Detecting driving with a wearable computing device

• US 10,659,598 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2019
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kadous, Mohammed Waleed
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US16/436,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20190297183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A wearable computing device is described that detects an indication of movement associated with the wearable computing device when a user of the wearable computing device detected being located within a moving vehicle. Based at least in part on the indication of movement, a determination is made that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the moving vehicle. An operation is performed based on the determination that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the moving vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of movement associated with a wearable computing device that is located in a vehicle;

determining a degree of likelihood that a user of the wearable computing device is driving the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the degree of likelihood satisfies a threshold, determining that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle, performing, by a different computing device that is located in the vehicle and is associated with the user of the wearable computing device, one or more operations that prevent the user from accessing at least one feature of the different computing device while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the movement comprises sensor data indicating a turning motion detected by a sensor of the wearable computing device or the different device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation includes at least one of:

disabling at least one input component of the different computing device;

or

disabling at least one output component of the different computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the input component includes a presence-sensitive input component of the different computing device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the output component includes a display of the different computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation includes disabling text messaging functions of the wearable computing device or the different computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the one or more operations further comprises restricting access to at least some functionality of the wearable computing device while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of likelihood that the user of the wearable computing device is driving comprises determining, from inputting the indication of the movement into a machine learning system, the degree of likelihood that the user of the wearable computing device is driving.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the degree of likelihood that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle is in response to determining that a pattern identified from the movement associated with the wearable computing device is consistent with a pattern of movement associated with driving the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is no longer driving the vehicle, enabling, by the different computing device, user access to the at least one feature of the different computing device.

11. A computing system comprising at least one processor configured to:

receive an indication of movement associated with a wearable computing device that is located in a vehicle, wherein the computing system is located in the vehicle and is associated with the user of the wearable computing device;

determine a degree of likelihood that a user of the wearable computing device is driving the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the degree of likelihood satisfies a threshold, determine that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle, perform one or more operations that prevent the user from accessing at least one feature of the computing system while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the indication of the movement comprises sensor data indicating a turning motion detected by a sensor of the wearable computing device or the computing system.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the degree of likelihood that the user of the wearable computing device based at least in part by inputting the indication of the movement into a machine learning system.

14. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is no longer driving the vehicle, enable user access to the at least one feature of the computing system.

15. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the one or more operations by restricting access to at least some functionality of the wearable computing device while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing system to:

receive an indication of movement associated with a wearable computing device that is located in a vehicle, wherein the computing system is located in the vehicle and is associated with the user of the wearable computing device;

determine a degree of likelihood that a user of the wearable computing device is driving the vehicle;

responsive to determining that the degree of likelihood satisfies a threshold, determine that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle; and

responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle, perform one or more operations that prevent the user from accessing at least one feature of the computing system while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the indication of the movement comprises sensor data indicating a turning motion detected by a sensor of the wearable computing device or the computing system.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to determine the degree of likelihood that the user of the wearable computing device based at least in part by inputting the indication of the movement into a machine learning system.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to responsive to determining that the user of the wearable computing device is no longer driving the vehicle, enable user access to the at least one feature of the computing system.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to perform the one or more operations by restricting access to at least some functionality of the wearable computing device while the user of the wearable computing device is currently driving the vehicle.