Wearable Panic Button With Multi-Network Emergency Telemetry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable devices for emergency communication in workplaces are not reliable due to unreliable LTE and WiFi signals, dead spots in buildings, and inadequate GPS reception, especially in older structures, and users resist installing personal device applications for safety purposes.
Innovation Solution
A wearable panic button device equipped with multiple communication technologies (3G, LTE, BLE, Wi-Fi, GNSS, and FirstNet) that measures physical attributes, determines emergency events, and outputs audio, visual, or haptic alerts, transmitting telemetry data to a management server for coordinated response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wearable devices use LTE and WiFi for communication, then they can transmit emergency data, but they are not 100% reliable due to dead spots in older buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into multiple independent communication modules (LTE, WiFi, BLE) that can operate separately. Each module handles specific communication tasks, and the system switches between them based on availability. This segmentation allows the device to maintain communication reliability by using alternative pathways when one module fails due to dead spots.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device implements multi-functionality by integrating multiple communication technologies (LTE, WiFi, BLE) and multiple sensor types (accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone, camera) into a single device. This universal approach ensures that the device can adapt to different environmental conditions and maintain emergency communication capability regardless of the specific building infrastructure or location.
2Measurement precision
If wearable devices rely on GPS for location tracking, then they can provide positioning data, but they cannot receive GPS signals in basement areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces BLE beacons as intermediary devices installed throughout the building infrastructure. These beacons act as local reference points that emit signals detectable by the wearable device. When GPS is unavailable (such as in basements), the device uses trilateration based on BLE beacon signals to determine location, providing continuous location tracking across all building areas including those where GPS cannot penetrate.
3Ease of operation
If users install emergency applications on personal smartphones, then communication capability is improved, but users resist installation on their personal devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by providing emergency communication functionality through a dedicated wearable device that operates independently of personal smartphones. The device automatically detects emergencies using onboard sensors and initiates communication without requiring users to manually install applications or configure settings on their personal devices. This eliminates user resistance while maintaining ease of operation during emergencies.
4Device complexity
If a single communication method is used in wearable devices, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability in diverse environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by creating a flexible, adaptive communication system that can dynamically switch between different communication methods based on environmental conditions. The device continuously monitors the availability of LTE, WiFi, and BLE connections and dynamically selects the most appropriate communication channel for transmitting emergency data. This dynamic approach maintains communication reliability across diverse environments without requiring all communication interfaces to be simultaneously active, thus managing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving a configuration; receiving a panic signal; receiving an input; measuring a physical attribute to produce sensor data; determining an occurrence of an emergency event, at least in part based on the configuration and the input; transmitting telemetry data indicating the sensor data, at least in part based on the occurrence of the emergency event; and outputting an audio, visual, or haptic output, at least in part based on the panic signal.