Detecting handling of a device in a vehicle

• US 10,117,060 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Snyder, Jared S., Ferguson, Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US15/851,052
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554566, 4555501, 4555561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining whether or not an apparatus, such as a mobile device, is being handled or otherwise used within a vehicle. The apparatus may comprise an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and a gyroscope configured to measure orientation. The apparatus may determine an axis of gravity of the apparatus based on acceleration measurements made by the accelerometer over a period of time. The apparatus may also determine a rotation vector of the apparatus based on orientation measurements made by the gyroscope. Using the axis of gravity of the apparatus and the rotation vector of the apparatus, the apparatus may determine a rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity. If the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold, the apparatus may determine that it is being handled or otherwise used within the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, a change of an elevation of an apparatus;

determining, based on the change of the elevation of the apparatus, a time period;

determining, during the time period and based on acceleration measurements made by an accelerometer of the apparatus, an axis of gravity of the apparatus;

determining, based on orientation measurements made by a gyroscope of the apparatus, a rotation vector of the apparatus;

determining, based on the axis of gravity of the apparatus and the rotation vector of the apparatus, a rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity; and

responsive to a determination that the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a rotation rate threshold, determining, a frequency of handling events in which the apparatus is being used within a vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of the apparatus, a vehicle computer of the vehicle, or a handling detection server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the change of the elevation of the apparatus comprises:

determining the change of the elevation of the apparatus based on two or more consecutive elevation measurements made by one or more of a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a barometer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus comprises:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the apparatus does not exceed an elevation change threshold, determining, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus comprises:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the apparatus exceeds an elevation change threshold, waiting for another time period to determine the axis of gravity of the apparatus.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the change of the elevation of the apparatus comprises:

determining a distance between one or more satellites and the computing device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the change of the elevation of the apparatus comprises:

sending a geometrical location of the computing device to a database; and

receiving an elevation of the computing device from the database.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the change of the elevation of the apparatus comprises:

tracking a route of the vehicle; and

determining, based on information provided by a database, whether an elevation of the vehicle will change by more than a threshold amount for a predetermined amount of time in the future.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a barometer configured to determine a change of an elevation of the apparatus;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

determine, based on the change of the elevation of the apparatus, a time period;

determine, during the time period and based on acceleration measurements made by an accelerometer of the apparatus, an axis of gravity of the apparatus;

determine, based on orientation measurements made by a gyroscope of the apparatus, a rotation vector of the apparatus;

determine, based on the axis of gravity of the apparatus and the rotation vector of the apparatus, a rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity; and

responsive to a determination that the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a rotation rate threshold, determine, a frequency of handling events in which the apparatus is being used within a vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the apparatus does not exceed an elevation change threshold, determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the apparatus exceeds an elevation change threshold, wait for another time period to determine the axis of gravity of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the change of the elevation of the apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

determine a distance between one or more satellites and the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the change of the elevation of the apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

send a geometrical location of the apparatus to a database; and

receive an elevation of the apparatus from the database.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the change of the elevation of the apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

track a route of the vehicle; and

determine, based on information provided by a database, whether an elevation of the vehicle will change by more than a threshold amount for a predetermined amount of time in the future.

15. A system comprising:

a mobile device disposed within a vehicle; and

a server comprising;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to;

determine a change of an elevation of the mobile device,

determine, based on the change of the elevation of the mobile device, a time period,

determine, during the time period and based on acceleration measurements made by an accelerometer of the mobile device, an axis of gravity of the mobile device,

determine, based on orientation measurements made by a gyroscope of the mobile device, a rotation vector of the mobile device,

determine, based on the axis of gravity of the mobile device and the rotation vector of the mobile device, a rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity, and

responsive to a determination that the rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a rotation rate threshold, determine, a frequency of handling events in which the mobile device is being used within the vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the mobile device, further cause the server to:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the mobile device does not exceed an elevation change threshold, determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to determine, during the time period, the axis of gravity of the mobile device, further cause the server to:

responsive to a determination that the change of the elevation of the mobile device exceeds an elevation change threshold, wait for another time period to determine the axis of gravity of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to determine the change of the elevation of the mobile device, further cause the server to:

determine the change of the elevation of the mobile device based on two or more consecutive elevation measurements.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to determine the change of the elevation of the mobile device, further cause the server to:

determine the change of the elevation of the mobile device based on elevation measurements made by a Global Positioning System (GPS).

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to determine the change of the elevation of the mobile device, further cause the server to:

track a route of the vehicle; and

determine, based on information provided by a database, whether an elevation of the vehicle will change by more than a threshold amount for a predetermined amount of time in the future.