Smartwatch blackbox

• US 9,758,095 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• 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:
  US15/005,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20170210288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 340439, 340575, 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 method for alerting drivers of hazardous driving conditions, the method comprising 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 the hazardous driving condition exists;

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

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

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

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

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

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

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

providing 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

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

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

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

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

comparing 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 method of claim 1, wherein the feedback is provided to the driver via the mobile device worn by the driver.

5. The method 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 method 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 method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

tracking feedback provided to the driver.

8. The method 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 method 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 method 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 method 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 method 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 method 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 method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device worn by the user comprises a smartwatch.