Low power wearable safety device

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

Implementations of the present disclosure relate to low power portable and/or wearable devices.

BACKGROUND

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Tracking the location of unpowered assets can be important but presents several challenges as trackers often rely on battery power, which limits their ability to determine and report their locations frequently while also maintaining sufficient battery life.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods, and devices described herein each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure, several non-limiting features will now be described briefly.

Tracking assets such as workers, equipment, shipping containers, pallets, trailers, and so forth can provide valuable information. While workers may typically carry a cell phone or other communication device with them to report safety events, such as an injury, threat, or other event for which assistance may be needed, sometimes workers are without their cell phones and/or are unable to call, text, or otherwise send an alert on their cell phone. For example, a worker that has fallen on a job site may not be able to reach for their phone to reach out for help. Thus, a small, low-powered, wearable device may be used to automatically trigger an alert in such instances.

The wearable devices discussed herein provide more efficient and frequent location updates of a wearable device through coordinated communications between the wearable devices and a less power restricted device (e.g., a vehicle gateway that is nearby) that can at least temporarily communicate with the wearable device, and that may be powered by the vehicle battery or another asset that can provide power (e.g., a trailer). In various implementations, the wearable device (e.g., a peripheral) includes a low power Bluetooth (BLE) module that advertises information associated with the peripheral, which information may be detected by a central when the peripheral is within BLE range of a central (e.g., a vehicle gateway). The centrals can receive the information from the peripheral, and can communicate that information to a backend, along with location information associated with the centrals. Accordingly, the backend can determine an approximate location of the wearable device via the association between the asset and the peripheral, and the peripheral and the central (e.g., at the point in time at which the peripheral was in range of the central).

Various combinations of the above and below recited features, embodiments, and aspects are also disclosed and contemplated by the present disclosure.

Additional implementations of the disclosure are described below in reference to the appended claims and/or clauses, which may serve as an additional summary of the disclosure.

In various implementations, systems and/or computer systems are disclosed that comprise one or more computer readable storage mediums having program instructions embodied therewith, and one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions to cause the systems and/or computer systems to perform operations comprising one or more aspects of the above- and/or below-described implementations (including one or more aspects of the appended claims and/or clauses).

In various implementations, computer-implemented methods are disclosed in which, by one or more processors executing program instructions, one or more aspects of the above- and/or below-described implementations (including one or more aspects of the appended claims and/or clauses) are implemented and/or performed.

In various implementations, computer program products comprising one or more computer readable storage medium are disclosed, wherein the computer readable storage medium(s) has program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising one or more aspects of the above- and/or below-described implementations (including one or more aspects of the appended claims and/or clauses).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the claims. Aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example operating environment of the system, including example communications among peripherals, centrals, and a backend.

FIG. 2 is an example diagram showing a wearable device communicating with a backend via one or more centrals.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of example configurations of wearable devices, (e.g., which are considered peripherals).

FIGS. 4A-4D are example user interfaces that may be displayed on a user device, such as the user device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is another example user interface that provides information regarding a safety event triggered by a wearable device.

FIG. 6 is an example user interface that displays information regarding creation of a new geofence risk area.

FIG. 7 is an example user interface that is configured to manage messaging to users in response to geofence alerts, such as a worker wearable passing into a geofenced area.

FIG. 8 is an example user-interface that may be provided as part of a dashboard as an overview of workers within a geographic area.

FIG. 9 is an example block diagram of a computing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although certain preferred embodiments and examples are disclosed below, inventive subject matter extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses and to modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, the scope of the claims appended hereto is not limited by any of the particular embodiments described below. For example, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations of the method or process may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding certain embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent. Additionally, the structures, systems, and/or devices described herein may be embodied as integrated components or as separate components. For purposes of comparing various embodiments, certain aspects and advantages of these embodiments are described. Not necessarily all such aspects or advantages are achieved by any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, various embodiments may be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as may also be taught or suggested herein.

To facilitate an understanding of the systems and methods discussed herein, several terms are described below. These terms, as well as other terms used herein, should be construed to include the provided descriptions, the ordinary and customary meanings of the terms, and/or any other implied meaning for the respective terms, wherein such construction is consistent with context of the term. Thus, the descriptions below do not limit the meaning of these terms, but only provide example descriptions.

Backend (also referred to herein as “cloud,” “backend server,” “backend server system,” and/or the like): one or more network-accessible servers configured to communicate with various devices, such as centrals (including, for example, vehicle gateways, asset gateways, industrial gateways, and/or the like), sensor devices, and/or the like. For example, a backend may be configured to communicate with multiple gateways (e.g., vehicle gateways, asset gateways, and/or the like) associated with each of a fleet of hundreds, thousands, or more vehicles, assets, and/or the like. Similarly, a backend may be configured to communicate with multiple peripherals (e.g., asset tracking devices) attached to and/or corresponding to respective assets, vehicles, and/or the like. Additionally, a backend may be configured to communicate with multiple sensor devices (e.g., data sources, information sources, and/or the like). Such communication between a backend and peripherals, and/or a backend and sensor devices, may be provided via one or more centrals (e.g., gateways). Thus, the backend may have context and perspective that individual devices (including centrals, peripherals, and sensor devices) do not have. With reference to vehicles, for example, the backend may include data associated with a large quantity of vehicles, such as vehicles across a fleet or within a geographic area, which may be provided via various centrals, peripherals, and/or sensor devices. Thus, the backend may perform analysis of vehicle/asset data across multiple vehicles and between groups of vehicles (e.g., comparison of fleets operated by different entities). A backend may also include a feedback system that periodically updates event models used by centrals, peripherals, and/or sensor devices to provide immediate in-vehicle alerts, such as when the backend has optimized an event model based on analysis of asset data associated with many safety events, potentially across multiple fleets of vehicles.

