System and method for warning rider of vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for warning a rider of a vehicle. The system (100) includes a personal digital assistant (104) configured to detect a state of the vehicle (102) as an operational state or a non-operational state, and determine whether a nature of an input event received on the personal digital assistant (104) is emergency or non-emergency while the vehicle is in the operational state. The system further includes a smart device (106) worn by the rider. The smart device (106) communicates with the personal digital assistant (104). The smart device (106) is configured to perform one or more first predefined actions when the incoming event is emergency and one or more second predefined actions when the incoming event is non-emergency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for alerting a rider of a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for alerting a rider of a vehicle of an emergency incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant. Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, a rider of a vehicle is almost always paying attention to incoming events, such as notifications, messages, calls, etc., received on his or her personal digital assistant. Even when riding a vehicle, the rider feels anxious or uneasy about incoming events and does not want to miss important or urgent incoming events. Due to this uneasy or anxiousness, a rider of a vehicle is almost always distracted by incoming events received on his or her personal digital assistant while riding a vehicle. Most of the time, the rider may attend or participate in incoming events while riding a vehicle, which may be dangerous to himself and fellow riders, pedestrians and / or animals near the vehicle, resulting in accidents / collisions. Even when receiving incoming events through a smart wearable device or a Bluetooth device, the rider of the vehicle may still be distracted, which may result in accidents / collisions. In addition, even if the rider of the vehicle chooses to ignore incoming events while riding a vehicle, the worry about missing urgent incoming events will distract his riding attention and may result in accidents / collisions.

[0003] One way to solve the above problem is to stop the vehicle and check each incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant. However, this will delay the rider's travel plans. Moreover, it is uncomfortable and impractical to stop the vehicle every time an incoming event is received on the rider's personal digital assistant.

[0004] In view of the above, there is a need to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, a system for warning a rider of a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a vehicle driven by the rider, a personal digital assistant of the rider, and a smart device worn by the rider. The personal digital assistant communicates with the vehicle, and the smart device communicates with the personal digital assistant. The personal digital assistant is configured to detect the state of the vehicle. The vehicle can be in a running state or a non-running state. The running state of the vehicle is the state when the rider is riding the vehicle, and the non-running state is the state when the vehicle is in a stopped state. Upon detecting that the state of the vehicle is a running state, the personal digital assistant is further configured to determine the nature of an incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant when the vehicle is in the running state. In other words, for the purposes of the present invention, the nature of the incoming event is determined only when the vehicle is in the running state. The incoming event includes at least one of an incoming call, a message, and a notification received on the rider's personal digital assistant. The nature of the incoming event can be urgent or non-urgent. Upon determining the nature of the incoming event, data indicative of the nature of the incoming event is transmitted to a smart device configured to perform a first predefined action when the incoming event is urgent and a second predefined action when the incoming event is non-urgent.

[0006] In an embodiment, the one or more first predefined actions include generating one or more tactile alarms, visual alarms, and audio alarms at a first predefined time interval and a first predefined number of times. Similarly, the one or more second predefined actions include generating one or more tactile alarms, visual alarms, and audio alarms at a second predefined time interval and a second predefined number of times. The value of the first predefined number of times is different from the value of the second predefined number of times. The value of the first predefined time interval may be the same as or different from the value of the second predefined time interval. In one non-limiting example, the value of the first predefined number of times is greater than the value of the second predefined number of times. In another non-limiting example, the value of the first predefined number of times is less than the value of the second predefined number of times.

[0007] In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant includes a receiving module, a transmission module, and a determination module. The receiving module is configured to receive an incoming event from a caller. It should be understood that the incoming event is received from the personal digital assistant of the caller. The transmission module is configured to transmit an outgoing event in response to the incoming event when the vehicle is in a running state. The outgoing event includes one or more options for selection by the caller to indicate the nature of the incoming event. The determination module is configured to determine whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent based on the caller's selection of one or more options.

