Presence detection using wideband audio-ultrasound sensor

A presence detection scheme is proposed for determining occupancy in indoor spaces using a wideband audio-ultrasound sensor. The scheme involves ultrasonic detection by processing the echoes due to transmission of a pulsed sinusoidal waveform, in combination with audio event detection at lower frequencies. The resulting binary detection results are then fused using an OR rule. The proposed scheme improves detection performance by determining occupancy under silent presence and still presence conditions. Experimental results are shown to validate the obtained improvement in probability of detection, while maintaining a given probability of false alarm.