MONITORING BREATHALYZER

• US 20150226727A1
• Filed: 04/25/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,562,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 non-volatile memory, 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 the user'"'"'s metabolism rate or 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 measuring percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC%) based on the breath sample;

a non-volatile memory to store calibration data of the alcohol sensor comprising one or more reference points;

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 store the reference point in the non-volatile memory; and

to determine a BAC% reading based on the BAC% measurement by the alcohol sensor and the calibration data stored in the non-volatile memory 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 determines the sample time to receive the breath sample from the user based on a time to a predetermined calibration point from the drinking start time calculated using a user'"'"'s metabolism rate and a maximum alcohol level.

3. The breathalyzer of claim 2. 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.

4. The breathalyzer of claim 2, wherein the processing unit determines the maximum alcohol level from a type and an amount of alcohol consumed by the user;

and

determines the user'"'"'s metabolism rate based on the maximum alcohol level and BAC% measurement over a predetermined period of time.

5. The breathalyzer of claim 4, 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 to determine the user'"'"'s metabolism rate.

6. 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.

7. The breathalyzer of claim 1, wherein the breathalyzer is (a) one of the following:

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

or (b) 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.

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

9. Apparatus for determining accuracy of a breathalyzer, comprising:

a processor to determine accuracy of the breathalyzer using a user'"'"'s body as a simulator receives a percent 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.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor determines the time to the predetermined calibration point from the drinking start time based on a user'"'"'s metabolism rate and a maximum alcohol level.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor determines the maximum alcohol level from a type and an amount of alcohol consumed by the user;

and determines the user'"'"'s metabolism rate based on the maximum alcohol level and BAC% measurement over a predetermined period of time.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, 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 to determine the user'"'"'s metabolism rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, 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.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined calibration point is at least one of the following:

blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 or 0.02.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a) one of the following:

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

or (b) 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.

17. A web-enabled, processor based client device for determining 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 percent 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.

18. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 17, wherein the processor receives the time to the predetermined calibration point from the drinking start time determined by the web server based on a maximum alcohol level determined from a type and an amount of alcohol consumed by the user, and a user'"'"'s metabolism rate determined based on the maximum alcohol level and BAC% measurement over a predetermined period of time.

19. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 18, 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 to determine the user'"'"'s metabolism rate.

20. The web-enabled, processor based client device of claim 19, 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.