Sensor Device: an electronic device comprising one or more electronic components and configured to and/or capable of providing data and/or information (e.g., sensor data, sensed data, and/or the like). Sensor devices may be positioned in or on a vehicle and/or asset, and may be configured to communicate with a backend directly, and/or via a gateway. A sensor device can include one or more sensors, and/or be configured to communicate with one or more sensors, such as one or more video sensors, audio sensors, accelerometers, global positioning systems (GPS), and the like, which may be housed in a single enclosure (e.g., a dashcam, a device housing, and/or the like) or multiple enclosures. A sensor device may include a single enclosure that houses multiple sensors as well as communication circuitry configured to transmit sensor data to a backend and/or gateway. Alternatively, a sensor device may include multiple enclosures that may variously house sensors, circuitry, communications elements, and/or the like. Examples of sensor devices include dashcams, which may be mounted on a front window of a vehicle. A sensor device (e.g., dashcam) may be configured to acquire various sensor data, such as from one or more cameras, and communicate sensor data to a vehicle gateway, which can include communication circuitry configured to communicate with the backend. Sensor devices can also include memory for storing software code that is usable to execute one or more event detection models, such as neural network or other artificial intelligence programming logic, that allow the sensor device to trigger events without communication with the backend. In some implementations, sensor devices may be configured as centrals, which generally indicates that a device is configured to scan or observe advertising packets from peripherals, such as using BLE communications.

Gateway (also referred to herein as “gateway device,” “vehicle gateway,” “VG,” “asset gateway,” “AG,” and/or the like): an electronic device comprising one or more electronic components and configured to obtain and/or receive data and/or information, and communicate the data and/or information to and/or from a backend. gateways can include, for example, vehicle gateways (or “VGs”), which may be gateways associated with vehicles. gateways can further include, for example, asset gateways (or “AGs”), which may be gateways associated with assets (e.g., trailers, containers, equipment, towers, mobile assets, and/or the like (and just to name a few)). Gateways can be positioned in or on vehicles/assets, and can be configured to communicate with one or more sensor devices, sensors, peripherals, and/or the like. Gateways can further be configured to communicate with a backend. Gateways, (e.g., a vehicle gateway) can be installed within a vehicle by coupling an interface of the vehicle gateway to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of the vehicle. Gateways may include short-range communication circuitry, such as near field communication (“NFC”), Bluetooth (“BT”), Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”), and/or the like, for communicating with sensors, sensor devices, peripherals, and/or the like (which may, for example, be in a vehicle and/or other devices that are in proximity to the vehicle (e.g., outside of the vehicle)). Gateways can further include GPS receivers for determining a location of the gateway. Gateways can further include cellular and/or WiFi radios for communicating with a backend. In some implementations, a cellular and/or WiFi radio may be used to approximate the location of a gateway. Gateways may be configured as centrals, which generally indicates that the gateway is configured to scan, observe, and/or receive advertising packets from peripherals, such as using BLE communications, and provide such peripheral information to a backend. Gateways may, in some implementations, be configured to function as peripherals, which generally indicates that the gateway is configured to suppress location determinations via GPS, and communications via LTE and/or WiFi, in favor of simpler communications with a central via short-range communications (e.g., via BLE), as described herein.

Central: any electronic device, such as a gateway, sensor device, mobile device (e.g., cell phone or tablet), and/or the like, and/or functionality, that is configured to detect short-range communications (e.g., BLE advertisements) from peripherals. As used herein, the term “Central” may refer to the communication functionality of a device (e.g., the BLE communication functionality) or the term “Central” may refer to the device containing the BLE communication functionality. Thus, a central may refer to a gateway, sensor device, mobile device (e.g., cell phone or tablet), and/or any other device that is configured with functionality to scan, observe, and/or receive advertising packets from peripherals. Further, these centrals (e.g., gateways of various types) are also configured to communicate with a backend. centrals further include functionality for determining a location of the central (e.g., GPS receiver, cellular radio, WiFi, and/or the like), which location can be communicated, e.g., to a backend. A location of a central can also be determined and/or specified by a user (e.g., via user-entered location/GPS pinning) or another system. Such alternative location determination may be useful for indoor/poor GPS signal locations.

Peripheral (also referred to herein as “asset tracking device,” “object tracking device,” and/or the like): any electronic device configured to be positioned in, on, near, and/or in association with, an asset, person, vehicle, and/or the like, and which is configured to communicate with centrals (e.g., gateways) via short-range communications (e.g., BLE). A peripheral may include short-range communication circuitry, such as near field communication (“NFC”), Bluetooth (“BT”), Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”), and/or the like, for communicating information to centrals. Typically, a peripheral is a dedicated, relatively simple electronic device which includes short-range communication circuitry, but not other communications circuitry, such as Wi-Fi or cellular radio. For example, in an implementation, the communications circuitry of a peripheral may include only BLE communications circuitry. In some implementations, and as described herein, a more complicated device, such as a gateway (e.g., an asset gateway), may function as a peripheral. In some implementations, a device operating as a peripheral may utilize only functionality as if it were a dedicated peripheral device. As described herein, peripherals may advantageously use significantly less power to operate (as compared to, for example, a gateway under normal operations) and may therefore have extended battery life for an equivalent sized battery. In general, a peripheral communicates a limited amount of information, including an identification of the peripheral, via advertisements, to centrals (as further described herein).

