Smart Home Risk Scoring for Hidden Hazard Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Homeowners are often unaware of potential risks in their homes, such as electrical fires or security threats, which can lead to unforeseen losses, and insurance carriers lack comprehensive data to accurately assess risk, leading to inadequate pricing of insurance policies.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a remote server, internal controller, and smart devices within the home collects and analyzes internal and external data to generate safety and health scores for the property, providing homeowners with risk assessments and recommendations for mitigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If homeowners perform routine inspections and mitigating actions, then risk reduction is improved, but detection capability remains insufficient due to homeowner unawareness of hidden risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces smart sensors and monitoring devices as intermediaries between the hidden risks and the homeowner. These devices detect electrical arcing, moisture intrusion, and other hazards that homeowners cannot perceive directly, translating invisible threats into actionable alerts and risk scores.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual inspection methods with automated electronic sensing and data analysis systems. Instead of relying on homeowner visual checks, the system uses smart sensors, machine learning algorithms, and continuous monitoring to detect and assess risks automatically.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive risk data is collected from multiple sources, then insurance pricing accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases due to data integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional platform that serves both homeowners and insurance carriers. The same system infrastructure collects data for risk assessment, generates safety scores for consumer engagement, and provides actuarial data for pricing, eliminating the need for separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate functions into a unified system: consumer-facing risk monitoring tools are merged with insurer-facing actuarial platforms. This integration allows data collected for home safety monitoring to simultaneously serve insurance pricing purposes, reducing overall system complexity despite the comprehensive nature of data collection.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If smart devices and monitoring systems are installed throughout the home, then risk detection capability is improved, but device complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring system into modular components that can be installed independently in different locations throughout the home. Each smart device focuses on specific hazard detection (electrical, moisture, security), allowing phased implementation and reducing the perceived complexity of full system installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables devices to automatically configure themselves and integrate with the central platform without requiring complex manual setup. The system performs self-diagnosis, automatic pairing, and adaptive learning, reducing installation and maintenance burden on homeowners.
4Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring and data collection are implemented, then home safety assessment accuracy is improved, but energy consumption and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling and event-triggered monitoring rather than truly continuous operation. The system adjusts its monitoring intensity based on risk levels, performing comprehensive analyses at intervals and only activating full-power sensors when anomalies are detected, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining assessment accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for evaluating aspects of health of a residential property configured to: (i) receive a first element of internal home health data captured by one or more smart devices installed within a residential property, the first element of internal home health data reflecting an aspect of operational quality of one or more assets of the residential property; (ii) determine a safety score based upon the first element of internal home health data; (iii) receive a second element of internal home health data captured by the one or more smart devices; (iv) determine a home health score based upon the first or second elements of internal home health data, the home health score representing a measure of health of the residential property; and (v) cause to be displayed, to a homeowner via a graphical user interface, a home health evaluation that includes the safety score and the home health score.