Privacy-Preserving Sensor Alerts for Vaping and Bullying Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing notification systems for detecting vaping, smoking, and bullying in enclosed areas face challenges in privacy concerns and inefficiency in alerting responsible personnel, especially in private spaces like restrooms and hospital rooms, where camera surveillance is not feasible due to privacy issues.

Innovation Solution

A notification system comprising sensors that detect air quality, sound, and temperature, coupled with a message server that sends alerts to responsible personnel based on a responsibility schedule, using Raspberry Pi in low power mode for energy efficiency, and capable of re-sending alerts until responded to, ensuring timely notification without disturbing the individuals engaging in vaping or bullying.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If camera surveillance is used to detect vaping, smoking, or bullying, then detection accuracy is improved, but privacy is compromised in private areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidprivacy violation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides detection into multiple sensor types (air quality sensors for vaping/smoking, sound sensors for bullying) rather than using a single camera system, allowing targeted detection in private areas while preserving privacy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces optical detection (camera surveillance) with sensor-based detection (air quality sensors, sound sensors) that can detect harmful activities without visual monitoring, eliminating privacy violations while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Loss of time

If alert notifications are sent immediately upon detection, then response time is improved, but false alarms cause unnecessary disturbance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidunnecessary disturbance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by cross-checking sensor data against base data collected during learning mode before sending alerts, ensuring that only genuine incidents trigger notifications and reducing false alarms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from multiple sensor readings and comparison with historical base data to verify detection accuracy before triggering alerts, reducing false positives while maintaining rapid response to genuine incidents

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If continuous monitoring is performed in all areas, then detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs periodic sampling of sensor data and compares readings against base data at scheduled intervals rather than continuous monitoring, maintaining detection reliability while significantly reducing energy consumption of sensors and processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different monitoring strategies to different zones based on their specific requirements and risk levels, with higher monitoring intensity in high-risk areas and reduced monitoring in low-risk areas, optimizing energy usage while maintaining overall detection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

Effectively notifies responsible personnel of vaping, smoking, or bullying incidents in enclosed areas, enhancing supervision and prevention of harmful effects while maintaining privacy by using location-dependent base data and energy-efficient sensors.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of sensors, each being configured to sense air quality

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas detection: Absorption Spectroscopy

Implementation Method 2

a plurality of sensors, each being configured to sense air quality, sound, and temperature at the premises

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSound detection: Sound

Implementation Method 3

a plurality of sensors, each being configured to sense air quality, sound, and temperature at the premises

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature detection: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS11373498B2System and method for notifying detection of vaping, smoking, or potential bullying

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 SOTER TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A notification system for notifying detection of vaping, smoking, or potential bullying at a premises includes a plurality of sensors, each being configured to sense air quality, sound, and temperature at the premises, a memory configured to store a responsibility schedule, and positional information and base data for each of the plurality of sensors, a controller configured to determine detection of vaping, smoking, or potential bullying by comparing results sensed by the plurality of sensors with the base data, and a message server configured to send an alert to a person based on the responsibility schedule, a detection location, and a detection time. The person is responsible at the detection location and at the detection time based on the responsibility schedule.