SOS Alert Coordination via Sensor-Triggered Status Notifications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for providing assistance to individuals who send SOS messages from mobile devices often fail to coordinate assistance effectively, as the person contacted may not be able to address the issue, and the description of the situation may not be well-informed due to the person's lucidity being compromised in dangerous situations.
Innovation Solution
A method that automatically generates and manages SOS alerts, establishing two-way communication and sending notifications to a community of users, including the user-assistant's identity and status updates, to ensure informed follow-up and coordination of assistance, using low-bit rate communication protocols and sensors for automatic detection of danger or accidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the person in distress provides detailed description of the situation, then the assistance can be better coordinated, but the person cannot provide accurate information due to compromised lucidity in dangerous situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically collecting situation information through sensors (accelerometer, GPS, microphone) without requiring the distressed person to manually describe the situation. The device autonomously detects falls, determines location, and captures audio evidence, resolving the contradiction between needing accurate information and the person's compromised ability to provide it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual process of information provision (person verbally describing situation) with automated sensor-based detection systems. The accelerometer detects physical shocks, GPS provides location data, and the microphone captures audio, substituting human cognitive effort with automated physical measurement systems.
2Reliability
If multiple users are contacted for assistance, then the chances of finding appropriate help increase, but coordinating the assistance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by automatically notifying other users in the network when one user accepts the assistance request. This prevents duplicate responses and enables coordinated action, as subsequent users know someone is already responding. The feedback mechanism resolves the coordination complexity while maintaining high reliability through multiple potential responders.
3Measurement precision
If automatic detection sensors are added to the device, then the SOS alert can be triggered more accurately, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by using the accelerometer for multiple purposes: detecting falls, measuring shock intensity, and potentially monitoring movement patterns. This universal sensor approach reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate dedicated sensors for each function, while maintaining high measurement precision for danger detection.
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
This method enhances the coordination of assistance by keeping the community informed of the response status, reducing unnecessary calls and ensuring timely and appropriate help is provided, even in situations where the individual in distress cannot provide detailed information.
Implementation Method 1
Detection of an acceleration exceeding a predefined threshold, said acceleration being acquired from an accelerometer arranged within the first device; Detection of an acceleration sequence having a minimum of similarity with an acceleration profile over a predefined period, said acceleration sequence being acquired from an accelerometer arranged within the first equipment
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for managing assistance to a person in response to the emission of an alarm, comprising: emission of an alarm (SOS) from a mobile device (EQ0) of a first user (U0) among a plurality of users (Ui); creation of a first bidirectional communication (COM_1) between the first device (EQ0) and a given terminal (T3) of the first set (ENS1) of an assistant user; automatic generation of a plurality of first notifications (M1) from a sub-set (ENS2) of terminals (∑Ti) of the first set (ENS1), each notification (M1) comprising at least one datum identifying the assistant user (U3); automatic generation a plurality of second notifications (M2) from the second sub-set (ENS2), each second notification (M2) comprising a status relative to the processing of the alarm (SOS) by the assistant user (U3).