Driver Identification and Data Collection Systems for Use with Mobile Communication Devices in Vehicles

• US 20170078948A1
• Filed: 07/17/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellcontrol, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Obdedge LLC
• Inventors: GUBA, Robert W., Breaux, Joseph E. III, Kennedy, Chad A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems, methods, and monitoring devices for collecting and transmitting operational data about a vehicle to a separate receiving device located within the vehicle, wherein the monitoring device includes a housing mounted to the vehicle and a power supply that powers electronic components contained within the housing, the electronic components include a microprocessor, memory in electronic communication with the microprocessor and configured to store the operational data, one or more sensors for detecting and determining the operational data about the vehicle, wherein the microprocessor causes the operational data to be stored in the memory, and a data transmission module, controlled by the microprocessor and configured to retrieve the operational data from the memory and to transmit the retrieved operational data to the separate receiving device. The operational data is stored in the separate receiving device for further processing, later upload, or further transmission to a remote receiver outside of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for collecting and transmitting operational data about a vehicle to a separate receiving device located within the vehicle, the monitoring device comprising:

a housing mounted to the vehicle; and

a power supply contained within the housing and adapted to provide power to electronic components contained within the housing, the electronic components including;

a microprocessor;

memory in electronic communication with the microprocessor and configured to store the operational data;

one or more sensors for detecting and determining operational data associated with the vehicle, wherein the microprocessor causes the operational data to be stored in the memory; and

a data transmission module, controlled by the microprocessor and configured to retrieve the operational data from the memory and to transmit the retrieved operational data to the separate receiving device.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted within the vehicle in proximity to a central axis of the vehicle, the central axis extending generally between a driver space and a front passenger space within the vehicle.

3. The monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the housing is mounted on the inside surface of the front windshield of the vehicle.

4. The monitoring device of claim 2, wherein the housing is permanently built into the vehicle by a manufacturer of the vehicle or by an after-market vendor.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the power supply includes one or more of:

a solar panel, a battery installed in the monitoring device, and a connection to a battery installed in the vehicle.

6. The monitoring device of claim 5, wherein the connection to the battery installed in the vehicle is made through one or more of:

a lighter socket of the vehicle, a plug connector on the housing of the monitoring device, and a USB port on the housing of the monitoring device.

7. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of:

an accelerometer for detecting movement of the vehicle, a GPS module for detecting geographic location and speed of the vehicle, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature inside the vehicle, and a microphone for detecting ambient sound inside the vehicle.

8. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data transmission module transmits the operational data about the vehicle using classic Bluetooth protocol.

9. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the data transmission module makes a Bluetooth pairing with the separate receiving device.

10. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein the data transmission module broadcasts the operational data about the vehicle without making a Bluetooth pairing with the separate receiving device.

11. The monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the operational data about the vehicle is broadcast in at least one field of the device name of the data transmission module.

12. The monitoring device of claim 10, wherein the operational data about the vehicle is broadcast in a plurality of device names associated with the data transmission module, wherein each of the plurality of device names includes at least one field containing the operational data.

13. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data transmission module transmits the operational data about the vehicle using Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) protocol.

14. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the data transmission module transmits the operational data about the vehicle using WiFi protocols.

15. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the separate receiving device includes one or more mobile devices located within the vehicle.

16. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the separate receiving device includes one or more computer systems associated with the vehicle.

17. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the retrieved operational data is stored in memory on the separate receiving device.

18. The monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the retrieved operational data stored in memory is transmitted outside the vehicle by the separate receiving device.

19. The monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the retrieved operational data stored in memory is uploaded from the separate receiving device.