PL238596B1 - Active floor and personalised control system using the active floor - Google Patents

Description

Description of the invention

The subject of the invention is an active floor and a personalized control system using an active floor, applicable in particular to the control of electrical and electronic devices in intelligent buildings, as well as monitoring of facilities.

Contemporary building automation systems should be classified as highly intelligent solutions in which executive tasks are undertaken depending on the changing decision-making and environmental conditions. They are developed in order to provide users with the greatest possible comfort, safety and entertainment. One of the most important elements of such a system is the ability to detect the presence of a human or other moving object, recognize it and take a personalized action. There are many systems used to track people in buildings, which are distinguished by, among others, various degrees of accuracy of location, installation and utility costs, user awareness of the existence of an intelligent system that supervises its movement.

The RFID technique is often used in automated identification and control processes in various areas of socio-economic activity. In general, in the RFID system, on the one hand, software and resources for managing the infrastructure of the automated system can be distinguished, and on the other hand, the hardware - the RFID reader / programmer system, its antenna and electronic RFID tags, intended for marking objects.

In the RFID system, tagged objects are located in a three-dimensional working space, and the process of their identification can be carried out in a static manner referring to the fixed location and orientation of objects in space or dynamically taking into account the changing location or orientation of objects in space, while communication can be carried out with single or multiple RFID tags at the same time.

If the RFID reader / programmer device communicates with only a single identifier, this is called a single identification system. In the case of a multiple identification system, the communication process is carried out simultaneously with many identifiers. In this process, radio channel multiple access algorithms are used, which allow for simultaneous automatic differentiation of many objects marked with RFID identifiers. These mechanisms are included in the relevant communication protocols. In both cases of RFID systems, it can be assumed that the marked objects are located in a three-dimensional working space. They can be subjected to an automated identification process, which can be carried out in a static manner - constant location and orientation of objects in space, or dynamically - variable location or orientation of objects in space. In order to precisely define the space segment in which the identification of marked objects can take place, the area of correct operation is defined. In simplified solutions, the operating range is determined, defined as the maximum distance necessary to correctly read or write data to the memory of the identifier, which is located in the symmetry axis of the RFID reader / programmer antenna. It can be used to directly describe the operation of an RFID system, but only for a static single identification process. However, it is not possible to describe a static or dynamic multiple identification with just a range, since it is only a selected parameter of the three-dimensional area of correct operation - the RFID system.

In terms of electromagnetic field emissions, RFID systems are located in a group of radio devices that use bands and operating frequencies commonly available for industrial, scientific and medical applications.

In inductively coupled systems operating in the medium and short wave range, the LF band uses a carrier frequency from 100 kHz to 135 kHz, typically 125 kHz, and in the HF band - 13.56 MHz. The near field area is used in both frequency bands. Due to the fact that the wavelength is respectively: 2400 m for the frequency of 125 kHz and about 22 m for the frequency of 13.56 MHz, the wavelength mismatched antennas of the communication system are made in the form of small loops with respect to the wavelength. For this reason, an inhomogeneous magnetic field is the energy carrier and medium for data transmission in an inductively coupled RFID system. Corresponding communication mechanisms are implemented in protocols, for example for the HF band: ISO / IEC 15693, 14443, 18000-3.

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An elementary parameter characterizing the area of correct operation and the operating range of inductively coupled RFID systems is the minimum magnetic field strength or the minimum value of magnetic induction for which the correct data transmission between the RFID reader / programmer and the RFID identifier takes place. The value of this parameter required in the process of writing information in the internal memory of the identifier is several percent higher than the value of the magnetic field strength for the data reading process. Such a state results in the occurrence of changes in the area of correct operation of the RFID system, depending on the operations carried out in the internal memory of the identifier. Therefore, the operating range of the system with inductively coupled RFID reader / programmer antennas and passive, battery-free RFID tags does not exceed the value of a few to several centimeters.

Different operation of the RFID technology devices is observed in the group of propagation coupled systems, where the frequency range of 860-960 MHz of the UHF band is typically used, which is conditioned by the requirements of the selected region of the world. In these systems, first of all, the far-field region is used, where the vectors of electric and magnetic field strength are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of wave propagation, which can be considered planar locally. The radiated wave is an energy carrier for passive or semi-passive RFID tags. This energy is transmitted by the carrier wave by means of wave and impedance matched antennas of the radio communication system. The minimum voltage, induced at the terminals of the RFID tag's antenna, induces the operation of its internal chip, which - unlike in the case of classic short-range radiocommunication systems - changes its impedance. The data from the identifier to the RFID reader / programmer is transferred using the phenomenon of backscattering. In this process, a partial reflection of the carrier wave takes place - towards the RFID reader / programmer - using modulation, which is performed by a step change in the impedance of the RFID identifier chip. The communication mechanisms are implemented in the second generation electronic product code protocol, the latest version of which is now standardized by ISO / IEC 18000-63 and previously ISO / IEC 18000-6. To estimate the boundary of the area of correct operation, the key factors are the power supply conditions for passive identifiers, determined by the chip sensitivity, which in turn determines: the impedance of the chip at the border of the correct operation area, the design of the identifier's antenna, as well as the area of correct operation for a given RFID system application. All these factors contribute to the hypothetical maximum operating range, which is up to about 10 meters for a system using passive tags. Solutions operating in the 2.4-5.8 GHz band are also defined. In terms of the internal structure of RFID tags, the most popular is the passive structure, which in its structure includes a chip and an antenna connected to it. The structure may additionally include a replaceable or non-replaceable power source, typically: a disposable lithium battery whose main function is to support the operation of the chip. This function increases the size of the correct working area. RFID tags with a built-in power source are called semi-passive or active systems. In semi-passive tags, the battery energy can be used to measure physical quantities, for example humidity, temperature, light intensity, pressure, acceleration, gas concentration. The measurement results are stored in the internal memory of the RFID tag. Unfortunately, the small area of their use is primarily caused by the need to use an additional energy source. The disadvantages of this type of solutions include: limited battery life, the need to replace it, protection against theft, difficulty in integrating with significant objects. These factors increase the uncertainty of the operation of known semi-passive RFID systems, and additionally significantly increase the costs of their operation. The literature on the subject knows the first solutions for battery-free, passive identifiers - RFID sensors that enable the measurement of various physical quantities. The energy needed to power additional functional blocks is most often derived from the electromagnetic field generated by the RFID reader / programmer and its antenna. Due to the very low efficiency of such a source, the function of measuring the temperature of the integrated structure of the chip is most often implemented. Nevertheless, the first laboratory demonstration systems for passive identifiers - RFID sensors enabling the measurement of other physical quantities, are appearing. Due to the need to provide additional energy in their construction, the use of mechanisms for acquiring energy from the environment of an electronically marked object is also envisaged - in particular with the use of solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical vibrations - or energy storage in a supercapacitor. Currently, due to the lack of suitable RFID chips on the market, there are only a few applications that use this type of identifier. However

