no
longer within the vicinity of the smart environment, process 300
ends.
[0043] It a "re-election event" occurs, process control may return
to step 340. A re-election event may occur when a new computing
device 200 joins the personal mesh, when a computing device 200
that was providing human presence information leaves the mesh,
and/or when the capabilities of a participating computing device
200 change (e.g., battery is drained, or power source is added),
and/or a device which had detected human presence is no longer able
to detect human presence.
[0044] It will he appreciated that steps 385 and 395 may provide
functionality similar to steps 380 and 390 to non-primary
devices.
[0045] It will also be appreciated that a one-time enrollment
process may be necessary prior to the execution of process 300 in a
given smart environment.
[0046] It will be appreciated that sometimes, a device with the
capacity to broadcast may not be the best device to detect whether
user 100 is present. Therefore, by communicating within the
personal mesh, validation of human presence may be performed on one
computing device 200, while broadcasting the presence indicator
signal may occur on another, for example, if user 100 has both
computer laptop 140 and smartwatch 150 (as per FIG. 2), the
election process would typically pick the computer laptop 140 as
the primary broadcasting device which would use presence
information provide by smartwatch 150 to determine that user 100 is
present. If user 100 leaves the room without computer laptop 140,
computer laptop 140 and smartwatch 150 will not be able to "hear"
one another and will begin a re-election. Smartwatch 150 will
determine that it is a primary device because it is the only
computing device 100 in the personal mesh. Given its presence
information, it will then broadcast the presence indicator signal.
Computer laptop 140 will similarly elect itself as the primary
device, but since there will be no confidence that user 100 is
there (because there is no activity on the keyboard/mouse) it will
not broadcast the presence indicator signal.
[0047] It will therefore be appreciated that using the election
process for computing devices 200 in a personal mesh may facilitate
the conservation of battery power and improve broadcast capability
while providing confidence that primary devices that broadcast
presence indicator signals are in fact with user 100 at that
time.
[0048] It will further be appreciated that in accordance with
embodiments described herein, a network of wireless transmission
receivers maybe leveraged to more accurately detect human presence
in a room (without the pitfalls of motion detection, or IR), by
reducing complications from visual obstructions and/or potential
false positives. The embodiments described herein provide a method
and system for letting smart environments know how many humans are
in a space, by having one device with the human broadcast out a
presence indicator signal. This presence indicator signal may
indicate a specific human, by using a personally identifiable
beacon ID for that individual. The smart building may then
customize the environment for that specific human. Alternatively,
the presence indicator signal can broadcast out a `generic human`
beacon (not personally identifiable) to let the smart environment
know that a human is present, without indicating who it is. This
may further be enabled and disabled based on geo-location, to
address privacy concerns.
[0049] It will similarly be appreciated that the embodiments
described herein leverage the existence of one or more
transmission-capable devices that are already in the possession of,
and in use by, a user to interact with a smart environment
management system. The devices are provided by the user, thereby
freeing the operator of the smart environment from the need to
provide, maintain and/or control signaling hardware to track humans
in the smart environment.
[0050] It is appreciated that various features of the invention
which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate
embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single
embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which
are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment
may also be provided separately or in any suitable
subcombination.
[0051] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly
shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the invention
is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
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