Granted Patent B2

US 8,977,230 · App. 14/246,469 · Granted Mar 10, 2015

Inventors: Martin Kelly Jones (Vancouver, CA); Scott Andrew Horstemeyer (Atlanta, GA)

H04W4/22G08B13/196G08B25/08H04M11/04H04M1/72536

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. A computer system designed to communicate with a remote wireless communication device (WCD), the computer system comprising:

one or more memories that store computer program code; and

one or more processors that execute the computer program code, the computer program code comprising:

instructions to receive sensed data from the WCD that derives the sensed data with one or more sensors associated with the WCD;

instructions to make a comparison of the sensed data with reference data;

instructions to communicate a message to the WCD indicating whether or not the sensed data involves an activity relating to at least one of a user need for assistance, an accident, and a crime, based upon the comparison;

instructions to, when the sensed data involves the activity, enable one or more additional sensors associated with the WCD; and

instructions to receive additional sensed data from the WCD that derives the additional sensed data from the one or more additional sensors.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed data is at least one of an image, a video sample, and an audio sample.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

instructions to receive human body physical activity (HBPA) information from the WCD indicative of an HBPA associated with a user of the WCD; and

instructions to determine whether or not the sensed data involves the activity based at least in part upon the comparison as well as the HBPA information.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed data includes (a) at least one of an audio, a video, and an image of a thing and (b) a sensed location information and wherein the computer program code further comprises:

a database includes (a) a plurality of files comprising at least one of audio files, video files, and image files; and (b) a reference location information corresponding to individual ones of the plurality of files;

instructions to retrieve one of the plurality of files in the database based at least in part upon the reference location information and the sensed location information; and

instructions to communicate the retrieved one of the plurality of files or derivative thereof to the WCD or a computer system designated by a user of the WCD.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensed data includes (a) at least one of an audio, a video, and an image of a thing, (b) a sensed location information, and (c) a sensed time information, and wherein the computer program code further comprises:

a database including (a) a plurality of files comprising at least one of audio files, video files, and image files; (b) a reference location information corresponding to individual ones of the plurality of files; and (c) a reference time information corresponding to the individual ones of the plurality of files; and

instructions to retrieve one of the plurality of files in the database based at least in part upon the reference location information, the reference time information, the sensed location information, and the sensed time information.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions to communicate a command to the WCD to enter into a listening mode that causes the WCD to activate at least one of a microphone and a camera associated with the WCD to capture at least one of audio, video, and image information.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

instructions to select a risk level from a set of predetermined risk levels based at least in part upon the sensed data; and

instructions to initiate a surveillance action based at least in part upon the risk level, the surveillance action involving activation of an input/output (I/O) device associated with the WCD.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

instructions to communicate a message to the WCD requesting entry of a code; and

instructions to determine whether or not to initiate a surveillance action based at least in part upon the code entry.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

instructions to, when the sensed data involves the activity, communicate a command to at least one additional WCD in close proximity of the WCD to initiate an action.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code further comprises:

instructions to communicate a request to a user of the WCD to initiate a user action;

instructions to determine that the sensed data involves the activity when initiation of the user action fails; and

instructions to determine that the sensed data does not involve the activity when the user action is initiated.

11. A method for implementation in a computer system designed to communicate with a remote wireless communication device (WCD), the method comprising:

receiving sensed data from the WCD that is derived from one or more sensors associated with the WCD;

making a comparison of the sensed data with reference data;

communicating a message to the WCD indicating whether or not the sensed data involves an activity relating to at least one of a user need for assistance, an accident, and a crime, based at least in part upon the comparison;

enabling, when the sensed data involves the activity, one or more additional sensors associated with the WCD; and

receiving additional sensed data from the WCD that is derived from the one or more additional sensors associated with the WCD.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensed data is at least one of an image, a video sample, and an audio sample.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving human body physical activity (HBPA) information from the WCD indicative of an HBPA associated with a user of the WCD; and

determining whether or not the sensed data involves the activity based at least in part upon the comparison as well as the HBPA information.

14. The method of claim 11 , (1) wherein the sensed data includes at least one of (a) an audio, a video, and an image of a thing and (b) a sensed location information, (2) wherein the computer system further comprises a database that includes (a) a plurality of files comprising at least one of audio files, video files, and image files; and (b) a reference location information corresponding to individual ones of the plurality of files, and (3) further comprising:

retrieving one of the plurality of files in the database based at least in part upon the reference location information and the sensed location information; and

communicating the retrieved one of the plurality of files or derivative thereof to the WCD or to another computer system designated by a user of the WCD.

15. The method of claim 11 , (1) wherein the sensed data includes (a) at least one of audio, video, and an image of a thing, (b) a sensed location information, and (c) a sensed time information, (2) wherein the computer system further comprises a database that includes (a) a plurality of files comprising at least one of audio files, video files, and image files; (b) a reference location information corresponding to individual ones of the plurality of files; and (c) a reference time information corresponding to the individual ones of the plurality of files; and (3) further comprising:

retrieving one of the plurality of files in the database based at least in part upon the reference location information, the reference time information, the sensed location information, and the sensed time information.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating a command to the WCD to enter into a listening mode that causes the WCD to activate at least one of a microphone and camera associated with the WCD to capture at least one of an audio, a video, and an image information.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

selecting a risk level from a set of predetermined risk levels based at least in part upon the sensed data; and

initiating a surveillance action based at least in part upon the risk level, the surveillance action involving activation of an input/output (I/O) device associated with the WCD.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating a message to the WCD requesting entry of a code; and

determining whether or not to initiate a surveillance action based at least in part upon the code.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

when the sensed data involves the activity, communicating a command to at least one additional WCD in close proximity of the WCD to initiate an action.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

communicating a request to a user of the WCD to initiate a user action;

determining that the sensed data involves the activity when initiating the user action fails; and

determining that the sensed data does not involve the activity when the user action is initiated.

21. A computer system designed to communicate with a remote wireless communication device (WCD), the computer system comprising:

means for receiving sensed data from the WCD that is derived from one or more sensors associated with the WCD;

means for making a comparison the sensed data with reference data;

means for communicating a message to the WCD indicating whether or not the sensed data involves an activity relating to at least one of a user need for assistance, an accident, and a crime, based at least in part upon the comparison;

means for enabling, when the sensed data involves the activity, one or more additional sensors associated with the WCD; and

means for receiving additional sensed data from the WCD that is derived from the one or more additional sensors associated with the WCD.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (12)