Apple Wants iPhones To Detect Car Crashes, Auto-Dial 911 (wsj.com) 58
Beginning next year, iPhone users who are in a car accident could have their phone dial 911 automatically. From a report: Apple plans next year to roll out a product feature called "crash detection" for iPhones and Apple Watches, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the feature. Crash detection uses data from sensors built into Apple devices including the accelerometer to detect car accidents as they occur, for instance by measuring a sudden spike in gravity, or "g," forces on impact. The feature would mark the latest move by Apple and its competitors to use motion-sensor technology to build safety functions into their devices. Apple introduced a fall-detection feature in its smartwatch several years ago that senses when wearers have taken a hard fall and dials 911 if they don't respond to a notification asking if they are OK. The company this year added a feature to the newest version of its iPhone operating system that assesses the walking steadiness of users. The timing of the new feature could change, or Apple could choose not to release it, people familiar with the company's development process said.
Apple has been testing the crash-detection feature in the past year by collecting data shared anonymously from iPhone and Apple Watch users, the documents show. Apple products have already detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle impacts, of which more than 50,000 included a call to 911. Apple has been using the 911 call data to improve the accuracy of its crash-detection algorithm, since an emergency call associated with a suspected impact gives Apple more confidence that it is indeed a car crash, according to the documents. The documents don't specify how Apple users are sharing information with the company so it can test its new crash-detection algorithm.
Apple has been testing the crash-detection feature in the past year by collecting data shared anonymously from iPhone and Apple Watch users, the documents show. Apple products have already detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle impacts, of which more than 50,000 included a call to 911. Apple has been using the 911 call data to improve the accuracy of its crash-detection algorithm, since an emergency call associated with a suspected impact gives Apple more confidence that it is indeed a car crash, according to the documents. The documents don't specify how Apple users are sharing information with the company so it can test its new crash-detection algorithm.
life360 already does it (Score:4, Interesting)
but they want money for it as an upsell for people with teens who drive
Re: (Score:3)
It is a standard option on my Pixel phone too...since at least the Pixel 3.
https://support.google.com/pix... [google.com]
No (Score:1)
I don't like anything auto-dialing 911. My OnePlus phone had that feature which I activated by accident by pressing the power button a few times. Tried to cancel it but wasn't successful, immediately got a call back from 911.
Re: (Score:2)
My understanding of the Pixel feature is it opens a screen that asks if you need emergency services, which has a big cancel button. If no response in x time, it autodials 911 assuming you are in no condition to respond to the alert. I think you can also respond verbally, and there is a verbal prompt, but I have never caused it to go off, so I am not sure exactly how it works.
Re: (Score:3)
It's a legal requirement on European cars, they have to have a special modem that alerts the emergency services if the airbags deploy. There is also a button in most cars but I don't know if it's mandatory.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know what the threshold on the Pixel is, but I have never accidentally triggered it, and I have dropped my phone while standing before, which would produce pretty significant G forces when the phone hit the ground. It may be a combination of sound and force.
Re: (Score:2)
Seems odd (Score:3, Insightful)
> Apple products have already detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle impacts, of which more than 50,000 included a call to 911.
So 9,950,000 false alarms that they want to automatically dial 911 in the future?
Re:Seems odd (Score:4, Informative)
It would probably operate akin to fall detection with the Apple Watch. For users who have opted-in, when the Watch detects a fall it alerts the user that it's about to place a call to emergency services and/or contacts. If the user fails to respond within a minute, the Watch places the call. If the user responds to the alert by indicating they're okay, the Watch doesn't make the call. Simple as that. This approach limits the number of false alarms, thus addressing your concern, while still ensuring that people who are unable to initiate a call get the help they need.
It's also worth noting that of the 9.95 million potential calls you labeled as "false alarms", some of those likely warranted an emergency call, but the phone's owner was unable to make the call due to being dazed, pinned, knocked out, or otherwise incapacitated. While we would hope that a bystander or other witness would be in a position to place a call in their stead, it's likely that some of those impacts—such as accidents in rural, less traveled areas at night—never produced the 911 call they warranted.
Which is to say, no, not 9.95 million false alarms. Few of those users would likely opt-in, and of those who do, most would be capable of dismissing the alert when an accident occurred. But for those who aren't, this could literally be the thing that saves their life.
Re: (Score:2)
Perhaps the other party involved in the cash made the call. Or a bystander.
Or the crash was not heavy enough to warrant an automatic call?
Or if it was in Germany on an Autobahn: they probably had no connection :P
Re: Seems odd (Score:2)
Or instead of Apple making a bunch of assumptions, they should simply just follow up with those people who had acceleration data that looked like a crash but didn't have a 911 call.
Re: (Score:2)
I think it would make more sense that it would be a feature in your car, The Car Detects a Crash, and calls 911 with Bluetooth, to your phone, or if the car has a Cell service built in.
Your phone is highly prone to impacts that it could be considered life threatening, if it were attached to a human. Say somone puts the phone on the top of their car and drives away, then it slides off an falls, gets tossed out the window, by your toddler you gave to them for them to shut up during the drive. Also modern c
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I think it would make more sense that it would be a feature in your car
This IS a standard feature on my 2017 F150. Not a high end trim level, either (XLT).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
911: "911 what's your emergency"
Phone: "I broke my screen"
911: "We'll connect you with a genius bar member right away, tracking your location now"
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, let's have millions of phone robo-dial 911 whenever they get an unusual jolt. What could go wrong?