Data Store: Any computer readable storage medium and/or device (or collection of data storage mediums and/or devices). Examples of data stores include, but are not limited to, optical disks (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and/or the like), magnetic disks (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, and/or the like), memory circuits (e.g., solid state drives, random-access memory (RAM), and/or the like), and/or the like. Another example of a data store is a hosted storage environment that includes a collection of physical data storage devices that may be remotely accessible and may be rapidly provisioned as needed (commonly referred to as “cloud” storage).

Database: Any data structure (and/or combinations of multiple data structures) for storing and/or organizing data, including, but not limited to, relational databases (e.g., Oracle databases, PostgreSQL databases, and/or the like), non-relational databases (e.g., NoSQL databases, and/or the like), in-memory databases, spreadsheets, comma separated values (CSV) files, Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, text (TXT) files, flat files, spreadsheet files, and/or any other widely used or proprietary format for data storage. Databases are typically stored in one or more data stores. Accordingly, each database referred to herein (e.g., in the description herein and/or the figures of the present application) is to be understood as being stored in one or more data stores. Additionally, although the present disclosure may show or describe data as being stored in combined or separate databases, in various embodiments, such data may be combined and/or separated in any appropriate way into one or more databases, one or more tables of one or more databases, and/or the like. As used herein, a data source may refer to a table in a relational database, for example.

Example Crux Network

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example operating environment 100 of a communication system, including example communications among peripherals, centrals, and a backend. Such communications may be referred to herein as “crux communications,” “crux protocol,” and/or the like. The communications may include protocols or methods of communication provided, in part, via Bluetooth communications, broadcasts, observations, and/or the like. The communications may further be paired with algorithms for interpreting Bluetooth observations (e.g., BLE advertising packets) and converting them to accurate location data. In the illustrated example, operating environment 100 includes one or more user computing devices 102, one or more peripherals 108 (e.g., a portable device carried or worn by a worker), one or more centrals 110 (e.g., a vehicle gateway, an asset gateway, or a mobile application on a mobile phone or tablet), and a backend 112.

In some implementations, user computing device 102 may be any mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and/or the like. In some implementations, user computing device 102 may be another system, component of a system, application programming interface (API), or other computing device that may communicate with the backend 112. The user computing device 102 may communicate with the backend 112 via a web interface or standalone application, such as via an application programming interface (API) configured to communicate with the backend 112. The user computing device 102 may communicate with the backend 112 via one or more networks, such as a local area network, wide area network (e.g., the internet), and/or the like. Communications may enable management of connected operations and allow users to monitor assets such as peripherals 108.

A central 110 may be a gateway (that may or may not be powered) that scans or observes broadcasts (e.g., BLE advertisements) from peripherals 108. A central 110 may log identifying information of one or more peripherals 108, which may be referred to herein as an observation stat. As discussed further below, data from a central 110, such as observations of peripherals 108, may be combined on the central 110 and/or on the backend 112. This may enable the backend 112 to compute an approximate location of a peripheral 108.

A peripheral 108 may be any device that sends a broadcast that may be received by a central 110. For example, a peripheral 108 may be any of the wearable devices discussed herein. The communication functionality of a peripheral 108 may include BLE communication functionality. The location of a peripheral 108 may be determined and/or approximated by association with a central 110 (the location of which may be known or provided by the central 110 via, e.g., GPS functionality of the central 110), and may be stored (e.g., at the backend 112) and displayed on a user interface, such the example user interface of FIG. 8.

A central 110 may be configured to geolocate itself using, for example, Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality, and/or the like. Additionally, the central 110 may be configured to record, or observe, broadcasts (also referred to herein as “advertisements”) from a peripheral 108. A broadcast can be a specifically formatted message. A central 110 may send observations (e.g., received broadcasts from the peripheral 108) to the backend 112 via a network connection such as WiFi and/or cellular communications. The observations may then be associated with the latest GPS location of the central 110 as communicated by the central 110. This may allow the system to infer the location of the peripheral 108. For example, a central may report to the backend that the central 110 is located at location L and it has received a broadcast from the peripheral 108. The backend can then associate Location L (+/−an estimated distance between the central 110 and the peripheral 108) with the peripheral 108. In some cases, this inferred location may be referred to as a proxy location for the peripheral 108. This proxy location may be written to a statistics (“stats”) stream as the approximate location of the peripheral 108.

In some implementations, the central 110 may perform self-geolocation and observations asynchronously at a firmware level. To ascertain a proxy location for the peripheral 108, the geolocation and observation stats may be matched based on timestamps. For example, when an observation is received at time t, a location that was collected as closely as possible to t may be associated with the peripheral 108. The central 110 and/or the backend 112 may be configured to match timestamps including in the stats.

