System and method for detecting presence of multiple people using an fmcw radar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021231788-A1
Application number	US-201916972464-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Jul 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of detecting a presence of an object including: transmitting commissioning frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signals throughout an area using a FMCW radar system; mapping a commissioning image of the area using the commissioning FMCW radar signals; transmitting current FMCW radar signals throughout an area using the FMCW radar system; mapping a current image of the area using the current FMCW radar signals; detecting a difference between the current image and the commissioning image; identifying an object as the difference between the current image and the commissioning image; and determining an identity of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of detecting a presence of an object, the method comprising:
transmitting commissioning frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signals throughout an area using a FMCW radar system; mapping a commissioning image of the area using the commissioning FMCW radar signals; transmitting current FMCW radar signals throughout an area using the FMCW radar system; mapping a current image of the area using the current FMCW radar signals; detecting a difference between the current image and the commissioning image; identifying an object as the difference between the current image and the commissioning image; and determining an identity of the object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object further comprises:
determining whether the object is breathing.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether the object is breathing further comprises:
detecting movements of the object using the current FMCW radar signals; determining the movements are periodic having a first frequency; and determining the first frequency is within the range of within range of respiratory rates.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
determining the first frequency is within the range of human respiratory rates; and identifying the object as a human when the first frequency is within the range of human respiratory rates.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
determining the first frequency is within the range of animal respiratory rates; and identifying the object as an animal when the first frequency is within the range of animal respiratory rates.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object further comprises:
detecting movements of the object using the current FMCW radar signals; and identifying a gait of the object; and determining the object is animate in response to the gait.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining a number of legs of the object using the current FMCW radar signals.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identifying the object as a human when the number of legs is two.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identifying the object as an animal when the number of legs is four.

11 . A frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system, the FMCW radar system comprising:
a transceiver configure to transmit and receive frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar signals; a processor; a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: transmitting commissioning FMCW radar signals throughout an area; mapping a commissioning image of the area using the commissioning FMCW radar signals; transmitting current FMCW radar signals throughout an area using the FMCW radar system; mapping a current image of the area using the current FMCW radar signals; detecting a difference between the current image and the commissioning image; identifying an object as the difference between the current image and the commissioning image; and determining an identity of the object.

12 . The FMCW radar system of claim 11 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object.

13 . FMCW radar system of claim 12 , wherein identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object further comprises:
determining whether the object is breathing.

14 . The FMCW radar system of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the object is breathing further comprises:
detecting movements of the object using the current FMCW radar signals; determining the movements are periodic having a first frequency; and determining the first frequency is within the range of within range of respiratory rates.

15 . The FMCW radar system of claim 14 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
determining the first frequency is within the range of human respiratory rates; and identifying the object as a human when the first frequency is within the range of human respiratory rates.

16 . The FMCW radar system of claim 14 , wherein determining an identity of the object further comprise:
determining the first frequency is within the range of animal respiratory rates; and identifying the object as an animal when the first frequency is within the range of animal respiratory rates.

17 . The FMCW radar system of claim 12 , wherein identifying whether the object is an animate object or an inanimate object further comprises:
detecting movements of the object using the current FMCW radar signals; and identifying a gait of the object; and determining the object is animate in response to the gait.

18 . The FMCW radar system of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a number of legs of the object using the current FMCW radar signals.

19 . The FMCW radar system of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the object as a human when the number of legs is two.

20 . The FMCW radar system of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the object as an animal when the number of legs is four.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Xiong Ziyou
• Zacchio Joseph
• Tiwari Ankit
• Agrawal Piyush

Classifications

• G01S13/04 Primary

  Systems determining presence of a target (based on relative movement of target G01S13/56) · CPC title

• G01S13/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S13/56

  for presence detection {(presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26)} · CPC title

• G01S13/34 Primary

  using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title

• G01S13/886

  for alarm systems (alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22) · CPC title