Patent Description:
According to at least one aspect of the present invention, a proximity detection system is provided. The proximity detection system comprises an antenna configured to receive a signal provided by a device; a user interface; and at least one controller configured to: determine a distance of the device from the antenna; determine whether the distance is within a threshold distance of the antenna; determine, responsive to determining that the device is within the threshold distance, whether the device is known, wherein the device is known provided the device is present within the threshold distance of the antenna for a first threshold period of time, and the device is not known provided the device has not been within the threshold distance of the antenna for a second period of time, generate, responsive to determining that the device is not known, one or more instructions instructing the proximity detection system to activate the user interface, and execute the one or more instructions.

In various examples, the user interface includes a screen configured to display information responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, the information being based on an identity of the device. In many examples, determining that the device is not known includes determining an identity of the device; comparing the identity of the device to a list of known devices; and determining whether the identity of the device is contained in the list of known devices. In some examples, determining the identity of the device includes analyzing at least one packet header of the signal. In many examples, the system further comprises a memory and/or storage configured to be accessible to the at least one controller and to store the list of known devices. In various examples, the at least one controller is further configured to determine that the device is an authorized device, and to execute the one or more instructions responsive to determining that the signal originates from the authorized device, wherein the device is authorized provided the device is listed in a database of predetermined authorized devices.

In some examples, determining that the device is within the threshold distance includes determining a signal strength of the signal and, based on the signal strength of the signal, determining a distance of the device from the antenna. In various examples, the distance of the device from the antenna is determined based only on the signal strength of the signal.

According to at least one aspect of the present disclose, a method of detecting the proximity of a device is provided. The method comprises receiving a signal provided by the device; determining, based on the signal, a distance of the device from an antenna;determining whether the distance is within a threshold distance of the antenna; determining, based on the distance, that the device is not known, wherein the device is known provided the device is present within the threshold distance for a first threshold period of time, and the device is not known provided the device has not been within the threshold distance of the antenna for a second threshold period of time; generating, responsive to determining that the device is not known, one or more instructions instructing a user interface to activate; and providing the one or more instructions to the user interface.

In various examples, determining that the device is not known includes determining an identity of the device, comparing the identity of the device to a predetermined list of known devices, and determining that the identity of the device is not contained in the predetermined list of known devices. In various examples, the method further comprises determining that the device is an authorized device, wherein a device is authorized provided the device is listed in a database of predetermined authorized devices; and providing the one or more instructions responsive to determining that the signal originates from the authorized device. In some examples, the method further comprises determining whether the device is known responsive to determining that the device is within the threshold distance.

In various examples, determining that the device is within the threshold distance includes determining a signal strength of the signal and, based on the signal strength of the signal, determining the distance of the device from the antenna.

According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory, computer-readable medium including instructions thereon, the instructions instructing at least one processor to receive a signal provided by a device; determine, based on the signal, a distance of the device from an antenna; determine whether the distance is within a threshold distance of the antenna; determine, based on the distance, whether the device is known, wherein the device is known provided the device is present within the threshold distance for a first threshold period of time, and the device is not known provided the device has not been within the threshold distance of the antenna for a second threshold period of time; generate, responsive to determining that the device is not known, one or more instructions instructing a user interface to activate; and provide the one or more instructions to the user interface.

Examples of the methods and systems discussed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. In particular, acts, components, elements and features discussed in connection with any one or more examples are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in any other examples.

Any references to examples, embodiments, components, elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodiments including a plurality, and any references in plural to any embodiment, component, element or act herein may also embrace embodiments including only a singularity. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements. The use herein of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter.

References to "or" may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using "or" may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.

As discussed above, certain types of electrical equipment may be equipped with user interfaces, such as display screens. Such electrical equipment may include a switchgear, for example, or any other type of electrical equipment. The user interfaces may provide information about corresponding electrical equipment, such as information about a switchgear. The user interfaces may additionally or alternatively receive inputs from a user to, for example, control the electrical equipment.

In some examples, the user interface corresponding to the electrical equipment may be accessed very infrequently. It may be advantageous for the user interface to be powered down when not in use. For example, if the user interface includes a display screen, it may be advantageous to shut the display screen down when a user is not viewing information displayed on the display screen. Accordingly, it may be advantageous for the user interface to be powered up when a user wishes to access the user interface, and to be powered down when the user does not wish to access the user interface.

In some examples, the user interface may include a button or switch to power the user interface up and/or down. For example, when a user wishes to access the user interface, the user may press the button or flip the switch to turn the user interface on. When the user has finished using the user interface, the user may press the button or flip the switch again to turn the user interface off. While such physical user-interface elements may enable a user to power a user interface up and down, some user interfaces may be difficult and/or inconvenient to physically access. Accordingly, it may be difficult or impossible for the user to reach a button or switch on the user interface and/or electrical equipment.