Modern technology enables the construction of such integrated structures, so their appearance on the market is only conditional on the development of applications that would arouse sufficiently high interest of consumers.

In order to precisely define a section of the working space where the identification of marked objects can take place - reading data from the memory of a passive identifier - RFID sensor - the area of correct operation is determined in the vicinity of the antenna of the RFID reader / programmer.

A known and commonly used method of manufacturing an RFID identifier is to make it in the form of a unitary structure in which the chip is glued, soldered or otherwise connected to the pins of the antenna system. In such a construction, the antenna system is made of conductive materials on a rigid or flexible support substrate. Enclosing this structure creates the target market product, i.e. an electronic device that is intended for direct use in the RFID system for its given application in the automated process of object identification.

In the context of the technical possibilities of designing identifiers - RFID sensors, in the simplest case, the chip is equipped with an additional output that provides the supply voltage for external systems cooperating with it, which comes from the internal harvester obtaining energy from the antenna of the RFID reader / programmer. This allows for the operation of measurement data acquisition systems attached to the chip, but only when the RFID sensor-identifier is in the area of correct operation, in a strong electromagnetic field that the supplied energy is more than needed to conduct the radiocommunication process. Supplementing the system with a supercapacitor would make it possible to store excess energy and extend the activity of the acquisition system in the event that it is beyond the range of the RFID reader / programmer's antenna. Thus, depending on the degree of advancement of the internal structure of the chip, various solutions of intelligent measurement network nodes can be constructed.

Analyzing the RFID device market, it can be concluded that in the field of propagation coupled UHF bands with frequencies from 860 to 960 MHz, which provide a range of up to several meters, the following chips have been commercially developed: AMS - formerly IDS - type SL900A, Farsens type ROCKY100 , EM Microelectronic-Marin SA type EM4325 and Cypress - formerly Ramtron - type WM72016-6. The aforementioned structures enable the acquisition of energy from the electromagnetic field of the RFID system and make some of it available on a dedicated power outlet of cooperating systems, thus ensuring the possibility of developing an integrated, autonomous, passive identifier - an RFID sensor. All systems also provide the possibility of standard passive operation, as well as supported from an external power source with a comparable output voltage, which allows them to work in a semi-passive identifier. Significant design differences are primarily visible in terms of the user's memory size and the ability to operate peripheral devices - the sensor system. The manufacturer of the Cypress WM72016-6 system and Farsens ROCKY100 did not provide for the possibility of connecting external sensors. On the other hand, the AMS SL900A and EM Microelectronic-Marin SA EM4325 chips have an internal temperature sensor that can be operated from both the wired and wireless interface. It should be noted, however, that the AMS SL900A chip has the ability to support an external temperature sensor with a wider operating range and has two 10-bit analog / digital converter inputs, which can be used to connect sensors of various physical quantities. Therefore, it is the only solution that could be used to build a battery-free, passive identifier - an RFID sensor dedicated to measuring various physical quantities. From Opasjumruskit K., Thanthipwan T., Sathusen O., et. al .: Self-Powered Wireless Temperature Sensors Exploit RFID Technology, IEEE Pervasive Computing, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 55-61,2006 and Hongwei Shen, Lilan Li, Yumei Zhou: Fully Integrated Passive UHF RFID Tag with Temperature Sensor for Environment Monitoring, 7th International Conference on ASIC, October, 2007 there are known attempts to build energy-saving RFID chips dedicated to passive identifiers, and equipped with sensors of various physical quantities - primarily temperature, however, you can also expect solutions that measure other parameters of the environment. Although these are studies prepared by specialized laboratories dealing with the design of integrated circuits and they are not commercially available, it can be predicted that they will appear in utility applications in the near future. It should be emphasized that such a system will operate only in a sufficiently strong electromagnetic field generated by the antenna of the reader / programmer.

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In more complex solutions of semi-passive identifiers, without a built-in energy source, additional power systems are used to obtain energy from the environment, for example from other radiocommunication systems, from solar radiation, thermal or mechanical energy. This process requires the use of advanced conditioning systems, as well as energy storage for the implementation of additional functions in the system, such as, for example, the measurement of various physical quantities. One of the examples is the solution developed at the Department of Electronic and Telecommunications Systems of the Rzeszów University of Technology as part of the project Synthesis of an autonomous semi-passive identifier, dedicated to work in multiple, dynamic RFID systems, financed by the National Center for Research and Development from the 1st Applied Research Program. Although there is a hypothetical possibility of building a battery-free, passive identifier - RFID sensor on the basis of such a solution, this task is extremely difficult due to the lack of appropriate chips available on the commercial integrated circuit market.

