AI Vision System for Sanitation Compliance Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Humans operating in environments with environmental hazards such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses often fail to comply with recommended safety practices due to lack of awareness, distraction, or ineffective methods, leading to potential contamination.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a processor and memory that receives images to detect markers, determine object boundaries, and track movement, enabling the monitoring and tracking of sanitation and decontamination activities, including hand washing and surface cleanliness, using AI and computer vision to ensure compliance with safety protocols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual behavior compliance methods are used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but protection reliability deteriorates due to human error and distraction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual behavioral compliance (mechanical human action) with an automated computer vision system that uses image processing and AI algorithms to detect markers, determine boundaries, and track objects, thereby eliminating human error and distraction while maintaining system functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring and tracking sanitation activities without requiring human operators to manually verify compliance, allowing the system to autonomously detect markers, determine object boundaries, and track movements to ensure protection standards are met

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If automated monitoring systems are implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboundary detection precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses image capture to create visual copies of the scene, allowing the system to analyze marker positions and object boundaries without physical interference. The computer vision system processes these optical copies to achieve precise boundary detection and tracking while avoiding the need for complex physical measurement devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces markers as intermediary elements that facilitate precise boundary detection and object tracking. These markers serve as mediators between the camera system and the objects being monitored, enabling accurate measurement without requiring complex direct sensing of the target objects themselves

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If continuous monitoring is performed, then protection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases due to constant image processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring reliabilityVSAvoidprocessor energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic monitoring by capturing images at specific intervals or upon detecting relevant events, rather than continuously processing visual data. This approach maintains protection reliability by regularly updating marker detection and object tracking while significantly reducing processor energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12002224B2Apparatus and method for protecting against environmental hazards
Publication Date: 2024.06.04 HS VK IDEA FAB LLC
  • US12002224B2 patent drawing
  • US12002224B2 patent drawing
  • US12002224B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosures are directed to methods and apparatuses that allow for one or more of personal sanitizing/decontamination of a user, prevention of the touching of exposed parts of the user's body, tracking of surface sanitizing/decontamination status, tracking of the interpersonal distance, and sanitization of personal electronics (e.g., a mobile phone). In addition, data relating to a user's usage of the various components of the system may be tracked, and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques may be employed to mine for patterns of user behavior in the system.