Examples of the disclosure provide a proximity-sensing system, which may be part of electrical equipment in some examples. The proximity-sensing system may detect when a user is nearby and, in response, power up a user interface. The system may detect the presence of a user device carried by the user based on signals originating from the device, and may use the presence of the user-device signals as a proxy for the presence of the user. In various examples, the proximity-sensing system may be capable of distinguishing between permanent devices (or "known devices") that are always present near the proximity-sensing system, such as other electrical equipment, and transient devices (or "new devices") that enter and leave an area near the proximity-sensing system, such as a user's smartphone. Because the devices are used as a proxy for a user's presence, it may be advantageous to power up the user interface only in response to new devices, because such devices are more likely to correspond to users coming and going. Conversely, known devices are more likely to be permanently installed equipment near the proximity-sensing system rather than user devices. Accordingly, the user interface may not be powered up in response to detecting permanent, known devices.

<FIG> illustrates a proximity sensing system <NUM> according to an example. The proximity sensing system <NUM> includes equipment <NUM>, at least one antenna and/or receiver <NUM> ("antenna <NUM>"), at least one controller <NUM> ("controller <NUM>"), a user interface <NUM>, and a user device <NUM> from which one or more signals originate ("originating device <NUM>").

The equipment <NUM> includes the antenna <NUM>, the controller <NUM>, and the user interface <NUM>. The antenna <NUM> is coupled to the controller <NUM>. The controller <NUM> is coupled to the antenna <NUM> and to the user interface <NUM>. In some examples, the originating device <NUM> may not be physically coupled to the equipment <NUM> or any other part of the system <NUM>. For example, the originating device <NUM> may be a personal user device, such as a smartphone, carried by a user, such as an equipment operator. However, the equipment <NUM> may be configured to detect the presence and proximity of the originating device <NUM>. In some examples, the originating device <NUM> may be communicatively coupled to the equipment <NUM>, for example, via the antenna <NUM>. That is, the originating device <NUM> may communicate with the equipment <NUM>, for example, via the antenna <NUM>. In some examples, the equipment <NUM> receives signals from the originating device <NUM> but does not transmit signals to the originating device <NUM>.

In some examples, the equipment <NUM> may be power control equipment, such as an electrical switchgear. The power control equipment may include electrical equipment that may be difficult to access. For example, the equipment <NUM> may be placed in a secure place that is inaccessible or unduly burdensome to access. As discussed above, it may be advantageous to detect the proximity of a user without requiring the user to physically contact the equipment <NUM> at least because the equipment <NUM> may be difficult to access.

In some examples, the equipment <NUM> and/or a subcomponent of the equipment <NUM> (for example, the antenna <NUM>, controller <NUM>, and/or user interface <NUM>) may be configured to detect the presence of the originating device <NUM> based on signals originating from the originating device <NUM>. The equipment <NUM> may be configured to determine how close (that is, how proximate) the originating device <NUM> is to the equipment <NUM>, and take an action based on proximity of the originating device <NUM> to the equipment <NUM>.

The antenna <NUM> receives communication signals ("signals") and provides those signals to the controller <NUM>. For example, the antenna <NUM> may receive wireless signals from the originating device <NUM>. In some examples, the antenna <NUM> may provide the controller <NUM> with only a portion of the signals, for example, packet headers and/or other data contained within the signals. In some examples, the antenna <NUM> may provide the controller <NUM> with the entire signal. In various examples, signals received by the antenna <NUM> may be preprocessed and/or deciphered by a dedicated circuit coupled to the antenna prior to being provided to the controller <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> controls the operation of all or part of the equipment <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may control the equipment <NUM> based on signals received by the antenna <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may determine, based on the received signals, whether the originating device <NUM> is a new device. If the originating device <NUM> is a new device, such as a smartphone on the person of a user who enters a room in which the equipment <NUM> is installed, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to power up and begin displaying information. Conversely, if the originating device <NUM> is a known device, such as another piece of electrical equipment installed next to the equipment <NUM>, then the controller <NUM> may ignore the originating device <NUM> and not control the user interface <NUM> to power up since the known devices are not usually indicative of a user approaching the user interface <NUM>.

In various examples, the controller <NUM> may also be configured to determine additional information such as a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the originating device <NUM> (for example, based on a signal strength of the received signal), an identity of the originating device <NUM>, whether the originating device <NUM> is an authorized device, and so forth. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may use this additional information when determining whether to power up the user interface <NUM> and/or what information the user interface <NUM> is to display. For example, in some examples the controller <NUM> may only control the user interface <NUM> to power up if the originating device <NUM> is within a threshold distance from the equipment <NUM> for a threshold amount of time, as discussed in greater detail below.

The user interface <NUM> displays information to a user and allows a user to control the equipment <NUM>. For example, the user interface <NUM> may display status or diagnostic information related to the equipment <NUM>. The user interface <NUM> may also include controls a user can operate to control the equipment <NUM>, such as by altering the status or function of the equipment <NUM>. In some examples, the user interface <NUM> may include a screen, such as an LED screen, an LCD screen, and so forth. The user interface <NUM> may, in some examples, include a touch screen. In some examples, the user interface <NUM> may include a control panel having buttons, switches, levers, or other types of controls, though in some examples the control panel may be inconvenient to access. The user interface <NUM> may be configured to receive and respond to instructions from the controller <NUM>. For example, as discussed above, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to display data about the equipment <NUM> responsive to determining, based on a new originating device <NUM>, that a user is approaching the equipment <NUM>. In some examples, the displayed data may be tailored to the originating device <NUM> or to the expected use of the user interface <NUM>. For example, if the owner of the originating device <NUM> has previously used the user interface <NUM> and typically uses the user interface <NUM> to perform diagnostics, the controller <NUM> may instruct the user interface <NUM> to display diagnostic data.

