What's New

1.  Abnormal Stay Detection

Abnormal Stay Detection refers to the capability of a smart lock to monitor and detect whether someone is lingering or wandering near the door for an extended period. When abnormal behavior is identified, the system alerts the user in real-time. This feature aims to help users quickly identify potential security threats, such as strangers attempting to spy on the property, scope out the area, or prepare for theft.

Unlike the Chinese market, the residential structure and community environment in overseas markets make abnormal stay detection almost a "necessity." For example, in European and American countries, most homes are standalone houses or townhouses with larger distances between properties, and interactions between neighbors are relatively infrequent. Abnormal behavior at the door is often difficult to detect in a timely manner. In addition, the security systems in foreign communities are significantly different from the closed community management seen in China. There are few dedicated security patrols or public surveillance equipment. Therefore, the security of the exterior of homes relies more on smart locks installed by the homeowners themselves. As a result, the ability of a smart lock to actively alert homeowners to abnormal stay behavior outside their doors becomes crucial.

At the same time, home burglary is a significant issue in overseas markets. If a stranger lingers at the door for an extended period, they may be scouting the area in preparation for a break-in. In the United States, for example, nearly 30% of residential burglaries occur during the day, according to the Department of Justice. Criminals often conduct reconnaissance before committing their crimes, making abnormal behavior outside the door an important security signal. In this context, the abnormal stay detection feature of a smart lock becomes especially crucial. It helps users detect unusual behavior outside their door, and when homeowners are not at home, they can receive remote push notifications to proactively address potential risks.

The abnormal stay detection feature not only meets the core security needs of overseas consumers but also provides a competitive edge for the product. If manufacturers aim to succeed in international markets, this feature cannot be overlooked.

2. Detection Technology Challenges

However, achieving effective abnormal stay detection is not an easy task. Different technical solutions have their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of accuracy, power consumption, privacy protection, and other factors. Choosing the right technical path has become a key challenge for manufacturers.

Traditionally, infrared sensors and cameras are the two common solutions for abnormal stay detection. Infrared sensors detect targets by sensing human infrared radiation. The advantage is low power consumption and low cost, but they cannot detect stationary targets and can only sense dynamic objects. They are also easily affected by environmental temperature, such as when high temperatures in summer or weaker human radiation in winter may cause malfunction. Additionally, infrared sensors cannot determine the distance, direction, or behavior of the target. In contrast, cameras detect outdoor behavior through image capture and AI algorithm analysis, offering stronger technology but higher power consumption, and they involve privacy concerns, which may lead to controversies, especially in the European and American markets.

In addition, from a technical standpoint, distinguishing between "normal stay" and "abnormal stay" is also a challenge. Normal stays may include activities like delivery by a courier, visitors waiting, or neighbors briefly staying, which can overlap with "abnormal stays" in terms of duration, movement patterns, and positional changes, especially in a limited space like the doorway. Traditional sensors typically only collect basic information such as the presence of a target, its movement trajectory, or stay duration, and cannot directly interpret the intent of the target. Moreover, factors like pets passing by or leaves swaying can easily lead to false positives or missed detections, making the need for more advanced sensors and algorithms urgent.

Compared to infrared sensors and cameras, millimeter-wave radar can detect the presence, location, distance, and speed of a target through the reflection of electromagnetic waves. It offers advantages such as all-weather operation, no privacy data collection, and strong anti-interference capabilities. Additionally, with advanced AI algorithms, millimeter-wave radar can deeply analyze the collected motion data, addressing issues like environmental interference and high false detection rates. It can also continuously optimize detection performance through self-learning algorithms, providing stronger proactive security capabilities.

However, millimeter-wave radar technology previously faced challenges such as low distance accuracy, high power consumption, large module size, and false positives/negatives. The newly emerging ultra-low-power millimeter-wave radar provides an improved solution for abnormal stay detection. With advanced technology leading the market, it helps Chinese lock companies sail toward greater success.