Mobile computing device emergency warning system and method

• US 9,153,135 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bantz, David F., Chefalas, Thomas E., Liu, Leslie S., Mastrianni, Steven J., Moulic, James R., Shea, Dennis G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US13/602,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/903
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A warning system and method include a memory device configured to store one or more condition criteria. A monitoring device is configured to monitor a status of the one or more condition criteria. The monitoring device is triggered by a triggering event related to the status to generate a warning signal responsive to the triggering event. A mobile computing device is configured to communicate with the monitoring device and an external network to receive the warning signal and output a warning message on the external network to one or more designated entities.

Claims

1. A warning system, comprising:

a memory device configured to store condition criteria comprising a driver pace maker status;

a monitoring device configured to monitor a status of the one or more condition criteria, the monitoring device including one or more sensors for monitoring and determining the status of the one or more condition criteria, the monitoring device for measuring a parameter of the driver pace maker status and comparing the parameter to a user-defined threshold, the monitoring device being triggered by a triggering event related to the one or more sensors detecting that the user-defined threshold has been exceeded to automatically generate a warning signal responsive to the triggering event; and

a mobile computing device configured to receive a user-determined radius from a user'"'"'s vehicle and configured to communicate with the monitoring device and an external network to receive the warning signal and output a warning message via the external network based on the warning signal automatically generated by the monitoring device to one or more designated entities in real-time within a dynamic network comprising the user-determined radius.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system is disposed on a vehicle and the monitoring device and the memory device are part of an on-board computer system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure at least one of a condition of a vehicle, a condition of a driver of the vehicle and a traffic condition related to the vehicle.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes a wireless communication device and the external network includes a cellular network.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the designated entities are selected in advance by a user and stored in the memory device.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the designated entities include one or more of emergency personnel, a personal contact and other users.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the designated entities include users which achieve user-defined limitations.

18. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors monitor operation of a medical device for a driver of a vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein if a malfunction in the medical device occurs, the mobile device notifies at least one of the driver or an individual on a notify list.

8. A warning system, comprising:

a vehicle including;

a memory device to store configured to store condition criteria comprising a driver pace maker status;

a monitoring device including one or more sensors configured to monitor a status of the one or more condition criteria, the monitoring device for measuring a parameter of the driver pace maker status and comparing the parameter to a user-defined threshold, the monitoring device being triggered by a triggering event related to the one or more sensors detecting that the user-defined threshold has been exceeded to automatically generate a warning signal responsive to the triggering event;

a transceiver configured to communicate with a local network; and

a mobile computing device configured to receive a user-determined radius from a user'"'"'s vehicle and configured to communicate with the vehicle using the local network and to communicate with an external network, the mobile computing device configured to receive the warning signal and output a warning message via the external network based on the warning signal automatically generated by the monitoring device to one or more designated entities including entities in real-time within a dynamic network comprising the user-determined radius.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the vehicle includes an interface to permit user determined parameters to be monitored.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors for determining the status of the system are configured to measure at least one of a condition of the vehicle, a condition of a driver of the vehicle and a traffic condition related to the vehicle.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device includes a wireless communication device and the external network includes a cellular network.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the designated entities are selected in advance by a user and stored in the memory device.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the designated entities include one or more of emergency personnel, a personal contact and other users.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the designated entities include users which achieve user-defined limitations.

15. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the external network includes a service provider that manages policies to limit communications to the user designated entities.

16. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:

storing condition criteria comprising a driver pace maker status in a memory device;

monitoring a status of the driver pace maker status;

measuring a parameter of the driver pace maker status and comparing the parameter to a user-defined threshold;

receiving a user-determined radius;

detecting that the user-defined threshold for the parameter of the one or more condition criteria has been exceeded;

automatically generating a warning signal responsive to a triggering event comprising wherein the user-defined threshold is exceeded; and

enabling communication to an external network to receive the warning signal and to output a warning message via the external network based on the warning signal automatically generated by the monitoring device to one or more designated entities in real-time within a real-time dynamic network comprising the user-determined radius.

17. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, further comprising a mobile computing device to enable the communication to the external network.