APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING AND MONITORING BREATH ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS, USUALLY FROM A FIXED POINT LOCATION, SUCH AS A HOME

• US 20110309932A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumer Safety Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Consumer Safety Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Walter, Michael W., DeVries, Douglas E., Arringdale, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

The invention relates to devices, systems and methods for thwarting attempts to circumvent breath alcohol level testing and monitoring programs. In-home monitoring systems as well as ignition interlock systems are described. Accelerometers and/or compasses are used to detect movement of the device. GPS and image data are collected at the time samples are collected to verify their authenticity. A system is provided for use by a third party service provider to provide reports and notification to monitoring authorities.

Claims

1. An in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus comprising:

a handheld breath alcohol testing device capable of receiving a breath sample and testing the breath sample to determine an alcohol content;

an image recorder adapted to record image data when the breath sample is provided;

a sealed case enclosing an electronic storage medium in communication to receive information regarding the determined alcohol content, the storage medium being further adapted to receive image data associated with the determined alcohol content; and

a communication device mounted within the sealed case for transmitting data related to the determined alcohol content and the associated image data to a remote service provider.

2. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device mounted within the sealed case is wireless.

3. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic storage medium and the communication device are contained within a relay box mounted inside the sealed case.

4. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 3, wherein the relay box includes an accelerometer for determining attempts to tamper with or move the sealed case.

5. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit includes a compass to detect movement.

6. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a speaker mounted within the sealed case.

7. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sealed case includes a cover, further comprising a mechanism for detecting attempts to remove the cover.

8. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mechanism for detecting attempts to remove the cover comprises a sensor.

9. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein the any detected attempts to remove the cover are logged on the electronic storage device and communicated to the remote service provider.

10. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein the mechanism for detecting attempts to remove the cover comprises a frangible element.

11. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a GPS receiver in communication with the electronic storage medium to provide GPS data to the electronic storage medium associated with each breath sample.

12. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an antenna unit including the GPS receiver and an antenna for the communication device, the antenna unit being external to the sealed case.

13. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mount on an exterior of the sealed case for supporting the image recorder.

14. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sealed case comprises connection sockets for electronically connecting the image recorder with the electronic storage medium, the handheld testing device with the electronic storage medium, and a GPS receiver with the electronic storage medium.

15. The in-home breath alcohol monitoring apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electronic storage medium records instances when any of the image recorder, the handheld testing device, or the GPS receiver have been disconnected from the electronic storage medium.

16. A system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program, the system comprising:

a handheld breath alcohol testing device capable of receiving a breath sample and testing the breath sample to determine an alcohol content;

a sealed case enclosing an electronic storage medium in communication with the handheld testing device to receive an indication of the determined alcohol content;

a communication device mounted within the sealed case for transmitting data related to the breath alcohol testing; and

a service provider computer system adapted to receive the data related to the breath alcohol testing.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device.

18. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 16, wherein the service provider computer system is adapted to generate a viewable log with information regarding the data related to the determined alcohol content, and wherein the viewable log is stored on the service provider computer system such that it can be viewed via the Internet by a monitoring authority provided with access to the viewable log.

19. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 18, wherein the service provider computer system is adapted to recognize when the received data related to the breath alcohol testing indicate that a protocol established by the monitoring authority has been violated and to provide a visual indication within the viewable log of any such violation.

20. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 19, wherein the service provider computer system is adapted to generate a message that gets sent to the monitoring authority regarding any such violation.

21. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 18, wherein the service provider computer system is adapted to recognize when the received data related to the breath alcohol testing indicate that any of a plurality of protocols established by the monitoring authority has been violated and to provide a visual indication within the viewable log of any such violation;

and further wherein the service provider computer is adapted to generate a message that gets sent to the monitoring authority when specified ones of the plurality of protocols are violated.

22. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 18, wherein the data related to the breath alcohol testing comprises GPS coordinates of a location where the breath sample was received, and wherein the viewable log includes geographic information regarding the location where the breath sample was received.

23. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 22, wherein the service provider computer system is adapted to send a message to the monitoring authority if the GPS coordinates indicate a geographic location that is not acceptable.

24. The system for administering an in-home breath alcohol testing program of claim 18, wherein the data related to the breath alcohol testing comprises image data recorded when the breath sample was received, and wherein the viewable log includes an image created from the image data.

25. A method of administering a breath alcohol testing program comprising:

receiving information at a service provider computer system from a breath alcohol testing unit;

automatically generating a viewable log based on the received information; and

permitting a monitoring authority to access the log via the Internet.

26. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 25, further comprising providing a visual indication within the viewable log when the received information indicates that a protocol established by the monitoring authority has been violated.

27. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 25, further comprising automatically sending a message to the monitoring authority when the received information indicates that a protocol established by the monitoring authority has been violated.

28. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 25, wherein the breath alcohol testing program is an in-home monitoring program, and further wherein the breath alcohol testing unit comprises:

a handheld breath alcohol testing device capable of receiving a breath sample and testing the breath sample to determine an alcohol content;

a sealed case enclosing an electronic storage medium in communication with the handheld testing device to receive an indication of the determined alcohol content;

an image recorder adapted to record image data when a breath sample is provided; and

a communication device mounted within the sealed case for transmitting data related to the breath alcohol testing.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the communication device is wireless.

30. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 25, wherein the breath alcohol testing unit comprises an ignition interlock device.

31. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 25, wherein the information related to the breath alcohol testing comprises geographic information indicating a location where the breath sample was received, further comprising determining whether the location where the breath sample was received is within a permitted area.

32. The method of administering a breath alcohol testing program according to claim 31, wherein the information related to the breath alcohol testing comprises image data recorded when the breath sample was received, further comprising determining whether the image data is consistent with the geographic information.