Collaborative incident media recording system and related methods

• US 8,384,539 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Wade, Tischer, Steven, Shrum, JR., Edgar, Denny, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/498,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/539.17, 340/539.18
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Methods for responding to a potential incident are provided in which data about the potential incident is received from a first remote sensing unit. Additional remote sensing units are identified that may have additional data about the potential incident, and additional data about the potential incident is received from at least some of these additional remote sensing units. The totality of the received data is then analyzed, and at least one remote entity is automatically notified regarding the occurrence of the potential incident.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first remote sensing unit, the method comprising:

collecting data using at least a first sensor on the first remote sensing unit;

analyzing the collected data;

determining that an incident occurred based at least in part on the analysis of the collected data;

identifying a second remote sensing unit that was in the vicinity of a location where the incident occurred; and

communicating with the second remote sensing unit in response to identifying the second remote sensing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second remote sensing unit in response to identifying the second remote sensing unit comprises requesting that the second remote sensing unit forward data that was collected during a time when the incident was occurring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the second remote sensing unit in response to identifying the second remote sensing unit comprises requesting that the second remote sensing unit save data that was collected during a time when the incident was occurring.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising tagging for more permanent storage sensor data collected during a time when the incident was occurring.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that an incident occurred based at least in part on the analysis of the collected data comprises comparing the collected data to at least one pre-defined standard to determine whether any of the collected data fall outside expected ranges.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a second sensor on the first remote sensing unit in response to determining that an incident occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a setting on the first sensor in response to determining that an incident occurred.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating an additional sensor on the second remote sensing unit in response to determining that an incident occurred.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the second remote sensing unit data that was collected during a time when the incident was occurring;

aggregating the data received from the second remote sensing unit with the data collected using the first sensor on the first remote sensing unit;

analyzing the aggregated data.

10. A method of operating a first remote sensing unit, the method comprising:

collecting data using at least a first sensor on the first remote sensing unit;

analyzing the collected data;

determining that an incident occurred based at least in part on the analysis of the collected data;

transmitting a page over a paging channel to identify other remote sensing units that were in the vicinity of a location where the incident occurred at a time the incident occurred.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving location data from at least some of the other remote sensing units in response to the page.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising permanently storing a subset of the collected data that was collected around the time the incident occurred in response to determining that the incident occurred.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically notifying at least one remote entity regarding the occurrence of the incident.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one remote entity that is notified is selected based on a determination that a specific type of incident has occurred.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first remote sensing unit includes stored personal information relating to an individual that is associated with the first remote sensing unit.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing the collected data comprises comparing the collected data to pre-defined standards to determine if the incident occurred.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a subset of the collected data that is to be forwarded to a system hub;

forwarding the identified subset of the collected data to the system hub.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating at least one additional sensor based on the analysis of the collected data.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising;

receiving from a second remote sensing unit data that was collected during a time when the incident was occurring;

aggregating the data received from the second remote sensing unit with the data collected using the first sensor on the first remote sensing unit;

analyzing the aggregated data.