Smart device safety mechanism

• US 9,390,607 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Denise A., Jenkins, Jana H., Kusnitz, Jeffrey A., Plantenberg, Sarah R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMSON, SARA B
• Application Number:
  US14/099,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

An approach is provided in which a smart device identifies a crime risk based upon proximity parameters corresponding to the current location of the smart device. In turn, the smart device determines whether to alert a user of the smart device based upon user preferences and, in turn, alerts the user accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of providing an alert to a user of a smart device, wherein the method comprises:

detecting a pedestrian within a pedestrian detection distance, wherein the detecting includes identifying a digital footprint of the detected pedestrian;

determining, based on an analysis of the digital footprint, if the detected pedestrian is friendly;

increasing a risk tolerance threshold in response to determining that the detected pedestrian is friendly;

identifying, by the smart device, a crime risk based upon one or more proximity parameters corresponding to a current location of the smart device;

determining whether to alert the user of the identified crime risk based upon one or more user preferences, wherein the one or more user preferences includes at least the risk tolerance threshold; and

generating an alert in response to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating, by the smart device, a risk value according to a set of area parameters included in the proximity parameters;

determining whether the risk value reaches the risk tolerance threshold included in the one or more user preferences; and

performing the generation of the alert in response to the risk value reaching the risk tolerance threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the set of area parameters include one or more historical crime statistics, and wherein at least one of the one or more historical crime statistics is selected from the group consisting of a crime type, a crime time, a crime location, and a victim demographic.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying a risk avoidance distance included in the one or more user preferences;

determining that one or more risk areas are located within the risk avoidance distance from the current location, wherein the one or more risk areas are identified based upon the one or more historical crime statistics; and

displaying the current location and the one or more risk areas located within the risk avoidance distance.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining whether a time-based risk corresponds to the risk area by comparing a current time with one or more of the crime times included in the historical crime statistics;

determining whether a demographic-based risk corresponds to the user by comparing one or more user demographics included in the user preferences to the one or more victim demographics; and

utilizing the time-based risk and the demographic-based risk during the calculation of the risk value.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the user preferences is selected from the group consisting of the risk tolerance threshold, a situational risk tolerance threshold, a risk avoidance distance, a pedestrian detection distance, a user demographic, and a user activity.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving real-time crime data over a wireless network; and

utilizing the real-time crime data during the calculation of the risk value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert further comprises:

displaying one or more risk reduction options to the user, wherein at least one of the one or more risk reduction options are selected from the group consisting of a taxi call option, a 911 call option, a display risk details option, and a display emergency phone location option.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling a pedestrian detection module in the smart device; and

wherein the pedestrian detection distance is included in the one or more user preferences.

10. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

detecting a pedestrian within a pedestrian detection distance, wherein the detecting includes identifying a digital footprint of the detected pedestrian;

determining, based on an analysis of the digital footprint, if the detected pedestrian is friendly;

increasing a risk tolerance threshold in response to determining that the detected pedestrian is friendly;

identifying a crime risk based upon one or more proximity parameters corresponding to a current location of the mobile device;

determining whether to alert the user of the identified crime risk based upon one or more user preferences, wherein the one or more user preferences includes at least the risk tolerance threshold; and

generating an alert in response to the determination.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

calculating a risk value according to a set of area parameters included in the proximity parameters;

determining whether the risk value reaches the risk tolerance threshold included in the one or more user preferences; and

performing the generation of the alert in response to the risk value reaching the risk tolerance threshold.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the set of area parameters include one or more historical crime statistics, and wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

identifying a risk avoidance distance included in the one or more user preferences;

determining that one or more risk areas are located within the risk avoidance distance from the current location, wherein the one or more risk areas are identified based upon the one or more historical crime statistics; and

displaying the current location and the one or more risk areas located within the risk avoidance distance.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

determining whether a time-based risk corresponds to the risk area by comparing a current time with one or more crime times included in the one or more historical crime statistics;

determining whether a demographic-based risk corresponds to the user by comparing one or more user demographics included in the user preferences to the one or more victim demographics; and

utilizing the time-based risk and the demographic-based risk during the calculation of the risk value.

14. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

receiving real-time crime data over a wireless network; and

utilizing the real-time crime data during the calculation of the risk value.

15. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more processors perform additional actions comprising:

enabling a pedestrian detection module in the mobile device; and

wherein the pedestrian detection distance is included in the one or more user preferences.

16. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by a mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform actions comprising:

detecting a pedestrian within a pedestrian detection distance, wherein the detecting includes identifying a digital footprint of the detected pedestrian;

determining, based on an analysis of the digital footprint, if the detected pedestrian is friendly;

increasing a risk tolerance threshold in response to determining that the detected pedestrian is friendly;

identifying a crime risk based upon one or more proximity parameters corresponding to a current location of the mobile device;

determining whether to alert the user of the identified crime risk based upon one or more user preferences, wherein the one or more user preferences includes at least the risk tolerance threshold; and

generating an alert in response to the determination.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer program code, when executed by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform further actions comprising:

calculating a risk value according to a set of area parameters included in the proximity parameters;

determining whether the risk value reaches the risk tolerance threshold included in the one or more user preferences; and

performing the generation of the alert in response to the risk value reaching the risk tolerance threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the computer program code, when executed by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform further actions comprising:

identifying a risk avoidance distance included in the one or more user preferences;

determining that one or more risk areas are located within the risk avoidance distance from the current location, wherein the one or more risk areas are identified based upon the one or more historical crime statistics; and

displaying the current location and the one or more risk areas located within the risk avoidance distance.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the computer program code, when executed by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform further actions comprising:

determining whether a time-based risk corresponds to the risk area by comparing a current time with one or more crime times included in the one or more historical crime statistics;

determining whether a demographic-based risk corresponds to the user by comparing one or more user demographics included in the user preferences to the one or more victim demographics; and

utilizing the time-based risk and the demographic-based risk during the calculation of the risk value.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the computer program code, when executed by the mobile device, causes the mobile device to perform further actions comprising:

enabling a pedestrian detection module; and

wherein the pedestrian detection distance is included in the one or more user preferences.