The most popular solution in the field of object location technology is the GPS system, thanks to which it is possible to precisely determine the position of an object - for example, a person, a car, or rather a GPS device - in relation to the world map. Due to the widespread availability of GPS receivers, it is possible to use them in many ways in the control system of intelligent buildings, i.e. taking actions - opening doors, turning on lighting and others - depending on the detected location of a moving object. Unfortunately, the GPS signal is available only outside buildings, and in this case it can be significantly attenuated by dense urban or industrial buildings. In addition, the mobile object must be equipped with an expensive - in relation to the RFID tag - complex receiving device, while marking people in this way is not always acceptable and therefore unreliable. To implement the location process and control functions related to the building automation system, you can also use a wireless computer network or radio transmitting stations - GSM, FM - but these solutions are also associated with the need to equip the monitored object with a radio transmitting / receiving device, as well as the accuracy of determining position is small, depending on the current propagation conditions of electromagnetic waves. The object is usually located with an accuracy to indicate the room in which it is located, i.e. to indicate the location of a base station such as, for example, a router, whereby the working area of the location system is determined by the range of the device. There are also attempts to build more sophisticated systems in which the signal strength received by individual base stations is analyzed, which allows to increase the accuracy to single meters. The most important advantage of these solutions is the possibility of using the existing infrastructure of wireless communication systems devices.

From the publications of articles by Ijaz F., Yang H. K., Ahmad A. W., et. al .: Indoor positioning: A review of indoor ultrasonic positioning systems, In Proceedings of the IEEE 15th International Conference on Advanced Communication Technology (ICACT), PyeongChang, Korea, pp. 1146-1150, 27-30, 2013; Yayan U., Yucel H., Yazici A., A low cost ultrasonic basedpositioning system for the indoor navigation of mobile robots, J. Intell. Robot. Syst., Vol. 78, No. 3-4, pp. 541-552, 2015; Choi B. S., Lee J. J .: Mobile robot localization in indoor environment using RFID and sonar fusion system, in Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE, RSJ international conference on Intelligent robots and systems, St. Louis, MO, USA, 2009; Bekkelien A .: Bluetooth Indoor Positioning, University of Geneva: Geneva, Switzerland, 2012; ChenRong Yu, Chao-Lin Wu, Ching-Hu Lu, et. al., Human Localization via Multi-Cameras and Floor Sensors in Smart Home, Proc. in IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 3822-3827, 2006; Gupta A., Yilmaz A., Indoor Positioning using Visual and Inertial Sensors. Proc. Of the IEEE Sensors, Orlando, FL, USA, pp. 1-3, 2016, it is known to use for locating systems based on, for example, ultrasonic transducers, Bluetooth technology, surveillance cameras, which have their advantages and disadvantages, and most of all are expensive when it is necessary to detect the position of the object with high accuracy.

In terms of the applicability of RFID devices for the location and identification of marked objects, first of all, security and access control systems should be indicated: in industrial logistics processes, such as forwarding shipments, materials or production products, as well as during the identification of measurement samples or valuable materials in research processes - in various areas of science, technology and medicine. A large part of the applications concerns the Internet of products, which in the future will, among other things, enable the replacement of commonly used barcodes with radio identifiers compliant with the requirements of the electronic product code. Predicts

It is believed that the development of RFID technology will enable, among others, efficient implementation of automatic identification of fast-saving products in global supply chains. Similar implementations apply to systems that allow for reliable and safe identification of moving objects, for example in the area of rail or road transport.

It should be noted that in all these solutions, the RFID tag is attached to the tagged object moving through the work area where the RFID reader / programmer's antenna should interact with its electronic transponder, so that based on the unique identification code read out, the appropriate action can be taken in an automated identification system, and indirectly also the control of automated processes. There are also a significant number of applications where RFID tagged object tracking is undertaken. In typical applications, products marked with electronic identifiers are tracked in supply chains, where identification takes place at forwarding / shipping and destination points, and on this basis their location is determined, and in the case of using identifiers - RFID sensors, it is also possible to read the recorded environmental parameters prevailing in during transport. The detection of a specific unique identification code by the RFID reader / programmer antennas located at nodal points allows not only to identify the object, but also to analyze its movement path in a properly constructed IT system or activate the electrical / electronic devices of the building, e.g. open the door, turn on the lighting. The greater the density of the antenna network of RFID readers / programmers, the greater the location accuracy. The cost of an installation with multiple RFID reader / programmer antennas and possibly multiplexers is disproportionately high compared to other systems dedicated to this type of task. Therefore, also in this case, the accuracy of the location is usually limited only to the indication of the room - access to the rooms, for example, using short-range communication. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that the cost of passive identifiers is very low in relation to short-range radio devices and they are easy to integrate with tagged objects.

A significant amount of research in the field of RFID technology is conducted in the direction of navigation and location of moving objects in buildings and in areas with dense urban infrastructure. In this type of application, the identifiers are combined with stationary elements such as the floor, permanent equipment of rooms or structural elements, creating a network of reference points, and the RFID reader / programmer is connected with the monitored object moving according to a trajectory determined on the basis of successively recognized identification codes.

Among others, from the publications of Moreno M. V., Zamora M. A., Santa J. et. al .: An Indoor Localization Mechanism Based on RFID and IR Data in Ambient Intelligent Environments, IEEE Sixth International Conference on Innovative Mobile and Internet Services in Ubiquitous Computing (IMIS), 2012. object identifier by analyzing the signals received by the antennas of RFID readers / programmers located at various points in the room - unfortunately, this requires the use of advanced algorithms for processing the collected data on the quality of the received radio signal.

In the LANDMARC system, known, for example, from the publications of Lionel M. Ni, Yunhao Liu, Yiu Cho Lau, et. al .: LANDMARC: Indoor Location Sensing Using Active RFID, Wireless Networks, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 701-710, 2004, the received signal power recorded from the identifier on the tagged object is compared with the parameters of the signals from the reference identifiers located at known reference points of the work area, and the location of the object is determined on this basis. It is important that all identifiers are identical and, moreover, they work in the same environmental conditions, which is difficult to achieve in the real environment, so that the effectiveness of the system is small and varies over time.

The triangulation method known, for example, from the publication of Chien-Chang Hsu, Jun-Hao Chen: A Novel Sensor -Assisted RFID - Based Indoor Tracking System for the Elderly Living Alone, Sensors, Vol. 11, No. 11, pp. 10094-10113, 2011. Unfortunately, also in this case, due to the specific structure and principle of operation of passive RFID tags, the obtained location accuracy strongly depends on the conditions of radio wave propagation prevailing in the working area.