[0008] It should be understood that one or more options selected by the caller are received as an incoming event by a receiving unit of the personal digital assistant. Thereafter, the receiving unit transmits the incoming event with the selected options to a determining unit, wherein the determining unit determines a nature of the incoming event based on the selected options. Thereafter, data indicating the determined nature of the incoming event (i.e., urgent or non-urgent) is transmitted to a transmitting unit, which communicates with a smart device worn by the rider. The data indicating the nature of the incoming event is transmitted to the smart device, which is configured to perform a first predefined action when the incoming event is urgent and to perform a second predefined action when the incoming event is non-urgent.

[0009] In an embodiment, the smart device may include a smart helmet, a smart watch, smart jewelry, a smart bracelet, smart glasses, or a smart wearable device worn on any part of the rider's body, i.e., head, upper back, lower back, legs, knees, shoulders, elbows, hips, ankles, armpits, hands, contact lenses, feet, toes, etc. This list of smart devices should not be construed as limiting and also includes other smart devices that are capable of communicating with a personal digital assistant and capable of performing one or more operations to alert the rider of the vehicle.

[0010] In an embodiment, the smart device includes an audio alarm unit, a visual alarm unit and / or a tactile alarm unit. The audio alarm unit generates an audio sound, such as a buzzer, to warn the rider of the vehicle. The visual alarm unit generates a visual alarm, such as a flash of light or a change in color or an alphanumeric display, on the display screen of the smart device to warn the rider of the vehicle. The tactile alarm unit generates a vibration to warn the rider of the vehicle.

[0011] In an embodiment, the smart device is in communication with the vehicle and includes one or more sensors configured to identify an occupant of the vehicle through an authentication process and to allow access to the vehicle based on the authentication.

[0012] In an embodiment, the personal digital assistant and / or smart device communicates with a server and is configured to receive or transmit one or more hazard alerts, one or more accident alerts, information related to diagnosis of technical problems in the vehicle, information related to travel routes of the vehicle, information related to theft of the vehicle, information related to riding patterns of riders of the vehicle, and information related to the environment surrounding the vehicle, including one or more fellow riders, pedestrians, and obstacles.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a method for warning a rider of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes the step of detecting the state of the vehicle as an operating state or a non-operating state. The operating state is the state when the rider is riding the vehicle, and the non-operating state is when the vehicle is in a stopped state. The step of detecting the state of the vehicle is performed by the rider's personal digital assistant. The method further includes the step of determining whether the nature of an incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant is urgent or non-urgent. The step of determining the nature of the incoming event is only performed when the vehicle is in an operating state. In other words, the step of determining the nature of the incoming event is not performed when the vehicle is in a non-operating or stopped state. The step of determining the nature of the incoming event is performed by the rider's personal digital assistant. The method further includes performing one or more first predefined actions when the incoming event is urgent and performing one or more second predefined actions when the incoming event is non-urgent. The steps of performing the first predefined action and the second predefined action are performed by a smart device that communicates with the rider's personal digital assistant.

[0014] In an embodiment, the method includes the step of receiving an incoming event from a caller. The receiving step is performed by a receiving module of a personal digital assistant. The method further includes transmitting an outgoing event in response to the incoming event when the vehicle is in a running state. The outgoing event includes one or more options for selection by the caller to indicate the nature of the incoming event. The transmitting step is performed by a transmitting unit of the personal digital assistant. The method further includes determining whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent based on the one or more options selected by the caller. The determining step is performed by a determining module of the personal digital assistant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Reference will be made to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which may be shown in the accompanying drawings. These drawings are intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive. Although the present invention has been generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to these specific embodiments.

[0016] Figure 1 A block diagram of a system for alerting a rider of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for alerting a rider of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 A block diagram of a system for alerting a rider of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A flow chart showing a method for warning a rider of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 5a and Figure 5b A flow chart showing a method for warning a rider of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The various features and embodiments of the invention herein will be discernible from the following further description thereof set forth below.

