Hazard Detector Follow-Up Communication for Easing Condition Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smoke or carbon monoxide alarms provide no indication of a hazardous condition until a loud alarm sounds, leading to unnecessary disturbance and uncertainty about the effectiveness of user remediation efforts, as they lack the ability to inform users when the hazard is rising or easing.
Innovation Solution
A hazard detector system that monitors hazardous conditions like smoke and carbon monoxide, providing auditory and visual feedback on the presence, rising, and easing of hazards, using multiple states and a pre-alarm mode to alert users before a full alarm sounds, and outputs an indication when the hazard has eased based on threshold levels and duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional alarm sounds only when hazard reaches threshold level, then false alarms from minor hazards (e.g., cooking smoke) are avoided, but users receive no early warning and cannot take preventive actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by issuing a pre-alarm notification when the hazard level approaches but has not yet reached the alarm threshold. This early warning allows users to take remedial actions (such as opening windows or turning on ventilation) before the full alarm sounds, thus preventing false alarms while providing timely response opportunity
Solution Approach 2:
The alarm response is segmented into multiple stages: a pre-alarm stage with visual/audible notifications when hazard approaches threshold, and a full alarm stage when threshold is exceeded. This segmentation allows differentiated responses based on hazard severity, providing early warning without triggering unnecessary full alarms
2Device complexity
If alarm provides no intermediate status information, then device complexity is reduced, but users are left guessing whether remediation actions are sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring hazard levels and providing real-time status updates to users through visual indicators. The LEDs display different patterns (e.g., green for safe, yellow for approaching threshold, red for alarm) and can show whether levels are rising or falling, enabling users to assess the effectiveness of their remediation actions
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses color changes in LED indicators to convey hazard status information efficiently. Different colors represent different hazard levels and trends, providing intuitive visual feedback without requiring complex displays or interfaces, thus maintaining system simplicity while delivering rich information
3Reliability
If alarm sounds immediately when threshold is reached, then safety response is maximized, but unnecessary disturbance occurs from minor hazards like cooking smoke
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by providing a pre-alarm warning that enables users to counteract the developing hazard before it reaches alarm levels. For minor hazards like cooking smoke, users can take corrective actions (ventilation, stopping cooking temporarily) during the pre-alarm phase, preventing the full alarm from activating and thus avoiding unnecessary disturbance
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
Ambient amount of a hazardous condition may be monitored. A mode may be set to a state indicative of the hazardous condition being present in the ambient environment. It may then be determined that the amount of the hazard in the ambient environment has dropped below a threshold hazardous condition level. A time period may then be tracked during which the amount of the hazardous condition present in the ambient environment of the hazard detector has remained below the threshold hazardous condition level. It may be determined that the time period has reached at least a threshold duration, during such time period the amount of the hazardous condition present in the ambient environment of the hazard detector having remained below the threshold hazardous condition level. An indication of the hazardous condition easing may be output in response to the time period being at least the threshold duration.