Use of proxy locations for peripherals may provide various technical improvements to an asset tracking system. For example, the use of proxy locations may enable lower power requirements, providing for increased flexibility in the size of a peripheral 108, and the types of batteries installed, such as flight-safe batteries. Additionally, proxy locations enable simpler electronic design and a smaller form factor. Further, use of proxy locations may allow faster and/or more frequent location updates than other low-power consuming devices. Finally, proxy locations may be optimized through communication with out-of-organization centrals 110 (e.g., a peripheral may be managed by a different organization than the central) to provide a greater range of location coverage and improved location accuracy.

Timestamp matching may be handled at either the central 110 or backend. Implementing the matching at the backend may provide certain advantages. For instance, backend implementation may enable centralization of matching logic. If done at the central level, the matching logic may need to be written for each system-compatible device and/or firmware, which may create fragmentation. However, if performed at the backend, the same matching logic may be used for all devices. Additionally, backend matching may simplify the system communication protocol such that the central 110 can simply listen for peripheral messages (e.g., broadcasts from peripherals) and forward them to the backend “as is”. This can minimize code changes to make a gateway “enabled” for communications in the system and/or operating environment (e.g., “Crux Enabled”). Further, code written in the backend may be easier and faster to write, test, and deploy than firmware code for centrals. Also, while the centrals collect some data directly, the backend can access even more data, giving better perspectives for feature evolution, such as for cell and/or wifi-based geolocation, or interpolated locations).

Example Worker Safety Device

FIG. 2 is an example diagram showing a wearable device 210 communicating with a backend 270 via one or more centrals 230. As noted in FIG. 2, a wearable device 210 is considered a peripheral, which may communicate in the manner discussed above with reference to peripheral 108 of FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 2, the wearable device 210 communicates with one or more centrals 230, such as a cell phone 230A, a vehicle gateway 230B, or an asset gateway 230 via a short range communication network, such BLE, UWB, and/or other short range communication. The central 230 that detects a broadcast from the device 210 may then transmit information about the device 210 (e.g., a location and status of the device 210) to the backend 270 via a network 260, such as any wired or wireless communication networks. Thus, the device 210 reduces power requirements by using lower power short range communications, while still being able to communicate with the backend 270 via the centrals 230.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams of example configurations of wearable devices 300A, 300B (e.g., which are considered peripherals). Example device 300B is smaller than device 300A and includes only a single button 324, which may be configured as an alert button (discussed further below). Device 300A, on the other hand, is larger (e.g., the size of a small pager) and includes multiple hardware components. In the specific example of FIG. 3A, a front view 302 of the device 300A illustrates an alert button 316 (which may be configured in the same or similar manner as the alert button 324 of device 300B), a microphone 314, a multi-function button 312, a speaker 310, an LED 308, and a display 306. The rear view 304 of the device 300A illustrates a replaceable battery compartment 318 and an attachment bracket 320. Depending on the embodiment, the device 300B may include any of the components of device 300A, although not shown. Additionally, other configurations of a wearable device may include any of the components of devices 300A or 300B and/or additional components.

As discussed further herein, the devices 300 advantageously each include an alert button 316, 324 configured to transmit an safety event (or “alert”) notification to a nearby central. Additionally, each of the devices 300 includes one or more sensors configured to detect a safety event associated with the user, such as a fall of the user wearing or carrying the device 300.

In various embodiments, the wearable devices discussed herein (e.g., devices 108, 210, 300) are peripherals that are configured to provide any combination of the technical features below:

