System and method for collecting vehicle use and driving behavior data using a mobile communication device and bluetooth low energy (BLE) device

• US 10,471,964 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2015
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modus Group LLC (Radius Payment Solutions Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: WPJ Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Jon Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US14/879,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method for collecting motor vehicle use, driving behavior or motor vehicle use and driving behavior data using a Bluetooth® low energy (“BLE”) device and a mobile communication device (“MCD”). One embodiment can automatically turn on the MCD Global Positioning System location services (“GPS”) and start the collection of such data when the MCD user is in a predetermined proximity of the motor vehicle and the vehicle is in motion as well as automatically turn off the GPS and stop data collection when the MCD is not in a predetermined proximity to the motor vehicle and BLE device and the motor vehicle stops moving.

Claims

1. A method of collecting motor vehicle driver behavior and motor vehicle use data of a motor vehicle by a mobile communication device independent of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a beacon low energy device in said motor vehicle;

launching a mobile communication device vehicle driver behavior and vehicle use mobile communication device Global Positioning System data collection application;

determining that said mobile communication device is associated with the operator of said motor vehicle;

enabling a non-operator of said motor vehicle to refuse and prohibit said launching of said vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage said vehicle use data and storage and said mobile communication device Global Positioning System application;

determining when said motor vehicle is in motion by the mobile communication device Global Positioning System;

executing vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and motor vehicle use data collection and storage;

detecting when said motor vehicle is no longer in motion for 120 seconds;

detecting the absence of said beacon low energy device;

stopping said mobile communication device driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and storage and said mobile communication device Global Positioning System.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting said motor vehicle motion by speed of said motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising continuation of said vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and storage when said motor vehicle resumes motor vehicle motion.

4. A system comprising:

a mobile communication device input system adapted to receive beacon low energy device input and execute computer instructions as a motor vehicle driver behavior to;

launch motor vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and vehicle use data collection and storage and mobile communication device Global Positioning System when said mobile communication device, independent of said motor vehicle, is less than ten meters of said beacon low energy device and a motor vehicle operated by the mobile communication device user is in motion;

said executable computer instructions further cause said mobile communication device to enable said mobile communication device user and non-operator of said motor vehicle to refuse and prohibit launching of said motor vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and storage and said mobile communication device Global Positioning System;

detect when said motor vehicle is in motion by the mobile communication device Global Positioning System; and

stop said motor vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and storage and mobile communication device Global Positioning System when said motor vehicle, operated by said mobile communication device user, is no longer in motion for 120 seconds and greater than ten meters of said beacon low energy device.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising detecting said motor vehicle motion by speed of said motor vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising continuation of said driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and storage when said motor vehicle is again in motion.

7. A method of collecting motor vehicle driver behavior and motor vehicle use data of a motor vehicle by a mobile communication device independent of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a beacon low energy device in said motor vehicle;

launching a mobile communication device vehicle driver behavior and vehicle use mobile communication device Global Positioning System data collection and storage and mobile communication device Global Positioning System application;

determining that said mobile communication device is associated with the operator of said motor vehicle;

enabling a non-operator of said motor vehicle to refuse and prohibit said launching of said vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage said vehicle use data and storage and said mobile communication device Global Positioning System application;

determining when said motor vehicle is in motion by the mobile communication device Global Positioning System;

executing vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and motor vehicle use Global Positioning System mobile communication device data collection and storage;

detecting when said motor vehicle is no longer in motion for 120 seconds;

detecting the absence of said beacon low energy device;

stopping said driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use data collection and said Global Positioning System mobile communication device;

continuing said vehicle driver behavior data collection and storage and said vehicle use Global Positioning System mobile communication device data collection and storage when said motor vehicle is again in motion.