Automated Voice Incident Reporting System for Public Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Public safety institutions face challenges in efficiently managing and responding to lower-priority criminal incidents due to a higher demand than capacity, leading to delayed responses and increased crime rates, with current methods requiring significant manpower and costs.

Innovation Solution

An automated, computerized incident reporting system that receives voice and text calls, performs automatic analysis, and generates reports using a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, Records Management System (RMS), and emergency public-safety access points, reducing the need for immediate human intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If more officials are deployed to respond to criminal incidents, then service levels and response quality improve, but labor costs and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice levelVSAvoidoperational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service reporting where victims directly interact with an automated voice processing system that guides them through incident reporting without requiring human officials. The system autonomously transcribes voice inputs, generates reports, and manages documentation, allowing the reporting process to serve itself without external human intervention for routine operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of human officials manually taking reports with an automated voice processing system using speech recognition and natural language processing technologies. The automated system captures, transcribes, and structures victim statements, substituting human mechanical operations with electronic and software-based processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If manual reporting methods are used, then report accuracy and completeness can be ensured through human review, but time consumption and processing delays increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereport accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically transcribing voice reports, structuring data, and generating draft reports in real-time during the victim's initial interaction. This preliminary processing eliminates subsequent manual transcription and report drafting steps, reducing overall processing time while maintaining accuracy through automated validation checks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The automated system incorporates feedback mechanisms where victims can review and correct transcribed information before final report generation. The system provides real-time feedback on captured data accuracy and allows iterative refinement, ensuring report precision while maintaining rapid processing through automated loops rather than human review cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If automated systems are implemented, then processing speed and efficiency improve, but system complexity and initial costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated voice processing system is designed as a universal platform that handles multiple functions including voice transcription, report generation, data validation, and integration with existing public safety systems. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated solution, managing complexity through consolidation rather than proliferation of components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system acts as an intermediary layer between victims and the public safety reporting infrastructure. It mediates the interaction by translating natural language voice inputs into structured report formats that existing systems can process, bridging the gap without requiring complete system replacement or direct human intervention in the automation chain.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If lower priority incidents receive delayed responses, then resources can be allocated to higher priority cases, but crime rates in certain categories increase and service degradation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidservice consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The automated system enables continuous operation without interruption or downtime, processing reports 24/7 without requiring human officials to be available. This continuous useful action ensures that all incidents receive immediate acknowledgment and processing regardless of priority level or time of day, eliminating gaps in service while allowing human resources to focus on high-priority interventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial automation tailored to incident priority levels, using full automated processing for routine lower-priority reports while reserving human officials for complex high-priority cases. This selective application of automation ensures adequate service consistency across all priorities while optimizing resource allocation to where human intervention provides the most value.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9691386B2Automated voice-to-reporting/management system and method for voice call-ins of events/crimes
Publication Date: 2017.06.27 VERSATERM PUBLIC SAFETY INC
  • US9691386B2 patent drawing
  • US9691386B2 patent drawing
  • US9691386B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system for institutions (particularly public safety) to accept spoken information such that users can report incident details as required to convey an official incident (e.g., crime) report and to aid in the investigation of the incident. Similarly, users can employ a combination of voice or text input, media submission, [GUI menu screens] and information download to aid in the immediate analysis of incident information to facilitate a rapid response for the incident. This method of interaction with institutions enables reporting parties to more quickly and efficiently convey incident information when direct interaction by an official is not possible or is subject to delay. This helps institutions, for example, police to provide better services while using less staff and resources.