IMPENDING HAZARD ALERT

• US 20140066097A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KOLODZIEJ, Krzysztof
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 mobile device identifies whether potentially distracting applications are running on the mobile device as well as the activity of the user, via at least one sensor on the mobile device. If it is determined that at least one potentially distracting application is running and the user is engaged in an activity that may become dangerous due to use of the at least one potentially distracting application, a warning is provided on a user output of the mobile device when the mobile device is within a predetermined time and/or distance of an identified hazard.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured for mobile data communication via a mobile wireless communication network;

at least one user output element;

at least one sensor; and

a controller coupled to the transceiver, the at least one sensor, and the at least one user output element, wherein the controller is configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

determine whether an application running on the mobile device is potentially distracting;

determine an activity of a user of the mobile device, via the at least one sensor;

determine whether the user activity in combination with running of the potentially distracting application is potentially dangerous; and

upon determining that the combination is potentially dangerous and that the mobile device is within a predetermined time and/or distance of a hazard, provide a warning on the user output element of the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive hazard information from a warning server prior to providing the warning.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement a function to identify, from received hazard information, one or more impending hazards to the user of the mobile device in an area of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to cause the transceiver to automatically receive the hazard information from the warning server periodically without the mobile device requesting the hazard information.

5. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement functions to request the hazard information from the warning server when the mobile device determines that the hazard information is not available or not up-to-date on the mobile device for an area where the mobile device is located.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one sensor includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; and

the controller is further configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement a function to send GPS coordinates of the mobile device to the warning server with the request for hazard information.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and an accelerometer; and

the controller is further configured to help determine the user activity from information from at least one of the GPS receiver or accelerometer.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein:

the at least one sensor further includes;

at least one camera,

a touch screen, and

a microphone; and

the controller is further configured to determine whether the user activity in combination with one or more running applications is potentially dangerous by comparing the user activity in combination with one or more running applications to a predetermined criteria stored in the mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor includes a camera; and

the controller is further configured to;

track eye movement from information provided by the camera; and

determine whether any currently running applications are potentially distracting from tracked eye movement information.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether any currently running applications are potentially distracting by comparing each currently running application to predetermined criteria stored in the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement a function to classify the combination of the user activity with any running applications as not dangerous when the mobile device is traveling above a predetermined speed.

12. A computer system configured as at least one server, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor configured to enable communications via a communication network;

at least one storage device accessible by the processor for content and programming;

a program stored in the storage device, wherein execution of the program by the processor configures the computer system to perform functions, including functions to;

maintain hazard information for one or more geographic regions as content in the at least one storage device;

receive a request for hazard information for one or more geographic regions from a mobile device via the network interface, wherein the request includes location information of the mobile device;

confirm whether or not the mobile device is authorized to receive hazard information; and

provide hazard information of one or more geographic regions to the mobile device around the vicinity of the mobile device identified by the location information, wherein the hazard information is configured to provide a warning when the mobile device is within a predetermined time and/or distance of an impending hazard identified in the hazard information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the hazard information for the one or more geographic regions includes a location of impediments to pedestrians, including at least one of:

a construction site, a step, stairs, a pole, a wall, a fence, an intersection, a border, a body of water, or a traffic lane.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein execution of the program by the processor further configures the computer system to perform the function to update of the hazard information to the mobile device periodically without the mobile device requesting the hazard information.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein execution of the program by the processor further configures the computer system to perform the function to receive a request for hazard information from the mobile device when the mobile device determines that the hazard information is not available or not up-to-date on the mobile device for a geographic region where the mobile device is located.