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There is also a range of hybrid solutions that combine two or more facility location mapping techniques. Among others, from Choi B. S., Lee J. J .: Mobile robot localization in indoor environment using RFID and sonar fusion system, Proc. Of the IEEE / RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, St. Louis, MO, USA, pp. 2039-2044, 2009, it is known to use an RFID navigation system based on a network of passive RFID tags placed at fixed points in the work area, which can be assisted by ultrasonic sensors increasing the accuracy of location determination to a few centimeters. In this solution, the facility must be equipped with an RFID reader / programmer and an ultrasonic transmitter / receiver. There are also solutions where laser or vision sensors are used instead of ultrasonic detectors.

There are many products on the market, intended for building intelligent installations in rooms and controlling automation of communication areas and staircases. Traditional solutions of home automation control systems dedicated to communication areas, contain typical triggering elements, in particular, such as: switches, motion detectors, dusk sensors, infrared barriers, time controllers, astronomical clocks. All of these devices communicate with the supervisory control system, either via wired links or short-range radio transceiver systems. In addition, they are either wired or battery powered. The obvious and necessary elements of such installations are light sources, which, in line with the current trend, are built with the use of light-emitting diodes. In traditional solutions, they are switched on by means of stair switches. In order to reduce the lighting time, staircases are installed in publicly accessible staircases, triggered by monostable switches. They can also be controlled by motion sensors, often combined with dusk sensors or astronomical clocks, which, at a sufficiently low light intensity, react to movement by triggering a timer that switches on the lighting for a strictly defined period of time.

There are also sophisticated lighting control systems based on programmable, intelligent microprocessor systems that enable the generation of various lighting schemes, such as the smartLEDs SP23 and S19 stair controllers, Soled SCR-2, or Ledovo ST92, known under trade names. For example, in systems dedicated to lighting stairs, triggering infrared barriers are placed at the first and last steps of the stairs. Additionally, by using two detectors with a narrow field of view side by side, it is possible to detect the direction of movement based on the order in which they are triggered. In this way, the controller can count people present in a given zone. As motion detectors, you can use alarm passive infrared sensors, which, unfortunately, do not allow for precise determination of the standby area and its narrowing down to several centimeters. In both cases, it is necessary to use short-range transmitters or a wired network, which must be prepared at the stage of construction or renovation of the communication area space. Since intelligent controllers can have many control / digital outputs, it is possible to independently control each receiver, for example, obtaining a lighting animation, successive switching on and off of luminaires or gradual dimming and brightening of a light source, setting the constant illumination of steps or handrails. When it is bright, in most cases it is required that the system remains inactive, therefore the offered controllers have a built-in or can cooperate with an external astronomical clock or a dusk sensor. The whole is complemented by bell switches, which enable the system to operate in a traditional way.

The presented solutions have significant disadvantages. Motion detectors can react to changes in the environment outside the required zone and using them it is impossible to distinguish the type of object. The sensors located at the first steps are not able to detect two people walking side by side, which may cause some distortions when using the counting function. Moreover, the system does not have information about the user's location after entering the system's working area, which may cause malfunctions with more people or when these people move in an unusual way, for example very slowly. The lighting is turned on for a certain period of time, which creates a risk of its extinction before the user leaves the working area and exposes him to injuries. It is not possible to integrate the personalization of the control process into the system.

Commonly used central home automation control systems usually have two-state and sometimes multi-state inputs parameterized with additional resistors, which

They cooperate with the alarm system devices, in particular motion sensors, reed switches, gas sensors, detecting their activity or unauthorized access to the interior of their housing. Unfortunately, modern solutions do not provide for the possibility of transmitting information about the value of the detected physical signal, and thus conducting the object identification process, except in a few cases, such as, for example, individual access control to rooms or activation of devices. Nevertheless, the use of a distributed system for converting physical quantities into a digital signal carrying information about the value of the measured quantity is a solution known and used in wireless sensor networks based on short-range radio devices.

In distributed sensor networks, information on the values of physical quantities is collected by measuring nodes located at various points in the working space. Depending on the advancement of the internal structure of the electronic system, the nodes can not only convert the measured quantity into an electrical signal, but also precondition the measured signal, digitize it, pre-analyze the data, and even generate useful signals, e.g. alarms. A typical example of the use of measurement networks is known, for example, from the publications of Zhang J., Tian G. Y., Marindra A. M. J :, et. al., A Review of Passive RFID Tag Antenna-Based Sensors and Systems for Structural Health Monitoring Applications, Sensors, Vol. 17, No. 2, 265 (p. 33), 2017 monitoring the technical condition of various types of structures in order to detect and locate defects that may cause the facility to malfunction. Commonly known wired solutions are used less and less because of the need to route wiring harnesses, which is costly, time-consuming and emergency, especially for connectors. If they are installed in buildings, then only at the stage of construction or major renovation, when it is possible to arrange an appropriate channel in which the cable bundles could be placed.

Among others, from Al-Turjman F. M., Hassanein H. S., Ibnkahla M. A .: Efficient deployment of wireless sensor networks targeting environment monitoring applications, Computer Communications, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 135-148, 2013; Ruiz-Garcia L., Lunadei L., Barreiro P., et. al., A Review of Wireless Sensor Technologies and Applications in Agriculture and Food Industry: State of the Art and Current Trends, Sensors, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 4728-4750, 2009; Benini L., Farella E., Guiducci C .: Wireless sensor networks: Enabling technology for ambient intelligence, Microelectronics Journal, Vol. 37, No. 12, pp. 1639-1649, 2006, there are known distributed wireless sensor networks in which information about the values of physical quantities is collected by autonomous measuring nodes located at different points in the working space. The most important thing is the lack of wire connections between the system elements, in which information is exchanged using typical short-range radio systems, usually battery-powered, but also with alternative sources. Typical intelligent measurement nodes are equipped with a physical quantity converter, an analog signal conditioning system, a radio transmission system, a battery or alternative power supply system, a digital control and data collection system, and are characterized by high autonomy taking into account the initial processing of the acquired database. Due to the necessity to power the short-range electronic system from battery or alternative sources, the cost of its production, implementation in the target system and servicing is significant.

