Telematics Supplier Applikompt Gets Patent

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP -- Applied Computer Technologies Inc., or Applikompt as it is called, said Friday it had received U.S. patent 8,301,108 for "A Fourth Generation Safety System for Vehicles."

The company has been working on controls for electronics and vehicles that keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road since the 1990s.

Applikompt says it defines driver distraction in three symptoms:
* Reflex Distraction, caused by physiological reflex triggered by sensory stimuli and not controllable by the driver. Applikompt overcomes this by eliminating all vehicle equipment, portable device alarms, notifications, and information, and then re-prioritizing and restructuring them to redirect the driver's attention to priority activities -- driving.
* Impulse Distraction, caused by emotional state or triggered by an instinctive response, which can sometimes be controlled by the driver. Applikompt overcomes this by enabling existing activities in a manner that guarantees eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, without taxing the driver's attention, through the use of adaptive learning, planner merging with driving experience, and what Applikompt calls LifeStyleApps integration so nothing is done on an ad hoc basis.
* Lifestyle Distraction, which is deliberate, conscious and systematic performance of activities creating dangerous risks, known or likely to cause distraction that leads to near misses and accidents. This is triggered due to poor education at first, but then, the behavior is perpetuated by several instinctive responses. This type of distraction creates unnecessary workload and is controllable by the driver. Applikompt overcomes this by  empowering regulators, parents and fleet managers to set limits and policies on how and what to engage in while driving.

The patent is a part of comprehensive system for a safety centric integrated driving experience that includes:
* A hands-on-wheel interface that includes novel thumb gesture interpretation
* Intelligent notification and prioritization
* Adaptive learning machine intelligence that uses real-world accident data to prevent distraction or excessive workload
* Driver competence monitoring for in-vehicle apps that can be shared

Applikompt uses intelligent systems to allow or deny calls to or from the driver by measuring the driver's workload. The main decision, called KnowledgeWare, is the conclusion of more than seven years of research into real-world driving.

More at http://actplace.net/.