Smart Container with Angle-of-Arrival Detection for Item Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Containers often face issues with items being misplaced during frequent removal and restoration, leading to potential loss, particularly in industries like real estate, hospitality, and banking, where valuable items are frequently handled.
Innovation Solution
A container equipped with a communication module and a measurement module that uses angle-of-arrival signals from a fob and user terminal to determine if items are present, locking or unlocking the container based on pre-defined threshold ranges, and sending alerts for missing items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container is locked during frequent removal and restoration of items, then security is improved, but items may be misplaced and lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of item presence using RFID tags before allowing the locking operation. The measurement module checks whether items are present in the container, and only if items are detected does the system proceed to lock the container. This preliminary action prevents locking when items are missing, thereby preventing item loss while maintaining security.
2Ease of operation
If the container allows frequent access for item removal and restoration, then usability is improved, but the risk of misplacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides immediate feedback through alert messages when an item is detected to be missing from the container. The communication module sends notifications to the user's mobile device or displays alerts on the container interface, informing users of misplaced items. This feedback mechanism helps users become aware of misplacement in real-time, reducing future occurrences while maintaining frequent access capability.
3Measurement precision
If angle-of-arrival measurement is used to detect item presence, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses RFID tags as intermediary elements attached to items. Instead of directly measuring complex physical properties of items, the RFID tags serve as mediators that emit detectable signals. The measurement module measures the angle of arrival of these RFID signals to determine item presence and location. This intermediary approach simplifies the measurement process while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A container comprising a communication module adapted to receive a first signal from a fob coupled to an item; and a measurement module, coupled with the communication module, the measurement module adapted to measure a first angle-of-arrival based on the first signal received from the fob, and determine if the first angle of arrival is within a first pre-defined threshold range.