IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,908,060
Granted Patent B2
US 7,908,060 · App. 11/830,990 · Granted Mar 15, 2011

Method and system for blind spot identification and warning utilizing portable and wearable devices

Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,908,060
App. No.
11/830,990
Granted
Mar 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for detecting and alerting a user of objects in their blind spots, includes: tracking movement and relative position of a user to one or more objects; determining a blind spot of the user; determining when at least one of the one or more objects occupies the blind spot of the user; and transmitting a signal to a user mobile device to perform an alarm operation when at least one of the one or more objects occupies the blind spot of the user.

Claims (13)

1. A method for detecting and alerting a user in a first vehicle of moving into a blind spot following a second vehicle, the method comprising:

tracking movement and relative position of the first vehicle to the second preceding vehicle;

determining, with a monitoring device in the first vehicle, a blind spot of the second vehicle;

determining when the first vehicle occupies the blind spot of the second vehicle; and

transmitting a signal to a user mobile device of the user in the first vehicle to perform an alarm operation when the first vehicle enters into the blind spot of second vehicle;

wherein a monitoring system in the second vehicle transmits data to the first vehicle; and

wherein the transmitted data is utilized by the monitoring device in the first vehicle to determine the blind spot of the second vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tracking and relative position of the first vehicle to the second vehicle is conducted with at least one of the following: a global position satellite (GPS) system, and cameras.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the one or more objects blind spots is pre-calculated with mathematical models.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile devices comprise at least one of the following: cell phones, wristwatches, portable computing devices, canes, and walking aids.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alarm operation comprises one or more audible sounds.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alarm operation comprises one or more tactile vibratory signals.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sequence and placement of the vibratory signals on the mobile device indicate the location of the object with the blind spot.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2007
From: BASSON, SARA H.; KAENVSKY, DIMITRI; KELLEY, EDWARD E.; WEST, FRANCES
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 019674/0224 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090037104A1 · Feb 5, 2009