Reflected-Wave Person State Detection for Accurate Fall Classification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for detecting a person's state in an environment, such as fall detection, often inaccurately identify the state, leading to unnecessary resource consumption and responses, and may not be worn by the person due to discomfort or other reasons.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing an active reflected wave detector to classify a person's state based on height metrics and velocity measurements from reflections, enabling accurate classification into safe supported, crawling, free-standing, or fall states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If reflected-wave based systems (radar, lidar, sonar) are used to monitor a person in a designated space, then the system can detect the presence and position of a person, but the system cannot accurately differentiate between various states (safe supported, crawling, fall, free-standing), leading to incorrect identifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the state classification task into multiple independent measurement components: height metric measurement, velocity magnitude measurement over time, and spatial distribution analysis. Each component targets a specific aspect of state differentiation, allowing the system to accurately distinguish between safe supported, crawling, fall, and free-standing states without false alerts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal dimension by measuring velocity magnitude over multiple time points, transforming a static detection problem into a dynamic analysis. This temporal dimension enables the system to differentiate states based on motion patterns and changes in reflection characteristics over time, significantly improving state classification accuracy
2Reliability
If the system generates fall detection alerts based on inaccurate state identification, then monitoring coverage is maintained, but power and network resources are unnecessarily consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary state classification using multiple measurement metrics (height, velocity over time, spatial distribution) before generating any alerts. This preliminary analysis filters out false positives and ensures that only genuine fall states trigger alerts, preventing unnecessary power and network resource consumption while maintaining reliable monitoring coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors and compares reflection characteristics against established state profiles, providing feedback to adjust detection sensitivity. This feedback mechanism ensures that monitoring resources are allocated efficiently by confirming state classifications before triggering alerts, reducing wasted energy on false detections
3Measurement precision
If the system uses multiple measurement metrics (height metric, velocity magnitude over time, spatial distribution) for state classification, then state identification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single active reflected wave detector that performs multiple measurement functions simultaneously: capturing height information, velocity magnitude over time, and spatial distribution data. This multi-functional approach achieves high state classification accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity, as one detector handles all measurement tasks through sophisticated signal processing
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
Accurately identifies a person's state, reducing unnecessary resource consumption and responses by distinguishing between safe and hazardous conditions, ensuring timely and appropriate alerts.
Implementation Method 1
an active reflected wave detector is used to accurately classify the state of a person in the environment
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of velocity magnitude measurements of the person corresponding to different times, each of said velocity magnitude measurements determined using the reflections associated with the person
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to using an active reflected wave detector to classify the state of a person in an environment and optionally respond accordingly. In one embodiment there is provided a computer implemented method of determining a state of a person comprising: receiving an output of an active reflected wave detector; classifying a state of the person as being in a safe supported state based on the output using measurements of reflections associated with the person, wherein said classifying is based at least on: a height metric associated with at least one reflection from the person conveyed in the output of the active reflected wave detector; and a plurality of velocity magnitude measurements of the person corresponding to different times, each of said velocity magnitude measurements determined using the reflections associated with the person conveyed in the output of the active reflected wave detector.