In wireless sensor networks, typical autonomous measurement nodes can also be organized on the basis of passive or semi-passive RFID tags. The most important feature of such a solution is that the RFID identifier, unlike short-range radio devices, does not radiate energy in the communication process, but modifies the magnetic field or electromagnetic wave generated by the programmer reader. This task is performed with significantly lower energy consumption, thanks to which it can be transmitted wirelessly from the RFID reader / programmer. Unfortunately, the range of operation of such a communication process is significantly smaller. Sensors of physical quantities are usually built on the basis of semi-passive identifiers, in which an additional power source necessary for the correct operation of the transducer system is built-in. From Opasjumruskit K., Thanthipwan T., Sathusen O., et. al .: Self-Powered Wireless Temperature Sensors Exploit RFID Technology, Pervasive Computing, IEEE, Vol. 5, p. 54-61,2006, Shen H., Li L., Zhou Y., Fully integrated passive UHF RFID tag with temperature sensor for environment monitoring, Proc. IEEE 7th International Conference ASIC, Guilin, China, p. 360-363, Oct. 2007 are known passive identifiers, which use sensors that measure the internal temperature of the integrated circuit.

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On the other hand, from the publication of an article by Yusuke Ikemoto, Shingo Suzuki, Hiroyuki Okamoto, et. al :. Force Sensor System for Structural Health Monitoring using Passive RFID Tags for Structural Health Monitoring, Sensor Review, Vol. 29, pp. 127-136 there are sensors of other physical quantities built on passive identifiers - in this case, the processing system is powered by an alternative energy source, while the RFID system is used to transmit data in a passive mode.

Passive RFID identifiers are usually used to generate an alarm - exceeding a certain level of the value of the physical quantity causes a change in the internal structure of the identifier and its damage, and as a consequence, the inability to read the ID number or switching to the mode of assigning an alternative ID number.

Another way to read the change in the value of the monitored value, known from the articles of Zhang J., Tian G. Y., Marindra A. M. J, et. al., A Review of Passive RFID Tag Antenna-Based Sensors and Systems for Structural Health Monitoring Applications, Sensors, Vol. 17, No. 2, 265 (p. 33), 2017 and Lantz G .: Crack Detection Using A Passive Wireless Strain Sensor, Georgia Institute of Technology, December 2011, is a measurement of the signal strength reflected from the identifier or detuning from the reference frequency - such an identifier is often called antenna sensor. These measurements can be made in an RFID reader / programmer. The level of the reflected signal or the change in operating frequency is then dependent on the value of the measured quantity - for example stress, corrosion, fluid level, position, humidity, gas, temperature - and is compared with a reference value either stored in the monitoring system or read from a reference identifier .

From Wen-Hau Liau, Chao-Lin Wu, Li-Chen Fu, Inhabitants Tracking System in a Cluttered Home Environment Via Floor Load Sensors, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 10-20, 2008, active sensors of the ground reaction force associated with the floor covering panels are known, thus creating a ground sensitive to changes in local load. In the case when the sensor elements are not selectively activated, but the mass of the moving object is distributed to a different degree among individual measuring nodes, it is necessary to additionally apply an intelligent data analysis algorithm.

For example, in Addlesee M. D., Jones A., Livesey F., The ORL active floor, IEEE Personal Communications, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 35-41, 1997 an active floor system has been proposed, in which wired sensors of the ground reaction force are spaced every 50 cm, measuring the weight of the object. The floor is made of square boards 50 cm sideways made of 18 mm plywood and 3 mm thick steel sheet. Sensors are positioned at the corners to simultaneously measure the pressure force caused by four adjacent elements. The moving object is not marked in any way, but can nevertheless be classified by weight. The active floor can be used in conjunction with other systems, for example a vision system for facial recognition, which is ineffective when the tracked objects are very close together and can then be distinguished by weight. The authors of the solution anticipated its use for integration in intelligent buildings - activation of equipment or images transmitted on displays may be associated with the recognized location of the object, the warning system may detect unauthorized access to the room, approaching a technical object posing a threat to people, it may detect or even indicate a person who has significantly influenced the environment by changing, for example, the weight distribution of objects in a room, for example in a museum, and can also track the transferred object. A very costly modification of such a system would be the use of sensor mats, known, for example, from US Patent No. 6993954 B1, with a high density of transducers arrangement connected by a wire network, which would allow recognition of the foot position and thus recognition of the intended direction of movement.

In the article Wen-Hau Liau, Chao-Lin Wu, Li-Chen Fu, Inhabitants Tracking System in a Cluttered Home Environment Via Floor Load Sensors, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 10-20, 2008, an active floor system was proposed, consisting of square panels with a side of 60 cm spaced at a distance of 20 cm. The panel is made of two metal plates with a resistance pressure sensor inside, the thickness of the panel is approximately 20 cm. By applying another layer of wood floor, a person moving in the room exerts pressure on several adjacent panels, and its exact position can be estimated by analyzing the amount of weight gain on each of the sensors. Each sensor must be connected with a cable to the data acquisition system. A similar solution is known from Kaddoura Y., King J., (Sumi) Helal A., Cost-Precision Tradeoffs in UnencumberedFloor-based Indoor Location Tracking, Proc. Of the

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ICOST 3rd International Conference on Smart Homes and Health Telematics, Sherbrooke, Quebec, 2005.

From the publication of US patent specification US 9077343 B2 an active floor is known, made of a flexible substrate on which sensors are arranged connected to each other by a conductive material which, for example, can be printed on this substrate. The floor works in passive, active and hybrid modes. In passive mode, signals from the environment such as electrical noise are detected, detected by the sensor when a person is standing on it, in active mode, the sensor transmits the detected signal to another sensor when the person places pressure on these two sensors, in hybrid mode, the active floor switches between passive and active modes.

From European patent publication EP 2197407 B1 an active floor mat for monitoring sick persons is known. The solution is designed to detect the patient leaving the bed as well as falls. The mat includes presence sensors adapted to sense the force of pressure on the floor and the presence of a body in the vicinity of the sensor. If the pressure on the floor exceeds a certain value, an alarm is triggered. Each of the mat sensors has a capacitor containing two flexible conductive layers and a dielectric elastic intermediate layer therebetween.

