Automatic PSAP Notification for Missed Safety Check-Ins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal safety devices require affirmative action by the user to alert authorities in distress situations, which may not be possible if the user is incapacitated or unaware, leading to delayed assistance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that automatically alert emergency responders to a user's location without user intervention by determining an alarm event, such as a lack of response to check-in calls, and transmitting alarm information to the proper PSAP for dispatch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If automatic alarm event determination is implemented, then response time is reduced and timely assistance is enabled, but device complexity increases due to monitoring and communication systems required
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting alarm events through monitoring check-in call responses and initiating emergency notifications without requiring user action. The server autonomously determines when assistance is needed by analyzing whether the user responded to check-in calls, and automatically transmits alarm information to PSAP, eliminating the need for manual activation by an incapacitated user.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the user's personal electronic device and the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). It monitors communication between these entities, determines alarm events based on response patterns, and facilitates automatic notification to emergency services, thereby reducing the complexity burden from the user's device while enabling timely response.
2Reliability
If automatic alarm event determination is implemented, then reliability is improved by ensuring assistance is provided even when user is incapacitated, but use of energy increases due to continuous monitoring and communication activities
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic check-in calls instead of continuous monitoring to determine alarm events. The server places check-in calls at predetermined intervals and determines whether an alarm event has occurred based on the user's response to these periodic attempts. This approach ensures reliability by regularly checking on the user's status while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
3Ease of operation
If automatic notification to PSAP is implemented, then ease of operation is improved by eliminating need for user action, but loss of information increases due to potential false alarms from non-response
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by notifying predetermined contacts before automatically notifying the PSAP. When an alarm event is determined, the server first sends notifications to emergency contacts designated by the user, giving them an opportunity to verify the situation and potentially prevent false alarms. Only if these preliminary notifications do not resolve the situation does the system proceed to automatic PSAP notification, thereby reducing false alarm rates while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that operates entirely automatically to determine that user may be in distress and unable to contact authorities, and is operable to identify the proper location PSAP that is in geographic proximity to the user; to notify a proper local PSAP of the user's location, the user's identity, the identification of the contact with whom the user expected to meet, the geographic location of the expected meeting place, the time at which the user failed to check in, and other information regarding the user, the contact or the meeting; and to automatically connect the user's cell phone with the proper location PSAP. The elimination of the need for a call center, and the ability to automatically identify and connect the user to the proper PSAP even when the user is unable to respond or interact, are significant advantages of the system of the invention.