[0022] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 for alerting a rider of a vehicle 102 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] As shown, system 100 includes a vehicle 102 driven by a rider, a personal digital assistant 104 of the rider, and a smart device 106 worn by the rider. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "vehicle" includes two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, and four-wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, rickshaws, cars, trucks, etc. The term "vehicle" also includes conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and / or electric vehicles. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "personal digital assistant" includes electronic devices that can receive incoming events and transmit outgoing events (such as but not limited to calls, messages, notifications, etc.), such as smart phones, laptops, tablet computers, etc. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "smart device" includes smart devices that can be worn by riders, such as smart helmets, smart watches, smart jewelry, smart bracelets, smart glasses, or smart wearable devices worn on any part of the rider's body, i.e., head, upper back, lower back, legs, knees, shoulders, elbows, ankles, hands, feet, toes, etc.

[0024] The personal digital assistant 104 communicates with the vehicle 102, and the smart device 106 communicates with the personal digital assistant 104. The personal digital assistant 104 is configured to detect the state of the vehicle 102. The state of the vehicle 102 is a running state or a non-running state. The running state of the vehicle 102 is the state when the rider drives the vehicle 102. The non-running state of the vehicle 102 is the state when the vehicle 102 is not moving or is in a stopped state. In a non-limiting example, the rider of the vehicle 102 himself enters the state of the vehicle as a running state in the personal digital assistant 104 before starting and / or riding the vehicle 102. In another non-limiting example, when the engine / traction motor of the vehicle 102 is started and / or the rider starts riding the vehicle 102, data indicating the running state of the vehicle 102 is transmitted to the rider's personal digital assistant 104. The data indicating the running state of the vehicle 102 can be transmitted by a control unit arranged in the vehicle 102.

[0025] Upon detecting that the state of the vehicle 102 is a running state, the personal digital assistant 104 is further configured to determine the nature of the incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant 104. It should be understood that the nature of the incoming event is determined only when the vehicle 102 is in a running state. In other words, when the vehicle is in a non-running state, the nature of the incoming event is not determined. The nature of the incoming event is either urgent or non-urgent.

[0026] Data indicating the nature of the incoming event is transmitted from the rider's personal digital assistant 104 to the rider-worn smart device 106. The smart device 106 is configured to perform one or more first predefined actions when the nature of the incoming event is urgent and to perform one or more second predefined actions when the nature of the incoming event is non-urgent.

[0027] In an embodiment, one or more first predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a first predefined number of times at a first predefined time interval. In one non-limiting example, the smart device 106 generates a tactile alarm 3 times at a time interval of 1 second when the incoming event is urgent. In another non-limiting example, the smart device 106 generates an audio alarm 4 times at a time interval of 2 seconds when the incoming event is urgent. Similarly, one or more second predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a second predefined number of times at a second predefined time interval. In one non-limiting example, the smart device 106 generates a tactile reminder 2 times at a time interval of 1 second when the incoming event is not urgent. In another non-limiting example, the smart device generates an audio alarm 3 times at a time interval of 1 second when the incoming event is non-urgent.

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 for alerting a rider of a vehicle 202 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] As shown, the system 200 includes a vehicle 202, a personal digital assistant 204, and a smart device 206. The meanings of the terms "vehicle", "personal digital assistant" and "smart device" have been defined in the previous paragraphs. The personal digital assistant 204 communicates with the vehicle 202, and the smart device 206 communicates with the personal digital assistant 204. The personal digital assistant 204 is configured to detect the state of the vehicle 202. The state of the vehicle 202 is a running state or a non-running state. The running state of the vehicle 202 is the state when the rider is driving the vehicle 202. The non-running state of the vehicle 202 is the state when the vehicle 202 is not moving or is in a stopped state. In a non-limiting example, the rider of the vehicle 202 himself enters the state of the vehicle 202 as a running state in the personal digital assistant 204 before starting and / or riding the vehicle 202. In another non-limiting example, when the engine / traction motor of the vehicle 202 is started and / or the rider begins to ride the vehicle 202, data indicating the operating status of the vehicle 202 is transmitted to the rider's personal digital assistant 204. The data indicating the operating status of the vehicle 202 may be transmitted by a control unit disposed in the vehicle 202.

