Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02900168 2015-08-12
Background Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile phones and more specifically
to autonomously detect accidents and monitor personal health by using sensors
and call for immediate assistance on behalf of the protected person.
As known to those skilled in the art, mobile phones have evolved from feature
phones to smart phones. The latter has hardware with more computing capacity
and software that can run a wide variety of applications.
Mobile phones are widely by drivers to call for assistance when they get into
an
accident. However, if the accident is severe, the driver may not be able to
move
and hence may not be able to get the mobile phone and dial a number to call.
Some vehicles have built in systems that can detect vehicle collisions and
connect the driver to a call center agent by telephone. However, many vehicle
don't have these system equipped or many drivers opt out these system due to
high cost when they make the purchase.
What is needed is a mobile phone with software that
i) the driver always carries to the vehicle
ii) turns on when the vehicle starts
iii) autonomously detects accidents or health issues of the driver and
call for assistance
Summary Of The Invention
The present invention provides a solution for autonomously detecting
automobile accidents and calling for assistance by using a mobile phone and
connected sensors.
In an embodiment, the mobile phone connects multiple sensors such as
microphone, vehicle OBD dongle, wearable device on the driver. The mobile
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phone runs software autonomously in the background. All data received from
the sensors are processed real time by the software. By recognizing patterns
in
the sensor data, accidents can be detected.
In an embodiment, the software in the mobile phone can call for assistance
once
an accident is detected. The software can find the available means to make the
call, either cellular network, or 3G, or WiFi.
In another embodiment, the software in the mobile phone sends the driver's
location in exact coordinates with the call for assistance. This allows the
assistance to quickly locate the driver and arrive for help.
Detailed Description Of The Invention
Referring to FIG 1, shown is an illustrative mobile phone 105 that may be
installed with software 106. The mobile phone 105 may be connected to a
number of sensors such as microphone 102, wearable device 103, and
automobile OBD device. The mobile phone 105 and the sensors (102, 103, and
104) are all in the vehicle 111 with the driver 101.
When an accident occurs to the vehicle, one or many of the sensors may
receive special patterns of data. For example, the microphone 102 may hear the
driver calling for help 112, the wearable device on the driver may detect
abnormal heart beats 113, the OBD dongle may indicate that the airbags are
deployed in the vehicle 114. The software 106 in the mobile phone 105 runs
autonomously and processes all data received from the sensors. The software
106 can detect the special patterns of sensors data and hence detect that the
accident has occurred.
The software 106 may initiate a phone call to either 911 emergency services
109
or family members 110. The choice between emergency services or family
members is based on the severity of the accident and driver's choice.
Moreover,
the software 106 understands the available means that the mobile phone 106
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can connect to assistance so it may choose the best available means. For
example, the call for assistance may be made through cellular network 107 or
data network 108.
The software 106 continuously runs on the mobile phone 106 after it is
installed.
As the mobile phone is carried by the driver not only in the vehicle but also
at
many other activities outside of the automobile vehicle, the software 106 can
detect whether the driver is in a moving vehicle. The software turns on the
monitoring mode only when the driver is in a moving vehicle.
