Treadmill Safety Warning System Using Position Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety measures for treadmills, such as safety keys and harness systems, are ineffective in preventing falls and notifying emergency contacts, as they are intrusive, expensive, and lack user configurability, with no seamless system available to warn users of potential falls or automatically notify contacts in case of an incident.
Innovation Solution
A modular safety warning and notification system (SWANS) that uses sensors and a processor to detect a user's position on a treadmill, providing visual, audio, and haptic feedback, and automatically notifying emergency contacts via Bluetooth or internet signals if the user is at risk of falling, with customizable zones and delay options to prevent false alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If safety keys are used, then some safety function is provided, but they are intrusive and not user-configurable
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors user position and detects falls without requiring user action. The processor continuously receives position data from sensors and autonomously determines when to send notifications to emergency contacts, eliminating the need for users to manually activate or configure safety mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical safety systems (safety keys, harnesses) with electronic sensing and communication systems. Sensors detect user position and the processor sends electronic notifications via Bluetooth or internet connections, substituting physical mechanical intervention with electronic monitoring and communication.
2Reliability
If harness and suspension systems are used, then fall prevention is provided, but they are expensive and invasive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical harness and suspension systems with electronic sensors and communication devices. The sensing system uses processors and sensors to monitor user position, while communication devices send alerts, eliminating the need for expensive mechanical safety infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential safety function (detecting falls and notifying contacts) from complex mechanical systems and implements it through simpler electronic components. The system separates the monitoring function (sensors) from the notification function (communication devices), allowing each to be optimized independently.
3Reliability
If traditional safety devices are used, then basic safety is provided, but they provide no notification to emergency contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple functions into a single integrated safety system: position monitoring, fall detection, and emergency notification. The same sensing and processing components that monitor user position also detect falls and trigger notifications to emergency contacts, eliminating the need for separate notification systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor user position, the processor analyzes this data to detect falls, and the communication device provides feedback by notifying emergency contacts. This closed-loop system ensures that safety information flows from detection to response.
4Measurement precision
If safety monitoring is continuously active, then fall detection is improved, but false alerts may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of sensor data before triggering fall detection. The processor evaluates position information against predetermined criteria and patterns to distinguish actual falls from normal movement variations, preventing false alerts while maintaining continuous monitoring capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed to detect whether a treadmill user is in the danger of falling off the treadmill and to accordingly warn the user via, e.g., audio and haptic feedback. In the event the runner falls off the treadmill and becomes hurt or unresponsive, the system can automatically notify emergency contacts, e.g., via phone calls or text messages.