Unintentional Call Detection Using Sensor Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Private and public emergency services face challenges in identifying and responding to unintentional calls, which can be costly and time-consuming, as callers may not realize they have made a call or may be incapacitated, leading to uncertainty about the need for assistance.
Innovation Solution
A method that recognizes user actions on a device with telephone capability to determine whether a call is intentional or unintentional by collecting and analyzing information such as timing, force, and environmental data, and signaling the user or recipient if the call is suspected to be unintentional, using sensors and communication protocols like SMS or DTMF tones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If every call is thoroughly followed up to ensure urgent assistance is provided, then reliability of emergency service is improved, but loss of time and resources increases due to significant cost of following up on unintentional calls
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of call characteristics (duration, silence detection, voice activity) before committing resources to full follow-up procedures. By detecting unintentional calls early in the call lifecycle, the system can prevent unnecessary follow-up actions, thus resolving the contradiction between thorough follow-up and resource conservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by analyzing call characteristics and providing information about suspected unintentional calls to operators. This feedback allows operators to make informed decisions about whether to proceed with follow-up, balancing the need for reliability with the need to conserve time and resources.
2Productivity
If automatic call analysis is implemented to detect unintentional calls, then productivity is improved by reducing unnecessary follow-up, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages existing multi-functional components in mobile devices (microphone, accelerometer, processor) to perform multiple functions including normal communication and unintentional call detection. By making existing components serve dual purposes, the system achieves automatic call analysis without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the device to automatically analyze its own call characteristics and detect unintentional calls without requiring external analysis equipment. The device uses its own sensors and processing capabilities to self-diagnose call intent, reducing the need for additional external complexity while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for detecting unintentional calls placed to a call center. In some implementations, a device with telephone capability recognizes that it is being used to place a call, and automatically collects information usable to estimate whether the call is intentional or unintentional. The device may make the estimate, or may send the collected information to the recipient of the call. When a call is estimated to be unintentional, the device may signal the user of the device, or may inform the recipient of the call that the call is suspected to be unintentional, or both. The collected information may include outputs from one or more sensors, such as an accelerometer, a microphone, a camera, or a biometric sensor. A button press initiating a call may be considered in the context of other usage of the device to estimate whether the call was intentional or unintentional.