Signify Holding B.v.

Peter Deixler

Hugo José Krajnc

Hugo Jose Krajnc

Leendert Teunis Rozendaal

Bartel Marinus Van De Sluis

Hendrik Stevens

Haimin Tao

Harry Broers

Jaco Van Der Merwe

Mathan Kumar Gopal Samy

Willem Dirk Van Driel

Massimo Tumolo

Tharakesavulu Vangalapat

Jaehan Koh

The invention refers to an apparatus () for controlling a lighting system () comprising a plurality of lights (), wherein the lighting system is adapted to perform a hidden sensing, like radiofrequency sensing, in a sensing region (). The apparatus comprises a sensing activity information providing unit () adapted to provide sensing activity information indicative of a hidden sensing activity of the lighting system (), a notification mode selection unit () adapted to select a notification mode for notifying a person of the hidden sensing activity, wherein the selection is based on the provided sensing activity information and wherein each notification mode refers to a visual feedback, and a lighting system controlling unit () adapted to control at least two lights of the lighting system based on the selected notification mode to provide the visual feedback. The invention allows to notify a user of a hidden sensing.

Apparatus for controlling a lighting system

A system for autonomous monitoring and/or optimization of plant () growth is provided. The system may include actuation devices configured to interact with an agricultural area (), image sensors () configured to capture images () of a plant () in the agricultural area (), and a processor () in communication with the image sensors () and the actuation devices. The processor () may be configured to store, via a memory (), a first image () of the agricultural area () captured prior to a first actuation of the actuation devices; and trigger, synchronously with the first actuation, the image sensors () to capture a second image () of the agricultural area (). The processor () may be further configured to detect features of the plant () in the first and second images () of the agricultural area (); evaluate the detected features of the plant () for visual plant qualities (); and dynamically set one or more parameters () of the actuation devices based on the visual plant qualities ().

Systems and methods for autonomous monitoring and/or optimization of plant growth

The invention relates to an apparatus for controlling radiofrequency sensing and audio sensing of a network. The network () comprises a plurality of network devices (), e.g. smart lights, and is adapted to perform radiofrequency sensing and audio sensing utilizing one or more of the network devices. A context parameter providing unit () provides context parameters, wherein the context parameters are indicative of a context in which the radiofrequency sensing and the audio sensing is performed. A controlling unit () controls the radiofrequency sensing and the audio sensing of the network in dependency of each other based on the context parameters. This allows for an improved monitoring of an area.

Apparatus for controlling radiofrequency sensing

The present invention relates to selecting a communication technology () in a radio frequency (RF)-based sensing system () with one or more nodes (). The RF-based sensing system () is configured for performing RF-based sensing using one or more of two or more different communication technologies (). A communication technology () for performing RF-based sensing in the RF-based sensing system () is selected for one or more of the nodes () based on one or more parameters related to RF-based sensing in the RF-based sensing system (). A communication technology () optimal for a current sensing application with a current sensing quality requirement in a current context considering the available system resources can be selected. The communication technologies can be wideband () and narrowband () communication technologies. The parameters can include sensing application parameters, sensing quality parameters, system resource parameters, and contextual parameters.

Communication technology selection for radio frequency based sensing

The present invention relates to operating an RF system () comprising multiple nodes () for transmitting and/or receiving RF messages (). RF messages transmitted by a transmitting node () are received at receiving nodes (). It is determined whether the RF messages were completely received. Upon missing at least part of the RF messages at the receiving nodes, it is determined whether missing of at least part of the RF messages is caused by an activity event of a tangible entity () in transmission paths () between the transmitting node and the receiving nodes based on one or more RF system criteria. The RF messages () may include RF-based sensing messages () and RF data messages (). A discrepancy between missed parts of the RF-based sensing messages and missed parts of the RF data messages may be determined and included in the RF system criteria.

Determining cause of missing RF messages

The present invention relates to an RF system () with a first node () and an RF signal diffuser (). The first node () is configured for transmitting an RF signal (). The RF signal diffuser () is configured for reflecting the RF signal () in multiple directions in order to generate additional paths () for a multipath channel based on the RF signal (). The RF signal diffuser () and the first node () are arranged with a distance () to each other and are configured such that at least one of the additional paths () of the multipath channel has sufficient transmission power for performing RF-based sensing in a sensing area (). The RF system () is configured for performing RF-based sensing based on at least two paths () of the multipath channel including at least the one of the additional paths ().

Multipath channel based radio frequency based sensing

The present invention relates to radio frequency based sensing based on multiple communication technologies (). Radio frequency based sensing is performed by a single-channel communication technology () in order to detect sensing events. A single-channel confidence level () for detecting a sensing event by performing radio frequency based sensing by the single-channel communication technology () is determined. Upon detecting that the single-channel confidence level () is above a first single-channel threshold level () and below a second single-channel threshold level () which is higher than the first single-channel threshold level (), a multi-channel communication technology () for performing radio frequency based sensing is selected based on one or more radio frequency system criteria, and radio frequency based sensing is performed by the multi-channel communication technology ().