As another example, the controller <NUM> may recognize the originating device <NUM> as having access to load data, and may control the user interface <NUM> to display load data. The controller <NUM> may therefore control the user interface <NUM> to display different information depending on whether or not the originating device <NUM> has previously been recognized by the controller <NUM>. For example, if the controller <NUM> does not recognize the originating device <NUM> (because, for example, the originating device <NUM> is new to the area), the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to display a default screen or information, or may cycle through various screens and information. When the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is no longer within the minimum threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may instruct the user interface <NUM> to deactivate (that is, enter a low- or lower-power mode in which information is not displayed by the user interface <NUM>).

The originating device <NUM> may be any device capable of transmitting signals, such as a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartwatch, a pager, specialized communication equipment, and so forth. In some examples, the originating device <NUM> may be associated with a particular person, company, or other user, and may be expected to move with the user. Accordingly, the controller <NUM> may use the originating device <NUM> as a proxy for presence and/or identity of a user who typically carries the originating device <NUM>. For example, if the user moves within a threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>, the originating device <NUM> may likewise move within the threshold distance of the equipment <NUM> given that the user likely has the originating device <NUM> on their person. Similarly, if the user moves out of the threshold distance, the originating device <NUM> may likewise move outside of the threshold distance. Accordingly, the originating device <NUM> may be considered to indicate the presence and location of a person or other user.

Because the originating device <NUM> may be uniquely identified, and because the originating device <NUM> can indicate the presence or location of a person, in some examples the originating device <NUM> may be associated with a specific person or type of person. For example, a given originating device <NUM> may be known to be associated with a particular technician (that is, a particular person) or a group of technicians (that is, a type or classification of persons, such as electrical-equipment operators). In some examples, the controller <NUM> may have access to a database of devices and associated persons or types of person, and thus controller <NUM> may be able to determine that a particular person or type of person is present based on the presence of the originating device <NUM>. Accordingly, in some examples, the controller <NUM> may tailor the instructions provided to the user interface <NUM> such that the user interface <NUM> displays information and/or controls that are useful or desirable to the particular user or type of user whose presence is indicated by the originating device <NUM>. More generally, the controller <NUM> may provide tailored instructions, information and/or controls for any user based on the device ID of the originating device <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may also determine the location of the originating device <NUM> based on the signal provided by the originating device <NUM>, as described in more detail herein. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may be able to identify what equipment the originating device <NUM> is near, and activate the equipment based on the proximity of the originating device <NUM> to the equipment. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may enable functionalities of the equipment the originating device <NUM> is near to based on the expected needs of the person or type of person associated with the device ID of the originating device <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a block diagram of the controller <NUM>, the antenna <NUM>, and memory and/or storage <NUM> ("memory <NUM>") according to an example. The memory <NUM> includes a database of known devices <NUM> and a database of authorized devices <NUM>. The database of known devices <NUM> may contain a list of one or more known devices. As discussed above, known devices may include permanent devices which are usually or permanently within a threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>, such as other electrical equipment, as distinguished from user devices which come and go with users. The database of authorized devices <NUM> may contain a list of one or more authorized devices. As discussed in greater detail below, the controller <NUM> may activate the user interface <NUM> in response to detecting the presence of nearby authorized devices (that is, devices listed in the database of authorized devices <NUM>), but may not activate the user interface <NUM> in response to detecting the presence of nearby non-authorized devices (that is, devices not listed in the database of authorized devices <NUM>).

The controller <NUM> may regularly receive, from the antenna, <NUM>, signals originating from one or more nearby devices. The nearby devices may be known devices and/or new devices. Furthermore, the nearby devices may be authorized and/or unauthorized devices. The controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> based on whether the originating device <NUM> is listed as a known and/or authorized device within the database of known devices <NUM> or the database of authorized devices <NUM>.

In various examples, the controller <NUM> may power up the user interface <NUM> only if at least one nearby device is a new, authorized device. For example, if the originating device <NUM> is a known (that is, not new) device, the controller <NUM> may not issue instructions to the user interface <NUM>. Known devices may be more likely to correspond to permanent nearby electrical equipment which may not indicate that a user is nearby. If the originating device <NUM> is a new device (that is, not known), the controller <NUM> may issue an instruction to the user interface <NUM> to activate and display information or enable controls for use by the user of the originating device <NUM>. New devices may be more likely to correspond to human users first entering an area, for example, for the purpose of accessing the user interface <NUM>. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may only issue instructions instructing the user interface <NUM> to activate if the originating device <NUM> is both new and authorized. That is, the controller <NUM> may recognize that an originating device <NUM> is new, but may not take any action unless the originating device <NUM> is also considered authorized.

