Monitoring breathalyzer

• US 10,222,357 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AK GlobalTech Corp.
• Original Assignee: AK GlobalTech Corp.
• Inventors: Son, Matthew Hogyun, Son, Jung Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/424,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20170146502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 702104, 702105, 702182-185, 702188
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0008 Details concerning storage of calibration data, e.g. in EEPROM
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

The monitoring breathalyzer has an alcohol sensor, a processing unit or processor, and a screen. The processing unit determines the accuracy of the breathalyzer using the user'"'"'s body as a simulator. In monitoring mode, the processing unit receives a BAC measurement from the alcohol sensor based on the breath sample provided by the user at a sample time and determines a reference point from the BAC measurement. The sample time is determined based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from a drink start time.

Claims

1. A breathalyzer, comprising:

an alcohol sensor to receive a breath air sample and measure blood alcohol concentration (BAC) based on the breath sample;

a processing unit to determine an accuracy of the alcohol sensor using a user'"'"'s body as a simulator in a monitoring mode by receiving a BAC measurement from the alcohol sensor based on the breath sample provided by the user at a sample time, the sample time determined based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from a drink start time;

to determine a reference point from the BAC measurement; and

to determine a BAC reading based on the BAC measurement by the alcohol sensor and pre-stored calibration data in an operation mode; and

a screen to display the BAC reading and other information to the user.

2. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the processing unit modifies the sample time by a predetermined lag time for alcohol to be present in user'"'"'s circulatory system after alcohol consumption by the user.

3. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the processing unit alerts the user at a predetermined time before the sample time to provide the breath sample for calibrating the alcohol sensor by an alarm or a message on the screen;

and wherein the processing unit receives BAC measurements from the alcohol sensor based on the breath samples provided by the user at a predetermined interval until a statistically significant number of measurements are obtained.

4. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the predetermined calibration point is at least one of the following:

blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 or 0.02.

5. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the breathalyzer is one of the following:

a portable breathalyzer, a coin-operated breathalyzer, a key-chain breathalyzer, or a car ignition breathalyzer.

6. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the breathalyzer is one of the following processor based device:

a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, a cell phone, a GPS navigation device, a digital camera or a personal digital assistant.

7. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the processing units determines the accuracy of the alcohol sensor before providing the BAC reading.

8. Apparatus to determine accuracy of a breathalyzer, comprising:

a processor to determine accuracy of the breathalyzer using a user'"'"'s body as a simulator receives a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measurement taken from the breathalyzer based on the breath sample provided by the user at a sample time, the sample time determined based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from a drink start time; and

to determine a reference point from the BAC measurement; and

a screen to display the reference point to be inputted by the user as a calibration data into the breathalyzer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor modifies the sample time by a predetermined lag time for alcohol to be present in user'"'"'s circulatory system after alcohol consumption by the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor alerts the user at a predetermined time before the sample time to provide the breath sample to the breathalyzer by an alarm or a message on the screen;

and further comprising an input device to receive BAC measurements of the breath samples provided to the breathalyzer by the user at a predetermined interval until a statistically significant number of measurements are obtained.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a communications unit to provide a wired or wireless communication with the breathalyzer;

and wherein the processor receives BAC measurements from the breathalyzer via the communications unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predetermined calibration point is at least one of the following:

blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 or 0.02.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is one of the following:

a portable breathalyzer, a coin-operated breathalyzer, a key-chain breathalyzer, or a car ignition breathalyzer.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is one of the following processor based device:

a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, a cell phone, a GPS navigation device, a digital camera or a personal digital assistant.

15. A web-enabled, processor based client device to determine accuracy of a breathalyzer, comprising:

a processor to determine accuracy of the breathalyzer using a user'"'"'s body as a simulator receives a sample time determined by a processor based web server over a communications network, the sample time determined based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from a drink start time;

to receive a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measurement taken by the breathalyzer based on the breath sample provided by the user at the sample time;

to transmit the BAC measurement to the web server over the communications network; and

to receive a reference point determined from the BAC measurement by the web server; and

a screen to display the reference point to be inputted by the user as a calibration data into the breathalyzer.

16. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 15, wherein the processor alerts the user at a predetermined time before the sample time to provide the breath sample to the breathalyzer by an alarm or a message on the screen;

and further comprising an input device to receive BAC measurements of the breath samples provided to the breathalyzer by the user at a predetermined interval until a statistically significant number of measurements are obtained.

17. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 16, further comprising a communications unit to provide a wired or wireless communication with the breathalyzer;

and wherein the processor receives BAC measurements from the breathalyzer via the communications unit.

18. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 15, wherein the processor modifies the sample time by a predetermined lag time for alcohol to be present in user'"'"'s circulatory system after alcohol consumption by the user.