Multi-frequency landscape analysis system, method, and apparatus for furniture sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221430-B2
Application number	US-201916379083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A multi-frequency sensing system for capacitive, presence-sensing technology incorporated into furniture is provided. Embodiments of the sensing system include at least one capacitive sensor coupled to a furniture item for monitoring an amount of change in capacitance with respect to at least one sensing element coupled to the furniture item. The system further includes a landscape analysis component having a plurality of frequency samplers, which generates an average capacitance change associated with the furniture item. Further, the average capacitance change may be used to determine whether the indication of average capacitance change satisfies a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-frequency sensing system for a furniture item, the multi-frequency sensing system comprising:
the furniture item;
at least one capacitiv sensor that receives, from a sensing element associated with the furniture item, indications of capacitance with respect to the furniture item;
a landscape analysis system comprising a plurality of frequency samplers, wherein the landscape analysis system determines a change in the indications of capacitance via the plurality of frequency samplers, wherein the plurality of frequency samplers comprises:
a first frequency sampler using a first sampling frequency that is associated with a first indication of capacitance, and
a second frequency sampler using a second sampling frequency that is associated with a second indication of capacitance, wherein the second sampling frequency is distinct from the first sampling frequency; and
a capacitance indicator that determines an indication of presence with respect to the furniture item based on both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance,
wherein the capacitance indicator compares a value calculated from both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance to a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

2. The multi-frequency sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the first indication of capacitance is associated with a first capacitor and the second indication of capacitance is associated with a second capacitor.

3. The multi-frequency sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the change in the indications of capacitance is determined based on a calibrated baseline.

4. The multi-frequency sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance threshold of the furniture item is adjusted based on an environment of the furniture item.

5. The multi-frequency sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the landscape analysis system generates a combined capacitance change for the first and second sampling frequencies by compiling the indications of capacitance associated with the first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency.

6. The multi-frequency sensing system of claim 5 , wherein the capacitance indicator compares the combined capacitance change with a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

7. A method for detecting presence with respect to a furniture item, the method comprising:
receiving indications of capacitance with respect to the furniture item;
determining changes in the indications of capacitance, the indications of capacitance being associated with a plurality of distinct sampling frequencies comprising:
a first sampling frequency that is associated with a first indication of capacitance, and
a second sampling frequency that is associated with a second indication of capacitance, wherein the second sampling frequency is distinct from the first sampling frequency; and

determining an indication of presence with respect to the furniture item based on a value calculated from both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the changes in the indications of capacitance are determined based on at least one calibrated baseline.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising: generating a combined capacitance change for the plurality of distinct sampling frequencies by compiling the indications of capacitance associated with the first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising comparing the value calculated from both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance to a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the capacitance threshold of the furniture item is adjusted based on an environment of the furniture item.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: comparing combined capacitance change for the plurality of distinct sampling frequencies with a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform a method of detecting presence with respect to a furniture item, the method comprising:
receiving indications of capacitance with respect to the furniture item;
determining changes in the indications of capacitance, the indications of capacitance being associated with a plurality of distinct sampling frequencies comprising:
a first sampling frequency that is associated with a first indication of capacitance, and
a second sampling frequency that is associated with a second indication of capacitance, wherein the second sampling frequency is distinct from the first sampling frequency; and

determining an indication of presence with respect to the furniture item based on a value calculated from both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 13 , the method further comprising: generating a combined capacitance change for the plurality of distinct sampling frequencies by compiling the indications of capacitance associated with the first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 14 , the method further comprising: comparing the combined capacitance change for the plurality of distinct sampling frequencies with a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 13 , the method further comprising: comparing the value calculated from both the change in the first indication of capacitance and the change in the second indication of capacitance to a capacitance threshold of the furniture item.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 16 , wherein the capacitance threshold of the furniture item is adjusted based on an environment of the furniture item.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 13 , wherein the changes in the indications of capacitance are determined based on at least one calibrated baseline.

Assignees

• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• Miller Eric D
• Berziel Braden
• Gopalakrishnan Vino
• Kaufmann Jonathan
• Conyers Douglas E

Classifications

• G01V3/38 Primary

  Processing data, e.g. for analysis, for interpretation, for correction · CPC title

• G01D5/24

  by varying capacitance · CPC title

• G01V3/08 Primary

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title

• G01R27/2605

  Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24) · CPC title

• G01R19/2509

  Details concerning sampling, digitizing or waveform capturing · CPC title