Over-the-air Identifier Tracking for Public Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying and tracking individuals in public safety scenarios, such as crime scenes or terrorist incidents, are inadequate due to limitations in video surveillance, Mobile Identification Number (MIN) solutions, and the need for real-time detection and tracking within small geographic areas, especially in areas where officers may not have GPS-capable devices and require human resources for facial analytics.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of analytic and tracking systems using over-the-air identifiers (OTAIs) like MAC addresses, LTE IMSI, and other unique device identifiers, which are captured by sensors and correlated with additional information to detect triggers and maintain watch lists, allowing for real-time tracking and notification of individuals of interest without the need for warrants or human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If video surveillance is used to identify individuals at crime scenes, then visual identification capability is improved, but deployment cost and human resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces video surveillance (optical/mechanical system) with wireless signal-based identification (electromagnetic system). Sensors detect over-the-air identifiers like MAC addresses and IMSI numbers from mobile devices, substituting the need for visual confirmation through cameras and subsequent human analysis, thereby reducing both deployment complexity and human resource requirements while maintaining identification capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless communication signals as an intermediary between the identification target and the detection system. Instead of directly observing individuals through video cameras, the system captures over-the-air identifiers transmitted by mobile devices, using these signals as intermediaries to identify and track individuals automatically without requiring human visual analysis
2Measurement precision
If Mobile Identification Number (MIN) tracking is used to identify suspects, then identification capability is improved, but response time deteriorates due to large user bases on cell sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large cell site coverage area into smaller sensor deployment zones. By placing multiple sensors throughout a geographic area, each sensor monitors a localized region, reducing the number of users each sensor must track simultaneously. This segmentation of the monitoring space reduces the effective user base per sensor, enabling faster identification and response times compared to traditional cell site-level MIN tracking
3Reliability
If MIN tracking is implemented for real-time detection, then detection capability is improved, but legal requirements for warrants and subpoenas increase operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses over-the-air identifiers such as MAC addresses and IMSI numbers that can be captured and discarded without requiring long-term retention or complex legal procedures. These identifiers serve as temporary, disposable markers for tracking individuals through geographic areas, eliminating the need for warrants and subpoenas required by traditional MIN tracking systems, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining detection capability
4Measurement precision
If GPS tracking is used to monitor officer locations, then location tracking capability is improved, but device compatibility and jurisdictional sharing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal tracking system that uses over-the-air identifiers detectable by any sensor equipped with wireless communication capabilities, regardless of whether the device has GPS. The system can track any mobile device transmitting wireless signals within sensor range, making it compatible with all modern mobile phones and devices without requiring GPS hardware, thus achieving universality across different devices and jurisdictions
Data Source
AI summary
Analytic and tracking systems and methods are described that use over-the-air identifiers (OTAIs) of mobile devices for tracking, dispatch, identification, etc. In particular, the analytic and tracking systems and methods can include various OTAI sensors that are communicatively coupled to a server and with one another. The OTAI sensors are configured to identify proximate mobile devices concurrent with at least one additional piece of information. The analytic and tracking systems and methods can process identified mobile devices and the additional pieces of information for a plurality of applications.