Mobile Device Return Alert for Nature Events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems do not effectively alert users to return to a reference location before nature events such as sunrise or sunset, especially in outdoor activities, where visibility and safety are critical, due to limitations in calculating travel time and nature event timing based on location and elevation.
Innovation Solution
A mobile electronic device with GPS capabilities calculates the distance and travel time to a reference location and signals a return alert to the user when the travel time equals or exceeds the time until a nature event, allowing for timely return before the event occurs, considering elevation and terrain impacts on travel speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If navigation systems provide basic location tracking, then portability and real-time information are improved, but alerting users about nature events and travel time calculation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of travel time and nature event timing in advance, comparing the time to reach reference location with the time until nature events occur. This allows the system to proactively alert users before unfavorable conditions arise, rather than merely tracking location passively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop by continuously monitoring current location, calculating remaining travel time to reference location, comparing it with time until nature events, and providing alerts when the comparison indicates potential safety issues. This closed-loop feedback ensures users receive timely warnings.
2Reliability
If the system calculates detailed travel time and nature event timing, then safety alerts are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages existing GPS capabilities and onboard processing power to autonomously perform travel time calculations and nature event timing comparisons without requiring external computational resources. The device serves itself by using its own hardware and software resources to execute the safety alert functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system performs multiple functions using the same hardware components: location tracking, distance calculation, travel time estimation, nature event timing determination, and safety alert generation. This multi-functionality avoids adding dedicated hardware for each function, thereby limiting complexity growth.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for nature event signaling are provided. Example mobile electronic devices of the present disclosure can include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, and a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The processor executes the instructions to calculate a distance between a reference location and a current location, and calculate a travel time for the distance based on a speed. The processor also executes the instructions to determine a nature event time and cause a return alert indication to be signaled, via the mobile electronic device, based on a comparison of a calculated travel time and the nature event time.