• • Multi-Mode Location Tracking: The wearable device may incorporate a multi-mode location tracking system that leverages one or more of Bluetooth, GPS, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and/or other technologies to provide accurate location information. For example, Low Energy Bluetooth (“BLE”) may be used for short-range communication with a central (e.g., a gateway), while the central uses GPS to determine and report location information associated with the wearable device. UWB may be used by the peripheral and/or the central to determine a more precise location. UWB may be particularly advantageous for indoor settings, providing precise location tracking with accuracy down to a few centimeters, even when GPS signals are not available. These multiple modes of location tracking allow accurate tracking of wearable devices as they move between different environments.
  • Extended Battery Life: The wearable device may be engineered to operate for up to one year (or more) on a single battery, eliminating the need for daily charging. This extended battery life may be achieved through the use of low-power components and efficient power management strategies. For example, the use of BLE communications with nearby centrals to determine proxy locations of a wearable device requires less power than if the wearable device uses a GPS receiver to search for GPS signals and reports its location via a higher-power communication protocol, such as cellular or WiFi communications.
  • Discrete and Alert Modes: The wearable device may include various alert modes, such as discrete or alert modes, which allow users to customize the device's response to different situations. In discrete mode, for example, the device may operate silently, providing silent alerts to the backend (e.g., via short-range communications with a nearby central) without drawing attention. In alert mode, the device may emit audible and/or visual signals to notify the user or others of an emergency. This flexibility makes the wearable device suitable for use in various scenarios to enhance user safety and situational awareness.
  • Automated Fall Detection: The wearable device may be equipped with an accelerometer that monitors the user's movements to detect falls. Upon detecting a fall, the device may automatically trigger a safety event alert. In some implementations, the fall detection circuitry may include additional sensors, such as a gyroscope to measure orientation changes. The wearable device may use a fall detection algorithm, such as a threshold-based detection algorithm that compares motion data to predefined criteria. In some implementations, machine learning may be incorporated into a fall detection algorithm to help distinguish falls from normal activities. Other contextual data may be measured by the wearable device and/or a nearby central (e.g., a user's cell phone) to improve fall detection alerts. For example, heart rate changes or other user activities may be considered in determining falls.
  • Other Sensors and alerts: The wearable device may include a variety of sensors capable of detecting gas, radiation, gunshots, threatening words or phrase, adverse weather conditions, etc. These sensors may provide real-time monitoring of the user's surroundings, enabling the device to issue alerts in the presence of potential threats. For example, in industrial or hazardous materials environments, early detection of environmental dangers can prevent accidents and enhance worker safety. In some embodiments, alerts may be generated based on data from integrated sensors within the device and/or data from external sources, such as alerts pushed from a backend to one or more devices within a geographic region.
  • Audio Recording: In some implementations, the wearable device may be configured to record an audio clip (e.g., 30, 60, 90 seconds) to capture the context of an incident. For example, recording may be triggered in response to an alert being triggered, such as detection of a fall or the user pressing an alert button on the device. An audio recording may provide information that can assist responders in assessing the situation and determining the appropriate course of action. The recording may be automatically stored on the device for later retrieval and/or transmitted to a backend for immediate analysis.
  • Geofencing and Alert Configuration: The wearable device may include a geofencing feature that allows users to configure alerts based on geographic location. For example, alert settings may be customized for predefined areas, such as hazardous zones or safe zones. The geofences may be set up by a user device (e.g., supervisor device) interfacing with the backend.
  • Customizable Alerts: The wearable device may allow users to customize alert preferences, providing flexibility in how alerts are delivered and managed. Users can select from various alert types, such as audible, visual, and/or vibration, and configure the device to respond to specific triggers. This personalization allows the device to meet the needs of each user, enhancing effectiveness as a safety tool.
  • Peer-to-Peer Communication and Mesh Networking: The wearable device may be equipped with peer-to-peer communication and mesh networking capabilities, allowing it to connect with other devices in a decentralized network. This may improve the device's communication range and reliability, particularly in environments where traditional network infrastructure may be limited.
  • Mobile App Integration: The wearable device may integrate with a mobile application, e.g., a “driver app” on a cell phone of a user wearing the wearable device, that provides a comprehensive interface for managing alerts and device configurations. The app may allow the user to send emergency alerts, adjust device settings, and/or monitor device status in real-time. This integration enhances the device's usability and ensures that users have access to safety features at their fingertips.
  • Dashboards: The device may be supported by an administrative dashboard that provides a centralized view of all connected devices and their status. This dashboard allows administrators to monitor device activity, configure settings, and respond to alerts in real-time. The dashboard's comprehensive data visualization and management tools enhance the ability to oversee and ensure worker safety across an organization.

FIGS. 4A-4D are an example user interface that may be displayed on a user device, such as the user device 280 of FIG. 1. For illustration purposes, these examples will be discussed in the context of being received on a user device of a worker or supervisor that is nearby a wearable device that has triggered a safety event alert. For example, the user interfaces may be displayed on a user device (e.g., a cell phone or tablet) of a co-worker or supervisor of the worker with the wearable device that triggered the alert.

User interface 402 includes an alert information pane 403, a map detail pane 404, and a user pane 405. In this example, the information pane 403 includes information indicating that safety incident has occurred and indicates a current status of the incident, in this example “in progress.” Map detail pane 404 provides a map showing the location of the wearable device that triggered the alert and a location of the user viewing the user interface 402. User pane 405 includes detailed information regarding the user associated with the wearable device that triggered the alert. In this example, a “fall detected” alert was triggered by a wearable device associated with “Joe. J.” The user pane 405 also indicates that there has been no motion from that wearable device for “01M 12S” and includes a button for the user to initiate a call with “Joe. J.”

The user interface 406 includes a video and audio pane 407 that provides video and audio information associated with detected safety event. The recoded audio 408 allows playback of audio that was recorded by the wearable device in response to detecting the safety event. For example, the wearable device may be configured to automatically record 20 seconds of audio when a fall is detected. In other embodiments, other lengths of audio may be recorded and may be customized based on the type of safety event. In some embodiments, a wearable device may include an optical camera configured to record still images and/or video in response to detecting a safety event.

A playback pane 409 provides video from a nearby central (e.g., a gateway) of the wearable device that triggered the safety event. For example, the video shown in FIG. 4B is from a vehicle gateway, e.g., a dashcam, that is nearby the wearable device. The vehicle gateway may be a central that transmitted the safety event from the wearable device to the backend or may be another vehicle gateway that is nearby the wearable device. In the example of FIG. 4B, the user can watch a live stream of a front and rear facing camera and/or may be allowed to access previously recorded video from either of the cameras, such as at a time when the safety event was triggered by the wearable device.

The user interface 410 of FIG. 4C includes a nearby workers pane 415 and an activity pane 420. In this example, the nearby workers pane 415 shows that there are three nearby workers, and provides information regarding each of the workers. The activity pane 420 provides a log of activity associated with the alert, such as one or more users associated with the alert, location of alert, and type of alert, and further provides the user with an option to add updates to the activity log.

The user interface 450 includes an incident reporting section 452 in which information regarding a newly reported safety event and/or an update to a previously reported safety event may be provided. In this example, the user may provide an incident priority, category, assigned user, and date.

