Automatic Alarm System Using Watchdog Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security systems relying on user activation for panic buttons are ineffective when the user is incapacitated, as they fail to raise alarms in situations where the user cannot activate the device, such as accidents or robberies.
Innovation Solution
A security system with a central control and monitoring element that communicates with portable remote units, employing a watchdog mechanism that automatically generates an alarm if not reset within a set time interval or based on location or physiological parameters, ensuring protection without explicit user action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a panic button system requiring explicit user activation is used, then the system structure remains simple and easy to operate, but the system fails to provide protection when the user is incapacitated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring user presence and activity patterns before an emergency occurs. The watchdog mechanism is pre-configured with expected behavior patterns, and automatically detects when these patterns are violated, triggering an alarm without requiring user action. This resolves the contradiction by establishing reliable automatic detection while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system serves itself by using the user's own behavioral patterns and presence data to trigger alarms. The portable unit monitors its own operational status and the user's interaction patterns, automatically determining when help is needed without external intervention or complex additional sensors. This self-monitoring approach improves reliability while keeping the device structure simple.
2Extent of automation
If a watchdog mechanism with multiple monitoring parameters is implemented, then automatic alarm capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal watchdog mechanism that can monitor multiple parameters (user presence, activity patterns, location) through a single integrated approach. The same core watchdog logic handles different monitoring scenarios by comparing current state against expected patterns, providing automatic alarm capability across multiple situations without requiring separate complex monitoring systems for each parameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects emergencies by monitoring changes in behavioral parameters rather than using multiple independent sensing systems. The watchdog mechanism tracks variations in user interaction patterns, presence duration, and location consistency, triggering alarms when parameter deviations exceed thresholds. This parameter-based approach achieves high automation while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic alarm system is described that is triggered by the lack of event at one or more portable remote unit(s). The system includes an electromagnetic interface from a plurality of portable units to a central command and monitoring element. This automatic triggering of an alarm condition adds security to the users of the system since it is not always feasible to explicitly trigger an alarm when in danger.