Infrasonic Transducer Alerts Through Building Surface Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional assistive technology devices for individuals with hearing or visual impairments often require frequent charging and can startle non-impaired individuals with loud sounds or bright lights, failing to provide effective alerts to a broad audience.
Innovation Solution
An infrasonic alert system using transducers to generate low-frequency vibrations through surfaces like floors or walls, allowing individuals to feel alerts without the need for hearing or sight, and adaptable modes for detecting movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile assistive devices are used to provide alerts, then portability and ease of use are improved, but the devices require frequent charging which reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic alert mechanisms (speakers, displays) with a mechanical vibration system. Transducers convert electrical signals into physical vibrations that travel through building structures (floors, walls, ceilings), eliminating the need for portable battery-powered devices while maintaining alert delivery reliability.
2Reliability
If high-intensity sound or light alerts are used, then alert effectiveness for impaired individuals is improved, but non-impaired individuals are startled which reduces acceptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates localized vibration alerts that travel through specific building structures (floors, walls, ceilings) to reach occupants. The vibrations are confined to the building structure rather than propagating as airborne sound waves, providing targeted alert delivery to specific locations without creating widespread disruptive effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses mechanical vibrations transmitted through building structures as the alert mechanism. These vibrations are perceptible to individuals with hearing or visual impairments but do not produce the loud airborne sounds or bright lights that cause startle effects in non-impaired individuals.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional alert systems are used, then alerts are provided through traditional sensory channels, but they fail to reach individuals with both hearing and visual impairments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal alert system that can be perceived through multiple sensory modalities. The vibration alerts transmitted through building structures can be felt by individuals with hearing impairments, seen by individuals with visual impairments (as structural movement), and perceived by non-impaired individuals, making the system universally accessible regardless of sensory abilities.
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
Enables broad audience notification of events without startling effects, ensuring alerts are received by individuals with disabilities and others in the vicinity, regardless of their sensory abilities.
Implementation Method 1
A transducer in a room or an area generates a vibration pattern in response to an alert message
Implementation Method 2
the vibration pattern is a low-frequency vibration pattern that informs a person about the alert event when the person is in contact with a surface in the building or vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
The systems, methods, and devices disclose a transducer system located in a room or in an area to provide an alert to one or more persons. The transducer system includes at least a receiver, a processor and a speaker. The receiver receives an alert message sent from an alarm system or from another transducer system. The processor is configured to determine, from a plurality of notification messages, a notification message based on the alert event indicated by the alert message. Each of the plurality of notification messages corresponds to a different alert event, and each of the plurality of notification messages includes information to vibrate a speaker according to a different pre-determined vibration pattern. The speaker is moveable to generate a vibration pattern according to the determined notification message to inform a person about the alert event, wherein the speaker generates the vibration pattern in a low-frequency range.