The mentioned methods are not very accurate, because the moving person affects a large area covered by several panels. On the other hand, the use of mats with a network of sensors, increasing the accuracy of the location, is unprofitable in most applications, and moreover, a wire or battery power supply is required.

In wireless sensor network nodes, ground pressure sensors are often used, which usually cooperate with radio transmitters to form a short-range radio device or are embedded in the structure of semi-passive identifiers. All these solutions require the use of batteries or an alternative source of energy. Although communication can be carried out over a long distance, e.g. 100 m, significant disadvantages are in particular the high unit price of a node in an extensive sensor network, limited lifetime or the need to service battery sources, and the availability of alternative energy sources.

The increase in computing power of intelligent nodal points of distributed measurement systems, with the constantly decreasing demand for power energy in digital systems, allows for the construction of more and more advanced personalized control systems in the automation of urbanized spaces, providing appropriate maintenance services adequately to the anticipated needs and authorizations of identified people. In order to meet this task, it seems advisable to develop an appropriate network of sensors that provide information about the monitored object and its surroundings, and to integrate with the environment executive elements that enable taking action in accordance with the results obtained from the processing algorithms of the collected measurement data.

The solutions known from the state of the art are difficult and expensive to apply, in particular on a larger scale, or they provide low accuracy of measurements, generally limited to the detection of presence in a given room. Their installation is complicated and in many cases it can be significantly difficult due to their dimensions and problems with exact adjustment to the floor surface. Solutions that are easy to install are, in turn, characterized by low accuracy that prevents or significantly hinders their use for personalizing signals controlling devices.

The active floor containing a set of physical quantity sensors arranged at nodal points of the sensor network, each of these nodal points having a unique number assigned to it identifying its position, according to the invention, characterized in that it includes a set of battery-free, passive RFID identifiers integrated in its structure, for sensors are connected, and has at least one stationary RFID reader / programmer, the RFID reader / programmer being radio-linked to the passive RFID tags.

Preferably, the active floor sensor array comprises pressure sensors.

Further advantages are obtained if the active floor sensor set comprises presence detectors, the sensors being included in passive RFID tags.

In an embodiment, at least one sensor, preferably four sensors, is connected to each of the passive RFID tags of the active floor.

Further advantages are obtained if the passive RFID tags of the active floor are equipped with a system for acquiring energy from the environment.

PL 238 596 B1

Further advantages are obtained if passive RFID tags are activated when a sensor connected to them detects a change in the value of the measurand.

In an embodiment, the active floor is in the form of a seamless floor, preferably a floor covering.

In an embodiment, the active floor is in the form of a joint floor, preferably floor panels.

Further benefits are obtained if the active floor is equipped with a multiplexer connected to an RFID reader / programmer to which additional antennas are connected, and each of its RFID readers / programmers is connected to a computer system.

A personalized control system using an active floor, according to the invention, is characterized in that activation zones are defined on its active floor, and when sensors detect the presence of a user in the activation zones, a control signal is generated that activates the controlled device or a specific function of this device, adapted to individual user expectations.

Preferably, in the personalized system, the control signal activating the controlled device or a specific function of the device is generated when the user has detected that he or she has left the activation zone.

Further advantages are obtained if the user weight is measured and the process of generating control signals activating the devices is personalized on this basis.

Further benefits are obtained if the movement of objects is recognized on the basis of the measured weight, and the personalized system has a tracking and control algorithm based on determining the dynamics of changes in the measured quantities and noise elimination.

Further advantages are obtained if, in the process of generating control signals, the information about the speed and direction of the user's movement and the direction at which the user is directed, determined in the computer system on the basis of the data received from the sensors of the active floor, is taken into account.

Further advantages are obtained if the control signal generation process takes into account, determined in the computer system on the basis of the data obtained from the sensors of the active floor and the distance between the activated nodal points and the information on the biometric features of the user.

Further advantages are obtained if the personalized system includes motion detectors coupled thereto, and when motion is detected by these detectors, the personalized system is activated and the RFID readers / programmers are activated.

Further benefits are obtained if the personalized system includes coupled reed switches mounted on the windows and entrance door to the work area, which are coupled to the personalized control system, and upon detection of a window or door opening, the personalized system is activated and the RFID readers / programmers are activated.

Further benefits are obtained if the personalized system is activated and the RFID readers / programmers are triggered based on control signals from an alarm system or an intelligent building control system.

Further benefits are obtained if the personalized control system recognizes RFID tags located in the areas of correct operation, which are outside the active floor, which are taken into account when generating control signals, and, moreover, on the basis of information about the change in the pressure force at individual nodal points, a change is recognized. the position of the items.

Further advantages are obtained if, on the basis of the information gathered from the sensors, it is detected whether the user is a human, animal or robot, and this is taken into account when generating the control signals.

The active floor according to the invention has high functional and aesthetic values. As sensors and RFID tags are integrated with the floor, they are invisible to the user and do not adversely affect the functionality of the rooms. Thanks to the use of battery-free, passive RFID tags, the active floor does not require routine servicing. Due to the fact that the active floor can be made in the form of panels or floor covering equipped at the production stage with RFID tags and sensors, it is easy to install, which is similar to the installation of standard joint or seamless floors. Moreover, when not

There are cable connections in it, so the flooring elements can be freely cut at the assembly stage.

An important advantage is also the possibility of using RFID tags, integrated with the active floor, at various stages of the product life, taking into account all stages of the product's existence, including, in particular, its production, quality control, distribution, operation, service, complaints and disposal. Utility functions defined in this way are part of the general concept of intelligent objects, for which their common use in the area of the Internet of products is planned in the future. Even when the internal structure of the used identifiers - RFID sensors is complicated, and therefore also more expensive than those currently used, the costs are distributed among the individual beneficiaries of the product and, along with the development of the electronics industry, will be acceptable in the near future.

The use of the invention will also contribute to the reduction of electricity consumption, and appropriate lighting automation increases the comfort of movement, which is essential for these communication spaces, and improves safety.

