Fall Detection via Alienated Image Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fall detection systems for elderly individuals face acceptance issues due to cumbersome wearable devices and complex, expensive sensor installations, while optical monitoring methods infringe on personal privacy, leading to reluctance and ethical concerns.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing passive optical sensors, such as cameras, to monitor rooms and detect falls by transmitting alienated image data only upon detection, with a feedback channel allowing the monitored person to verify alarms and decrypt images for rescue services if necessary, protecting privacy and reducing device burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wearable devices are used for fall detection, then fall detection capability is improved, but device comfort and acceptance deteriorate due to cumbersome wearability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wearable mechanical sensors with a passive optical sensing system using cameras. Instead of requiring users to wear devices with accelerometers or GPS, the system uses optical cameras to detect falls through image analysis, eliminating the mechanical wearability issues while maintaining fall detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that analyzes optical images to detect falls. Rather than direct body contact sensing, the system uses captured images as intermediaries to infer fall events through algorithmic analysis of motion patterns and positioning, thereby avoiding direct wearable device requirements.
2Reliability
If permanent optical monitoring is implemented, then fall detection reliability is improved, but personal privacy rights deteriorate due to continuous surveillance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic image capture and analysis rather than continuous monitoring. The system captures images at specific intervals or when motion is detected, processes them through fall detection algorithms, and only transmits alienated image data when falls are detected. This periodic action maintains detection reliability while minimizing privacy intrusion during normal activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential fall detection information from captured images through alienation processing. Instead of transmitting complete image data, the system extracts and transmits only the processed alienated representation containing fall detection results, thereby removing unnecessary personal identifiable information while preserving fall detection capability.
3Reliability
If floor sensors or sensor mats are installed, then fall detection capability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses standard optical cameras as copies of the human eye to detect falls, replacing complex sensor mats with simpler imaging devices. The camera captures visual information that is then processed to detect falls, providing a simpler, more cost-effective alternative to embedded floor sensors while maintaining adequate detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs universal optical cameras that can perform multiple functions: capturing images for fall detection, providing visual feedback to users, and enabling remote monitoring. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized fall detection sensors, reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining or improving detection capabilities.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method and a device for detecting a particular emergency situation or detecting a fall and issuing an alarm is made available. The method comprises monitoring a space by means of at least one optical sensor, such as a video camera or infrared camera, detecting a fall of a person in the monitored space by evaluating the images recorded with the optical sensor, distorting the image data and triggering an alarm and transmitting the distorted image data to at least one authorized receiver if a fall of a person in the monitored space is detected.