Glass Break Microphone Occupancy Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current building and residential automation and security systems lack effective methods to differentiate between human and animal presence, leading to unnecessary alarms and inefficient monitoring.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a glass break sensor microphone to monitor sounds, analyze them using signal transforms like DCTs and FFTs, and distinguish between human and animal-generated sounds, including footsteps and voices, to accurately determine occupancy and trigger alarms only for human presence.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If motion sensors are used to detect occupancy, then detection coverage is improved, but false alarms increase due to inability to differentiate between human and animal presence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoccupancy detection accuracyVSAvoidfalse alarms

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines motion sensing technology with acoustic analysis technology into a unified occupancy detection system. The system integrates data from both motion sensors and microphones, using signal processing to analyze audio patterns alongside motion detection, thereby differentiating between human and animal presence and reducing false alarms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces acoustic signal analysis as an intermediary layer between motion detection and alarm triggering. The system uses audio pattern recognition to mediate the connection between detected motion and final occupancy determination, adding a verification step that distinguishes human from animal sources of motion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If simple motion detection is used, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of occupancy type deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidoccupancy differentiation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces purely mechanical/motion-based detection with a hybrid system that incorporates acoustic field analysis. By substituting some motion detection functionality with audio signal processing, the system achieves better occupancy differentiation without proportionally increasing mechanical complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a multi-functional detection system where the same hardware platform performs both motion sensing and acoustic analysis. The system is designed to handle multiple detection modalities (motion and sound) within a unified architecture, allowing it to differentiate occupancy types while maintaining manageable complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances the accuracy of occupancy detection, reducing false alarms by differentiating between human and animal sounds, and improving the efficiency of automation and security systems by providing timely and relevant notifications.

Implementation Method 1

using a microphone to monitor for sounds at a building, detecting a sound via the microphone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic energy conversion:

Data Source

PatentUS10522012B1Verifying occupancy of a building

Publication Date: 2019.12.31 VIVINT LLC

AI summary

A method for detecting occupancy of a building is described. In one embodiment, the method includes using a microphone to monitor for sounds at a building, detecting a sound via the microphone, and determining whether the sound is made by a human or made by an animal. In some cases, the microphone is a glass break sensor microphone.