Wireless Mat-Activated Night Light to Reduce Fall Risk for Bed Egress
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Elderly or infirm individuals face hazards when rising from bed in dim conditions due to the difficulty in accessing and operating lights, and existing solutions are complex, expensive, or prone to accidental activation.
Innovation Solution
A wireless night light system comprising a mat with metallized polyester layers forming an LC circuit to detect weight, a microcomputer to monitor oscillation frequency, and wireless transmitters to control a remote light unit, ensuring safe and automatic lighting with optional GSM signaling for caregiver notification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the light is placed away from the bed, then the light does not obstruct the individual and can be positioned safely, but the individual must maneuver in darkness to reach and operate the light switch, increasing the risk of accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical switch operation with an automatic sensor-based system. The light unit contains a sensor that automatically detects when the individual approaches and activates the light, eliminating the need for manual switch operation in darkness. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining safe distance positioning while achieving automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The light system serves itself by automatically detecting the individual's presence and activating without manual intervention. The sensor-based automatic activation eliminates the need for the individual to manually operate the switch, thereby resolving the contradiction between safe positioning and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the light is placed close to the bed, then the individual can easily access the light, but the individual must turn or reach uncomfortably, and there is a risk of knocking over the lamp
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light source from the traditional bedside lamp position and creates a separate, self-contained light unit that can be positioned at a safe distance from the bed. This extraction allows the light to be easily accessible through automatic activation while eliminating the physical risk of knocking over a lamp placed close to the bed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of reaching for and operating a nearby lamp with an automatic sensor-based activation system. This allows the light to be positioned away from the bed for safety while maintaining ease of access through automatic detection and activation.
3Ease of operation
If a mat switch is used to automatically turn on the light, then the individual does not need to manually operate the light, but the mat may be operated unintentionally and requires stepping on it again to turn off the light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback-based sensor system that detects the individual's approach and automatically activates the light. The system continuously monitors the environment and responds appropriately, eliminating the need for a mat switch while providing reliable automatic activation without accidental triggering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical mat switch system with an electronic sensor-based automatic detection system. This substitution provides more reliable activation by detecting the individual's presence through sensors rather than requiring physical contact with a mat, thereby eliminating accidental activation and the need to step on the mat again to turn off the light.
4Ease of operation
If specially-equipped beds with wired lights and switches are used, then the light can be operated from the bed, but the system becomes complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light system into a separate, self-contained light unit with integrated sensor and power source, eliminating the need for complex wiring into the bed. This segmentation simplifies the overall system while maintaining the ability to operate the light from the bed through automatic detection or remote control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical and electrical wiring system required for bed-integrated lights with a simpler wireless sensor-based system. The light unit operates independently with its own power source and sensor, eliminating the need for complex bed wiring while providing ease of operation through automatic activation.
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
Provides safe and automatic lighting for individuals rising from bed, minimizing the risk of accidents and notifying caregivers of the individual's status, while being user-friendly and reducing the complexity of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible partition between them and connected to an inductance to form an LC circuit having an oscillation frequency dependent on the distance between the metallized polyester layers
Implementation Method 2
The partition can have an uncompressed thickness which corresponds to an uncompressed oscillation frequency value
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4~6
AI summary
Among other things, a system for lighting a light for an individual rising from a bed is provided. In particular embodiments, the system can include a mat and a light unit wirelessly connected, so that when an individual steps on the mat as he or she rises from the bed a signal is sent to the light unit, activating the light. A weight sensor in the mat can measure the weight placed on the mat, so that unintentional lighting can be avoided and so that weight information can be recorded. Embodiments can also include a signal transmitter to send weight and activation information to a remote receiver.