FIG. 5 is another example user interface 500 that provides information regarding a safety event triggered by a wearable device. The user interface 500 may be viewed, for example, by a supervisor that is located remote to the user of the wearable device. Alternately, the user interface may be viewed by a user of the wearable device, such as on a cell phone, tablet or notebook computer of the user, and/or another user that is nearby the wearable device.

In the example of FIG. 5, a potential robbery alert is indicated in the alert information pane 510. This type of safety event may be triggered by a user of the wearable device pressing an alert button. Alternatively, the safety event may be triggered automatically by a wearable device recognizing threatening language indicative of a potential robbery (based on natural language processing of audio recorded by a microphone of the wearable device). In the example of FIG. 5, a map pane 520 provides a map indicating a location of the user associated with the triggered safety event, contact information regarding the user, and information regarding a vehicle associated with the user. The nearby workers pane 530 provides information regarding users that are nearby and an option to communicate via phone, in-app messaging, text messaging, etc. with the nearby workers, such as to request assistance.

FIG. 6 is an example user interface 600 that displays information regarding creation of a new geofence risk area. For example, the user interface 600 may be an email or other message sent to a supervisor indicating that a geofence has been automatically or manually established and will be applied to wearable devices within the defined geofence. In this example, the geofence information 610 indicates that a new risk zone was created from National Weather Service information. The map 620 shows a geospatial map of the affected area and a geofence area 622. In this example, a wildfire that was reported by the National Weather Service caused generation of the geofence 622. Impacted devices pane 630 indicates lists devices and/or workers that are within the geofence and within 15 mile radius of the geofence. Advantageously, the geofence may trigger an alert on wearable devices that move from outside of the geofence to within the geofence. Depending on the embodiment, an alert may be provided on the wearable device when the device approaches and/or moves into a geofenced area. For example, an audible or visual alert may be provided on the wearable device and/or may be provided on a nearby central, such as a cell phone of the worker with the wearable device.

FIG. 7 is an example user interface 700 that is configured to manage messaging to users in response to geofence alerts, such as a worker wearable device crossing into a geofenced area. In this example, the user can select criteria for receiving alerts, such as alerts for a fire weather watch, a red flag warning, or an extreme fire behavior. The user interface may also provide information regarding a number of workers within each of the geofenced areas, such as based on location information provided by wearable devices of workers that is received through the above discussed long-range communication from centrals nearby wearable devices. The message recipients pane 704 shows a preview of users that will receive an alert based on the selection criteria.

FIG. 8 is an example user-interface 800 that may be provided as part of a dashboard is an overview of workers within a geographic area. As shown in the example of FIG. 8, a map 810 includes icons associated with workers and the listing 820 includes details regarding each of the workers. The worker locations may be provided based on locations of wearable devices associated with workers and/or locations of other devices associated with the worker, such as a cell phone, tablet, vehicle gateway, etc.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system 900 upon which various embodiments of the systems and/or processes illustrated in the figures and/or discussed herein may be implemented. For example, in various examples, the computer components of a computing device, such as a central or peripheral, may be implemented with some or all of the components of the example computer system 900.

Example computer system 900 includes a bus 902 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor, or multiple processors, 904 coupled with bus 902 for processing information. The hardware processor(s) 904 may be, for example, multi-core processors, specialized processors such as graphic processing units (GPUs), and/or general purpose microprocessors.

Computer system 900 also includes a main memory 906, such as a random access memory (RAM), cache and/or other dynamic storage devices, coupled to bus 902 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 904. Main memory 906 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 904. Such instructions, when stored in storage media accessible to processor 904, render computer system 900 into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions.

Computer system 900 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 909 or other static storage device coupled to bus 902 for storing static information and instructions for processor 904. A storage device 910, such as a solid-state drive (SSD), magnetic disk, optical disk, or USB thumb drive (Flash drive), etc., is provided and coupled to bus 902 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 900 may be coupled via bus 902 to a display 912, such as a high-definition display or touchscreen, for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 914, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 902 for communicating information and command selections to processor 904. Another type of user input device is cursor control 916, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 904 and for controlling cursor movement on display 912. This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in a plane. In some embodiments, the same direction information and command selections as cursor control may be implemented via receiving touches on a touch screen without a cursor.

Computing system 900 may include a user interface module to implement a GUI that may be stored in a mass storage device as computer executable program instructions that are executed by the computing device(s). Computer system 900 may further, as described below, implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computer system causes or programs computer system 900 to be a special-purpose machine.

In some implementations, the techniques herein are performed by computer system 900 in response to processor(s) 904 executing one or more sequences of one or more computer readable program instructions contained in main memory 906. Such instructions may be read into main memory 906 from another storage medium, such as storage device 910. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 906 causes processor(s) 904 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

Various forms of computer readable storage media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more computer readable program instructions to processor 904 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk or solid-state drive of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 900 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on bus 902. Bus 902 carries the data to main memory 906, from which processor 904 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory 906 may optionally be stored on storage device 910 either before or after execution by processor 904. Instructions may initially be stored on a remote cloud server (e.g., a Backend) and transmitted over the Internet to computer system 900.

Computer system 900 also includes a communication interface 919 coupled to bus 902. Communication interface 919 provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 920 that is connected to a local network 922. For example, communication interface 919 may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communication interface 919 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN (or WAN component to communicate with a WAN). Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 919 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 920 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link 920 may provide a connection through local network 922 to a host computer 924 or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 926. ISP 926 in turn provides data communication services through the world-wide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet” 929. Local network 922 and Internet 929 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 920 and through communication interface 919, which carry the digital data to and from computer system 900, are example forms of transmission media.

