Smartwatch blackbox

• US 10,046,601 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/681,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20170368992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 340439, 340 55, 340576, 705 4
• 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 computer program product for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

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

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

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

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

wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to;

detect hand deviations of the driver using the real-time data;

determine whether the hand deviations of the driver involve side-to-side hand movements;

estimate speed of the vehicle using the real-time data if the hand deviations of the driver involve side-to-side hand movements;

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the hand deviations of the driver do not involve side-to-side hand movements;

determine whether the speed of the vehicle is higher than an average speed for a roadway on which the vehicle is travelling;

provide the feedback to the driver if the speed of the vehicle is higher than the average speed for the roadway on which the vehicle is travelling; and

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the speed of the vehicle is not higher than the average speed for the roadway on which the vehicle is travelling.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to:

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

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to:

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

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

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the feedback is provided as an audible alert message to the driver via the mobile device worn by the driver.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the feedback is provided as an audible alert message to the driver via an audio system of the vehicle.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to:

track feedback provided to the driver.

8. The computer program product 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.

9. The computer program product 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.

10. The computer program product 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.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of:

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

12. The computer program product 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.

13. The computer program product 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.

14. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises a smartwatch.

15. A computer program product for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

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

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

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

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

wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to:

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

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises a smartwatch.

18. A computer program product for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

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

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

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

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

wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to;

detect changes along a direction of travel using the real-time data;

determine whether a number of the changes along the direction of travel is greater than a given threshold number of changes for a given duration;

detect a type of road on which the vehicle is travelling using the real-time data if the number of changes along the direction of travel is greater than the given threshold number of changes for the given duration;

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the number of changes along the direction of travel is not greater than the given threshold number of changes for the given duration;

determine whether the vehicle is travelling on a highway;

detect a heart rate of the driver using the real-time data if the vehicle is travelling on the highway;

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the vehicle is not travelling on the highway;

determine whether the heart rate of the driver is elevated;

provide the feedback to the driver if the heart rate of the driver is elevated; and

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the heart rate of the driver is not elevated.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions further cause the computer to:

detect a skin conductivity of the driver using the real-time data if the heart rate of the driver is elevated; and

continue to collect data from the driver in real-time if the heart rate of the driver is not elevated.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises a smartwatch.