Granted Patent B2

US 9,300,776 · App. 13/304,993 · Granted Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A network for detecting potentially damaging motion, comprising:

a device having a device processor operating in accord with application software, a device data port, and an accelerometer operatively connected to the device processor;

a central server having a server data port and a server processor operating in accord with server software; and

a data link from the device to the central server;

wherein the application software causes the device processor to obtain accelerometer motion information from the accelerometer;

wherein the device processor determines if the accelerometer motion information exceeds a threshold programmed by the application software, the threshold for determining whether potentially damaging motion may have occurred;

wherein the device processes and sends accelerometer motion information from the device data port to the server data port over the data link when the accelerometer motion information exceeds the programmed threshold; and

wherein the central server processes the accelerometer motion information;

wherein it is determined in accord with application software that at least one application is active and co-running with the application software at an instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

wherein an indication is provided to the user of the at least one application which was active and co-running with the application software at the instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeded the predetermined threshold.

2. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the application software is downloaded from an application source to the device.

3. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the central server compiles potentially damaging motion data in a database.

4. The network according to claim 3 , wherein the central server sends a notification that potentially damaging motion has occurred.

5. The network according to claim 4 , wherein the device checks communication availability with the central server.

6. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the potentially damaging motion is a crash.

7. The network according to claim 1 , further including a clock operatively connected to the device processor.

8. The network according to claim 7 , further including an orientation sensor operatively connected to the device processor.

9. The network according to claim 7 , wherein the potentially damaging motion relates to freefall.

10. The network according to claim 9 , wherein the potentially damaging motion relates to freefall for more than 0.1 second.

11. The network according to claim 8 , wherein the potentially damaging motion relates to impacts along an axis predetermined by the application software.

12. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the central server processes the accelerometer motion information to ascertain motion frequency.

13. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the central server processes the accelerometer motion information to ascertain motion direction.

14. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the central server processes the accelerometer motion information to ascertain motion rapidity.

15. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the central server processes the accelerometer motion information to predict likely damage.

16. The network according to claim 1 , wherein the device further sends a response request to the central server.

17. A device for detecting whether its motion exceeds a potentially damaging threshold, comprising:

a device having a device processor operating in accord with application software, a device data port, and an accelerometer operatively connected to the device processor;

wherein the application software causes the device processor to obtain accelerometer motion information from the accelerometer;

wherein the device processor determines if the accelerometer motion information exceeds a threshold for determining whether potentially damaging motion may have occurred and determines at least one application active and co-running with the application software at an instance when the motion information exceeds the threshold; and

wherein the device transmits the accelerometer motion information from the device data port when the motion information exceeds the threshold and transmits an indication of at least one application which was active and co-running with the application software at the instance when the motion information exceeded the threshold.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the application software is downloaded from an application source to the device.

19. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the accelerometer motion information relates to a crash.

20. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the accelerometer motion information relates to freefall.

21. A computer-implemented monitoring and reporting method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable device comprising an accelerometer motion detection apparatus;

detecting with the accelerometer motion detection apparatus accelerometer motion information of the portable device;

determining if the accelerometer motion information exceeds a predetermined threshold;

determining an orientation of the portable device at an instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeds the predetermined threshold;

providing a server system in communication with the portable device via a network;

sending accelerometer motion information to the server system over the network;

providing an indication to a user that the accelerometer motion information exceeded the predetermined threshold;

predicting based on the determined orientation and the detected accelerometer motion information sent to the server system at least one portion of the mobile device subject to increased structural loading; and

providing an indication of the increased structural loading to the user.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , further comprising providing to the user an indication of structural protection required to prevent damage to the mobile device resulting from the increased structural loading.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22 , wherein providing to the user the indication of structural protection includes providing to the user a recommendation of a protective case.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22 , wherein providing to the user the indication of structural protection includes providing the user a link to a network location corresponding to a commercial offering of the structural protection.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , further comprising:

determining at least one application active at an instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

providing an indication to the user of the at least one application which was active at the instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeded the predetermined threshold.

26. A computer-implemented monitoring and reporting method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable device comprising a accelerometer motion detection apparatus;

detecting with the accelerometer motion detection apparatus acceleration motion information of the portable device;

determining if the acceleration motion information exceeds a particular threshold;

determining an orientation of the portable device at an instance when the acceleration motion information exceeds the particular threshold;

providing an indication to a user that the motion information exceeded the particular threshold;

predicting based on the determined orientation and the detected acceleration motion information at least one portion of the mobile device subject to increased structural loading; and

providing an indication of the increased structural loading to the user.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 , further comprising providing to the user an indication of structural protection required to prevent damage to the mobile device resulting from the increased structural loading based on the determined orientation and the detected acceleration motion information.

28. A computer-implemented monitoring and reporting method comprising the steps of:

providing a device having a device processor operating in accord with application software and an accelerometer operatively connected to the device processor;

obtaining by the processor via the application software acceleration motion information from the accelerometer;

determining by the processor w en the acceleration motion information exceeds a particular threshold;

determining by the processor at least one application active and co-miming with the application software at an instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

providing an indication to the user of the at least one application which was active and co-running with the application software at the instance when the accelerometer motion information exceeded the predetermined threshold.

Assignments (9)