A personalized control system, which uses an active floor, allows you to monitor the movement of its users and recognize them thanks to the determination of biometric data on the basis of information collected from sensors.

Since the tracking algorithm is based on determining the dynamics of changes in measured values, the impact of noise related to the natural use of the substrate, such as aging of cladding elements, wear and abrasion of the pavement, changes in lighting intensity, changes in stresses caused by changes in humidity or temperature, is eliminated.

Including in the process of generating control signals information about the direction of movement, the side the user is facing, the distance between nodal points, or the change of pressure force, affects the high comfort of use and ensures safety. Individual devices and functions that are activated as a result of detecting the presence in activation zones or recognizing a specific user behavior can be adapted to the user's age, height, speed of movement and other features defined in the system. In addition, the personalized control system can recognize RFID tags that are not part of the active floor, but located in the area of its correct operation, which, for example, are marked with objects located in the rooms covered by the working area, or on the clothes of users. Due to the fact that the system has the ability to track the moved items based on the analysis of information received from pressure sensors or from additional RFID tags integrated with the tracked item, it can also be used to protect property against theft.

The use of a personalized system can be particularly beneficial in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, where it can be used to monitor patient activity, detect dangerous situations such as falls, or follow the doctor's instructions regarding physical activities.

The greater number of nodal points allows for a more accurate determination of the biometric features of the object, but at the same time increases the cost of implementation. Therefore, their density depends on the specific application.

The solution provides for the use of a set of physical quantity sensors. The types of sensors used are selected depending on the planned application and the resulting requirements for the measured values, such as, for example, temperature, humidity, or light intensity, or any other, the value of which can be determined on the basis of changes in capacitance, inductance, resistance, voltage. or intensity.

The measuring functions of the smart floor can be used in applications installed on mobile devices, for example smartphones or tablets; Currently, the NFC function operating in the HF band of the RFID system is available, therefore a dual RFID chip operating in two UHF and HF bands would have to be implemented in the passive identifier - the RFID sensor. The reverse situation is also possible, where a UHF RFID reader / programmer is installed in the mobile device.

The solution is in line with the trends that lead to overcoming implementation barriers directly resulting from the practical problems of RFID systems application. The work carried out by the European Commission in this area clearly shows that by 2020

Intensive application research aimed at the development of RFID technology solutions falling within the scope of the Internet of Things is to be conducted. It is assumed that at the same time the development of electronic circuits and the constant reduction of energy demand by the RFID tag chips will take place. According to the forecasts of the European Commission, coordinated with the assumptions of global economic development, the period from 2015 to 2020 is used for the integration of RFID tags, as well as for their intensive commercialization in many areas. Due to the intensive development of nanotechnological materials, it is assumed that intelligent objects will be fully popularized.

An active floor and a personalized control system using an active floor according to the invention is shown in the drawing, in which, in: Fig. 1, a personalized system installed in living quarters is illustrated in plan view, with an active floor in a first embodiment, Fig. 2 - nodal points of the active floor in plan view, Fig. 3 and 4 - nodal point sensors connected to the RFID tag, Fig. 5 - nodal point with the sensor, enlarged, Fig. 6 - nodal point with the RFID tag containing the sensor, enlarged, Fig. 7 is a top view personalized control system installed in a living room with an active floor in a second embodiment.

The active floor according to the invention in a first embodiment is mounted in a residential building and constitutes a floor covering, including the top layer of the footrests of the stair steps, and comprises a set of sensors 1 permanently connected thereto, comprising pressure sensors and presence detectors forming nodes 2 of the sensor network.

Battery-free, passive RFID 3 tags are permanently connected to the active floor. Each passive RFID tag 3 is connected to four sensors 1 via a wired interface. Each of the nodal points 2 is assigned a number identifying its position in the working area, which consists of a unique identification code of the passive RFID 3, extended by a number indicating one of the four sensors 1 connected to it, which is placed at the nodal point 2. Active floor it is equipped with a stationary RFID 4 reader / programmer, which is connected to a computer system 5. The RFID 4 reader / programmer is connected to a multiplexer 6 connected with wires to the antennas 7 located in the building's rooms. The distribution of nodal points 2 of the sensor network in the working area is defined in the computer system.

The active floor according to the invention in a second embodiment is in the form of floor panels in which passive identifiers - RFID sensors are permanently mounted, constituting an integrated element consisting of a passive RFID identifier 3 and a pressure sensor 1, forming nodes 2 of the sensor network. The active floor is equipped with 4 stationary RFID readers / programmers, located in the utility rooms of the building. Only one antenna 7 is connected to each RFID reader / programmer 4, and all RFID readers / programmers 4 are controlled from a common computer system 5. The active floor can be installed both in an apartment building and other utility building such as an office, hospital, school. For the rest, the execution is as in the first example.

The personalized control system using an active floor according to the invention in a first embodiment is installed in an apartment building and comprises an active floor as described in the first example. The working area of the system is defined by the surface on which the user can move, which is covered with an active floor and is within the range of the areas of correct operation of AI readers / programmers RFID 4. The exact location of the user is determined thanks to the unique identification numbers assigned to nodal points 2 and information about a change in the measured physical value at node 2 and communicated wirelessly in the RFID system. Activation zones 8 are defined on the active floor in the working area. The exact location of the user is determined by the unique identification numbers assigned to the nodal points 2 where the measured value recorded by sensor 1 has changed. is the user interaction area 9 on the active floor. After the sensors 1 detect the presence of a person in the activation zones 8, a control signal is generated that activates electrical and electronic devices, such as monitors of intelligent building systems, radio and television devices, indoor lighting, or stair lighting. Some control signals are generated after leaving the work area in the place where it was designated

Activation zone 8. On the basis of data from sensors placed in the area of the user-to-floor interaction surface 9, apart from presence detection, the user's weight is also determined, which allows for assigning specific personalized system responses to him. These data are saved in the memory of the passive RFID identifier 3, and then they are sent to the RFID reader / programmer 4 and then to the computer system 5. The control signals are also personalized based on the user's behavior such as speed and direction of movement, the side at which it is directed is the user, and on the basis of the identified biometric features of the user determined, for example, from the distance between the activated nodal points 2, proving the length of the step and the size of the foot, or changes in the pressure forces exerted by the toes and heel, which are detected in the computer system 5 by analysis data collected by the sensors 1. Moreover, on the basis of the collected data, the identity of the user is recognized and whether he is a human, a robot or a pet. The collected information processed in the computer system 5, with the use of software algorithms, is taken into account when generating control signals that turn on specific electronic and electrical devices, as well as activate their specific functions, selected for a given user, his behavior and the prevailing circumstances, such as the light intensity in the room. , the time of switching on the light in the staircase, or the reproduction of specific content by radio and television devices adapted, inter alia, to its age.