In various examples, an authorized device is a device contained in the list of authorized devices stored in the database of authorized devices <NUM>. The authorized devices may be preselected or preprogrammed by an owner or operator of the equipment <NUM>. In various examples, the list of authorized devices may be maintained and updated by the owner or operator of the equipment <NUM>. By providing for authorized devices, the equipment <NUM> ensures that a new device (that is, a device that is not known) will not necessarily result in the controller <NUM> activating the user interface <NUM> unless the new device belongs to the list of authorized devices.

In some examples, a known device may be a device that has been within a minimum threshold distance of the equipment <NUM> for a threshold period of time. For example, if a device has been within <NUM> feet of the equipment <NUM> for at least <NUM> hours continuously (for example, because the device is a piece of electrical equipment permanently installed next to the equipment <NUM>), the controller <NUM> may determine that the device is a known device. As discussed above, the equipment <NUM> may determine a distance between the equipment <NUM> and a device (for example, the originating device <NUM>) based on signals received from the device. For example, a signal strength of the signal may be used to determine a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the device. Because signal strength may decrease as the signal propagates through space, the signal strength may be used to determine or approximate a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the originating device <NUM> that sent the signal. Accordingly, a threshold signal strength may be used to approximate a threshold distance.

A device may be considered new if the controller <NUM> has not received the signal with the threshold signal strength level for at least a threshold period of time. In various examples, the threshold period of time may be selected to be longer than a user would normally be within the threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>. For example, if users are normally near the equipment <NUM> for no longer than <NUM> minutes, the threshold period of time may be selected to be some value greater than <NUM> minutes. Conversely, a device may be considered known if the equipment <NUM> has received the signal with at least a threshold signal strength level for at least a threshold period of time. In other examples, other parameters may be used to classify devices as new or known.

As an example of the functionality discussed above, the antenna <NUM> may receive a signal from the originating device <NUM>. Various types of originating devices, such as smartphones, may regularly transmit signals by default. For example, some smartphones may regularly transmit Wi-Fi signals by default to search for Wi-Fi networks. The antenna <NUM> may receive and transduce these signals, and send the transduced signal to the controller <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may determine, based on the signal, an identity of the originating device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may compare the identity of the originating device <NUM> to the database of known devices <NUM> and, in this example, determines that the originating device <NUM> is not a known device (that is, the device is not listed in the database of known devices <NUM>) and thus may potentially be categorized as a new device. After a first threshold period of time the controller <NUM> may categorize the originating device <NUM> as a new device provided the signal remains above a threshold strength level for the first threshold period of time. By categorizing the originating device <NUM> as a new device only after the first threshold period of time, the controller <NUM> may avoid powering up the user interface <NUM> in response to stray signals, users simply passing by, or other such false-positive scenarios not indicating a user who wishes to use the user interface <NUM>.

The controller <NUM> may update the database of known devices <NUM> over time. For example, if the originating device <NUM> remains present (for example, by being left behind accidentally by the user, or because the originating device <NUM> has become a permanent fixture of an area near the equipment <NUM>), it may be desirable to no longer treat the originating device <NUM> as a new device. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is within the threshold distance for a threshold period of time, the controller <NUM> may determine that the originating device <NUM> is likely no longer indicative of the user of a user, and thus there may be no need to activate the user interface <NUM>.

Similarly, if a known device is removed from the proximity of the equipment <NUM>, the known device may be removed from the database of known devices <NUM>. For example, if the originating device <NUM> is a smartphone accidentally left behind by a user, it may be desirable to remove the originating device <NUM> from the database of known devices <NUM>. Accordingly, if an originating device <NUM> that is considered to be a known device is no longer providing a signal above the threshold strength level (for example, because the originating device <NUM> has been moved away from the equipment <NUM>), the controller <NUM> may no longer categorize the originating device <NUM> as a known device. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may no longer categorize the originating device <NUM> as a known device if a threshold period of time passes since the controller <NUM> last received a signal from the known originating device <NUM>.

In some examples, the controller <NUM> may activate the user interface <NUM> only if the originating device <NUM> is an authorized device. An authorized device may be a device that is listed on a list stored in the database of authorized devices <NUM>. Authorized devices may be devices that are likely to correspond to users who typically need or want access to the user interface <NUM>. For example, if the equipment <NUM> is an electrical switchgear, authorized users may include equipment operators who frequently operate and monitor the switchgear. Conversely, cleaning personnel who occasionally clean an area around the switchgear may not need or want access to the switchgear. Accordingly, it may be advantageous for the controller <NUM> to be able to distinguish between authorized users, such as equipment operators in the above example, and unauthorized users, such as cleaning personnel in the above example.

