Footfall detection method and apparatus
Apparatus for detection and identification of footfall, comprises an arrangement of pressure detectors on a horizontal surface; a footfall pattern detector to receive a sequence of signals from each pressure detector in distinguishable manner over a time frame, to build from said signals a time evolution of a footfall event on said horizontal surface; and a tracker to compare different time evolutions, and thereby to connect together different footfall events to track a person or object over said horizontal surface.
1 . Apparatus for detection and identification of footfall, comprising:
an arrangement of pressure detectors on a horizontal surface;
a footfall pattern detector connected to receive a sequence of signals from each pressure detector in distinguishable manner over a time frame, the detector being configured to build from said signals a time evolution of a footfall event on said horizontal surface;
a time evolution tracker unit configured with registers to compare different time evolutions, and thereby to connect together different footfall events to track a person or object moving over said horizontal surface, wherein said time evolution tracker unit is configured to use said registers respectively to track a first evolution of a volume center of mass and a second evolution of a shape center of mass; and
a comparator configured to extract a parameter relating said volume center of mass and said shape center of mass.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said footfall pattern detector is configured to build said time evolutions as three-dimensional graphs and said tracker is configured to compare said three-dimensional graphs using image processing.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said footfall pattern detector is configured to use weight vectors obtained from said pressure detectors to obtain said three-dimensional graphs.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a registration unit to register said person or object prior to tracking.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said tracker is configured to track as a single object or person any sequence of footfalls having a same time evolution and not to track as a single object or person any sequence of footfalls having different time evolutions.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said horizontal surface is a floor within a building and said apparatus is connected to a building management system to provide building services in accordance with said tracking.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said horizontal surface is a floor within a building, the apparatus being connected to a safety or security system to provide information about a distribution of people within said building for safety or security needs, or wherein the horizontal surface is a floor within an elevator.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal surface is a vehicle parking area, the apparatus providing an indication of availability and location of parking.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said horizontal surface is a floor of a retail space, the apparatus providing an indication over time of the movements of customers over said retail space.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , configured to track individual customers and further comprising a microcontroller, the microcontroller serving as a notification unit to push notifications to said individual customers in accordance with parts of said retail space that they are entering or have entered.
11 . Method for detection and identification of footfall, comprising:
providing an arrangement of pressure detectors on a horizontal surface;
receiving a sequence of signals from each pressure detector in distinguishable manner over a time frame;
building from said signals a time evolution of a footfall event on said horizontal surface;
comparing different time evolutions, wherein each said time evolution comprises a first evolution of a volume center of mass of said footfall event and a second evolution of a shape center of mass of said footfall event;
extracting a parameter relating said volume center of mass and said shape center of mass of said respective footfall event; and
connecting together different footfall events to track a person or object moving over said horizontal surface.
12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising building said time evolutions as three-dimensional graphs and comparing said three-dimensional graphs using image processing.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising registering said person or object prior to tracking.
14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising tracking as a single object or person any sequence of footfalls having a same time evolution and not to track as a single object or person any sequence of footfalls having different time evolutions.
15 . The method of claim 11 , comprising using weight vectors obtained from said pressure detectors to obtain said three-dimensional graphs.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal surface is a floor within a building, the method comprising providing building services in accordance with said tracking.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the horizontal surface is a vehicle parking area, the method further comprising providing an indication of availability and location of parking.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein said horizontal surface is a floor of a retail space, the method comprising providing an indication over time of the movements of customers over said retail space.
19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising tracking individual customers and providing notifications to said individual customers in accordance with parts of said retail space that they are entering or have entered.