Intelligent Shields Manage Formation Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In public safety operations, maintaining effective communication and identifying weaknesses in line formations during crowd management is challenging due to noise and activity, posing risks to officers and property behind the line.
Innovation Solution
A system of electronically-embedded intelligent shields that receive pressure data and location information, comparing it to threshold values to automatically redeploy secondary support officers and activate visual indicators to aid primary officers under pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If line formations are deployed for crowd management, then protection and control capability are improved, but communication difficulty and identification of formation weaknesses increase due to noise and activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electronic communication devices and centralized monitoring systems as intermediaries between officers in the line formation. These devices transmit formation status data, pressure sensor readings, and communication messages through a centralized system that overrides the noise problem, allowing reliable information exchange without direct verbal communication between officers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and verbal communication mechanisms with electronic sensing systems. Pressure sensors, location tracking, and automated monitoring systems substitute for human officers manually checking formation integrity and communicating status, eliminating the communication breakdown caused by noise and maintaining reliable information flow
2Device complexity
If manual monitoring of formation integrity is used, then simplicity is maintained, but response time to identify and address weaknesses increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-deploying pressure sensors, location tracking devices, and communication systems within the formation before incidents occur. These systems are pre-configured to automatically detect and report formation weaknesses, eliminating the time delay associated with manual inspection and enabling immediate response to breaches or vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The formation monitoring system performs self-service through automated detection and reporting. Pressure sensors and location trackers continuously monitor formation integrity without human intervention, automatically identifying weaknesses and alerting command centers, thereby reducing response time while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized sensor integration
3Reliability
If secondary support officers are deployed, then formation support and backup are improved, but coordination difficulty increases in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where electronic devices continuously transmit location data, pressure sensor readings, and status information about secondary support officers to a centralized system. This feedback loop enables real-time coordination and deployment of support officers to where they are most needed, overcoming noise-related communication difficulties through automated information exchange
Solution Approach 2:
The communication and monitoring devices assigned to secondary support officers serve multiple functions: location tracking, pressure sensing, status reporting, and receiving deployment instructions. This multi-functionality consolidates coordination tasks into a single universal system, simplifying operations despite the noisy environment by eliminating the need for separate communication channels for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A process for managing a formation of intelligent electronically-embedded intelligent shields includes first receiving, from a plurality of primary officer and intelligent shield pairs, first location information and pressure information measured at a pressure sensor coupled to the intelligent shield and indicative of a pressure being applied to a front and/or rear face of the intelligent shield. The received pressure information is then compared to a threshold pressure value to identify those shields exceeding the threshold. Then a particular secondary support officer is identified for aiding the particular primary officer, after which either a redeployment message is transmitted to the particular secondary support officer or an indication instruction is transmitted to the intelligent shield in the particular primary officer and intelligent shield pair.