Field of the invention

The invention relates to a sensing covering system, particularly a system that is designed to be placed in a hidden position, namely between a leaning surface cover composed of ceramic tiles or plates.

Background art

There is a known need, in certain fields, of detecting the presence, and possibly dynamically counting the passages of human beings or animals on predetermined paths, and having alarm signals whenever abnormal conditions occur during such passages.

For this purpose, detection systems have been developed, which can sense the pressure exerted on a walking surface by the persons or animals walking, standing or lying thereon.

Particularly, these devices basically comprise hardware and software, interacting with each other.

Namely, the hardware comprises a net of pressure sensors that may be laid on a floor and are connected to a computerized data-collection apparatus, to which the sensors send signals that the computerized collection apparatus can receive and process by its software, by checking the characteristics of the received signals and comparing them with base data that were loaded beforehand into one or more storages of the detection system.

Generally, in these systems the electronic apparatus comprises at least two storages, one for loading and storage of reference parameters that include various types of entities or profiles designed to be detected by the pressure sensors, and the other for storage of predetermined procedures that can be automatically triggered and executed, in response to the signals and parameters being detected.

In other words, the sensors detect the pressure and/or profile of a given entity pressing upon them and send the signals containing the detected parameters to the electronic apparatus, which compares them with the data in the first storage, to determine the detected entity among those stored therein.

When the software has determined the entity that corresponds to the one detected by the sensors, the executive program of the computerized apparatus searches the data in the second storage for the procedure associated with the detected and recognized entity, that has to be automatically executed.

A detection device of this type is known, for example, from US patent 8,138,882, which teaches a "Securing premises using surfaced-based computing technology".

In this patent, the hardware comprises a multi-touch floor covering which is laid on a floor and is composed of a plurality of sensors, arranged in numbers and mutual distances that vary according to the desired detection sensitivity.

These sensors are connected to a computerized unit for processing the collected data, by connecting systems known in the art, namely LAN or wireless networks.

Typically, the hardware of this system comprises a sort of mat, which is designed to be placed on a floor and be walked upon by persons and animals and also to detect the presence of stationary fixtures arranged in predetermined positions.

In addition to passage detection, this system can also detect the weight of the detected entities and their shape, and issue danger warnings when, for instance, it detects the shape of a human body lying on the floor after fainting.

This prior art suffers from certain drawbacks.

A first drawback is that the sensor mat that forms the hardware must be located in an exposed place, i.e. on a finished floor, to ensure its detection functions.

Thus, the floor surface, or even only a portion of the floor surface, will be hidden to the view of users. Therefore, when a floor has walking surfaces with high aesthetic value, these are hidden by the sensor mat.

A second drawback is that each sensor of the mat has both functions of detecting and transmitting the detected data and, in case of failure of the sensor, no data may be detected and transmitted, which means that any detection by the other sensors turns out to be inaccurate, and wrong information is likely to be transmitted to the software, which might trigger predetermined procedures that are not required by the circumstance, for instance due to a false alarm generated by inaccurate detection.

Disclosure of the invention

One object of the invention is to improve the state of the art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sensing covering system that may be placed in concealed fashion between one leaning surface and a set of elements, such as ceramic tiles or plates, that cover the leaning surface, such that the decorated surfaces are not hidden to the view.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sensing covering system that allows the detection units to be fully operational even in case of partial failure of one or more of the latter.

In one aspect the invention provides a sensing covering system as defined in the features of the independent claim 1 .

Particular implementation features of the present invention are recited in the dependent claims.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of making a sensing covering system as defined in the features of claim 7.

In yet another aspect the invention provides a sensing floor as defined in the features of claim 10.

The invention affords the following advantages:

- providing a sensing covering system that may be placed in a hidden position, while still maintaining its sensitivity and operational features;

- providing a sensing covering system that may act as either a permanent or a removable support for ceramic elements, such as tiles or plates;

- maintaining operation of the sensing covering system, although at reduced level, even in case of partial failure of one or more of its detection units.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, non-exclusive embodiment of a sensing covering system which is shown as non-limiting example in the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a lateral schematic view of a portion of a sensing covering system of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a lateral schematic view of a step of the method of making the sensing covering system of Figure 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic view of a few sensors of the sensing covering system of the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Referring to the above figures, it shall be noted that numeral 1 generally designates a sensing floor that can detect the presence of entities, such as persons, animals or things, that stand, lie or move on it.

