Shotspotter’s U.S. Patent enables advancement in machine learning accuracy for its gunshot detection technology

ShotSpotter, Inc., a pioneer in solutions that help law enforcement officials identify, locate and deter gun violence, announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted ShotSpotter U.S. Patent No. 10,424,048 entitled “Systems and Methods Involving Creation and/or Utilisation of Image Mosaics in Classification of Acoustic Events”. ShotSpotter’s real-time gunshot detection solution uses a two-step process that employs both machine classification and human review.

The system is able to distinguish with high accuracy whether a loud, impulsive sound detected by its acoustic sensors is a gunshot or a non-gunshot incident, such as fireworks, in less than 60 seconds. The innovation behind this 33rd patent granted to ShotSpotter covers the conversion of multiple features of the audio event into a set of visual displays that are combined into a single image mosaic. This enables the system to leverage “deep learning” neural networks that typically identify and classify images, not sounds.

Innovation in AI efforts

We continue to advance our solutions so that our customers are provided best gunshot detection solution”

Since its implementation, this approach, along with the ability to train the system using ShotSpotter’s proprietary database of over 14 million gunshot and non-gunshot incidents, has resulted in significant improvements in machine classification accuracy. Events that are machine-classified with high confidence as non-gunshots can now be excluded from the human classification step. This allows more focused expert review of probable gunshots in ShotSpotter’s Incident review Center (IRC) prior to notifying patrol officers digitally about the gunfire incident location.

Additionally, the company expects to benefit as its customer base grows by being more efficient in the staffing of the IRC. “Despite having no direct competitors for our wide-area municipal gunshot detection service, we continue to invest in R&D to extend our platform and improve the associated technology. This patent represents another important innovation in our AI efforts,” said Ralph A. Clark, President and CEO of ShotSpotter. "We will continue to advance our solutions so that our law enforcement customers are provided the highest-quality gunshot detection solution to help keep their communities safe.”