Dynamic Access Perimeter Management for Assisted Living Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Assisted living facilities face challenges in managing and monitoring the movement of senior and disabled residents within their premises, as existing systems lack the ability to dynamically adjust access perimeters and respond effectively to perimeter breach events in real-time, potentially leading to safety risks and reduced resident freedom.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves defining and dynamically adjusting individual and group access perimeters using wearable devices and a computer system, which tracks resident locations and sends real-time alerts to care providers when residents breach their assigned boundaries, allowing for tailored access control and supervision based on characteristics, medical conditions, and time-dependent factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical barriers and constant supervision are used to ensure resident safety, then safety is improved, but resident freedom and quality of life deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical barriers (mechanical confinement) with an electronic monitoring system using wearable devices, location tracking, and virtual perimeter definitions. This substitution maintains safety through technological monitoring while eliminating the need for physical restrictions, thereby preserving resident freedom and quality of life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary monitoring layer between residents and physical barriers. Instead of direct physical confinement, the system uses wearable devices, location tracking technology, and care provider notifications as intermediaries to ensure safety while allowing unrestricted movement within and outside the facility.
2Device complexity
If a generic access perimeter is assigned to all residents, then system complexity is reduced, but individual safety needs and freedom are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic perimeter assignment where access perimeters are not fixed but can be individually customized for each resident based on their specific needs, medical conditions, and risk assessments. The system can adjust perimeter boundaries, restrictions, and monitoring parameters dynamically to balance safety requirements with resident freedom for different individuals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different perimeter configurations and monitoring parameters to different residents based on their individual characteristics, medical conditions, and safety needs. Each resident receives a customized access perimeter tailored to their specific situation rather than a uniform generic perimeter, enabling localized quality of care.
3Loss of time
If real-time location tracking and breach alerts are implemented, then response time to safety incidents is improved, but system complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated self-service functionality where the wearable devices continuously track location and automatically detect perimeter breaches without requiring constant manual monitoring. The system autonomously compares real-time location data against defined perimeters and automatically generates alerts, reducing the need for complex manual monitoring infrastructure while maintaining rapid response capability.
Data Source
AI summary
One variation of a method for detecting breach events by residents of an assisted living facility includes: defining a first access perimeter within a facility; assigning the first access perimeter to a first resident, in a set of residents in the facility; tracking locations of resident wearable devices associated with residents, in the set of residents, within the facility; disabling a first subregion within the first access perimeter coincident a second location of a second resident, in the set of residents, flagged for separation from the first resident; and, in response to a first location of a first resident wearable device associated with the first resident falling outside of the first access perimeter, distributing a first breach event prompt to assist the first resident, proximal the first location, to care provider mobile devices associated with care providers affiliated with the facility.