Inventions

Peer to Peer Emergency Response System

The United States offers its citizens one of the most modern emergency response systems in the world. Typically users across the United States invoke emergency response services by dialing 9-1-1 on their phones. The 911 calls are routed by the phone service providers to the nearest 'Public Safety Answering Point' (PSAP). The PSAP is a service which collects the information from the distress call and in turn alerts the proper emergency responders / agencies such as the police, fire department or emergency medical services (EMS). In recent times these crucial emergency systems and services have come under tremendous pressure due to the following -

Higher volume of 911 calls coupled with growth of overall population.
Declining funding from cash-strapped local counties and states.
Higher budgets needed to modernize legacy PSAP and 911 call systems

An estimated 240 million calls are made to 911 in the U.S. each year. In many areas, 70% or more calls are originated from wireless devices. This mind boggling volume of calls stretches the emergency systems to the brink that ultimately pushes up the time it takes to respond to incoming requests. It is also estimated that about 15% of 911 calls are made for non-emergencies. While average 911 response times are heavily disputed, the American Police Beat estimates the average response time for an emergency call at about 10 minutes. Imagine not being able to receive critical care or first aid during a time of emergency. Those precious minutes spent waiting for First Responders to arrive on the scene could be the difference between saving the life or resulting in death! I want to help reduce the stress on the over burdened emergency response services and in turn decrease the time it takes for emergency services to arrive when a 911 call is made.

To solve this I have invented a system called Peer-to-Peer Emergency Response System (PePERS). A 911 call initiated via a smartphone will be routed to a conventional PSAP as well as the PePERS system. PePERS utilizes a nationwide network of users who via their smartphones are able to identify other users in need of emergency services and are able to rush to their help before conventional First Responders arrive at the scene.

PePERS will not solve or provide for every type of emergency. PePERS intends to provide immediate First Aid for emergencies. PePERS will -

Help save lives by reducing the amount of time it takes for a 911 caller to receive help. This will especially be the case in rural / less populated areas.
Reducing the amount of time spent by conventional First Responders on non-emergency calls.
Increasing awareness of local emergencies to a wider audience and by building a community of users who care for each other in times of crisis.
Preserving scarce First Responder resources at the state and the county level that can be diverted to better use.

Neck Check for Text Neck

Due to the recent proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices a new world-wide health scourge called 'Text Neck' is taking shape and sending thousands of people to medical institutions for a range of health issues. Virtually unheard of just years ago, text neck is a repetitive strain injury that’s becoming more common as more people hunch over smartphones.

Over the course of a normal day with regular routine, a human being may angle the neck downward for a variety of tasks. However due to excessive use of mobile devices over the past decade the average time a person spends in this awkward position has increased significantly which aggravates muscle pain in the neck, shoulders and the lower back.

Smartphone or tablet based visual aids for posture correction are not effective as they require the user to view the mobile devices at a particular angle. They also do not help measure the user’s neck angle and strain when the user is not in front of a mobile device.

I want to help solve this ongoing global issue with my invention called the ‘Neck Check’ which aims to be a new, lightweight, long-lasting, use-anywhere, wearable which can be affixed to any part of the human head or accessories. Neck Check in its productized form will have a very small footprint and will be attachable directly to a user’s spectacles, ear rings, Bluetooth headsets or simply by anchoring it behind the ear.

My invention Neck Check for Text Neck is comprised of three components.

Wireless Wearable – Users will be able to affix the Neck Check wearable onto their heads either by placing it on one or more accessories (spectacles, ear-rings, blue-tooth devices) or by simply sticking it behind their ears with skin-safe adhesive. In order for maximum impact and benefit, a user will be able to use multiple Neck Check wearables allowing them to permanently affix some to their accessories.
Paired Smartphone or Tablet – Users will be able to pair their Neck Check wearable with a Smartphone or Tablet which will sync the sensor readings from the wearable on a periodic basis.
Mobile App – Users will be able to download a companion app from iOS and Android app stores which will act as a secondary computational device. The app will take in the sensor angle readings and will use the data to provide health insights to the user. The app will also offer aids which the user can utilize to set daily limits for smartphone and tablet usage.

My solution to combat the new worldwide scourge of Text Neck is the ‘Neck Check’ wearable that is aimed to be an inexpensive, lightweight, long-lasting, use-anywhere, gender-neutral which can be affixed to the user’s head for constant neck angle readings. The wearable when combined with the power of a paired smartphone and a health app which provides insights can inform the user to correct their screen-viewing habits and take corrective action before it is too late.

Smart Notification & Abuse Prevention