Systems and methods for using radio frequency signals and sensors to monitor environments

Abstract

Systems and methods for using radio frequency signals and sensors to monitor environments (e.g., indoor building and adjacent outdoor environments) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system for providing a wireless asymmetric network comprises a hub having one or more processing units and at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) communications in the wireless asymmetric network and a plurality of sensor nodes each having a wireless device with a transmitter and a receiver to enable bi-directional RF communications with the hub in the wireless asymmetric network. The one or more processing units of the hub are configured to determine localization of the plurality of sensor nodes within the wireless asymmetric network, to monitor loading zones and adjacent regions within a building based on receiving information from at least two sensor nodes, and to determine for each loading zone whether a vehicle currently occupies the loading zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing a wireless network, comprising:
 a hub having processing logic and at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in the wireless network; and   a plurality of sensor nodes each having a wireless device with a transmitter and a receiver to enable bi-directional RF signals with the hub in the wireless network to monitor assets within a zone based on capturing image data of the zone with at least one sensor node or based on RF signal data of the RF signals for the zone, to determine whether the assets including a vehicle, a human, and an object occupy the zone based on the image data or the RF signal data, and to determine a condition for when one or more of the vehicle, the human, and the object occupy the zone.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a remote device to communicate with at least one of the hub and the plurality of sensor nodes, wherein the hub or the remote device is configured to identify and classify the vehicle, the human, and the object if present in the zone, and to determine the condition based on identification and classification of the vehicle, the human, and the object.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote device or the processing logic of the hub is configured to determine motion of the human, to determine a location of the object, and to determine the condition including a safe condition or an unsafe condition based on the image data or the RF signal data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined condition comprises a safe condition caused by the object being classified as a desired object in the zone. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined condition comprises an error or alarm condition caused by an undesired object interfering with loading or unloading of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a robotic device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a fork lift to assist with loading or unloading of the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . A method for monitoring a wireless network architecture, comprising:
 transmitting, with a plurality of sensor nodes each having a wireless device with a transmitter and a receiver, RF signals in the wireless network architecture to determine localization including locations of the plurality of sensor nodes within the wireless network architecture;   monitoring one or more assets within a vehicular zone based on capturing image data of the vehicular zone or based on RF signal data of the RF signals;   determining for the vehicular zone whether the one or more assets including a vehicle, a human, and an object occupy the vehicular zone; and   determining a condition for when one or more of the vehicle, the human, and the object occupy the zone.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 identifying and classifying the one or more assets including the vehicle, the human, and the object when one or more assets are present in the zone, wherein the condition is determined based on identification and classification of the vehicle, the human, and the object.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining motion of the human and a location of the object; and   determining the condition including a safe condition or an unsafe condition based on the motion of the human and location of the object.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the determined condition comprises a safe condition caused by the object being classified as a desired object in the zone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the determined condition comprises an error or alarm condition caused by an undesired object interfering with loading or unloading of the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the object comprises a robotic device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the object comprises a fork lift to assist with loading or unloading of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . A sensor node, comprising:
 a memory to store data;   an image capturing device to capture image data of a vehicular zone;   processing logic coupled to the image capturing device; and   radio frequency (RF) circuitry to transmit RF signals to and receive RF signals from other wireless nodes within a wireless network architecture, wherein the processing logic of the sensor node is configured to execute instructions to transmit RF signals to and receive RF signals from other wireless nodes or a remote device to determine a location of the sensor node within the wireless network based on the RF signals between the sensor node and other wireless nodes, to monitor the vehicular zone based on the image data or based on RF signal data of the RF signals, to determine whether a vehicle occupies the vehicular zone, to determine whether a robotic device occupies the vehicular zone or nearby region based on the image data or the RF signal data, and to determine a condition for whether the vehicle is authorized to enter or exit the vehicular zone based on whether the robotic device occupies the vehicular zone or nearby region.   
     
     
         16 . The sensor node of  claim 15 , wherein the sensor node or a remote device is configured to identify and classify the vehicle and to determine the condition based on the identification and classification of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor node of  claim 15 , wherein the condition to authorize the vehicle to enter or exit the vehicular zone when the robotic device is present in the vehicular zone or nearby region. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor node of  claim 15 , wherein the condition to prevent authorization for the vehicle to enter or exit the vehicular zone when the robotic device is not present in the vehicular zone or nearby region. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus, comprising:
 radio frequency (RF) circuitry and at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a wireless network of wireless sensor nodes;   processing logic to process RF signal data of the RF signals, the processing logic is configured to determine localization including locations of the wireless sensor nodes within the wireless network using at least one of time of flight and signal strength techniques, to monitor a zone based on the image data or based on RF signal data of the RF signals, to determine whether a vehicle occupies the zone, to determine whether a robotic device occupies the zone or nearby region based on the image data or the RF signal data, and to determine a condition for whether the vehicle is authorized to enter or exit the zone based on whether the robotic device occupies the vehicular zone or nearby region.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the condition to authorize the vehicle to enter or exit the vehicular zone when the robotic device is present in the vehicular zone or nearby region. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the condition to prevent authorization for the vehicle to enter or exit the vehicular zone when the robotic device is not present in the vehicular zone or nearby region. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the robotic device to assist in loading of an asset to the vehicle or unloading of the asset from the vehicle.