MOBILE BASED HOME SECURITY SYSTEM FOR FIRE DETECTION AND INTRUDERS

1.1 Introduction

Home Security systems in any various means are devices designed to guard person and property against broad hazards, including crime, fire accidents, espionage, sabotage, subversion and attack. It is found in a wide variety of organization, ranging from government agencies to industrial plants, buildings, and schools.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Security has been one of the major concerns of today's daily living. Home and business industry's security issues become a major concern since everyone in the industry wants to protect their investments from any form of destruction or loss. In terms of security, technology has its own contribution in developing equipment with a better degree of providing security and monitoring a given area or establishment that requires security.

Security systems consist of alarms and sensors which are being installed in the houses for effective and efficient way of protecting home properties. It is designed to detect burglar incidents. Security and protection system are any of various means or devices designed to guard persons and property against a broad range of hazards, including crime, fire, accidents, espionage, sabotage, subversion, and attack (Encyclopedia.org, 2014).One of the common security alarm systems that uses sensor is the car alarm system. Car alarm is a device in a car which makes a loud noise if anyone tries to break into the vehicle.(Collins Dictionary, n.d.) With these, an attempt for theft is immediately discouraged.

Most of the buildings install closed circuit television surveillance system to monitor and record the situation inside the building. It can oversight burglary incidents through its video records. However, in the proponents' view this type of system is not enough to give real time security to avoid damages of properties because the incident will be noticed only after the incident happened or after the video records were reviewed.

Most of the building incidents like burglary is being done in the presence of security systems is because the criminal knows that the system is not real time and just recording happenings. Therefore, these kind of people can plan on what they will do to be unnoticed. Because of this observation, the proponents have come up with the idea of developing a project entitled “Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders” to enhance the level of security, to avoid damage to properties, and even for personal protection. As innovation takes its level to the fullest, improvements on systems development as well as its implementation have tremendously take its place as well. According to research on the crimes in the Philippines most of the crimes are index like theft and robbery. Moreover based on the statistics of Philippine National Police Crime and Investigation Detection Group about index crimes, an increase in the total crime volume in the first 5 months of 2014 compared to 2013, from January to May 2014. A total number of reported crime when it comes to robbery was at 5,189 compared to 4,510 in 2013. (B.Cupin, 2014) About 15% of total reported crimes is the difference of the reported statistics. This statistics shows that crimes still rise in figures even there was existing security system, while the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) NCR has recorded a total of 615 fire accidents in first two months of 2015 in Metro Manila (T.Macas, 2015). This shows that the existing system is not that too much helpful in reducing crimes and saving property damages on time.

This scenario gives the proponents an initiative to propose the project development study entitled “Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders”. The study was a security alarm system that can be used for building and homes which aimed to provide real time security better than existing recording security system.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The main problem of the study entitled “Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders” was on how the proponents would develop the system. To come up with the development of the project, the following were the specific statements of the problem:

1. Insufficient data needed to develop the Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders
2. Inappropriate plan and design schedule for the project
3. Insufficient materials needed to develop the project
4. Lack of proper testing procedures to be done after the development of the project

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to develop a Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To develop the Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders
2. To design an accurate schedule plan for the project
3. To create a testing procedures to be done after the development of the project

1.5 Significance of Study

This study is significant to the following:

1. To the home owners, this project will help keep their properties secured and safe.
2. To the law enforcers and fire fighters, this project will help them quickly monitor areas if some related crimes or accidents happened.
3. To the security personnel, this will help them respond quickly on unwanted incidents which may happen to buildings/establishments.
4. To the proponents, this project will help them in applying their knowledge in software development.
5. Lastly, to the future researchers, it will serve as reference material if they would conduct similar study.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The scope of the study is to design the Home Security System with Mobile Application for Fire Detection and Intruders. The system consists of sensors using microcontrollers with GSM (Global System for Mobile) Shield. For the mobile device to be used in Android system an accessing Operating System version 4.2 (Jellybean) with SMS technology was required. The programming language used was Java through Eclipse connected to the Android development tool. Arduino Application was required in programming the microcontroller and GSM Shield.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

The alarm system was only limited on detecting door opening attempts, motion and smoke. The mobile application can only receive SMS signal from the sensor once an activity was detected. An alarming sound would be emitted on the sensor and mobile device and the application would be opened as an indicator of a detection event. The application has a text messaging sending feature program to the government authority for a quick action. Moreover, the study was limited to security alarm system for confidential rooms only, inside the building or establishments and not applicable for other rooms and populated areas.

1.8 Definition of Terms

The following terms are used conceptually and operationally for better understanding of the study:

1. Alarm system: A device that signals's the occurrence of some undesirable event. (The Free Dictionary, n.d.)It was the main focus of the study.
2. Burglary: the crime of either entering a building as a trespasser with the intention of committing theft, rape, grievous bodily harm, damage or having a trespasser of committing one or more of these offences (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition, 2011)One of the problems focus to be solved on the study. In this study, it is one of the problems that the proponents would like to address using the project.
3. CFDmodel: A suitable for the modeling or simulation of fluid-solids or fluid-particles systems. (CFD online, n.d.) One of theoretical backgrounds used to be the reference of the study.
4. GSM (Global System for Mobile): A digital cellular phone technology based on TDMA that started in Europe and migrated to other continents. (PCMag, n.d.) This was used in the research to be the signal converter of sensor data to SMS Signals.
5. Intrusion: the act of wrongfully entering upon, seizing, or taking possession of the property of another (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) In this study it was the problem focused to solve in the study.
6. Microcontroller: a compact microcomputer designed to govern the operation of embedded systems in motor vehicles, robots, office machines, complex medical devices, mobile radio transceivers, vending machines, home appliances and various devices. (IoT Agenda 2012) In this study it was the central control of the sensor devices of the system.
7. Motion detector: a device that is sensitive to the movement especially used for security reasons and navigation aid. (Dictionary.com n.d.) It was the sensor device used in the study.
8. Security System: any of various means or devices designed to guard persons and property against a broad range of hazards, including crime, fire, accidents, espionage, sabotage, subversion, and attack. (Encyclopedia.org n.d.)It was the system target development in this study.
9. SMS (Short Message Service) Technology: Is used to send text messages to mobile phones using Global System for Mobile. (Christensson, P. n.d.) In the study it was the connection technology between the sensory device and mobile device used in the system development.