Intrusion Sensor Plausibility Checking for False Alarm Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional intrusion sensors placed inside buildings can trigger false alarms due to their inability to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized movements, as they only detect vibrations in three spatial axes without considering other environmental factors.

Innovation Solution

An intrusion sensor system that includes an acceleration sensor to detect movements in at least one spatial axis, an environment sensor to detect physical variables such as temperature or humidity, and a plausibility checking device to verify the presence of a person by comparing detected values with mean values, thereby reducing false alarms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If only acceleration sensors are used to detect movements in three spatial axes, then the sensor can detect vibrations caused by break-ins, but false alarms are triggered easily because the sensor cannot differentiate between authorized and unauthorized movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealarm accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple sensor types (acceleration sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and optionally light sensor) into a single intrusion detection system. The sensor unit integrates these different sensing capabilities to work together, allowing the system to detect both movement patterns and environmental conditions simultaneously, thereby improving reliability without requiring separate independent systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light) and using this information to validate acceleration signals. The control unit compares detected environmental values against stored reference values and uses this feedback to determine whether an acceleration event represents a genuine intrusion or a false alarm condition, thereby improving alarm accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the sensor only detects vibrations in three spatial axes, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision is insufficient to determine the actual reason for vibration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration detection precisionVSAvoidsensor configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends detection beyond the three spatial axes by incorporating environmental dimension monitoring through temperature, humidity, and light sensors. This adds new dimensions of data collection that complement the acceleration data, enabling more precise determination of vibration causes by considering environmental context alongside movement patterns

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If environmental sensors are added to detect physical variables, then false alarms are reduced by plausibility checking, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse alarm reductionVSAvoidsensor quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, light) are merged into a single integrated sensor unit that shares common processing and control logic. This consolidation approach allows the system to gather diverse environmental data without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the sensors work together within a unified architectural framework

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Environmental sensors provide continuous feedback about physical conditions that is used to validate acceleration events. The control unit uses this feedback information to perform plausibility checks, comparing current environmental readings against reference values to determine whether detected movements represent genuine intrusions or normal environmental variations, thereby reducing false alarms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

Significantly reduces false alarms by accurately determining whether a person is inside or outside the building, enhancing the sensor's reliability and acceptance.

Implementation Method 1

an acceleration sensor (4) which is designed to detect movements of the intrusion sensor (1) in at least one spatial axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcceleration detection: Accelerometer

Implementation Method 2

an environment sensor (6) which is designed to detect at least one value (7) of at least one physical variable (8) in the environment of the intrusion sensor (1)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature detection: Thermocouple

Data Source

PatentEP3008705B1Break-in sensor for monitoring an entrance to a building to be monitored, method and alarm system thereof
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3008705B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3008705B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3008705B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a break-in sensor for monitoring an entrance to a building to be monitored, wherein the break-in sensor is arranged on the inside of the building on the entrance, comprising: an acceleration sensor, which is designed to detect motions of the break-in sensor in at least one spatial axis and to output an acceleration signal in the event of a motion in the at least one axis; an environment sensor, which is designed to detect at least one value of at least one physical variable in the environment of the break-in sensor; and a plausibility-checking device, which is designed to check the plausibility of the acceleration signal by means of the detected value of the physical variable and to output a break-in signal in the event of the plausibility check being passed. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method and to an alarm system having a break-in sensor according to the invention.