Computer system 900 can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link 920 and communication interface 919. In the Internet example, a cloud server 930 might transmit a requested code for an application program through Internet 929, ISP 926, local network 922 and communication interface 919. The received code may be executed by processor 904 as it is received, and/or stored in storage device 910, or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or mediums) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present disclosure. For example, the functionality described herein may be performed as software instructions are executed by, and/or in response to software instructions being executed by, one or more hardware processors and/or any other suitable computing devices. The software instructions and/or other executable code may be read from a computer readable storage medium (or mediums).

Example Clauses

Examples of the implementations of the present disclosure can be described in view of the following example clauses (and the example clauses provided above). The features recited in the below example implementations can be combined with additional features disclosed herein. Furthermore, additional inventive combinations of features are disclosed herein, which are not specifically recited in the below example implementations, and which do not include the same features as the specific implementations below. For sake of brevity, the below example implementations do not identify every inventive aspect of this disclosure. The below example implementations are not intended to identify key features or essential features of any subject matter described herein. Any of the example clauses below, or any features of the example clauses, can be combined with any one or more other example clauses, or features of the example clauses or other features of the present disclosure.

Clause 1. A wearable safety device comprising: a housing configured to be worn by a user; a sensor configured to detect a safety event; a low-power communication module configured to transmit a low-power alert signal to a nearby central, wherein the central is configured to transmit a higher-power signal to a remote backend in response to receiving the low-power alert signal.

Clause 2. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the safety event comprises a fall or lack of motion for a predetermined time period.

Clause 3. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer configured to detect a fall of the user.

Clause 4. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the sensor comprises an audio module configured to detect a gunshot or threatening words.

Clause 5. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the sensor comprises an environmental sensor configured to detect a level of one or more of a harmful gas, radiation, or carbon monoxide.

Clause 6. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the central comprises a cell-phone, a vehicle gateway, or an asset gateway.

Clause 7. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the communication module comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver configured to communicate with the nearby central, wherein the central is configured to estimate a location of the device based at least on a measured received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the alert signal.

Clause 8. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to determine location information of the wearable safety device.

Clause 9. The wearable safety device of clause 8, further comprising an ultra-wideband (UWB) module configured to determine precise location information of the wearable safety device.

Clause 10. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: an audio capture module comprising a microphone, the audio capture module configured to automatically record audio in response to the detected safety event.

Clause 11. The wearable safety device of clause 10, wherein the audio capture module records a predetermined length of audio.

Clause 12. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the central is configured to automatically record an image or video stream in response to receiving the safety event.

Clause 13. The wearable safety device of clause 12, wherein the video stream is transmitted to the backend and live streamed to a user device.

Clause 14. The wearable safety device of clause 12, wherein the central comprises a dashcam and the image or video stream is taken from one or more of a outward facing camera or inward facing camera.

Clause 15. The wearable safety device of clause 14, wherein the dashcam is associated with the user or not associated with the user but nearby the device when the safety event is triggered.

Clause 16. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a hardware button configured to trigger a safety event when pressed.

Clause 17. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the backend is configured to transmit a help signal to another user that is nearby the device when the safety alert is triggered.

Clause 18. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a hardware button configured to transmit a check-in signal when pressed, wherein the backend is configured to trigger a safety event in response to a check-in signal not being received within a predetermined time period.

Clause 19. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a near field communication (NFC) module configured to provide a check-in signal to the central when the device is brought within a NFC communication range of the central.

Clause 20. The wearable safety device of clause 1, wherein the backend is configured to access environmental data comprising one or more of weather, wild fire, or active shooter data and transmit a safety warning to each of a plurality of wearable safety devices with a geographic area associated with an environmental event.

Clause 21. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a mode module configured to transition between a discrete mode wherein alerts are non-audible and an active mode wherein alerts are audible.

Clause 22. The wearable safety device of clause 21, wherein the discrete mode is automatically activated in response to detecting movement of the device into a geofenced area.

Clause 23. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: an event detection module configured to apply event algorithms to sensor data from one or more sensors to detect other safety events.

Clause 24. The wearable safety device of clause 23, wherein the event detection module uses one or more machine learning algorithms to improve detection of safety events.

Clause 25. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further configured to automatically initiate a call or message to emergency services.

Clause 26. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a display configured to display information associated with the detected event or device status.

Clause 27. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a power management module configured to maintain the device in a low-power mode during normal operation and switch to a high-power mode upon detection of the safety event.

Clause 28. The wearable safety device of clause 1, further comprising: a location module configured to determine a location of the device

Clause 29. The wearable safety device of clause 28, wherein the location module comprises a UWB transceiver configured to determine to the location of the device within 10 centimeters.

Clause 30. The wearable safety device of clause 27, wherein the power management module is configured to deactivate the location module when in the low-power mode.

Clause 31. A method performed by a computing device having a housing configured to be worn or carried by a user, a sensor configured to detect a safety event, and a low-power communication module configured to transmit low power Bluetooth (BLE) broadcasts, the method comprising: detecting, based at least on sensor data from the sensor, a safety event; and in response to detecting the safety event, transmitting a low power Bluetooth (BLE) broadcast including information regarding the detected safety event, wherein the BLE broadcast is configured to be received by a central that transmits a higher-power signal to a remote backend.

