Smartwatch Blackbox

• US 20170368991A1
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Published: 12/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Briggs, Benjamin D., Clevenger, Lawrence A., Clevenger, Leigh Anne H., Connell, II, Jonathan H., Ratha, Nalini K., Rizzolo, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,046,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 9/00 Reinforcements or ply arrangement of pneumatic tyres inserts having reinforcing means B60C5/08; bead structure, e.g. turnup or overlap construction, B60C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour

Abstract

Techniques are provided for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions using the sensing capabilities of wearable mobile technology. In one aspect, a method for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions includes the steps of: collecting real-time data from a driver of a vehicle, wherein the data is collected via a mobile device worn by the driver; determining whether the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists; providing feedback to the driver if the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists, and continuing to collect data from the driver in real-time if the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition does not exist. The real-time data may also be collected and used to learn characteristics of the driver. These characteristics can be compared with the data being collected to help determine, in real-time, whether the driving behavior is normal and whether a hazardous driving condition exists.

Claims

1. A method for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting real-time data from a driver of a vehicle, wherein the data is collected via a mobile device worn by the driver;

determining whether the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists;

providing feedback to the driver if the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists; and

continuing to collect data from the driver in real-time if the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving does not exist,

wherein the method further comprising the steps of;

detecting vibrations in the vehicle using the real-time data;

determining whether the vibrations in the vehicle are above a given frequency and duration;

detecting ambient sound in the vehicle using the real-time data if the vibrations in the vehicle are above the given frequency and duration;

continuing to collect data from the driver in real-time if the vibrations in the vehicle are not above the given frequency and duration;

determining whether the ambient sound in the vehicle is above a given level;

providing the feedback to the driver if the ambient sound in the vehicle is above the given level; and

continuing to collect data from the driver in real-time if the ambient sound in the vehicle is not above the given level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

using the real-time data to learn characteristics of the driver.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

comparing the real-time data to the characteristics of the driver to determine whether the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is provided to the driver via the mobile device worn by the driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is provided as an audible alert message to the driver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the audible alert message is provided to the driver via the mobile device worn by the driver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is provided as an audible alert message to the driver via an audio system of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting the feedback provided to the driver based on a variety of predetermined scenarios.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the variety of predetermined scenarios are selected via a look-up table format.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

tracking feedback provided to the driver.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time data collected from the user comprises physiological data for the user selected from the group consisting of:

skin electrical characteristics, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, pulse, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time data collected from the user comprises trajectory data for the user selected from the group consisting of:

movement, speed, direction, orientation, location, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time data collected from the user comprises environmental data selected from the group consisting of:

air pressure, temperature, wind velocity, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises at least one contact sensor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one contact sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, a pulse oximeter sensor, a heart rate sensor, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a gyroscope sensor, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a barometer, an air temperature sensor, a wind speed sensor, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises a smartwatch.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

using data fusion of the real-time data collected from the driver to determine whether the real-time data indicates that a hazardous driving condition exists.