Smoke Detector Video Camera Integration for Verified Threat Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smoke and fire detectors often produce false alarms and lack effective methods for verifying alarms or locating potential victims in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a video camera and illumination system within smoke, fire, or life safety detectors that activate only upon detecting an alarm condition, capturing images for verification and transmitting them to a remote monitoring station or first responders, along with temperature-reading devices to confirm alarm validity, while ensuring privacy through conditional activation based on the security system's state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a video camera is integrated into smoke and fire detectors to capture images for verification, then alarm verification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the video camera, illumination system, temperature-reading device, and smoke/fire detection functions into a single integrated detector unit. This merging approach improves alarm verification accuracy by correlating multiple data sources (visual evidence from camera, thermal data from temperature sensor, and smoke detection) while managing complexity through unified system architecture where components share power, housing, and control circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system activates automatically when the detector senses smoke or fire conditions, providing immediate lighting for the camera to capture verification images. This preliminary action ensures that visual evidence is captured without delay, improving verification accuracy while the illumination only operates when needed, minimizing energy consumption and complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the video camera remains on continuously to capture images, then victim location accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The video camera operates periodically rather than continuously - it activates only when the detector identifies smoke, fire, or alarm conditions. This periodic operation maintains victim location capability when needed while dramatically reducing energy consumption during normal conditions. The illumination system similarly operates only during alarm events to support image capture.
3Reliability
If the video camera is activated during normal conditions to monitor the region, then threat detection capability is improved, but privacy concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts camera activation based on detected conditions. The camera remains inactive during normal conditions and activates only when alarm conditions (smoke, fire, heat) are detected. This dynamic behavior maintains threat detection reliability by capturing evidence during actual events while eliminating privacy intrusion during normal monitoring periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary condition (detection of smoke, fire, or alarm) that must be met before camera activation. This intermediary acts as a gatekeeper between normal operation and monitoring mode, ensuring camera activation occurs only when legitimate safety concerns exist, thereby balancing threat detection needs with privacy protection.
4Reliability
If multiple detectors are integrated into a networked system for centralized monitoring, then alarm verification reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each detector in the networked system performs multiple functions: local smoke/fire detection, image capture, temperature monitoring, and communication. This multi-functionality allows individual units to operate independently for basic detection while also participating in the networked system for enhanced verification, providing reliability benefits without requiring all units to have identical complex capabilities.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Systems and methods for verified threat detection are provided. Some systems can include a sensor monitoring an ambient region, and an image capturing device, wherein, upon the sensor detecting an alarm condition in the ambient region, the image capturing device is activated for capturing an image of the ambient region to determine whether the captured image is consistent with the alarm condition.