Proximity alert and personalized instructions responsive to a physical distress

• US 9,781,247 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gadepalli, Venkata V., Hewitt, Trudy L., Iyengar, Ashok K., Moreno, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US15/181,583
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product control transmission of assistance requests between electronic devices. One or more processors detect an emergency condition being experienced in real-time by a distressed person. The processor(s) identify at least one assistance candidate that is within a predetermined proximity of the distressed person, and determine a skill level of the at least one assistance candidate for treating the emergency condition. The processor(s) tailor an assistance request on behalf of the distressed person based on the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate, and transmit the assistance request to an electronic device in possession of the at least one assistance candidate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, an emergency condition being experienced in real-time by a distressed person;

receiving, by one or more processors, a first signal from a cell phone indicating that the cell phone has free-fallen more than a predefined distance, wherein the cell phone is in a possession of the distressed person, and wherein the first signal is generated by an accelerometer in the cell phone;

receiving, by one or more processors, a second signal from the cell phone indicating that the distressed person is holding the cell phone while the cell phone is free-falling more than the predefined distance, wherein the second signal is generated by a biometric sensor in the cell phone;

determining, by one or more processors and based on the first signal and the second signal, that the emergency condition is a result of the distressed person free-falling more than the predefined distance;

identifying, by one or more processors, at least one assistance candidate that is within a predetermined proximity of the distressed person;

determining, by one or more processors, a skill level of the at least one assistance candidate for treating the emergency condition;

tailoring, by one or more processors, instructions in an assistance request to the at least one assistance candidate on behalf of the distressed person based on the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate, wherein the instructions describe steps to be taken to ameliorate the emergency condition being experienced by the distressed person;

transmitting, by one or more processors, the assistance request to an electronic device in possession of the at least one assistance candidate;

determining, by one or more processors, that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below a predetermined level for operating a device that ameliorates the emergency condition; and

in response to determining that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below the predetermined level for operating the device that ameliorates the emergency condition, transmitting, by one or more processors, a video message that illustrates steps to be taken to operate the device to a cell phone that is in possession of the at least one assistance candidate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the distressed person; and

identifying, by one or more processors, the emergency condition based on the received biometric sensor readings.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate; and

further tailoring, by one or more processors, the instructions in the assistance request based on the current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the at least one assistance candidate; and

selectively sending, by one or more processors, the assistance request based on the received biometric sensor readings for the at least one assistance candidate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a physical distance between the at least one assistance candidate and the distressed person.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by one or more processors, an environmental hazard found in an environment of the distressed person;

determining, by one or more processors, that a first assistance candidate is susceptible to the environmental hazard and that a second assistance candidate is not susceptible to the environmental hazard; and

transmitting, by one or more processors, the assistance request to the second assistance candidate and not to the first assistance candidate.

7. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to detect an emergency condition being experienced in real-time by a distressed person;

program instructions to receive a first signal from a cell phone indicating that the cell phone has free-fallen more than a predefined distance, wherein the cell phone is in a possession of the distressed person, and wherein the first signal is generated by an accelerometer in the cell phone;

program instructions to receive a second signal from the cell phone indicating that the distressed person is holding the cell phone while the cell phone is free-falling more than the predefined distance, wherein the second signal is generated by a biometric sensor in the cell phone;

program instructions to determine, based on the first signal and the second signal, that the emergency condition is a result of the distressed person free-falling more than the predefined distance;

program instructions to identify at least one assistance candidate that is within a predetermined proximity of the distressed person;

program instructions to determine a skill level of the at least one assistance candidate for treating the emergency condition;

program instructions to tailor instructions in an assistance request to the at least one assistance candidate on behalf of the distressed person based on the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate, wherein the instructions describe steps to be taken to ameliorate the emergency condition being experienced by the distressed person;

program instructions to transmit the assistance request to an electronic device in possession of the at least one assistance candidate;

program instructions to determine that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below a predetermined level for operating a device that ameliorates the emergency condition; and

program instructions to, in response to determining that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below the predetermined level for operating the device that ameliorates the emergency condition, transmit a video message that illustrates steps to be taken to operate the device to a cell phone that is in possession of the at least one assistance candidate.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to receive biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the distressed person; and

program instructions to identify the emergency condition based on the received biometric sensor readings.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to determine a current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate; and

program instructions to further tailor the instructions in the assistance request based on the current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to receive biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the at least one assistance candidate; and

program instructions to selectively send the assistance request based on the received biometric sensor readings for the at least one assistance candidate.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the predetermined proximity is a physical distance between the at least one assistance candidate and the distressed person.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the predetermined proximity is a temporal distance that describes an amount of time required for the at least one assistance candidate to reach the distressed person.

13. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the emergency condition is a medical emergency.

14. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer readable memories, and one or more computer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage mediums for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to detect an emergency condition being experienced in real-time by a distressed person;

program instructions to receive a first signal from a cell phone indicating that the cell phone has free-fallen more than a predefined distance, wherein the cell phone is in a possession of the distressed person, and wherein the first signal is generated by an accelerometer in the cell phone;

program instructions to receive a second signal from the cell phone indicating that the distressed person is holding the cell phone while the cell phone is free-falling more than the predefined distance, wherein the second signal is generated by a biometric sensor in the cell phone;

program instructions to determine, based on the first signal and the second signal, that the emergency condition is a result of the distressed person free-falling more than the predefined distance;

program instructions to identify at least one assistance candidate that is within a predetermined proximity of the distressed person;

program instructions to determine a skill level of the at least one assistance candidate for treating the emergency condition;

program instructions to tailor instructions in an assistance request to the at least one assistance candidate on behalf of the distressed person based on the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate, wherein the instructions describe steps to be taken to ameliorate the emergency condition being experienced by the distressed person;

program instructions to transmit the assistance request to an electronic device in possession of the at least one assistance candidate;

program instructions to determine that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below a predetermined level for operating a device that ameliorates the emergency condition; and

program instructions to, in response to determining that the skill level of the at least one assistance candidate is below the predetermined level for operating the device that ameliorates the emergency condition, transmit a video message that illustrates steps to be taken to operate the device to a cell phone that is in possession of the at least one assistance candidate.

15. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions to receive biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the distressed person; and

program instructions to identify the emergency condition based on the received biometric sensor readings.

16. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions to determine a current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate;

program instructions to further tailor the instructions in the assistance request based on the current emotional state of the at least one assistance candidate.

17. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions to receive biometric sensor readings from a biometric sensor on the at least one assistance candidate; and

program instructions to selectively send the assistance request based on the received biometric sensor readings for the at least one assistance candidate.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined proximity is a temporal distance that describes an amount of time required for the at least one assistance candidate to reach the distressed person.

19. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the emergency condition is a medical emergency.