The database of authorized devices <NUM> may contain a database of devices authorized to access the user interface <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may access the database of authorized devices <NUM> to check whether a given originating device <NUM> is authorized prior to powering up the user interface <NUM>. If the originating device <NUM> is not authorized, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to remain off and/or to go into a locked or protected mode. Controlling the user interface <NUM> to remain off may include simply doing nothing, that is, not powering the user interface <NUM> up nor taking any other action. Conversely, if the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is authorized, the controller <NUM> may instruct the user interface <NUM> to activate and/or to switch to an unlocked or unprotected mode. By distinguishing between authorized and unauthorized devices, the controller <NUM> may ensure that the functionality of the equipment <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM> is provided only to devices that are authorized to access that functionality, whether or not the devices are new. In various examples, whether the device is authorized or not, the controller <NUM> may only issue instructions if the originating device <NUM> is a new device rather than a known device.

<FIG> illustrates a process <NUM> of operating the equipment <NUM> according to an example. For purposes of explanation, the process <NUM> will be described with respect to an example in which the controller <NUM> executes the process <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> receives a signal. For example, the originating device <NUM> may send the signal. The originating device <NUM> may repeatedly transmit certain signals by default, such as Wi-Fi signals searching for a Wi-Fi network. The antenna <NUM> may receive the signal, transduce the signal, and send the transduced signal to the controller <NUM>. The signal may include identifying information indicative of the originating device <NUM>, such as a MAC address or other form of device identification. For example, the signal may include packet headers that include various types of information about the signal, including the identifying information. The process <NUM> then proceeds to act <NUM>. For the purpose of clarity, in the following acts, the signal provided by the originating device <NUM> and/or the originating device <NUM> will be referred simply as the originating device <NUM> unless otherwise specified.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> is a known device. The controller <NUM> may determine whether the originating device <NUM> is known using any of various methods. An example of act <NUM> is provided below with respect to <FIG>. For purposes of explanation, in one example of act <NUM> the controller <NUM> may determine an identity of the originating device <NUM> (or "device ID") based on the identifying information determined at act <NUM>, and compare the identity of the originating device <NUM> to a list of known device IDs stored in the database of known devices <NUM>. If the device ID does not match a known device ID in the database of known devices <NUM>, then the originating device <NUM> is considered to be not known.

If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is known (<NUM> YES), such as because the device ID is already present in the database of known devices <NUM>, then the controller <NUM> may ignore the signal and the process <NUM> continues to act <NUM>. At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> awaits a new signal. As discussed above, known devices may be devices that are permanently or usually present near the equipment <NUM>. Such known devices may not warrant powering up the user interface <NUM> because known devices are unlikely to correspond to users approaching the equipment <NUM>. Accordingly, the process <NUM> continues to <NUM> and, when a new signal is received at act <NUM>, act <NUM> may be repeated. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is not known (<NUM> NO), then the process <NUM> continues to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> is nearby. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may determine that an originating device <NUM> is "nearby" if the originating device <NUM> is within a threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may determine a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the originating device <NUM> based on the signal strength (for example, as indicated by a received signal strength indicator ["RSSI"] of the signal) of the signal provided by the originating device <NUM>. Because signal strength is proportional to the distance from a signal source, the signal strength may be used to determine a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the originating device <NUM>. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may determine a distance based on the RSSI and compare the distance to a threshold distance. In other examples, the controller <NUM> may directly determine whether the signal strength is above a threshold signal strength. An example of act <NUM> is discussed in greater detail below with respect to <FIG>.

If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is not nearby (<NUM> NO), then the process <NUM> continues to act <NUM>. Acts <NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM> may be repeated until the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is nearby. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is nearby (<NUM> YES), then the process <NUM> may continue to optional act <NUM>.

At optional act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> is authorized. As discussed above with respect to act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may determine an identity of the originating device <NUM> (or "device ID") based on the identifying information determined at act <NUM>. At optional act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may compare the device ID to the database of authorized devices <NUM>. If the device ID matches an entry in the database of authorized devices <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may determine that the originating device <NUM> is authorized. If the device ID does not match any entry in the database of authorized devices <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may determine that the originating device <NUM> is not authorized. In various examples, authorization need not be limited to device IDs. For example, authorization may be limited to particular types of signals, such as Bluetooth signals. That is, in some examples, any Bluetooth signal will be considered authorized, while signals of any other type will be considered unauthorized. Furthermore, in various examples, any combination of authorization requirements may be used. For example, a signal may be required to contain appropriate device ID information matching a known device and be a specific type of signal, such as a Wi-Fi signal, to be considered authorized. In some examples, the signal may contain a unique ID. For example, a base layer of a signal may contain a hardware-specific ID, such as a MAC address, that is unique in the entire world. Accordingly, in examples where the base layer may contain a unique ID, there may not be a need to consider any other part of the signal. The unique device ID may be an appropriate ID for a given communication standard. For example, in the Bluetooth communication standard, devices may have a <NUM>-bit identification number that uniquely identifies the device. Other communication standards may have other unique identifiers which may be used.

