Methods and apparatus for controlling the transmission and/or reception of safety messages by portable wireless user devices

• US 8,600,411 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Subramanian, Sundar, Wu, Xinzhou, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/570,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/246 Signals or brake- or lighting devices mounted on the road vehicle and controlled from the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/28 electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Safety message monitoring operations and/or safety message transmission operations are controlled for a mobile wireless communications device. The periodicity with regard to safety message monitoring and/or safety message transmissions is varied based on the environment of the mobile wireless device. The transmission power level with regard to safety message transmissions is varied based on the environment of the mobile wireless device. In some embodiments, safety message monitoring and transmission operations are disabled when the mobile device is determined to be inside a building or inside a vehicle. In some embodiments, safety message monitoring rate and safety message transmission rate is varied as a function of proximity to vehicular traffic and/or the level of detected vehicular traffic. In some embodiments, safety message transmission power level is varied as a function of proximity to vehicular traffic and/or the level of detected vehicular traffic.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communications device, comprising:

generating device location information based on at least one of a received signal or inertial guidance information; and

controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information, said step of controlling including controlling;

(i) a safety message monitoring periodicity that determines a rate at which monitoring for safety messages is performed and a safety message monitoring duty cycle based on the generated device location information or (ii) a safety message transmission periodicity that determines a rate at which safety message transmissions are made by said communications device; and

wherein the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity is increased when it is determined that the communications device is at a location with higher vehicular traffic than at another location with lower vehicular traffic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity is controlled as a function of proximity to vehicular traffic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information includes:

controlling a transmission power level of safety messages transmitted by said communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information includes:

disabling at least one of safety message transmission or safety message monitoring operations when said generated device location information indicates that said communications device is inside a moving vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating device location information based on at least one of a received signal or inertial guidance information includes:

determining if said communications device is located in a vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining if said communications device is located in a vehicle is based on at least one of:

user input;

strength and/or rate of safety messages received from vehicles;

a signal received from a safety message system of a vehicle;

a determined rate of motion relative to a rate of motion indicative of vehicular motion;

or

a received acoustic signal indicative of said communications device being within a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information includes:

enabling at least one of safety message transmission or safety message monitoring operations when said generated device location information indicates that said communications device is outside of a vehicle.

8. A communications device, comprising:

means for generating device location information based on at least one of a received signal or inertial guidance information; and

means for controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information, said means for controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or transmission operation including;

means for controlling a safety message monitoring duty cycle based on the generated device location information and means for controlling a safety message monitoring periodicity that determines a rate at which monitoring for safety messages is performed or a safety message transmission periodicity that determines a rate at which safety message transmissions are made by said communications device; and

wherein said means for controlling a safety message monitoring periodicity that determines a rate at which monitoring for safety messages is performed or a safety message transmission periodicity that determines a rate at which safety message transmissions are made by said communications device controls the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity to increase when it is determined that the communications device has moved to a location with higher vehicular traffic from another location with lower vehicular traffic.

9. The communications device of claim 8, wherein said means for controlling a safety message monitoring periodicity or a safety message transmission periodicity controls the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity as a function of proximity to vehicular traffic.

10. The communications device of claim 8, wherein said means for controlling at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information includes:

means for controlling the transmission power level of safety messages transmitted by said communications device.

11. A computer program product for use in a communications device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to generate device location information based on at least one of a received signal or inertial guidance information; and

code for causing said at least one computer to control at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information, said code for causing said at least one computer to control at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or transmission operation including code for causing said at least one computer to control a safety message monitoring periodicity that determines a rate at which monitoring for safety messages is performed or a safety message transmission periodicity that determines a rate at which safety message transmissions are made by said communications device, and code for causing said at least one computer to control a safety message monitoring duty cycle based on the generated device location information; and

wherein said code for causing said at least one computer to control a safety message monitoring periodicity or a safety message transmission periodicity causes said at least one computer to increase the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity when it is determined that the communications device is at a location with higher vehicular traffic than at another location with lower vehicular traffic.

12. A communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

generate device location information based on at least one of a received signal or inertial guidance information;

control at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information, said processor being configured to control a safety message monitoring periodicity that determines a rate at which monitoring for safety messages is performed or a safety message transmission periodicity that determines a rate at which safety message transmissions are made by said communications device, and control a safety message monitoring duty cycle based on the generated device location information, as part of being configured to control at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or transmission operation; and

increase the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission when it is determined that the communications device is at a location with higher vehicular traffic than at another location with lower vehicular traffic; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The communications device of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is configured to control the safety message monitoring periodicity or the safety message transmission periodicity as a function of proximity to vehicular traffic.

14. The communications device of claim 12, said at least one processor is configured to control the transmission power level of safety messages transmitted by said communications device, as part of being configured to control at least one of a safety message monitoring operation or a safety message transmission operation based on the generated device location information.