“Gentlemen… We have the technology…” paraphrasing Richard Anderson in character as Oscar Goldman in the opening sequence of “The Six Million Dollar Man.”
Inventor and chairman of Global Mobile Alert, Demetrius Thompson steps up to address the driving and texting epidemic with two patented technologies that are considered game changers for Smartphones and Connected Car mobile technology.
Global Mobile Alert patented the use of either an on-board or off-board map accessed by a mobile phone to alert drivers who are using the phone to hazardous conditions ahead including intersections, railroad crossings and school zones. Alerts and messages to the driver can be tailored to the nature of the hazard.
Technology: Global MobileText AlertsGlobal Mobile Alert has further patented the use of wireless communication between the traffic light and a mobile device to determine the phase of the light in relation to the speed of the car in order to alert the driver, particularly in the event of the mobile phone being in use. Global Mobile Alert executives envision a variety of scenarios and applications of this patent – but – the fundamental functionality revolves around cellular communication and location technology.
Thompson imagined the concept for the app after being struck – more than once – by drivers talking on cell phones. Mobile phones have been named as one of the causes for distracted driving accidents even when using a hands-free device. Thompson says, “The daily news stories about people being killed by distracted drivers kept me motivated over the years to find a solution.”
Global Mobile Alert has the “Pull Over to Text” and “Global Mobile Alert” apps, both of which run on Android. The first app displays a warning message and fires off a preloaded response when a driver receives a text message, and stores the incoming text for later action. The second app provides audible alerts when a moving vehicle approaches a traffic light at an intersection when the driver is talking on a Smartphone hands free.
The Global Mobile Alert apps cost US$1.99 and $2.99, respectively. The apps work on Android Smartphones, and versions for Windows Mobile and BlackBerry will be available within 90 days.
