METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED DETECTION OF MOBILE PHONE USAGE

• US 20100130182A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Rosen
• Original Assignee: Michael Rosen
• Inventors: Rosen, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automated detection of mobile phone usage by drivers of vehicles includes at least one mobile phone signal receiving device, at least one image capturing device, at least one infrared illuminator and at least one computer. The mobile phone signal receiving device is operative to detect a mobile phone signal transmitted from a vehicle. The at least one image capturing device is operative to capture infrared light reflected off of the driver of the vehicle. The at least one computer is operative to store, in a storage device, information associated with at least one of the mobile phone signals transmitted from the vehicle and the at least one image of the vehicle. The information stored in the storage device may be used to determine if a person associated with the vehicle should be prosecuted for illegal use of a mobile phone while driving the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) through operation of at least one processor, detecting at least one mobile phone signal with a mobile phone signal receiving device;

b) through operation of the at least one processor, determining that the detected at least one mobile phone signal originated from a predetermined location; and

c) through operation of the at least one processor, causing a network interface device to send information that includes data representative of the detection of the at least one mobile phone signal originating from the predetermined location to at least one remote server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined location includes at least one of a vehicle, a portion of a roadway, and a prison cell.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

d) emitting radiation toward the predetermined location from at least one radiation transmitting device;

e) receiving portions of the radiation with at least one radiation receiving device after the portions of the radiation have reflected off of matter inside a vehicle;

f) generating at least one digital image including a visual representation of at least portions of the matter inside the vehicle responsive to the received portions of the radiation;

wherein in (c) the information includes the at least one digital image.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the portions of the radiation include infrared light, wherein the at least one radiation emitter includes at least one infrared light illuminator.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein through operation of the at least one processor, verifying that the at least one digital image captured an image of the vehicle in the predetermined location at a time when the mobile phone signal was received by the mobile phone signal receiving device from a position originating from the predetermined location.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one digital image depicts an image of a driver holding a mobile phone.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

g) receiving further portions of the radiation with the at least one radiation receiving device after the further portions of the radiation have reflected off of a license plate of the vehicle;

h) generating at least one digital image depicting the license plate responsive to the received further portions of the radiation;

wherein in (c) the information includes the at least one digital image that depicts the license plate.

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

through operation of at least one processor, carrying out facial recognition of at least one face depicted in the at least one digital image to determine data identify a person.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

through operation of at least one processor, determining at least one characteristic regarding the vehicle depicted in the at least one digital image, wherein the at least one characteristic includes at least one of a make of the vehicle, a model of the vehicle, a type of the vehicle, and a color of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

through operation of the at least one processor, determining a velocity of the vehicle responsive to a plurality of digital images generated responsive to the radiation received with the at least one radiation receiving device.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein in (c) the information includes predetermined data usable by the remote server to determine the predetermined location from which the mobile phone signal was detected as originating.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is located in a vehicle, wherein the predetermined location is in the vehicle, wherein in (c) the information includes data previously stored in at least one data store in operative connection with the at least one processor, which data is capable of being used to identify at least one of the vehicle and a person associated with the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

d) through operation of the at least one processor, storing in the at least one data store data associated with at least one mobile phone signal including at least one of;

i) at least a portion of the detected at least one mobile phone signal;

ii) a duration of the at least one mobile phone signal;

iii) at least one date and time at which the at least one mobile phone signal was detected;

iv) at least one velocity of the vehicle when the at least one mobile phone signal was detected, which at least one location is determined through operation of a global positioning system (GPS) device in operative connection with the at least one processor; and

v) at least one location of the vehicle when the at least one mobile phone signal was detected, which at least one location is determined through operation of the GPS device; and

wherein the information communicated in (c) includes data representative of at least a portion of the data stored in the data store associated with the at least one mobile phone signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

e) through operation of the at least one processor and the GPS device, determining the at least one velocity of the vehicle;

responsive to (e), through operation of the at least one processor determining that the vehicle was moving during (a);

wherein (c) is carried out responsive to (f).

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

e) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting with the wireless network interface device, a wireless network through which the data stored in the data store can be sent to the remote server;

wherein (c) is carried out responsive to (e).

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

e) through operation of the at least one processor, receiving with the wireless network interface device a wireless signal through the wireless network, wherein the wireless signal is indicative of a request for the at least one processor to send through the wireless network the information that includes data representative of the detection of the at least one mobile phone signal;

wherein (c) is carried out responsive to (f).

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor, the at least one mobile phone signal receiving device, the at least one wireless network interface, and the GPS device are included in the mobile phone from which the mobile phone signals originate.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein in (c) the information includes data representative of a predetermined room in a building which corresponds to the predetermined location, wherein the predetermined room is a prison cell.

19. Computer readable media bearing computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one processor to carry out a method comprising:

a) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting at least one mobile phone signal with a mobile phone signal receiving device;

b) through operation of the at least one processor, determining that the detected at least one mobile phone signal originated from a predetermined location; and

c) through operation of the at least one processor, causing a network interface device to send information that includes data representative of the detection of the at least one mobile phone signal originating from the predetermined location to at least one remote server.

20. A mobile phone signal detection system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one mobile phone signal receiving device in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one mobile phone signal receiving device is operative to detect at least one mobile phone signal;

at least one network interface device in operative connection with the at least one processor;

wherein the at least one processor is operatively programmed to determine that the detected at least one mobile phone signal originated from a predetermined location; and

wherein the at least one processor is operatively programmed to cause the network interface device to send information that includes data representative of the detection of the at least one mobile phone signal originating from the predetermined location to at least one remote server.