Switching between single- and multi-channel radio frequency based sensing

The invention is directed to a receiver () for an RF presence-sensing arrangement (). The receiver is configured to receive a first intra-network RF sensing signal () from a first transmitter (), both pertaining to a first local-area RF communication network () spanning a first presence-sensing volume () and to additionally receive an inter-network RF sensing signal () from a second transmitter () pertaining to a second local-area RF communication network (), thus spanning a third presence-sensing volume () and to provide a first and an inter-network signal-strength signal (S, S) indicative of a respective received-signal strength. In the RF presence-sensing arrangement, a presence detection unit () is configured to provide, based on the signal-strength signals, a presence detection signal (S) indicative of a change in presence of a subject or object in the first or in the third presence-sensing volume, thus increasing the accuracy of the presence determination.

Receiver for a radiofrequency-based RF presence-sensing arrangement

The invention provides a horticulture system () comprising a plurality of repeating horticulture system units () and a control system (), wherein: each horticulture system unit () comprises (i) a horticulture unit space () and (ii) a radio transmission pair () arranged to monitor the horticulture unit space (), wherein the radio transmission pair () comprises a radio transmitter and a radio receiver arranged in radio signal receiving relationship; the control system () is configured to execute in a unit sensing stage () a measurement in at least one of the horticulture unit spaces () with the respective radio transmission pair (); the control system () is further configured in an operational mode to: (i) execute a first signal sensing stage (), wherein the first signal sensing stage () comprises the unit sensing stage () with a first radio transmission pair () related to first horticulture unit space () thereby providing a first signal () to the control system (); and (ii) determine a plant-related parameter data based on (a) the first signal () and (b) a baseline signal (), wherein the baseline signal () is based on a second signal () obtained with an execution of a second signal sensing stage (), wherein the second signal sensing stage () comprises the unit sensing stage () with a second radio transmission pair () related to a second horticulture unit space () thereby providing the second signal ().

Baselining criteria for RF sensing in horticulture application

The invention is directed to a water-detection device () for detecting a change in an amount of water (W) with respect to a baseline-condition. The water-detection device is configured to compare signal-quality values to baseline-values. The signal-quality values are indicative of a signal-quality metric that is correlated to the amount of water present in a signal-propagation path (S). The baseline-values are indicative of the signal-quality value obtained from the radio-frequency wireless communication signal at the baseline-condition. The water-detection device is configured to provide a water-detected signal (WD) indicative of a possible change of the amount water in the respective signal-propagation path upon determining that respective signal-quality value has been outside a tolerance-range of the baseline-value for a predetermined amount span, without the need of any dedicated water sensor.

Water detection device for detecting change in an amount of water

A mechanism for lamp to lamp communication within a luminaire. This is achieved by a field controller of a master lamp controlling the magnitude of an electric/magnetic field generated by a field generating element, where a slave lamp detects the electric/magnetic field using a field detection element. One of more properties of the light output by the slave lamp are dependent upon the detected electric/magnetic field, meaning that the master lamp is able to control the operation of the slave lamp.

Systems and methods for wireless intra-luminaire communication and control of separate lamps

An electronic device is configured to use a first protocol to transmit and/or receive a radio frequency signal during a first part () of each of a plurality of periods (-). The radio frequency signal is used for presence and/or location detection. The electronic device is further configured to obtain network messages transmitted wirelessly using a second protocol during a second part (-) of each of the plurality of periods. The second part does not overlap with the first part. A duration of the first part varies between at least two of the plurality of periods and/or a duration of the second part varies between at least two of the plurality of periods.

Time-varying allocation to RF-based presence detection and/or localization and message reception

A controller () for performing presence detection with a first sensor system () and a second sensor system (-) is configured to receive sensor signals from the first sensor system and/or the second sensor system. The second sensor system is of a different type than the first sensor system. The controller is further configured to determine which first one or more areas of the plurality of areas are in both the sensor range of the first sensor system and the sensor range of the second sensor system based on the sensor signals and control the second sensor system to perform, with respect to the first one or more areas, a second task other than a first task to be performed by the first sensor system. The first task comprises obtaining sensor data to be used for presence detection in the first one or more areas.

Allocating different tasks to a plurality of presence sensor systems

A system () for selecting one or more devices in a wireless network for transmitting, receiving and/or processing a radio frequency signal for presence and/or location detection comprises at least one processor () configured to determine a suitability of each of a plurality of devices (-) for transmitting, receiving and/or processing a radio frequency signal for presence and/or location detection, select a subset of devices from the plurality of devices based on the suitability determined for each of the plurality of devices, and instruct at least one of the subset of devices to act as a device for transmitting, receiving and/or processing a radio frequency signal for presence and/or location detection.

Determining a suitability of network nodes for RF-based presence and/or location detection

The invention is directed to a signal-strength compensating unit () for providing a temperature-compensated received-signal-strength indication value of a wireless signal (W) received by an external wireless receiver from an external wireless transmitter (). It comprises a status determination unit () configured to ascertain operation condition data indicative of at least one current condition suitable for affecting a respective temperature of a wireless-signal reception unit () of the external wireless receiver or of a wireless-signal transmission unit () of the external wireless transmitter and a compensation-parameter determination unit () configured to determine and provide a signal-strength compensation parameter associated to one or more conditions suitable for affecting the respective temperature of the wireless-signal reception unit or of the wireless-signal transmission unit, and to determine a temperature-compensated received signal-strength indication value based thereon, without having to directly determine a temperature value.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Peter Deixler