[0030] When the state of the vehicle 202 is detected to be the running state, the personal digital assistant 204 is further configured to determine the nature of the incoming event received on the rider's personal digital assistant 204. The rider's personal digital assistant 204 includes a receiving module 204a, a transmission module 204b, and a determination module 204c. The receiving module 204a is configured to receive the incoming event from the caller. It should be understood that the incoming event is received from the caller's personal digital assistant (not shown).

[0031] The transmission module 204b is configured to transmit an outgoing event in response to an incoming event. An outgoing event in response to an incoming event is transmitted only when the vehicle 202 is in operation. The outgoing event may include one or more options for selection by the caller to indicate the nature of the incoming event.

[0032] In one non-limiting example, the outgoing event is a message with a selectable emergency icon and a selectable non-emergency icon, and the caller can simply select one of the icons to indicate the nature of the incoming event.

[0033] In another non-limiting example, the outgoing event is a message having a first selectable option for indicating the type of emergency, a second selectable option for indicating the level of the emergency, and a third selectable option for indicating the relationship of the caller to the rider. In the first option, the caller may receive icons such as "medical emergency", "work-related emergency", etc. that can be selected by the caller. In the second option, the caller receives icons such as "urgent" or "less urgent", etc. that can be selected by the caller. In the third option, the caller receives icons such as "family", "friends", "co-workers", "other people", etc. that can be selected by the caller.

[0034] It should be understood that when the caller selects one or more options, the incoming event with all selected options is received by the receiving module 204a of the rider's personal digital assistant 204. Therefore, for the purposes of the present invention, the term "incoming event" includes an incoming event with one or more options selected by the caller.

[0035] When an incoming event with a selected option is received from a caller's personal digital assistant (not shown), the incoming event is transmitted to the determination module 204c. The determination module 204c is configured to determine whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent based on one or more options selected by the caller. In a non-limiting example, when the selected option is received as urgent in the incoming event received from the caller, the determination module 204c determines that the nature of the incoming event is urgent. The determination module 204c can also determine the nature of the incoming event as urgent when one or more predefined conditions are met. The predefined conditions can be preconfigured as factory settings, or can be defined by the rider of the vehicle 202. In a non-limiting example, one or more predefined conditions can include: an incoming event should only be considered an emergency if it involves a medical emergency. In another non-limiting example, one or more predefined conditions can include: an incoming event should only be considered an emergency if it comes from a family member.

[0036] After determining the nature of the incoming event, the determination module 204c transmits data indicating the nature of the incoming event to the transmission module 204b, which communicates with the smart device 206. The smart device 206 is configured to perform one or more first predefined actions when the nature of the incoming event is urgent and to perform one or more second predefined actions when the nature of the incoming event is non-urgent.

[0037] In an embodiment, the one or more first predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a first predefined number of times at a first predefined time interval. Similarly, the one or more second predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a second predefined number of times at a second predefined time interval.

[0038] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system 300 for alerting a rider of a vehicle 302 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] As shown, system 300 includes vehicle 302, personal digital assistant 304, smart device 306 and server 308. The meanings of the terms "vehicle", "personal digital assistant" and "smart device" have been defined in the previous paragraphs. As is known in the art, a server is a computer or system that provides resources, data, services or programs to other devices called clients through a network. For the purposes of the present invention, personal digital assistant 304 and smart device 306 act as clients of server 308. In a non-limiting example, server 308 is a remote server or a cloud server.