The Apple Watch already does this with fall detection. It's been the best-selling smart wearable in the market for several years running, with over 100 million units sold to date. Have you been hearing about millions of false alarms?
No. Of course not.
For one, if car accident detection works the same as fall detection, any false alarms would be easily dismissed. The Apple Watch buzzes and sounds an alarm for a minute after it detects a fall before it calls emergency services. If the user dismisses the alert,
G forces are not gravity (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How very.... Newtonian of you.
And incorrect, by today's understanding, and according to Einstein.
Re: (Score:2)
All objects produce attractive forces, i.e. gravity. They don't have to be "massive".
Re: (Score:2)
However all sensors and overseer inside the G-force event, will detect a change of gravity.
If you have ever ridden the Rotor at a carnival when it gets to speed, you feel like you are laying down and very heavy, while there is a slight pull at your legs. You don't feel like you are being pushed to the wall, or the wall blocking you from your constant motion in a straight line, it just feels like you are laying down, and looking up at the other riders.
Being that I hadn't been given a reasonable explanation
ford already does this (Score:5, Interesting)
Ford already does this [fordservicecontent.com], but since this has been a feature on my car since 2012, I'm assuming patents are expiring
Re: (Score:2)
The patents wouldn't expire, and probably wouldn't apply.
The car has much easier ways to detect collision with much more reliability. They had already refined airbag and fuel shutoff to the point that false alarms are unheard of and yet they are reliabily happening when appropriate, so they have a nice existing cue to tie into.
Really, 911 assist should be a standard safety feature of vehicles rather than phones. However, the phones can probably do a fair job (recognizing through gps high velocity, combined
Re: (Score:1)
That's actually a good point. Adding the functionality would probably cost less than a single floor mat these days. Hell, my store's 15 year old solid ink printer had a sim card in it.
Re: (Score:2)
And fun fact, they don't even need a plan or sim card. A cell phone without a sim card can still dial 911.
Re: (Score:2)
The advantage of putting it in phones is the millions of cars already on the road without this functionality. Also, not having to put phone hardware/software into the car to enable calling (although with the cost of cars and the other features it makes available, this is less compelling of an argument these days).
Re: (Score:2)
Note that the current 911 assist does bluetooth operation of your handset. Of course it would be *more* useful to just have cellular equipment (doesn't even need a sim card, since cellular services are required to permit 911, regardless of sim status).
Re: (Score:2)
Android does it too (Score:2)
https://support.google.com/pix... [google.com]
ambulance will have an 30% apple fee added to your (Score:5, Funny)
ambulance will have an 30% apple fee added to your bill.
Re: (Score:2)
So you're telling me Apple would make healthcare cheaper?
Jet fighter pilots everywhere.... (Score:2)
...are upset, as their iPhones start calling 911 erroneously during every high-G maneuver.
Re: Jet fighter pilots everywhere.... (Score:2)
Yeah if they are pulling 20Gs (airbag deployment spec.), it probably should.
Re: (Score:2)
One responded already that the G forces involved in a crash greatly exceed what the most extreme fighter maneuvers do.
However I would also expect it to consider the context from GPS as well. A dropped phone would also experience extreme force, so you'd correlate that extreme force with gps speedometer to recognize that high velocity of over 25mph together with strong force event followed by ~0mph velocity would be a pretty strong indicator of an accident. The gps part of that equation would recognize a jet
Re: (Score:2)
#1 Why do jet fighter pilots have their iPhone on when doing maneuvers? If anything, that could give up their position. Also haven't we all been told phones mess with aviation electronics?
#2 Assuming the plane keeps moving, it wouldn't be hard for a phone to determine it wasn't in a crash.
#3 What phone is going to even have reception on a jet plane presumably at altitude while performing high-G maneuver(s)?
Re: (Score:2)
Just for the record... I was trying to be funny. But I guess it was lost on people?
I can't imagine anyone piloting a jet fighter being worried about looking at their smartphone screen mid-flight, or expecting it to pair with a Bluetooth setup in the cockpit!
Re: (Score:2)
My bad. I've seen so many crazy posts lately, my sarcasm meter is all jacked up.
OnStar? (Score:2)
If you are the owner of a late model Chevrolet product, you already have On-Star to do that for you.
Yes another... (Score:2)
As long as turning it off LEAVES IT OFF (Score:2)
Just like the amber alert thing I get for things happening 200 miles away, there better be a way to turn it off, and don't re-enable it during an IOS upgrade.
I do stuff in my life besides sit in a chair, and don't want the phone to do anything I don't order it to. I'll call 911 if I want their help.
Google Pixels already do this (Score:2)
Crims (Score:2)
10 million suspected vehicle impacts... (Score:2)
Maybe Apple should instead detect when a vehicle is in use and lock the phone out completely so it can't be used. Seems like a better way to improve safety.
Question (Score:2)
How many of those impacts were due to the driver being on their iPhone texting or answering emails rather than paying attention to their driving?
I have literally (in the truest sense of the word) seen people go when the light turns green and their head is still looking down into their lap texting/messaging. Of course the number of times I've had to tap on the horn after a few seconds because the incompetent in front
bug-free* (Score:1)
That's a lot of data they have there (Score:2)
Harvesting motion and call data from millions of users.
I hope those people were fully informed their personal data would be collected and used like that.
I foresee...issues (Score:2)
"If this van is rockin' don't bother knockin'...um...don't bother auto-dialling 911"