Sensing floor for locating people and devices
US9077343B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 6, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jul 7, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 6, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/01
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A sensing floor to locate people and devices is described. In an embodiment, the sensing floor (or sensing surface), is formed from a flexible substrate on which a number of distributed sensing elements and connections between sensing elements are formed in a conductive material. In an example, these elements and connections may be printed onto the flexible substrate. The sensing floor operates in one or more modes in order to detect people in proximity to the floor. In passive mode, the floor detects signals from the environment, such as electric hum, which are coupled into a sensing element when a person stands on the sensing element. In active mode, one sensing element transmits a signal which is detected in another sensing element when a person bridges those two elements. In hybrid mode, the floor switches between passive and active mode, for example, on detection of a person in passive mode.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.