[0040] The interrelationship and operation of the personal digital assistant 304, the smart device 306 and the vehicle 302 are similar to the present invention. Figure 1 or Figure 2 The relationship and operation of the personal digital assistants 104, 204, smart devices 106, 206 and vehicles 102, 202 explained in the same manner. The system 300 further includes: (1) a server 308 that communicates with the rider's smart device 306 and the personal digital assistant 304, and / or (2) a smart device 306 that communicates with the vehicle 302.

[0041] The smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 can be used to authenticate the rider of the vehicle 302 using one or more authentication means (such as facial recognition, biometrics, passwords, etc.) to access the vehicle 302 without a key. The smart device and / or the personal digital assistant 304 includes one or more sensors, such as image sensors, fingerprint sensors, to perform the authentication process. The use of authentication means in the smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 to provide access to the vehicle 302 enhances the security of the vehicle 302. In the event that the smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 is lost or misplaced by the rider, no one except the rider can access the vehicle 302.

[0042] In addition, since the smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 communicate with the server 308, one or more hazard alerts, one or more accident alerts, information related to the diagnosis of technical problems in the vehicle 302, information related to the travel route of the vehicle 302, information related to the theft of the vehicle 302, information related to the riding pattern of the rider of the vehicle 302, and information related to the environment around the vehicle 302 can be transmitted to the server 308 and / or received from the server 308.

[0043] In one non-limiting example, information indicating an accident involving a rider is transmitted to a server 308 via smart device 306. Upon receiving such information, server 308 is pre-configured to notify one or more nearest medical centers and the rider's emergency contact number. Server 308 typically provides the location of the accident, the rider's information, the vehicle 302's information, and the rider's emergency contact number to the nearest medical center.

[0044] In another non-limiting example, a hazard alert may be received by a rider of vehicle 302 via smart device 306 and / or personal digital assistant 304 based on the speed of vehicle 302 (i.e., when the speed of vehicle 302 exceeds a predefined speed), road conditions, obstacles on the road, status of fellow vehicles and / or fellow riders, etc. The hazard alert may be received by smart device 306 in the form of an audio alert, a visual alert, and / or a tactile alert.

[0045] In another non-limiting example, in the event that the vehicle 302 is stolen, the smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 will notify the user of the real-time location of the vehicle 302, thereby making the vehicle 302 completely theft-proof.

[0046] In another non-limiting example, the smart device 306 and / or the personal digital assistant 304 can record the rider's riding pattern and predict the rider's mood. Based on the prediction of the rider's mood and riding pattern, different modes can be selected in the vehicle. For example, if the rider frequently applies the brakes even in light traffic conditions, there is a possibility that the rider is distracted and a different rider mode can be selected. Similarly, the personal digital assistant and / or smart device can play various types of music based on the predicted mood.

[0047] In another non-limiting example, fuel economy recommendations may be received by a personal digital assistant and / or smart device, and instructions to improve fuel economy may be transmitted by the smart device and / or personal digital assistant to the vehicle 302. In the event that the vehicle 302 is stopped for more than a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 30 seconds), the engine of the vehicle 302 may be instructed to automatically shut down and automatically start when a throttle movement is received. This will help improve the fuel or energy economy of the vehicle 302.

[0048] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 400 for alerting a rider of a vehicle 102 , 302 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] As shown, at step 401, the method includes detecting the state of the vehicle 102, 302. The state of the vehicle 102, 302 can be a running state or a non-running state. The running state of the vehicle 102, 302 is the state when the rider is driving the vehicle 102, 302. The non-running state of the vehicle 102, 302 is the state when the vehicle 102, 302 is not moving or is in a stopped state. The step 401 of detecting is performed by the rider's personal digital assistant 104, 304. In a non-limiting example, the rider of the vehicle 102, 302 himself enters the state of the vehicle 102, 302 as a running state in the personal digital assistant 104, 304 before starting and / or riding the vehicle 102, 302. In another non-limiting example, when the engine / traction motor of the vehicle 102, 302 is started and / or the rider begins to ride the vehicle 102, 302, data indicating the operating status of the vehicle 102, 302 is transmitted to the rider's personal digital assistant 104, 304. The data indicating the operating status of the vehicle 102, 302 may be transmitted by a control unit (not shown) disposed in the vehicle 102, 302.