Because, in some examples, the controller <NUM> does not need to provide any data to the originating device <NUM> to determine an identity of the originating device <NUM> (for example, because the device-ID information is contained within the signal provided by the originating device <NUM> to begin with), there may not be a need for a full "handshake" between the controller <NUM> and the originating device <NUM>. That is, the controller <NUM> and originating device <NUM> need not establish authenticated two-way communication between each other. Instead, the controller <NUM> may only passively receive signals from the originating device <NUM>, and not provide or transmit any kind of signal to the originating device <NUM> in various examples.

If the controller <NUM> determines that a device is authorized (<NUM> YES), the process <NUM> continues to act <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the device and/or signal is not authorized (<NUM> NO), the process <NUM> continues to act <NUM>. In examples in which optional act <NUM> is not executed, the process <NUM> may proceed directly from <NUM> YES to act <NUM>. An example of optional act <NUM> is discussed in greater detail with respect to <FIG>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> controls one or more components of the equipment <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to activate (that is, to power up and display information). As discussed above, determining that a signal is new (<NUM> NO), nearby (<NUM> YES), and, optionally, authorized (<NUM> YES) may be indicative of an authorized user approaching the equipment <NUM> and wishing to access the user interface <NUM>. Accordingly, the controller <NUM> may automatically activate the user interface <NUM> responsive to detecting the user. The process <NUM> may then proceed to act <NUM>.

As discussed above, at act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> waits to receive a signal and may proceed to act <NUM> when a signal is received. In some examples, while waiting to a receive a signal, the process <NUM> may continue from act <NUM> to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may deactivate the user interface <NUM>. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to deactivate after a threshold period of time during which a new originating device <NUM> is not detected or present. In some examples, if the user interface <NUM> is not used for the threshold period of time, regardless of whether a new originating device <NUM> is present, the controller <NUM> may control the user interface <NUM> to deactivate.

<FIG> illustrates a process <NUM> of determining whether an originating device <NUM> is known according to an example. As discussed above, the process <NUM> may provide one example of the act <NUM>. For purposes of explanation, the acts of the process <NUM> will be described with respect to an example in which the controller <NUM> executes the process <NUM>.

At optional act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> identifies a signal type of the signal received from the originating device <NUM> at act <NUM>. As discussed below, the signal type of the signal may affect how the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> is a known device. For example, the controller <NUM> may determine various characteristics of the signal, including whether the signal is a radio signal, an optical signal, or another type of signal, and/or the communication protocol of the signal (for example, whether the signal is a Bluetooth signal, a Wi-Fi signal, a cellular signal transmitted according to a cellular-communications protocol, a satellite signal transmitted according to a satellite-communications protocol, and so forth). The controller <NUM> may determine the threshold signal strength, threshold distance, and any threshold time periods based on the type of signal. For example, a Bluetooth signal may have a higher threshold signal strength compared to a Wi-Fi signal. The process <NUM> may then proceed to act <NUM>. In examples in which optional act <NUM> is not executed, the process <NUM> may proceed directly to act <NUM> from act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may analyze the contents of the signal to determine an identity of the originating device <NUM>. As discussed above, an identity of a device may be denoted by a device ID. For example, the controller <NUM> may analyze packet headers or other information contained in the signal to determine an identity of the originating device <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may determine identifying characteristics of the originating device <NUM> such as a MAC address or other form of unique device ID. The controller <NUM> may monitor the signal. For example, the controller <NUM> may monitor changes in the signal over time, how long the signal lasts, and so forth. The controller <NUM> may also analyze features of the signal, for example, a strength and/or power level of the signal (for example, an RSSI of the signal), a frequency of the signal, an amplitude of the signal, and/or other signal characteristics. The process <NUM> may then proceed to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> has been present for at least a threshold time period. As discussed above, it may be advantageous to avoid powering up the user interface <NUM> in response to certain new devices. For example, if a user is simply passing by without wishing to access the user interface <NUM>, it may be advantageous to avoid powering up the user interface <NUM>. Accordingly, the threshold time period may be implemented such that, in some examples, the user interface <NUM> is powered up only if a device bearing the device ID determined at act <NUM> is present for at least the threshold time period. The threshold time period may be any amount of time, for examples, a few seconds, minutes, hours, and so forth. To determine whether an originating device <NUM> is present for the threshold time period, the controller <NUM> may measure an amount of time that the originating device <NUM> has been continuously detected from when the originating device <NUM> is first detected (for example, when a signal from the originating device <NUM> is first detected). If the originating device <NUM> does not provide a signal for at least the threshold amount of time (<NUM> NO), the process <NUM> may return to act <NUM>. Acts <NUM>-<NUM> may be repeated until the controller <NUM> determines that the signal has been received for the threshold amount of time (<NUM> YES), at which point the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> compares the device ID to a database of known devices and/or signals to determine whether the device ID is known. For example, the controller <NUM> may use the database of known devices <NUM> to determine whether the device and/or signal is contained in the database. If the device and/or signal is contained in the database of known devices <NUM> (<NUM> YES), the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>. If the device and/or signal is not contained in the database of known devices <NUM> (<NUM> NO), the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the process <NUM> may end. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may return to an act of another process, for example, act <NUM> of process <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may identify the device as not known, that is, as a new device. In examples in which the process <NUM> is an example of act <NUM>, act <NUM> may indicate the controller <NUM> determining that the device is not known (<NUM> NO) and the process <NUM> continuing to act <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a process <NUM> of how the controller <NUM> may determine that an originating device <NUM> should be considered known and/or added to the database of known device <NUM> according to an example. The controller <NUM> may execute the process <NUM> at any time. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may execute the process <NUM> independently of the process <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may execute the process <NUM> simultaneously with the process <NUM> to identify devices that should be categorized as known. For example, if a new piece of equipment is installed next to the equipment <NUM>, the new piece of equipment may initially be considered a new device. However, it may be advantageous to categorize the new piece of equipment as a known device once it becomes apparent that the new piece of equipment is not indicative of a user approaching the equipment <NUM>. In this example, the process <NUM> may be executed to identify the new piece of equipment as a known device to be added to the database of known devices <NUM>. In some examples, the process <NUM> may be executed by additional or different devices than the controller <NUM>. For purposes of explanation, the acts of process <NUM> will be described with respect to the controller <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the controller <NUM> has received a signal from a new (that is, not known) originating device <NUM>. That is, the controller <NUM> treats the originating device <NUM> as new as described with respect to, for example, act <NUM> of process <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the signal is received from a new device (<NUM> YES) the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the signal is not received from a new device (<NUM> NO), the controller <NUM> may repeat act <NUM>, for example, until a signal from a new device is received.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> remains within a threshold distance from the equipment <NUM> for a threshold period of time. As discussed above, a distance between the originating device <NUM> and the equipment <NUM> may be determined and/or approximated based on a signal strength of the signal transmitted by the originating device <NUM>. Accordingly, determining whether the originating device <NUM> is within a threshold distance may include determining whether the signal strength is above a threshold signal strength. In another example, determining whether the originating device <NUM> is within a threshold distance may include determining or approximating a distance between the equipment <NUM> and the originating device <NUM> based on the signal strength, and determining whether the distance is within a threshold distance. In some examples, the threshold signal strength and/or threshold distance may be the thresholds discussed above with respect to act <NUM>. In other examples, the thresholds of act <NUM> may differ from those of act <NUM>.