Clause 32. The method of clause 31, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a fall of the user.

Clause 33. The method of clause 31, wherein the computing device further comprises a button configured to trigger the safety event.

Additional Implementation Details and Embodiments

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or mediums) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present disclosure.

For example, the functionality described herein may be performed as software instructions are executed by, and/or in response to software instructions being executed by, one or more hardware processors and/or any other suitable computing devices. The software instructions and/or other executable code may be read from a computer readable storage medium (or mediums).

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store data and/or instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device (including any volatile and/or non-volatile electronic storage devices), a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a solid state drive, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions (as also referred to herein as, for example, “code,” “instructions,” “module,” “application,” “software application,” and/or the like) for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. Computer readable program instructions may be callable from other instructions or from itself, and/or may be invoked in response to detected events or interrupts. Computer readable program instructions configured for execution on computing devices may be provided on a computer readable storage medium, and/or as a digital download (and may be originally stored in a compressed or installable format that requires installation, decompression, or decryption prior to execution) that may then be stored on a computer readable storage medium. Such computer readable program instructions may be stored, partially or fully, on a memory device (e.g., a computer readable storage medium) of the executing computing device, for execution by the computing device. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on a user's computer (e.g., the executing computing device), partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present disclosure.

Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart(s) and/or block diagram(s) block or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk or solid state drive of a remote computer. The remote computer may load the instructions and/or modules into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone, cable, or optical line using a modem. A modem local to a server computing system may receive the data on the telephone/cable/optical line and use a converter device including the appropriate circuitry to place the data on a bus. The bus may carry the data to a memory, from which a processor may retrieve and execute the instructions. The instructions received by the memory may optionally be stored on a storage device (e.g., a solid state drive) either before or after execution by the computer processor.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. In addition, certain blocks may be omitted in some implementations. The methods and processes described herein are also not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks or states relating thereto can be performed in other sequences that are appropriate.

It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. For example, any of the processes, methods, algorithms, elements, blocks, applications, or other functionality (or portions of functionality) described in the preceding sections may be embodied in, and/or fully or partially automated via, electronic hardware such application-specific processors (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), programmable processors (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), application-specific circuitry, and/or the like (any of which may also combine custom hard-wired logic, logic circuits, ASICs, FPGAs, and/or the like, with custom programming/execution of software instructions to accomplish the techniques).

Any of the above-mentioned processors, and/or devices incorporating any of the above-mentioned processors, may be referred to herein as, for example, “computers,” “computer devices,” “computing devices,” “hardware computing devices,” “hardware processors,” “processing units,” and/or the like. Computing devices of the above-embodiments may generally (but not necessarily) be controlled and/or coordinated by operating system software, such as Mac OS, IOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows OS (e.g., Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Server, and/or the like), Windows CE, Unix, Linux, SunOS, Solaris, Blackberry OS, VxWorks, or other suitable operating systems. In other embodiments, the computing devices may be controlled by a proprietary operating system. Conventional operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution, perform memory management, provide file system, networking, I/O services, and provide a user interface functionality, such as a graphical user interface (“GUI”), among other things.

As described above, in various embodiments certain functionality may be accessible by a user through a web-based viewer (such as a web browser), or other suitable software program. In such implementations, the user interface may be generated by a server computing system and transmitted to a web browser of the user (e.g., running on the user's computing system). Alternatively, data (e.g., user interface data) necessary for generating the user interface may be provided by the server computing system to the browser, where the user interface may be generated (e.g., the user interface data may be executed by a browser accessing a web service and may be configured to render the user interfaces based on the user interface data). The user may then interact with the user interface through the web-browser. User interfaces of certain implementations may be accessible through one or more dedicated software applications. In certain embodiments, one or more of the computing devices and/or systems of the disclosure may include mobile computing devices, and user interfaces may be accessible through such mobile computing devices (for example, smartphones and/or tablets).

Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, the elements of which are to be understood as being among other acceptable examples. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure. The foregoing description details certain embodiments. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the systems and methods can be practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the systems and methods should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the systems and methods with which that terminology is associated.

Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

The term “substantially” when used in conjunction with the term “real-time” forms a phrase that will be readily understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, it is readily understood that such language will include speeds in which no or little delay or waiting is discernible, or where such delay is sufficiently short so as not to be disruptive, irritating, or otherwise vexing to a user.

Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” or “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, and/or the like, may be either X, Y, or Z, or a combination thereof. For example, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present.

The term “a” as used herein should be given an inclusive rather than exclusive interpretation. For example, unless specifically noted, the term “a” should not be understood to mean “exactly one” or “one and only one”; instead, the term “a” means “one or more” or “at least one,” whether used in the claims or elsewhere in the specification and regardless of uses of quantifiers such as “at least one,” “one or more,” or “a plurality” elsewhere in the claims or specification.

The term “comprising” as used herein should be given an inclusive rather than exclusive interpretation. For example, a general purpose computer comprising one or more processors should not be interpreted as excluding other computer components, and may possibly include such components as memory, input/output devices, and/or network interfaces, among others.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it may be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices or processes illustrated may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As may be recognized, certain embodiments of the inventions described herein may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others. The scope of certain inventions disclosed herein is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.