[0050] At step 402, the method includes determining whether the nature of an incoming event received on the personal digital assistant 104, 304 is urgent or non-urgent. This determination is performed only when the vehicle 102, 302 is in operation. The step of determining whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent is performed by the personal digital assistant 104, 304. In the case that the determined nature of the incoming event is urgent, the method includes performing one or more first predefined actions at step 403. In the case that the determined nature of the incoming event is non-urgent, the method includes performing one or more second predefined actions at step 404.

[0051] In an embodiment, one or more first predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a first predefined number of times at a first predefined time interval. In one non-limiting example, the smart device generates a tactile reminder 3 times at a time interval of 1 second. In another non-limiting example, the smart device generates an audio alarm 4 times at a time interval of 2 seconds. Similarly, one or more second predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a second predefined number of times at a second predefined time interval. In one non-limiting example, the smart device generates a tactile reminder 2 times at a time interval of 1 second. In another non-limiting example, the smart device generates an audio alarm 3 times at a time interval of 1 second.

[0052] Figure 5a and Figure 5b is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 for alerting a rider of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] As shown, at step 501, method 500 includes detecting the state of vehicle 202, 302. The state of vehicle 202, 302 can be a running state or a non-running state. The running state of vehicle 202, 302 is the state when the rider drives vehicle 202, 302. The non-running state of vehicle 202, 302 is the state when the vehicle is not moving or is in a stopped state. The step 501 of detection is performed by the rider of personal digital assistant 204, 304. In a non-limiting example, the rider of vehicle 202, 302 himself enters the state of vehicle 202, 302 in personal digital assistant 204, 304 before riding vehicle 202, 302 as a running state. In another non-limiting example, vehicle 202, 302 and personal digital assistant 204, 304 communicate with each other, and when vehicle 202, 302 is in a running state, the state of vehicle 202, 302 is automatically transmitted to personal digital assistant 204, 304.

[0054] At step 502, the method 500 includes receiving an incoming event from a caller. It should be understood that the incoming event is received from the caller's personal digital assistant. The step of receiving 502 is performed by the receiving module 204a of the personal digital assistant 204, 304.

[0055] At step 503, the method includes transmitting an outgoing event in response to an incoming event while the vehicle 202, 302 is in operation. The outgoing event includes an option selected by the caller to indicate the nature of the incoming event. The transmitting step is performed by the receiving module 204a of the personal digital assistant 204, 304.

[0056] At step 504, the method includes determining the nature of the incoming event as urgent or non-urgent based on the caller's selection. The determining step is performed by the determining module 204c of the personal digital assistant 204,304.

[0057] It should be understood that an incoming event received from a caller, which is in response to an outgoing event and has one or more options selected by the caller, is received by the receiving unit 204a and transmitted to the determination module 204c. Upon determining the nature of the incoming event, data indicating the nature of the incoming event is transmitted to the transmission module 204b, which communicates with the rider's smart device 206, 306.

[0058] In case the determined nature of the incoming event is urgent, the method comprises performing one or more first predefined actions at step 505. In case the determined nature of the incoming event is non-urgent, the method comprises performing one or more second predefined actions at step 506.

[0059] In an embodiment, the one or more first predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a first predefined number of times at a first predefined time interval. Similarly, the one or more second predefined actions include generating a visual alarm, an audio alarm, and / or a tactile alarm a second predefined number of times at a second predefined time interval.

[0060] It should be understood that a typical hardware configuration of the personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 to perform the above-disclosed methods.

[0061] The personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 may include a processor, which may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor may be one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other now known or later developed devices for analyzing and processing data. The processor may implement a software program, such as manually generated code, i.e., programmed code.

