Motion detection apparatus and method

Title: Motion detection apparatus and method

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080303655, Motion detection apparatus and method.

1. A motion-monitoring apparatus comprising: a transmitter circuit configured to transmit a radio-frequency signal through a barrier into a volume; a sensing circuit configured to receive signals reflected from an object in the volume; a processor configured to process output signals received from the sensing circuit to estimate at least one characteristic of the object, including a motion of the object; and a monitor device configured to monitor the at least one characteristic.

2. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuit includes an ultra-wideband sensing circuit.

3. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sensing circuit is configured to generate output signals using a sample-down process.

4. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a single antenna and a controllable switch configured to switch the single antenna between the transmitter circuit and the sensing circuit.

5. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first antenna operating in a transmitting mode and a second antenna operating in a sensing mode.

6. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensing circuit is collocated with the second antenna within the barrier.

7. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrier comprises at least one building member.

8. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one building member comprises at least one of a wall, a floor, and a roof.

9. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrier comprises at least one in-ground barrier.

10. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one in-ground barrier includes at least one of a natural earth ground material, asphalt, concrete, wood, water, drywall, and brick.

11. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a plurality of characteristics, the plurality of characteristics further including at least one of a size of the object, a type of the object, a speed of the object, a location of the object, and a direction of movement of the object.

12. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a visual display device configured to provide at least one visual output representative of the at least one characteristic.

13. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a visual display device configured to provide at least one visual output representative of the at least one characteristic.

14. The motion-monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least three spaced-apart antenna sets, the transmitted radio-frequency signal comprises a plurality of radio-frequency signals, and each of the at least three antenna sets transmitting one of the plurality of radio-frequency signals into the volume and receiving a respective reflected radio-frequency signal to provide at least one triangulation for estimating the at least one characteristic.

15. A motion-monitoring system comprising: at least one sensor set including: an antenna configured to transmit a plurality of radio-frequency signals through a barrier into a volume and receive a plurality of signals reflected from an object in the volume, a sensing circuit configured to sense the plurality of reflected signals; a processor configured to receive output signals from the sensing circuit, compare a successive output signal to a previous output signal to at least one of: estimate at least one characteristic of the object, and distinguish at least one characteristic of the object, the at least one characteristic including a motion of the object; a monitoring station configured to monitor the at least one characteristic; and a visual display device configured to provide a visual output representative of the at least one characteristic.

16. The motion-monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor set comprises a plurality of sensor sets, the at least one volume is a plurality of volumes separated from each other, each of the plurality of volumes including one of the plurality of sensor sets, the motion-monitoring system further comprising: a plurality of communication links, each of the plurality of communication links associated with a sensing circuit and configured to transmit the output signals; a hub configured to receive the output signals; and a central communication link configured to transmit the output signals from the hub to the monitoring station.

17. The motion-monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the barrier comprises at least one roadway, the object comprises a plurality of objects, and the at least one characteristic comprises at least one traffic pattern.

18. The motion-monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of objects includes at least one of a plurality of vehicles and a plurality of pedestrians.

19. A method of monitoring motion, comprising: transmitting at least one radio-frequency signal through a barrier into a volume; receiving at least one radio-frequency signals resulting from a reflection of the transmitted signal from an object in the volume; generating output signals related to the plurality of reflected signals; comparing a successive output signal to a previous output signal to estimate at least one characteristic of the object, the at least one characteristic including a motion of the object; and monitoring the at least one characteristic.

20. The method of monitoring motion of claim 19, further comprising: transmitting the at least one radio-frequency signal into the volume from at least three antenna sets; and receiving the at least one reflected signals at the at least three antenna sets to provide a triangulation for estimating the at least one characteristic.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

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Previous Patent Application:
Vehicle locator with optional radar detector
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Measuring conditions within a wireless sensor system
Industry Class:
Communications: electrical

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