Safety Device Coverage Evaluation via Electronic Beacons

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Solution Overview

Problem

Real estate marketing and insurance companies face challenges in assessing the coverage of safety devices in a property, as existing systems lack automated methods to evaluate the number and location of safety devices installed within a home, making it difficult to provide accurate information to homeowners and potential buyers.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilizes a mobile device to initiate safety device electronic beacon recognition, gather information on safety devices, and analyze this data to determine safety device coverage, which includes providing identifying information about a property, initiating safety device electronic beacon recognition, touring the property, storing and analyzing safety device information, and communicating this data to a server for evaluation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If manual evaluation of safety device coverage is used, then system complexity is reduced, but information availability and measurement precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety device coverage informationVSAvoidevaluation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The safety devices automatically broadcast electronic beacons containing their operational status and location data. Mobile devices autonomously scan and collect these beacons during property tours, eliminating the need for manual evaluation while capturing comprehensive safety device coverage information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical evaluation methods with electronic beacon broadcasting and mobile device scanning. The analysis module automatically processes collected beacon data to generate safety device coverage maps, substituting human assessment with automated electronic systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If automated beacon recognition is implemented, then measurement precision and information availability improve, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety device location accuracyVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces mobile devices as intermediary tools that bridge users and the beacon recognition system. The mobile application handles complex beacon scanning, data collection, and analysis operations automatically, allowing users to simply tour the property while the system performs sophisticated measurements in the background.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital copies of safety device information through electronic beacons that contain encoded data about device location, type, and status. These beacon copies are collected and analyzed to generate comprehensive safety device coverage maps without requiring direct interaction with physical devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If comprehensive safety device data collection is performed, then information availability improves, but loss of time and productivity worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety device information completenessVSAvoidevaluation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The beacon recognition system operates continuously throughout the property tour, constantly scanning for and collecting safety device beacons. This continuous data collection ensures comprehensive information gathering without requiring separate evaluation steps, as the system accumulates safety device data throughout the entire touring process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Safety devices pre-broadcast their electronic beacons containing location and status information before any evaluation occurs. This preliminary availability of data allows mobile devices to immediately collect comprehensive safety device information during the tour, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual inventory or activation sequences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240212480A1Hazard detection evaluation system
Publication Date: 2024.06.27 KIDDE FIRE PROTECTION LLC
  • US20240212480A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method and system for determining safety device coverage for a property. The method includes providing identifying information associated with a property to a mobile device; initiating safety device electronic beacon recognition on the mobile device; touring the property with the mobile device having safety device electronic beacon recognition initiated and obtaining safety device information; storing safety device information obtained during touring; and analyzing the safety device information to determine safety device coverage associated with the property.