[0062] The personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 may include a memory. The memory may be a main memory, a static memory, or a dynamic memory. The memory may include, but is not limited to, a computer-readable storage medium, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including, but not limited to, a random access memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an electrically programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable read-only memory, a flash memory, a magnetic tape or disk, an optical medium, and the like. The memory is operable to store instructions that can be executed by a processor. The functions, actions, or tasks shown or described in the figure may be performed by a programmed processor that executes the instructions stored in the memory.

[0063] The personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 may further include a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, a cathode ray tube, or other display devices now known or later developed, for outputting the determined information. The display may serve as an interface for a user to view the functions of the processor, or specifically as an interface with software stored in the memory.

[0064] Additionally, the PDA 104, 204, 304 and the smart devices 106, 206, 306 may include an input device configured to allow a user to interact with any of the components of the PDA 104, 204, 304 and the smart devices 106, 206, 306. The input device may be a numeric keypad, a keyboard or a cursor control device (such as a mouse or joystick), a touch screen display, a remote control, or any other device operable to interact with the PDA 104, 204, 304 and the smart devices 106, 206, 306.

[0065] The personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306 may also include a disk or optical drive unit. The disk drive unit may include a computer-readable medium in which one or more sets of instructions, such as software, may be embedded. In addition, the instructions may embody one or more of the methods or logics described. In a specific example, the instructions may reside completely or at least partially in the memory or in the processor during execution by the personal digital assistant 104, 204, 304 and the smart device 106, 206, 306. The memory and the processor may also include a computer-readable medium as described above. The present invention contemplates a computer-readable medium that includes instructions or receives and executes instructions in response to a propagation signal so that a device connected to a network can transmit data through the network. Further, instructions may be transmitted or received through a network. The network may include a wired network, a wireless network, an Ethernet AVB network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network may be a cellular telephone network. In addition, the network may be a public network such as the Internet, a private network such as an intranet, or a combination thereof, and may utilize various networking protocols that are now available or developed later.

[0066] The claimed features / method steps of the present invention as discussed above are not routine, conventional or well understood in the art because the claimed features / method steps implement the following solutions to problems existing in conventional technology. Specifically, the present invention solves the technical problem of determining whether the nature of an incoming event is urgent or non-urgent and alerting the rider when an urgent incoming event is received.

[0067] The present invention provides a system 100, 200, 300 and a method 400, 500 in which emergency incoming events are filtered out from non-emergency incoming events, so that a rider can choose to attend only emergency incoming events without compromising his / her safety while riding the vehicle and keep up with his / her travel plans without any discomfort.

[0068] The present invention assures the rider that he or she will not miss any urgent incoming events while riding the vehicle 102, 202, 302. Therefore, the rider of the vehicle 102, 302, 302 will be less distracted while riding the vehicle 102, 202, 302. Since the rider is not distracted while riding the vehicle 102, 202, 302, the likelihood of accidents and / or collisions on the road is also reduced.

[0069] The present invention reduces the tendency of riders to frequently check their PDAs 104, 204, 304 and / or smart devices 106, 206, 306 when they are concerned about missing an urgent incoming event. As the frequency of checking the PDA 104, 204, 304 is reduced, the likelihood of an accident and / or collision on the road is also reduced.

[0070] The present invention reduces the tendency of riders to stop their vehicles to check their personal digital assistants 104, 204, 304. Since the frequency of stopping the vehicle 102, 202, 302 is reduced, the travel plans of the riders of the vehicle 102, 202, 302 are not delayed.

[0071] The present invention facilitates a comfortable and hassle-free ride in a vehicle 102, 202, 302. The present invention also ensures that an occupant of the vehicle 102, 202, 302 receives or does not miss an emergency call.

