Modifying operation of computing devices to mitigate short-term impaired judgment

• US 9,716,964 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: Gu, Pei, Sheng, Xinxin, Sun, Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Talukder, Md
• Application Number:
  US15/139,190
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455 413
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described for modifying operation of computing devices to mitigate short-term impaired judgment using wearable devices. A short-range frequency reader coupled to a target device detects a wearable device in proximity to the reader, the wearable device comprising a short-range frequency antenna. The reader identifies a user wearing the wearable device. The reader receives biometric information of the user from the wearable device. The reader determines a level of operational impairment of the user by analyzing the biometric information. The reader modifies one or more operational functions of the target device based upon the level of operational impairment of the user.

Claims

1. A method for modifying operation of computing devices to mitigate short-term impaired judgment using wearable devices, the method comprising:

detecting, by a short-range frequency reader coupled to a target device, a wearable device in proximity to the reader, the wearable device comprising a short-range frequency antenna;

identifying, by the reader, a user wearing the wearable device;

receiving, by the reader, current biometric information of the user from the wearable device;

determining, by the reader, a current emotional state of the user based upon the current biometric information, including comparing the current biometric information to baseline biometric information of the user previously collected by the wearable device, wherein the baseline biometric information is indicative of a non-impaired emotional state of the user;

determining, by the reader, a level of operational impairment of the user by analyzing the current emotional state of the user;

selecting, by the reader, one or more rules corresponding to a combination of the wearable device, the target device, and the level of operational impairment of the user;

identifying, by the reader, a plurality of actions associated with the selected one or more rules, including at least one mandatory action, at least one optional action, and at least one suggestive action; and

executing, by the reader, the identified plurality of actions to modify one or more operational functions of the target device and to issue a notification relating to the level of operational impairment to a remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a user wearing the wearable device comprises

receiving, from the wearable device, a unique identifier stored in memory of the wearable device;

retrieving, by the reader, a user profile that corresponds to the unique identifier from a server computing device; and

identifying, by the reader, the user based upon the user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining, by the reader, a distance of the wearable device from the reader and an orientation of the wearable device in relation to the reader;

and

modifying, by the reader, one or more of the operational functions of the target device based upon the distance of the wearable device from the reader and the orientation of the wearable device in relation to the reader.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the operational functions of the target device includes enabling access to the target device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the operational functions of the target device includes disabling access to the target device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the operational functions of the target device includes restricting operation of the target device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein restricting operation of the target device comprises disabling a first portion of functionality of the target device while maintaining a second portion of functionality of the target device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is associated with a person other than the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a warning regarding the level of operational impairment of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes a suggestion regarding mitigation of the level of operational impairment of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the current biometric information includes a heart rate of the user, a blood pressure reading of the user, a blood sugar reading of the user, a body temperature of the user, a voice volume of the user, and a speech pattern of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearable device collects the current biometric information and transmits the current biometric information to the reader.

13. A system for modifying operation of computing devices to mitigate short-term impaired judgment using wearable devices, the system comprising a short-range frequency reader coupled to a target device, the reader configured to:

detect a wearable device in proximity to the reader, the wearable device comprising a short-range frequency antenna;

identify a user wearing the wearable device;

receive current biometric information of the user from the wearable device;

determine a current emotional state of the user based upon the current biometric information, including comparing the current biometric information to baseline biometric information of the user previously collected by the wearable device, wherein the baseline biometric information is indicative of a non-impaired emotional state of the user;

determine a level of operational impairment of the user by analyzing the current emotional state of the user;

select one or more rules corresponding to a combination of the wearable device, the target device, and the level of operational impairment of the user;

identify a plurality of actions associated with the selected one or more rules, including at least one mandatory action, at least one optional action, and at least one suggestive action; and

execute the identified plurality of actions to modify one or more operational functions of the target device and to issue a notification relating to the level of operational impairment to a remote device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to identify a user wearing the wearable device by

receiving, from the wearable device, a unique identifier stored in memory of the wearable device;

retrieving a user profile that corresponds to the unique identifier from a server computing device; and

identifying the user based upon the user profile.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the reader is further configured to

determine a distance of the wearable device from the reader and an orientation of the wearable device in relation to the reader;

and

modify one or more of the operational functions of the target device based upon the distance of the wearable device from the reader and the orientation of the wearable device in relation to the reader.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to modify the operational functions of the target device by enabling access to the target device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to modify the operational functions of the target device by disabling access to the target device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the reader is configured to modify the operational functions of the target device by restricting operation of the target device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the reader restricts operation of the target device by disabling a first portion of functionality of the target device while maintaining a second portion of functionality of the target device.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote device is associated with a person other than the user.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the notification includes a warning regarding the level of operational impairment of the user.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the notification includes a suggestion regarding mitigation of the level of operational impairment of the user.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the current biometric information includes a heart rate of the user, a blood pressure reading of the user, a blood sugar reading of the user, a body temperature of the user, a voice volume of the user, and a speech pattern of the user.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the wearable device collects the current biometric information and transmits the current biometric information to the reader.

25. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage device, for modifying operation of computing devices to mitigate short-term impaired judgment using wearable devices, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a short-range frequency reader coupled to a target device to:

detect a wearable device in proximity to the reader, the wearable device comprising a short-range frequency antenna;

identify a user wearing the wearable device;

receive current biometric information of the user from the wearable device;

determine a current emotional state of the user based upon the current biometric information, including comparing the current biometric information to baseline biometric information of the user previously collected by the wearable device, wherein the baseline biometric information is indicative of a non-impaired emotional state of the user;

determine a level of operational impairment of the user by analyzing the current emotional state of the user;

select one or more rules corresponding to a combination of the wearable device, the target device, and the level of operational impairment of the user;

identify a plurality of actions associated with the selected one or more rules, including at least one mandatory action, at least one optional action, and at least one suggestive action; and

execute the identified plurality of actions to modify one or more operational functions of the target device and to issue a notification relating to the level of operational impairment to a remote device.