Remote Validation for Automated People Counting Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing people counting systems face validation challenges due to mistrust between store managers and installers, as managers may be skeptical of automated counts, leading to potential inaccuracies and distrust in system performance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows for remote validation of automated counting processes using a manual validation tool, enabling store managers to perform manual counts and compare them with automated counts, generating a validation report to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness of the counting system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated counting systems are deployed to monitor customer traffic, then productivity and data collection efficiency are improved, but reliability and trust in the counting data deteriorate due to skepticism from store managers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a validation tool as an intermediary component that independently verifies automated counting data. This validation tool acts as a mediator between the automated counting system and store managers, providing third-party verification that resolves the trust issue while maintaining the efficiency benefits of automated counting.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where validation results from the manual validation tool are fed back to verify automated counting accuracy. This closed-loop feedback system allows store managers to confirm the reliability of automated data through independent validation, thereby increasing trust while maintaining productivity.
2Reliability
If manual validation processes are implemented to verify automated counts, then reliability and trust in counting data are improved, but device complexity and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The validation tool is designed to be self-service oriented, allowing store managers to independently perform validations without requiring installer intervention. The system automatically manages the validation process, comparing automated counts with manual observations and generating validation reports, thereby reducing operational complexity despite adding validation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation actions by automatically comparing automated counting data with expected patterns before final reporting. This preliminary processing reduces the complexity of manual validation by pre-processing and pre-comparing data, requiring minimal additional system complexity while maintaining high validation reliability.
3Ease of operation
If installers perform validation on behalf of store managers, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential bias and mistrust
Solution Approach 1:
The validation tool serves as an independent intermediary that performs validations free from installer bias. By transferring the validation function from installer to store manager through this neutral tool, the system maintains ease of operation while eliminating conflicts of interest, thereby improving trust in validation results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional validation hierarchy by enabling store managers to perform validations themselves rather than relying on installers. This inversion of roles, facilitated by the user-friendly validation tool, maintains operational simplicity while fundamentally improving trust by removing the installer's potential bias from the validation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a sensor and a remote processing and storage component in communication with the sensor. The sensor generates sensor data indicative of the presence of people or objects in a scene. The remote processing and storage component receives the sensor data from the sensor and performs an automated counting process to determine an automated count of people or objects. The component receives a request to perform a validation process for the sensor. The component also generates and transmits a link to a manual validation page that includes an interface for performing a manual count. The component further receives an indication to start a validation process from the manual validation page, generates an automated count value from the performed automated counting process, and receives manual count data. The component also generates a validation report based on the automated count value and the manual count data.