[0072] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A system (100, 200, 300) for warning a rider of a vehicle (102, 202, 302), the system (100, 200, 300) comprising: A personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304), the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) communicating with the vehicle (102, 202, 302), the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) being configured to: Detecting the state of the vehicle (102, 202, 302) as a running state or a non-running state; and Upon detecting that the vehicle (102, 202, 302) is in the operating state, determining whether the nature of an incoming event received on the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) is urgent or non-urgent; as well as A smart device (106, 206, 306) is worn by the rider, the smart device (106, 206, 306) communicates with the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304), and the smart device (106, 206, 306) is configured to perform one or more first predefined actions when the incoming event is urgent and to perform one or more second predefined actions when the incoming event is non-urgent.

2. The system (100, 200, 300) according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more first predefined actions include generating one or more tactile alarms, visual alarms, and audio alarms a first predefined number of times at a first predefined time interval, and the one or more second predefined actions include generating one or more tactile alarms, visual alarms, and audio alarms a second predefined number of times at a second predefined time interval, the value of the first predefined number of times is different from the value of the second predefined number of times, and the value of the first predefined time interval is the same as or different from the second predefined time interval.

3. The system (100, 200, 300) according to claim 1, wherein: The incoming event includes at least one of a call, a message, and an email.

4. The system (200, 300) according to claim 1, wherein: The personal digital assistant (204, 304) comprises: a receiving module (204a), the receiving module (204a) being configured to receive the incoming event from a caller; a transmission module (204b) configured to transmit an outgoing event in response to the incoming event upon detecting that the vehicle (202) is in the operating state, the outgoing event including one or more options for selection by the caller to indicate a nature of the incoming event; and A determination module (204c) is configured to determine whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent based on the one or more options selected by the caller.

5. The system (100, 200, 300) according to claim 1, wherein: The smart device (106, 206, 306) includes one of a smart helmet, a smart watch, a smart bracelet, smart glasses, smart jewelry and a smart wearable device.

6. The system (100, 200, 300) according to claim 2, wherein: The smart device (106, 206, 306) includes at least one of an audio alarm unit, a visual alarm unit, and a tactile alarm unit.

7. The system (300) of claim 1, wherein: The smart device (306) and the personal digital assistant (304) are in communication with the vehicle (302), and at least one of the smart device (306) and the personal digital assistant includes one or more sensors configured to identify the rider of the vehicle (302) through an authentication process and to allow access to the vehicle (302) based on such authentication.

8. The system (300) of claim 1, wherein: At least one of the smart device (306) and the personal digital assistant (304) in communication with the server (308) is configured to receive or transmit at least one of: one or more hazard alerts; one or more incident alarms; information related to the diagnosis of technical problems in said vehicle; information related to the travel route of the vehicle; information relating to the theft of said vehicle; information related to a riding pattern of the rider of the vehicle; as well as Information related to the environment surrounding the vehicle, including one or more fellow riders, pedestrians, and obstacles.

9. A method (400, 500) for warning a rider of a vehicle (102, 202, 302), the method comprising: The rider's personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) in communication with the vehicle (102, 202, 302) detects (401, 501) the state of the vehicle (102, 202, 302) as an operating state or a non-operating state; determining (402, 504) by the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) whether the nature of an incoming event received on the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304) is urgent or non-urgent upon detecting that the vehicle (102, 202, 302) is in the operating state; as well as One or more first predefined actions are performed (403, 404, 505, 506) when the incoming event is urgent and one or more second predefined actions are performed (403, 404, 505, 506) when the incoming event is non-urgent via a smart device (106, 206, 306) worn by the rider and communicating with the personal digital assistant (104, 204, 304).

10. The method (500) according to claim 9, comprising: Receiving (502) the incoming event from a caller by a receiving module (204a) of the personal digital assistant (204); transmitting (503) by a transmission module (204b) of the personal digital assistant (204) an outgoing event in response to the incoming event upon detecting that the state of the vehicle (202, 302) is in the operating state, the outgoing event including one or more options for selection by the caller to indicate a nature of the incoming event; as well as A determination module (204c) of the personal digital assistant (204, 304) determines (504) whether the nature of the incoming event is urgent or non-urgent based on the one or more options selected by the caller.

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