Detection of Mobile Device Location Within Vehicle Using Vehicle Based Data and Mobile Device Based Data

• US 20170265044A1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Lundsgaard, Soren K., Ferguson, Dana, Snyder, Jared S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

One or more location analysis computing devices and methods are disclosed herein for determining the position of a mobile device (smartphone, tablet computer) within an interior of a vehicle. The position of the mobile device may be calculated by detecting changes in accelerometer data. The accelerometer data may first need to be translated to determine corresponding axes, since the device may not be right side up (e.g., in a pocket). The vehicle may travel over road discontinuities such as bumps, and calculating the position of the mobile device may be based on the different magnitude and angle resulting from a first tire and a second tire hitting the bump. Data from vehicle sensors or other mobile device sensors may also be used in the calculating. Once the position is determined, commands may be sent to the mobile device to deactivate certain functionality, or to a remote server for further processing.

Claims

1. A location analysis computing device comprising:

a processing unit comprising at least one processor; and

a memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, cause the location analysis computing device to;

receive first mobile device sensor data collected by mobile device sensors of a mobile device located within a vehicle, the first mobile device sensor data including first-axis accelerometer data, second-axis accelerometer data, and third-axis accelerometer data;

translate the first mobile device sensor data into X-axis accelerometer data, Y-axis accelerometer data, and Z-axis accelerometer data, resulting in translated data;

detect a first occurrence of an event in the translated data, wherein detecting the event comprises determining that a change in magnitude of the Z-axis accelerometer data exceeds a predetermined threshold;

calculate a first event vector comprising a first event magnitude and a first event angle based on the detected event; and

determine a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector.

2. The location analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores further computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the location analysis computing device to:

receive second mobile device sensor data collected by the mobile device sensors of the mobile device located within the vehicle, the second mobile device sensor data including first-axis accelerometer data, second-axis accelerometer data, and third-axis accelerometer data, wherein the second mobile device sensor data indicates a second occurrence of the event; and

calculate a second event vector comprising a second event magnitude and second event angle, wherein determining a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector comprises determining a difference between the first event vector and the second event vector.

3. The location analysis computing device of claim 2, wherein the difference between the first event vector and the second event vector comprises a difference in the first event magnitude and direction and the second event magnitude and direction.

4. The location analysis computing device of claim 2, wherein the vehicle includes a first tire and a second tire and wherein the event comprises the first tire and the second tire hitting a bump in a road.

5. The location analysis computing device of claim 2, wherein determining a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector further comprises determining a duration between the first occurrence of the event and the second occurrence of the event.

6. The location analysis computing device of claim 2, wherein translating the first mobile device sensor data into X-axis accelerometer data, Y-axis accelerometer data, and Z-axis accelerometer data comprises determining an increase in a speed of the vehicle corresponds to an acceleration in at least one of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis in a reference frame of the mobile device.

7. The location analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores further computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the location analysis computing device to:

transmit an indication of the position of the mobile device to a computing device other than the mobile device.

8. The location analysis computing device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores further computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the location analysis computing device to:

transmit a command to the mobile device configured to deactivate a functionality of the mobile device.

9. A method comprising:

receiving first mobile device sensor data collected by mobile device sensors of a mobile device located within a vehicle, the first mobile device sensor data including first-axis accelerometer data, second-axis accelerometer data, and third-axis accelerometer data;

translating the first mobile device sensor data into X-axis accelerometer data, Y-axis accelerometer data, and Z-axis accelerometer data, resulting in translated data;

detecting a first occurrence of an event in the translated data, wherein detecting the event comprises determining that a change in magnitude of the Z-axis accelerometer data exceeds a predetermined threshold;

calculating a first event vector comprising a first event magnitude and a first event angle based on the detected event; and

determining a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving second mobile device sensor data collected by the mobile device sensors of the mobile device located within the vehicle, the second mobile device sensor data including first-axis accelerometer data, second-axis accelerometer data, and third-axis accelerometer data, wherein the second mobile device sensor data indicates a second occurrence of the event; and

calculating a second event vector comprising a second event magnitude and second event angle, wherein determining a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector comprises determining a difference between the first event vector and the second event vector.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the difference between the first event vector and the second event vector comprises a difference in the first event magnitude and the second event magnitude.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the vehicle includes a tire and wherein the event comprises the tire hitting a bump in a road.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a position of the mobile device within the vehicle based on the calculated first event vector further comprises determining a duration between the first occurrence of the event and the second occurrence of the event.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein translating the first mobile device sensor data into X-axis accelerometer data, Y-axis accelerometer data, and Z-axis accelerometer data comprises determining an increase in a speed of the vehicle corresponds to an acceleration in at least one of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis in a reference frame of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of the position of the mobile device to a computing device other than the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the computing device other than the mobile device comprises a device operated by an insurance provider.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmit a command to the mobile device configured to deactivate a functionality of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the functionality comprises a text messaging application.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)