Contact Tracing System Using BLE Mesh Network

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current contact tracing methods are labor-intensive, prone to errors, and inefficient in identifying individuals who have been in close proximity to infected persons, making it difficult to effectively contain the spread of airborne diseases.

Innovation Solution

A contact tracing system utilizing a meshed network of aggregators with sensors and transceivers to determine the location and status of assets within a designated area, calculating proximity and contact duration scores to identify close contacts indicative of disease transmission, and generating alerts and databases for automatic tracing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual contact tracing interviews are conducted to identify close contacts, then contact tracing can be performed, but the process becomes labor-intensive, error-prone, and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of contact tracingVSAvoidtime required for contact tracing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical interview process with an automated electronic system using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals, sensors, and processors to automatically detect, track, and analyze proximity contacts between individuals, eliminating human labor and associated errors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service contact tracing where individuals automatically wear tracking devices that continuously broadcast their location and proximity information, allowing the system to autonomously identify close contacts without requiring manual reporting or interviews

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If thorough contact tracing interviews are conducted to ensure accuracy, then reliability improves, but the complexity and cost of the process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of contact tracingVSAvoidcomplexity of contact tracing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides contact tracing functionality into separate modular components: wearable tracking devices for individuals, fixed aggregators for signal collection, and a central server for data processing and analysis, allowing each component to be optimized independently and simplifying overall system implementation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces fixed aggregators as intermediary devices that collect BLE signals from multiple wearable devices and relay data to the central server, simplifying the architecture by separating signal collection from data processing and reducing direct communication requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If manual contact tracing processes are used, then implementation can be simple, but productivity and efficiency of disease containment are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of contact tracingVSAvoidlevel of automated tracing

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual contact tracing operations with fully automated electronic detection and analysis systems that continuously monitor proximity signals, automatically identify close contacts, and generate alerts, dramatically increasing processing speed and efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where proximity data is constantly collected, analyzed, and used to generate real-time alerts for close contacts, enabling dynamic and responsive disease containment rather than static manual processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20240347212A1Methods and systems for performing contact tracing

Publication Date: 2024.10.17 INTELLIGENT LOCATIONS LLC

AI summary

Real time localization systems are provided that have the ability to locate people in an area. By leveraging signal data gathered by these systems, methods for enabling precise contact tracing in time and space are provided. These systems and methods enable applications such as automatic contact tracing and the automatic computation of risk reduction through attendance reduction.