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Industrial Research And Consultancy Centre
Patent
Method and System for Marking Attendance Using Audio QR
Abstract

This invention is a system for marking attendance at a site using audio transmissions and receptions to establish interactions between user devices, which is used to mark user attendance. A user device, consisting of a local memory unit, an audio speaker, one or more processors, and a biometrically accessed user interface, broadcasts an audio (called an “audio QR handshake”) with the user's identification data encoded. This audio is received by similar devices of other users present nearby (within a few meters) and decoded to identify the user it came from and establish a connection (an “edge of connection” between the two devices). 

Every such interaction with another user device is saved on the local memory of the receiver device and wirelessly transferred to a local server over a LAN or WiFi network. Each user initiates an “audio QR handshake,” which forms “edges of connections” with similar devices present nearby. A satisfactory number of connections a user’s device forms determines if the user is absent or present in real-time.

Uniqueness of the Solution
  • Automated verification: the system uses audio to verify a person’s attendance, removing the need for human intervention and reducing the possibility of human error 
  • Resistant against tampering: since each student is assigned a unique audio signature which is encoded in the sound, unauthorized tampering is mitigated 
  • Fast registration of attendance: the audio-based system makes the process quick.
Prototype Details
  • Each user device has a memory unit, one or more processors, and a user interface 
  • Encoding of the user identification data in the broadcasted audio, which is decoded by the receiver device to establish an edge of connection between the devices 
  • A short-range receiver is used to ensure only nearby connections are established 
  • Interaction data is transferred from local storage to a remote server cloud database via a wireless network and used to register attendance based on connection information
Current Status of Technology

A lab prototype of the setup was tested and the accuracy of the attendance marking was measured, showing satisfactory accuracy metrics.

Technology readiness level

Computer Science & Engineering

Societal Impact
  • Reliable and faster registration of attendance, reducing the possibility of foul play
  • A more productive time for the users present on the site
Relevant Industries, Domains and Applications

Attendance management industry

Applications or Domain
  • Classroom attendance in schools and colleges 
  • Substitute the punch-in punch-out system in office spaces 
  • Track working hours for hourly wage job workers 
  • Track the attendance of drug/alcohol addicts in help meetings and support groups

Geography of IP

Type of IP

Application Number

201821020718

Filing Date
Grant Number

499352

Grant Date
Assignee(s)
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay