The invention relates to a method and device for identifying a subject in a sensor based monitoring system. This method comprises an acquisition step wherein sensors of a sensor array acquire subject related sensor signals, a pattern extraction step wherein a signal pattern is derived from the sensor signals acquired in the preceding acquisition step, and an identification step wherein the signal pattern derived in the preceding pattern extraction step is compared to predetermined signal patterns, each predetermined signal pattern being related to a subject profile, to identify a subject profile whose predetermined signal pattern related thereto matches the derived signal pattern.