Asset Tracking Device False Alarm Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Asset tracking systems often generate false alarms when an asset is intentionally removed from a predetermined safe zone for legitimate reasons, causing confusion and unnecessary notifications.
Innovation Solution
Equipping tracking devices with sensors and user input mechanisms, such as buttons or Bluetooth proximity detection, to differentiate between intentional and unintentional breaches, allowing users to suppress alerts during anticipated excursions and resetting the system accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system generates alerts for every breach of the safe zone, then the reliability of asset tracking is improved, but the quantity of false alarms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting a breach event and initiating a suppression mechanism before generating an alert. When a breach is detected, the system checks whether suppression should be applied and prevents the alert from being generated, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable tracking and false alarm reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring breach events and dynamically controlling alert generation based on detected patterns. The system receives feedback from breach detections and adjusts its behavior by suppressing alerts when appropriate, maintaining reliability while reducing false alarms
2Reliability
If multiple people are notified of breaches, then the likelihood of asset recovery is improved, but the quantity of notifications increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts false alarm notifications from the overall notification stream by identifying and suppressing alerts that would result from legitimate temporary breaches. This allows genuine security concerns to be communicated to multiple people while eliminating unnecessary notifications
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors asset location continuously, then the measurement precision of asset position is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by monitoring asset location at regular intervals rather than continuously. The breach detection mechanism checks position periodically to determine if the asset has left the safe zone, maintaining adequate measurement precision while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring
Data Source
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AI summary
An asset tracking device and methods prevent false alarms when a tracked asset is intentionally removed from a safe zone. A special mode is enabled on the tracking device or a server by a user. In response, the asset tracking device or server may start a first timer providing time for the asset to leave the safe zone. The asset tracking device or server monitors for the device leaving the safe zone. If the asset does not leave the safe zone within this predefined period of time, the tracking device or server resets to its normal operating mode. If the asset is removed within the first time period, a second timer may be set for a maximum duration that the asset will be outside the safe zone. If the asset is not returned to the safe zone within the second time period, the asset or server may send an alarm.