Detecting the location of a phone using RF wireless and ultrasonic signals

• US 10,547,736 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Driving Management Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Driving Management Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hannon, Marwan, Qu, Peter Qiang, Allison, James W., Cesane, Cristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US16/225,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20190199850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/75 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/752 Collocated with electrical equipment other than beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/01 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/28 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method for determining a presence of a mobile device located in a predetermined detection zone within a vehicle may include a plurality of transmitters located within the vehicle, in which each of the plurality of transmitters is configured to transmit an acoustic signal into an acoustic environment within the vehicle, and in which each of the acoustic signals comprises at least one ultrasonic pulse, a mobile device configured to periodically record sounds in the acoustic environment, and a processor configured to determine that a periodically recorded sound by the mobile device comprises each of the acoustic signals transmitted by the plurality of transmitters, determine a location of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the acoustic signals recorded by the mobile device, and determine that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone.

Claims

1. An apparatus to determine the presence of a mobile device located in a predetermined detection zone within a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

the mobile device comprising;

an acoustic receiver configured to receive a plurality of sounds comprising an acoustic environment;

a processor configured to receive acoustic data from the acoustic receiver, wherein the acoustic data corresponds to the plurality of sounds comprising the acoustic environment;

a non-transitory memory in data communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

periodically record the acoustic data;

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded first acoustic signal comprising a first ultrasonic pulse and a second acoustic signal comprising a second ultrasonic pulse;

calculate a first time of arrival of the first acoustic signal and a second time of arrival of the second acoustic signal;

determine a location of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the first time of arrival and the second time of arrival;

determine that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone;

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded first acoustic signal comprising a first ultrasonic pulse having a frequency in the range of 15 kHz to 60 kHz; and

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded second acoustic signal comprising a second ultrasonic pulse having a frequency in the range 15 kHz to 60 kHz.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to inhibit at least one function of the mobile device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to alter the activity of at least one function of the mobile device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to issue a notification to a user of the mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded first acoustic signal comprising a first ultrasonic pulse having first acoustic characteristic; and

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded second acoustic signal comprising a second ultrasonic pulse having second acoustic characteristic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

calculate, from the periodically recorded acoustic data, a power of the first acoustic signal and a power of the second acoustic signal; and

determine a location of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the power of the first acoustic signal and the power of the second acoustic signal.

7. A apparatus for determining a presence of a mobile device located in a predetermined detection zone within a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

the mobile device, comprising;

a wireless signal receiver configured to receive one or more radio frequency (RF) signals;

an acoustic receiver configured to receive a plurality of sounds comprising an acoustic environment;

a processor configured to receive;

acoustic data from the acoustic receiver, wherein the acoustic data corresponds to the plurality of sounds comprising the acoustic environment; and

a wireless synchronization signal from the wireless signal receiver;

a non-transitory memory in data communication with the processor, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive the wireless synchronization signal;

record the acoustic data upon receiving the wireless synchronization signal;

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded first acoustic signal comprising a first ultrasonic pulse and a second acoustic signal comprising a second ultrasonic pulse;

calculate a first time of arrival of the first acoustic signal and a second time of arrival of the second acoustic signal;

determine a location of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the first time of arrival and the second time of arrival;

determine that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone;

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded first acoustic signal comprising a first ultrasonic pulse having a frequency in the range of 15 kHz to 60 kHz; and

determine that the periodically recorded acoustic data comprise a periodically recorded second acoustic signal comprising a second ultrasonic pulse having a frequency in the range 15 kHz to 60 kHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to inhibit at least one function of the mobile device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to alter the activity of at least one function of the mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor, upon determining that the location of the mobile device matches the predetermined detection zone, to cause the mobile device to issue a notification to a user of the mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless synchronization signal comprises a Bluetooth broadcast message comprising the wireless synchronization signal.