Mobile device in-motion proximity guidance system

• US 10,136,257 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Laursen, Damon Gene, Yocam, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US15/604,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 4554122, 345473, 701 15
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

This disclosure describes an in-motion proximity guidance system that may alert a mobile device user of a likelihood that a projected pathway of an in-motion mobile device will intersect with a projected pathway of another in-motion mobile device or a location of a stationary object. The in-motion proximity guidance may further trigger visual and/or audible alerts to indicate an imminent collision. These alerts may be emitted from the in-motion mobile devices or stationary sensor devices physically coupled to stationary objects. Further, the in-motion proximity guidance system may transmit a corrective action to a collision avoidance system of a vehicle that is communicatively coupled to a mobile device in order to reduce a likelihood of an imminent collision. The in-motion proximity guidance system may also interact with a smart traffic light system, such that a sequence of traffic light indications may be altered to avoid an imminent collision between vehicles.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including one or more modules that are executable by the one or more processors to;

receive a first set of sensor data associated with a first device, the first set of sensor data indicating, at a first point in time, a first location and a velocity of the first device;

process the first set of sensor data to determine a first projected pathway of the first device that is likely to occur over a predetermined time interval;

receive a second set of sensor data associated with a second device, the second set of sensor data indicating, at the first point in time, a second location of the second device;

determine that at a second point in time, a distance between the first device and the second device is likely to be below a predetermined distance threshold, based at least in part on the first location, the first projected pathway and the second location; and

transmit a data packet to the first device, the data packet including an indication that at the second point in time, the distance between the first device and the second device is likely to be below the predetermined distance threshold.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of sensor data further indicates a velocity of the second device, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

process the second set of sensor data to determine a second projected pathway of the second device that is likely to occur over the predetermined time interval, and

wherein to determine that at the second point in time, the distance between the first device and the second device is likely to be below a predetermined distance threshold, is further based at least in part on the second projected pathway.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the indication transmitted to the first device is a first indication, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

transmit, to the second device, a second indication that at the second point in time, the distance between the first device and the second device is likely to be below the predetermined distance threshold.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of sensor data is received from a first set of sensors associated the first device, and the second set of sensor data is received from a set of sensors associated with the second device.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of sensor data and the second set of sensor data is received from a smart traffic light, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

transmit a signal to the smart traffic light, the signal indicating an altered sequence of stop and go indications that is sufficient to reduce a likelihood that, at the second point in time, the distance between the first device and the second device is to be below the predetermined distance threshold.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time interval is based at least in part on the velocity of the first device.

7. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more sensors that detect a movement of the mobile device;

one or more processors coupled to the one or more sensors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including one or more modules that are executable by the one or more processors to;

receive, from the one or more sensors, sensor data indicating a location and a velocity of the mobile device;

process the sensor data, the sensor data to indicate a projected pathway of the mobile device that is likely to occur over a predetermined time interval;

transmit, to a server, the sensor data; and

receive, from the server, a data packet that includes an alert indicating that at a second point in time, a distance between the mobile device and an additional device is likely to be below a predetermined distance threshold.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the alert comprises at least one of a visual alert that displays on a user interface of the mobile device, an audible alert that is transmitted via a speaker of the mobile device, or a haptic alert that is transmitted through a vibration of the mobile device.

9. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the additional device is physically coupled to an item, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

transmit, via a user interface of the mobile device and to the server, a request to locate the item, and

wherein to receive, from the server, the data packet that includes the alert is based at least in part on the request.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the additional device is physically coupled to a fixture, and wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

transmit, to the additional device, a signal that causes an activation of at least one of a visual alert on the additional device or an audible alert on the additional device, the visual alert and the audible alert identifying a location of the fixture.

11. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein to receive the sensor data indicating the location and the velocity of the mobile device is based at least in part on a detection of a user interaction with a user interface of the mobile device, or a determination that the velocity of the mobile device is greater than a predetermined velocity threshold.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, a proximity sensor, a digital camera, and a global position system (GPS) sensor.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a first device;

determining a first location of the first device, based at least in part on the sensor data;

identifying, a second device based at least in part on a second location of the second device being within a predetermined distance of the first device;

receiving, via a user interface of the first device, a first indication that a user associated with the first device is searching for a third device that is located within a predetermined distance of the first device;

determining a third location of the third device based at least in part on receipt of a second indication from the third device;

determining that the second location of the second device is located between the first location of the first device and the third location of the third device; and

transmitting a signal to the first device, based at least in part on the second device being located with the predetermined distance of the first device, wherein transmitting the signal causes an activation of at least one of a visual indicator or an audible indicator that alerts the user that the second device is located along a pathway to the third device.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the second device is physically coupled to a fixture.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the second device includes at least one of a visual indicator or an audible indicator, and

wherein transmitting the signal causes an activation of at least one of the visual indicator or the audible indicator that identifies the second location of the second device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein:

receiving the first indication comprises receiving an indication that the user associated with the first device is searching for a particular item that is located within a predetermined distance of the first device, the particular item being physically coupled to a third device; and

determining third location comprises determining a location of the particular item based at least in part on receipt of the second indication from the third device.