The part of the intelligent floor, on which the building's equipment is placed and on which the user cannot move, is excluded from the work area of the personalized control system. The size and extent of the working area may change dynamically when moving building equipment is moved. The working area extends beyond the outline of the building and includes the terrace and driveway. The activation zones 8 in the work area are freely configurable in the computer system 5. The RFID readers / programmers 4 of the personalized control system also read the data from the RFID tags 3 with which the objects and users located in the area of the MA's correct work are marked. A personalized control system allows you to track the movement of items based on the analysis of information received from pressure sensors 1 - a sudden increase in the weight of a given user may indicate that he is carrying an item - and from RFID tags 3 with which a given item is marked.

In a second embodiment, the personalized control system includes reed switches mounted on doors in the living quarters. The reed switches are coupled to the computer system 5 and opening the door activates the RFID readers / programmers 4 and thus activates the personalized control system. In addition to reed switches, the system includes motion detectors, the activation of which also triggers a personalized control system. For the rest, the implementation of the system is as in the first example.

Claims (26)

Patent claims 1. An active floor containing a set of sensors (1) of physical quantities distributed at nodal points (2) of the sensor network, each of these nodal points (2) having a unique number assigned to it identifying its location, characterized by the fact that it includes integrated in its structure , a set of battery-free, passive RFID tags (3) to which the sensors (1) are connected, and is also equipped with at least one stationary RFID reader / programmer (4), this RFID reader / programmer (4) being connected by radio with passive RFID tags (3), each of the RFID readers / programmers (4) being connected to a computer system (5) managing personalized services available in the work area. 2. The active floor according to claim 1 The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that its array of sensors (1) comprises pressure sensors (1). 3. Active floor according to one of the claims characterized in that its set of sensors (1) comprises presence detectors. 4. The active floor according to one of claims 1 to 4. characterized in that its sensors (1) are contained in passive RFID tags (3). 5. Active floor according to one of the claims 1 to 5. characterized in that at least one sensor (1) is connected to its passive RFID tags (3). PL 238 596 B1 6. The active floor according to claim 5. The device of claim 5, characterized in that four sensors (1) are connected to its passive RFID tags (3). The active floor according to one of the claims characterized in that its passive RFID tags (3) are equipped with a system for obtaining energy from the environment. 8. The active floor according to one of the claims A method according to any of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the passive RFID tags (3) are activated in the event of a change in the value of the measured quantity by a sensor (1) connected thereto. The active floor according to one of the claims 1 to 9. from 1 to 8, characterized in that it is in the form of a seamless floor. 10. The active floor according to claim 1. as claimed in 9, characterized in that it is in the form of a floor covering. 11. The active floor as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11. from 1 to 8, characterized in that it is in the form of a joint floor. 12. The active floor according to claim 11. The razor of claim 11, characterized in that it is in the form of floor panels. 13. The active floor according to one of the claims from 1 to 12, characterized in that it is equipped with a multiplexer (6) connected to an RFID reader / programmer (4), to which additional antennas (7) are connected. 14. A personalized control system using an active floor as defined in claim 1. from 1 to 13, characterized in that activation zones (8) are defined on its active floor, and after detecting the presence of a user in the activation zones (8) by sensors (1), a control signal is generated that activates the controlled device (10) or a specific function of this device (10) tailored to the individual expectations of the user. 15. The personalized system of claim 1. 14. The method of claim 14, characterized in that the control signal for activating the controlled device (10) or a specific function of the device (10) is generated when the user has detected that he has left the activation zone (8). 16. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16. 14 to 15, characterized in that the user's weight is measured and the process of generating control signals activating the devices (10) is personalized on this basis. 17. The personalized system of claim 17; 15. The method of claim 16, wherein the transfer of objects is detected on the basis of the measured weight. 18. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18. 14 to 17, characterized in that the tracking and control algorithm is based on determining the dynamics of changes in the measured physical quantities and noise elimination. 19. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19. from 14 to 18, characterized in that in the process of generating the control signals, information on environmental conditions such as humidity, lighting, weather conditions, propagation of radio waves, as well as the speed and direction of the user's movement and the site at which the user is directed. 20. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20. from 14 to 19, characterized in that in the process of generating the control signals, information about the user's biometric features is taken into account, determined in the computer system (5) on the basis of data obtained from sensors (1) of the active floor and the distance between the activated nodal points (2) . 21. The personalized system of any one of claims 1 to 21. characterized in that it comprises motion detectors coupled thereto, and when motion is detected by these detectors, the personalized system is activated and the RFID readers / programmers (4) are activated. 22. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22. 14 to 21, characterized in that it includes reed switches coupled thereto, mounted on the windows and entrance door to the working area, and upon detection of the opening of a window or door, the personalized system is activated and the RFID readers / programmers (4) are activated. 23. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23. 14 to 22, characterized in that it is activated and its RFID readers / programmers (4) are triggered on the basis of control signals from an alarm system or an intelligent building control system. PL 238 596 Β1 24. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24. characterized in that it recognizes the RFIDs (3) located in the areas of correct operation (AI), outside the active floor, which are taken into account when generating the control signals. 25. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25. The method according to 14 to 24, characterized in that the change in the position of the objects is recognized on the basis of the information about the change in the value of the measured quantity at individual nodal points. 26. The personalized system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26. A method according to any of the claims 14 to 25, characterized in that, on the basis of the information collected from the sensors (1), it is detected whether the user is a human, an animal or a robot, and this is taken into account when generating the control signals.