Method and apparatus for defining a detection zone

Abstract

A method of calibrating a sensor (200) for a security system, the method comprising: switching the sensor (200) to a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor (200) to operate with a detection zone; detecting a moveable object (202) moving along a border of the detection zone, wherein the sensor (200) detects the position of the moveable object (202) as the moveable object (202) moves along the border of the detection zone; calculating zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object (202); and configuring the sensor (200) to operate using the calculated zone calibration data.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a sensor for a security system, the method comprising: switching the sensor to a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone; detecting a moveable object moving along a border of the detection zone, wherein the sensor detects the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone, wherein the moveable object is a remote controlled drone; calculating zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configuring the sensor to operate using the calculated zone calibration data; wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed; wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the post-processing comprises smoothing the border of the detection zone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the post-processing comprises expanding the border of the detection zone, wherein the border of the detection zone is expanded by about 20 cm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is installed in a room or an outdoor garden.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collection steps are carried out multiple times to define more than one detection zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a radar sensor or a LIDAR sensor or an acoustic sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the security system comprises multiple sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moveable object is a person.

9. A security system comprising a sensor, the sensor having a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone and the sensor being configured to: switch to the zone calibration mode; detect a moveable object moving along a border of a detection zone, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone, wherein the moveable object is a remote controlled drone; calculate zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configure itself for operation using the calculated zone calibration data; wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed; wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

10. A security system comprising a sensor configured to operate in accordance with the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program product containing instructions that, when executed within a security system comprising a sensor, will configure the sensor to operate in accordance with the method of claim 1.

12. A method of calibrating a sensor for a security system, the method comprising: switching the sensor to a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone; detecting a moveable object moving along a border of the detection zone, wherein the sensor detects the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone; calculating zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configuring the sensor to operate using the calculated zone calibration data, wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed, wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

13. A security system comprising a sensor, the sensor having a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone and the sensor being configured to: switch to the zone calibration mode; detect a moveable object moving along a border of a detection zone, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone; calculate zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configure itself for operation using the calculated zone calibration data, wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed, wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

14. A method of calibrating a sensor for a security system, the method comprising: switching the sensor to a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone; detecting a moveable object moving along a border of the detection zone, wherein the sensor detects the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone; calculating zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configuring the sensor to operate using the calculated zone calibration data, wherein the data collection steps are carried out multiple times to define additional detection zones; wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed; wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

15. A security system comprising a sensor, the sensor having a zone calibration mode for configuring the sensor to operate with a detection zone and the sensor being configured to: switch to the zone calibration mode; detect a moveable object moving along a border of a detection zone, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the position of the moveable object as the moveable object moves along the border of the detection zone; calculate zone calibration data for the detection zone based on the detected positions of the moveable object; and configure itself for operation using the calculated zone calibration data, wherein the data collection steps are carried out multiple times to define additional detection zones; wherein the border of the detection zone is additionally post-processed; wherein the post-processing comprises adjusting the border of the detection zone to conform to a predefined zone, wherein the predefined zone is a polygon such as rectangular or circular or any other two dimensional polygon.

Description

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

(1) Certain embodiments of the disclosure will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a sensor of a security system of the prior art having a predefined detection zone for a room;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a method of calibrating a sensor;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the method steps; and

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of a sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a sensor 100 of a security system of the prior art having a predefined detection zone 102 for a room 104. When positioned correctly, the predefined zone 102 covers the whole of the room and the sensor 100 is capable of detecting intruders in the room 104, as shown in FIG. 1A. If, however, the sensor 100 is not positioned correctly or is moved after installation, the orientation of the predefined zone 102 will also be repositioned such that the detection zone 102 no longer covers the room 104 in which the sensor 100 is positioned, as shown in FIG. 1B.

(7) FIG. 2 illustrates a method of calibrating a sensor 200 and FIG. 3 shows a flowchart 300 of the method steps. The sensor 200 is installed in a location in which a detection zone is to be set up. During installation or at any other time after installation, the sensor 200 can be switched to a zone calibration mode. The zone calibration mode allows a user 202 to calibrate a detection zone for the sensor 200 using the method described below.

(8) Zone calibration mode configures the sensor 200 to collect positional data from a moving object or person. A user 202 performing zone calibration of the sensor will switch the sensor 200 to zone calibration mode and the user 202 then walks along a path 204 to designate the desired border of the detection zone. The path 204 shown in FIG. 2 is along the edges of a room 206. The sensor 200, in zone calibration mode, detects the motion of the user 202 as they walk along the path 204 and records the position of the user 202 continuously or in specified increments of time, such as every millisecond, second, or some other time period to be specified.

(9) The path traced out by the user 202 and detected by the sensor 200 is then stored as position data. Once the user 202 has completed the walking along the desired border of the designation zone, the sensor 200 is configured to calculate zone calibration data for the detection zone using the acquired position data. It will be noted that the user 202 may not be able to move exactly aligned with an intended border, but instead may walk along it such as in the case of walking beside a wall 208. Thus, in this context the term “along” is intended to mean that the user 202 may trace a path with some known relationship to the (intended) border of the detection zone. The sensor 200 is then arranged to use the calculated zone calibration data, to configure the sensor 200 to operate with a detection zone having borders based on the movement of the user 202.

(10) FIG. 4 depicts a schematic view of a components in a sensor 400 configured to use the method outlined above. The sensor 400 includes one or more hardware components to enable the sensor 400 to detect one or more persons or other objects in the detection zone.

(11) The sensor 400 includes a transmitter 402 connected to a transmitter antenna system 404. The transmitter 402 generates signals that are transmitted via the transmitter antenna 404 for sensing moving objects. The sensor 400 also includes a receiver 404 for the detection of radio signals initially transmitted by the transmitter 402 and reflected back. The receiver 404 is also configured to receive signals via the receiver antenna 408 from control devices and other sensors. The receiver 406 is connected to a receiver antenna system 408.

(12) The transmitter 402 and the receiver 406 may be integrated in one chip (IC) 409.

(13) The sensor 400 further includes a processor or processors 410 configured to control the transmitter 402, the receiver 406 and to process positional data and to calculate the detection zone. The sensor 400 also includes a memory unit 412 configured to store positional data and the configuration of the detection zone. Optionally, the sensor 400 may be equipped with a communication module 414 configured to communicate and network with other sensors.