If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is not within the threshold distance for at least the threshold period of time (<NUM> NO), then the process <NUM> may return to act <NUM> or an earlier act, such as act <NUM>. Acts <NUM> and <NUM> may be repeated until a determination is made that either the signal is no longer present (<NUM> NO), or that the threshold period of time has been satisfied (<NUM> YES). If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is within the threshold distance for the threshold period of time (<NUM> YES), the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> should be considered a known (or permanent) device, and may add the originating device <NUM> to the database of known devices <NUM>. As a result, in some examples, the controller <NUM> will no longer activate the user interface <NUM>, for example, responsive to detecting the originating device <NUM> in proximity to the equipment <NUM>. For example, instead of activating the user interface <NUM> of the equipment <NUM> responsive to a new device (for example, a new originating device <NUM>) coming into proximity to the equipment <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may instead do nothing.

<FIG> illustrates a process <NUM> of removing a known device from the database of known device <NUM> according to an example. In some examples, a device may initially be categorized as a known device, that is, a device not indicative of the presence of a user, but may later actually be indicative of the presence of a user. For example, if a user accidentally leaves their smartphone near the equipment <NUM> over a weekend, the smartphone may be categorized as a known device pursuant to the process <NUM>. However, once the user retrieves the smartphone, it may be desirable to no longer treat the smartphone as a known device since the smartphone will once again be indicative of a user coming and going. The process <NUM> provides an example of removing devices from the database of known devices <NUM>. The process <NUM> may be executed at any time independently from the processes <NUM> and/or <NUM>, such as in parallel with the processes <NUM> and/or <NUM>. For purposes of example, the acts of process <NUM> will be described with respect to the controller <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether a known originating device <NUM> is not within or has left a threshold distance of the equipment <NUM>. The originating device <NUM> may be a unique device previously considered known to the system, for example, a device determined to be known as described with respect to the process <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may determine that the originating device <NUM> is not within the threshold distance by, for example, determining that a signal strength of a signal received from the originating device <NUM> is below a threshold signal strength as discussed above. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is not within the threshold distance or has left the threshold distance (<NUM> YES), the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> is still within the threshold distance or has not left the threshold distance (<NUM> NO), the process <NUM> may return to act <NUM> and continue to monitor known devices until a known device leaves the threshold distance.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines whether the originating device <NUM> has been outside of the threshold distance to the equipment <NUM> for a threshold period of time. For example, the controller <NUM> may determine whether a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the originating device <NUM> was last within the threshold distance from the equipment <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> has been outside of the threshold distance for the threshold period of time (<NUM> YES), then the process <NUM> may continue to act <NUM>. If the controller <NUM> determines that the device has not been outside of the threshold distance for the threshold period of time (<NUM> NO), then the process <NUM> may return to act <NUM>.

