Evidentiary Data Collection for Public Safety Responders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Public safety responders who are not directly assigned to an incident but have relevant data may be unable to upload this data due to their unassigned status, even if they are geographically close to the incident or have roles relevant to the situation.

Innovation Solution

An evidentiary electronic processor determines the assignment status of communication devices and processes sensor data based on this status, allowing unassigned responders with relevant profiles to form a modified incident group and upload data to an evidentiary repository using access tokens, while unassigned responders with irrelevant profiles are restricted from uploading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If unassigned responders are restricted from uploading data to maintain data quality and relevance, then data reliability is improved, but data collection completeness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata reliabilityVSAvoiddata collection completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different upload permissions to different responders within the same talkgroup based on their individual assignment status and geographic proximity to the incident. Instead of a uniform restriction on all unassigned responders, the system selectively enables uploads only for those unassigned responders who are geographically close to the incident, thereby maintaining data reliability while capturing relevant information that would otherwise be lost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If all talkgroup members are allowed to upload data regardless of assignment status, then data collection completeness is improved, but data processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata collection completenessVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of assignment status and geographic proximity before allowing data uploads. By pre-evaluating whether unassigned responders are geographically close to the incident and setting their upload permissions accordingly, the system avoids the complexity of processing and filtering data from all talkgroup members afterward. This preliminary filtering mechanism reduces data processing complexity while ensuring completeness of relevant data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If unassigned responders can monitor talkgroup communications but not upload data, then system security is improved, but response efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem securityVSAvoidresponse efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts upload permissions for unassigned responders based on real-time conditions, specifically their geographic proximity to the incident. Responders start with monitoring-only access for security, but when they are determined to be geographically close to the incident, their permissions are dynamically upgraded to allow data uploads. This dynamic permission adjustment maintains system security while enabling response efficiency when relevant data is available from unassigned responders.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3622732B1Apparatus and method for real-time public safety evidentiary data collection
Publication Date: 2022.12.21 MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP3622732B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3622732B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3622732B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

An evidentiary electronic processor receives identifying data associated with respective ones of a plurality of communication devices associated with an incident. The evidentiary electronic processor determines an assignment status of each communication device using the respective identifying data. The assignment status indicates that a communication device is one of assigned to the incident, unassigned to the incident and associated with a first profile that is relevant to the incident, or unassigned to the incident and associated with a second profile that is irrelevant to the incident. The evidentiary electronic processor receives sensor data associated with the incident from a sending communication device out of the plurality of communication devices. The evidentiary electronic processor processes the sensor data based on a respective assignment status associated with the sending communication device.