The floor 1 comprises a bearing surface 2, typically consisting of the concrete floor slab of a building and covering means, typically a set of covering tiles or plates 3 which may be either made of a ceramic material, or of stone, wooden or synthetic materials.

As shown in Figure 1 , a sensing sheath 4 is interposed between the bearing surface 2 and the tiles or plates 3, said sheath being composed of three layers joined together, as better shown in Figure 2 which shows a step of the method of making the sheath 4.

More in detail, the sheath 4 comprises an upper containing layer 5 and a lower containing layer 6 having a net 7 of sensors 10 arranged therebetween in fixed fashion, and connected to an electronic unit 8 which is designed to receive and process signals, as shown in Figure 1 by arrows 9, sent by the detection network 7, recognize detected entities, such as persons, animals or things and their posture state, and select and trigger procedures associated to said detected entities and their states.

More in detail, each detecting sensor 10 comprises a detection section 10a and a transmission section 10b which communicate with each other and turn the pressure data indicated by arrows "P" into transmission signals 9.

The upper layer 5 is made of an elastically yiealdable polymeric material, such as polypropylene in the known non-woven fabric form, and the lower layer 6 is also made of a polymeric material, but with a higher flattening resistance, such as polyethylene.

As schematically shown in Figure 3, all the detection 10a and transmission 10b sections are also electronically connected to each other, such that, in case of failure of one of the sections of a sensor, the remaining section might still communicate with one or more of the corresponding sections of the contiguous sensors, by transmitting the detected signals "P" thereto or transmitting signals 9 detected by other detection sections 10a.

This is schematically shown in Figure 3 by arrows F.

A method is used to make the sheath 4, that comprises the steps 3 of applying the upper 5 and lower 6 containing layers to the net 6 such that the latter is sandwiched therebetween.

Since both upper 5 and lower 6 containing layers are made of polymeric materials, they are heated beforehand, such that they become sticky for permanent adhesion thereof to the net 7.

While the sheath 4 is shown as having a considerable thickness in the Figures, it shall be understood that the total thickness is indicatively of a few millimeters, such that it may be arranged between the tiles or plates 3 and the bearing surface 2 without causing the floor 1 to be particularly raised.

The operation of the sensing covering system is as follows: one entity, e.g. the shoes of a person, presses on a selected number of tiles or plates 3, which in turn press the upper layer 5 of the sheath 4 thereby causing it to be deformed and transmit a pressure load to a selected number of sensors 10. The actuated sensors 10 detect the pressure signals "P" by their respective detection sections 10a and transmit them to the electronic unit 8 which assesses the shape and weight of the detected entity, here the shoes of a person, based on the number and distribution of the actuated sensors 10, and hence determine the nature of the entity, here a person that wears the shoes.

If the person is standing, the shoes press on the same selected groups of sensors 10 for a long period of time, whereby the electronic unit 8 recognizes this condition and simply actuates one or more functions associated to this condition, such as a presence counting function or a weight measuring function.

If the person walks by, the electronic unit 8 can recognize this moving condition by receiving the signals 9 from groups of sensors 10 actuated at each step.

If the person falls or lies on the floor, the sensors 10 actuated by the pressure of his/her body detect the pressure signals "P" that actuate the sensors 10, and generate the signals 9 to be sent to the electronic unit 8, which will acknowledge that the entity is a person, assess an abnormal condition and then actuate the operational function that has been set for this abnormal condition, e.g. by triggering an alarm signal.

The skilled person may easily understand that the sensing covering system of the invention may be used to detect passage rates of persons and animals in a selected path, or may be used as an anti-intrusion alarm device in buildings, gardens or walkable areas.

It shall be noted that, as previously mentioned, in case of failure of one of the sections of a sensor 10 of the net 7, the other corresponding section can communicate with the corresponding section of one or more sensors 10 adjacent to the faulty one, thereby sending them its own detected or transmission signals, that may reach the electronic unit 8 through the contiguous sensors 10 and maintaining the functionality of the sensing covering system fully operational. The skilled person will understand that a failure to one or more of the sensors 10 will be notified such that the latter may be replaced.

The invention was found to fulfill the intended objects.

The invention is susceptible to a number of changes and variants within the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent parts.

Also, any materials and sizes may be used as needed, without departure from the scope of the following claims.