At act <NUM>, the controller <NUM> determines that the originating device <NUM> should no longer be treated as a known device. For example, the controller <NUM> may remove a device ID corresponding to the originating device <NUM> from the database of known devices <NUM>, or otherwise alter treatment of the originating device <NUM> such that the originating device <NUM> may be treated as new in the future.

Various threshold periods of time have been discussed above including, for example, a threshold period of time that a device should be present before being classified as a known device (as discussed above at act <NUM>) and a threshold period of time that a device should be absent before being declassified as a known device (as discussed above at act <NUM>). In various examples, the threshold periods of time discussed above need not be the same as any other threshold periods of times for other processes described herein, and may vary based on communication protocol, user settings, and so forth. For example, a threshold period of time for a device to be classified as a known device may be approximately <NUM> hours, whereas a threshold period of time for a device to be declassified as a known device may be approximately five minutes. Accordingly, threshold periods of time may be selected independently from one another.

The antenna <NUM> may be configured to receive and/or transduce signals originating from an external device, such as the originating device <NUM>. Signals may include radio-frequency (RF) signals, optical signals, and so forth. Examples of RF signals include Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth signals, cellular signals, and so forth. In some examples, the antenna <NUM> is not configured to transmit signals. Instead, the antenna <NUM> may be configured only to receive and/or sense signals. However, in some examples, the antenna <NUM> may be configured to transmit signals as well. In some examples, the antenna <NUM> may include several antennas each corresponding to respective, specific communication protocols. For example, the antenna <NUM> may include a first antenna corresponding to Bluetooth signals and a second antenna corresponding to Wi-Fi signals. The antenna <NUM> may be coupled to a circuit designed to process signals according to one or more specific protocols. For example, the at least one antenna <NUM> may be coupled to a peripheral component interconnect Bluetooth card, a cellular card, or a Wi-Fi card configured to automatically interpret any signal received by the antenna <NUM> according to the respective communication protocol.

In some examples, the antenna <NUM> includes multiple antennas, and the controller <NUM> is configured to process signals received at a given antenna according to a specific protocol or signal type. For example, a first antenna may be configured to provide a received signal to a portion of the controller <NUM>, or a separate circuit, that processes the signal as though the signal were one type of signal and/or protocol (for example, RF and Bluetooth). A second antenna may be configured to provide the received signal to a portion of the controller <NUM>, or a separate circuit, that processes the signal as though the signal were a different type of signal and/or protocol (for example, RF and cellular). In various examples, if the signal is received by an antenna coupled to a portion of the circuit that does not automatically interpret the signal according to the appropriate communication protocol, the antenna or portion of the circuit may ignore the signal, whereas if the same signal is simultaneously received by an antenna or portion of the circuit that can understand the signal, the signal may be processed into meaningful data.

In some examples, the threshold signal strength may depend on the type of device or signal and/or an expectation of the type of device or signal. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may determine that the originating device <NUM> is nearby based on data contained in the signal, for example, GPS coordinate information or other location data.

The controller <NUM> may be configured to provide instructions to the equipment <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM> and/or may directly control the equipment <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM>. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may be coupled to or include storage and/or memory, and may have access to at least one database of known devices and/or authorized devices. In some examples, instructions that the controller <NUM> provides to the equipment <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM> may be based on whether the communications signal and/or the originating device <NUM> is new and/or authorized, may be based on the location of the communications signal and/or the originating device <NUM>, and/or may be based on any other characteristic of the communications signal and/or the originating device <NUM>.

In some examples, the controller <NUM> may use a table or equations that relate the signal strength of a given signal to a distance or range of distances of the originating device <NUM> of the signal from the equipment <NUM> receiving the signal.

The controller <NUM> may be coupled to the memory <NUM>. In some examples, the controller <NUM> may be able to access databases contained within the memory <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may be integrated into the controller <NUM> in some examples, or may be coupled to the controller <NUM>, or may be stored elsewhere, such as on a cloud-based server infrastructure or elsewhere in the equipment <NUM>, and so forth. The authorized devices may be preset, programmable, adjustable, or otherwise static or changeable. For example, the database of authorized devices <NUM> may be updated via a network connection.

In some cases, the originating device <NUM> may be permanently stationed near the equipment <NUM>. For example, the originating device <NUM> could be a satellite communications dish configured to transmit and receive communications signal, or a <NUM> base station configured to receive or transmit communications signals, and so forth. In various examples, the originating devices <NUM> described herein may be mobile, immobile, transitory, or permanent.

Claim 1:
A proximity detection system (<NUM>) comprising:
an antenna (<NUM>) configured to receive a signal provided by a device (<NUM>);
a user interface (<NUM>); and
at least one controller (<NUM>) configured to
determine a distance of the device from the antenna,
determine whether the distance is within a threshold distance of the antenna,
determine, responsive to determining that the device is within the threshold distance of the antenna, whether the device is known, wherein the device is known provided the device is present within the threshold distance of the antenna for a first threshold period of time, and the device is not known provided the device has not been within the threshold distance of the antenna for a second threshold period of time,
generate, responsive to determining that the device is not known, one or more instructions instructing the proximity detection system to activate the user interface, and
execute the one or more instructions.