# US 2019/0173510 A1 · Methods and apparatus to detect external environmental conditions associated with a mobile electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0173510 A1 - Document ID: US20190173510A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/267,012 - Filed: 2019-02-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Barrett M. Kreiner; Ryan Schaub; Randall S. Spell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173510A1 ## CPC - H04B 1/3888: Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers - G08B 21/20: responsive to moisture - H04B 17/23: Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means - H04M 1/72418: for supporting emergency services - H04M 1/72454: according to context-related or environment-related conditions - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract An example method includes determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, whether environmental condition data collected by a plurality of sensors of a mobile device complies with an environmental condition rule. The environmental condition rule including environmental thresholds associated with the environmental condition data, and the environmental condition data being representative of external conditions. The method includes when the environmental condition data does not comply with the environmental condition rule: determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a level of severity of at least one of the external conditions which does not comply with the environmental condition rule; and in response to determining the level of severity does not satisfy a severity threshold, informing a user of the mobile device of the at least one of the external conditions; and in response to determining the level of severity satisfies the severity threshold, informing a third-party of the at least one of the external conditions absent input from the user of the mobile device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, whether environmental condition data collected by a plurality of sensors of a mobile device complies with an environmental condition rule, the environmental condition rule including environmental thresholds associated with the environmental condition data, the environmental condition data representative of external conditions; when the environmental condition data does not comply with the environmental condition rule: determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a level of severity of at least one of the external conditions which does not comply with the environmental condition rule; and in response to determining the level of severity does not satisfy a severity threshold, informing a user of the mobile device of the at least one of the external conditions; and in response to determining the level of severity satisfies the severity threshold, informing a third-party of the at least one of the external conditions absent input from the user of the mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the environmental condition data complies with the environmental condition rule includes comparing the environmental condition data to at least one of the environmental thresholds defined in the environmental condition rule. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the informing the user includes outputting a warning associated with the at least one of the external conditions via at least one of an audio message or a display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the informing the third-party includes sending a notification of the at least one of the external conditions to an emergency responder and a location of the mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the informing the third-party includes sending a notification of the at least one of the external conditions to a service provider of the mobile device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a self-protecting procedure defined in the environmental condition rule to protect the mobile device from the at least one of the external conditions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the performing the self-protecting procedure includes at least one of adjusting a processing capability of the mobile device or shutting down the mobile device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the performing of the self-protecting procedure includes activating a physical seal of the mobile device to prevent damage to the mobile device from a liquid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the level of severity includes determining whether the at least one of the external conditions presents a potential health risk to the user. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a processor; and memory including machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: determining whether environmental condition data collected by a plurality of sensors of a mobile device complies with an environmental condition rule, the environmental condition rule including environmental thresholds associated with the environmental condition data, the environmental condition data representative of external conditions; when the environmental condition data does not comply with the environmental condition rule: determining a level of severity of at least one of the external conditions which does not comply with the environmental condition rule; and in response to determining the level of severity does not satisfy a severity threshold, initiating transmission of a message to inform a user of the mobile device of the at least one of the external conditions; and in response to determining the level of severity satisfies the severity threshold, initiating transmission of a message to inform a third-party of the at least one of the external conditions absent input from the user of the mobile device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining whether the environmental condition data complies with the environmental condition rule comprises comparing the environmental condition data to at least one of the environmental thresholds defined in the environmental condition rule. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein to initiating transmission of the message to inform the user comprises outputting a warning associated with the at least one of the external conditions via at least one of an audio message or a display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein initiating transmission of the message to inform the third-party, comprises sending a notification of the at least one of the external conditions to an emergency responder and a location of the mobile device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein initiating transmission of the message to inform the third-party comprises sending a notification of the at least one of the external conditions to a service provider of the mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise performing a self-protecting procedure defined in the environmental condition rule to protect the mobile device from the at least one of the external conditions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein performing the self-protecting procedure comprises at least one of adjusting a processing capability of the mobile device, shutting down the mobile device, or activating a physical seal of the mobile device to prevent damage to the mobile device from a liquid. ### Claim 17 A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether environmental condition data collected by a plurality of sensors of a mobile device complies with an environmental condition rule, the environmental condition rule including environmental thresholds associated with the environmental condition data, the environmental condition data representative of external conditions; when the environmental condition data does not comply with the environmental condition rule: determining a level of severity of at least one of the external conditions which does not comply with the environmental condition rule; in response to determining the level of severity does not satisfy a severity threshold, initiating transmission of a message to inform a user of the mobile device of the at least one of the external conditions; and in response to determining the level of severity satisfies the severity threshold, initiating transmission of a message to inform a third-party of the at least one of the external conditions absent input from the user of the mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein initiating transmission of the message to the user comprises outputting a warning associated with the at least one of the external conditions via at least one of an audio message or a display to inform the user of the mobile device of the at least one of the external conditions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein initiating transmission of the message to inform the third-party comprises sending a notification of the at least one of the external conditions to an emergency responder and a location of the mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein initiating transmission of the message to inform the third-party comprises sending a notification of the at least one external condition to a service provider of the mobile device.