BREATH TESTING SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An inebriate operation inhibitor system adapted for use in a vehicle comprising:
- a breath receiving unit adapted to receive breath from the driver of the vehicle;
means for sensing breath flow through said breath receiving unit including means operative only in response to a predetermined, essentially continuous and uninterrupted flow of breath therethrough to produce a test taken signal;
an evaluator coupled to said breath receiving unit to receive said breath therefrom to detect the alcohol concentration level of said breath;
means associated with said evaluator for producing a signal determined by the alcohol concentration of said breath, said means producing a "fail" signal in the event said alcohol concentration is above a desired level;
output apparatus coupled to said evaluator and to said breath flow sensing means responsive to a fail signal from said evaluator or the absence of said test taken signal to modify the operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a door switch, the inhibitor system has at least one heater, and the vehicle door switch is used to institute operation of said heater.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A breath testing system for under-supervised or unsupervised alcohol intoxication breath testing. The system includes a breath input unit, a controller which delivers a sample of deep lung breath to an evaluator including an alcohol detector and an output apparatus. The controller includes a breath flow sensing means, e.g., a pressure sensitive switch and timer, to require a predetermined and essentially continuous and uninterrupted breath flow prior to testing to thereby insure that alung breath sample is tested. Means for signaling failing or passing of the test are provided. A passing signal cannot be obtained unless the predetermined continuous nnd uninterrupted flow has occurred and the resulting sample tests below a predetermined alcohol concentration. The system is disclosed in one environment of use: in a motor vehicle, wherein failure to take or pass the test modifies the operation of the vehicle (e.g., prevents it from being driven or governs its maximum speed).
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. An inebriate operation inhibitor system adapted for use in a vehicle comprising:
-
a breath receiving unit adapted to receive breath from the driver of the vehicle; means for sensing breath flow through said breath receiving unit including means operative only in response to a predetermined, essentially continuous and uninterrupted flow of breath therethrough to produce a test taken signal; an evaluator coupled to said breath receiving unit to receive said breath therefrom to detect the alcohol concentration level of said breath; means associated with said evaluator for producing a signal determined by the alcohol concentration of said breath, said means producing a "fail" signal in the event said alcohol concentration is above a desired level; output apparatus coupled to said evaluator and to said breath flow sensing means responsive to a fail signal from said evaluator or the absence of said test taken signal to modify the operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a door switch, the inhibitor system has at least one heater, and the vehicle door switch is used to institute operation of said heater.
-
-
2. An inebriate operation inhibitor system adapted for use in a vehicle comprising:
-
a breath receiving unit adapted to receive breath from the driver of the vehicle; means for sensing breath flow through said breath receiving unit including means operative only in response to a predetermined, essentially continuous and uninterrupted flow of breath therethrough to produce a test taken signal; an evaluator coupled to said breath receiving unit to receive said breath therefrom to detect the alcohol concentration level of said breath; means associated with said evaluator for producing a signal determined by the alcohol concentration of said breath, said means producing a fail signal in the event said alcohol concentration is above a desired level; output apparatus coupled to said evaluator and to said breath flow sensing means responsive to a fail signal from said evaluator or the absence of said test taken signal to modify the operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a driver'"'"'s seat, and means are provided, responsive to a driver'"'"'s presence in the seat, effective to modify the operation of the vehicle in response to the driver'"'"'s leaving the seat.
-
-
3. Breath testing apparatus comprising:
-
means defining an input into which breath in the form of exhaled gas may be blown; means for sensing the flow of gas through said input; an evaluator connected to receive a sample of the gas flowing through said input, for evaluating the alcohol concentration in the received gas sample, and for producing an output signal in response to the detected alcohol concentration; an output apparatus connected to receive the output signal from said evaluator; and means, operative in response to said flow sensing means, for insuring that said output apparatus is activated in response to the output signal of said evaluator resulting from a predetermined essentially continuous and uninterrupted flow of breath over a threshold level, including a timer which after being started and if not reset produces a control signal after the predetermined period of time, which timer is started by said flow sensing means sensing a gas flow above said threshold level, and is reset if said flow sensing means senses a gas flow below a predetermined level, and means, operative in response to the absence of the timer control signal, to prevent the evaluator from producing said output signal when the timer is reset before the expiration of the predetermined period of time.
-
-
4. Breath testing apparatus comprising:
-
means defining an input into which breath in the form of exhaled gas may be blown; means for sensing the flow of gas through said input; an evaluator connected to receive a sample of the gas flowing through said input, for evaluating the alcohol concentration in the received gas sample, and for producing an output signal in response to the detected alcohol concentration; an output apparatus, connected to receive the output signal from said evaluator; and means, operative in response to said flow sensing means, for insuring that said output apparatus is activated in response to the output signal of said evaluator resulting from a predetermined essentially continuous and uninterrupted flow of breath over a threshold level, including a timer which after being started and if not reset produces a control signal after the predetermined period of time, which timer is started by said flow sensing means sensing a gas flow above said threshold level and is reset if said flow sensing means senses a gas flow below a predetermined level, and means, including a valve operative in response to receipt of the timer control signal, to control the gas flow from the breath input to the evaluator.
-
-
5. In a vehicle, the combination comprising:
-
apparatus for indicating the deep lung breath alcohol concentration of a subject, comprising; a breath input unit for receiving a gas sample, means for providing a flow-indicating signal so long as the gas flow through the breath input unit is above a threshold level, an alcohol detector, connected to evaluate the alcohol concentration in gas received from the breath input unit, and to produce an information signal in response to the detected alcohol concentration, means for directing gas from the breath input unit to the alcohol detector, timing means, operative in response to receipt of the flow-indicating signal, for providing a control signal after the flow-indicating signal has been continuously present for a predetermined time period, so that a subject blowing breath continuously over the threshold level for the predetermined time period will provide a deep lung breath sample for testing in the alcohol detector at the time the control signal is provided by the timing means; and output apparatus coupled to the vehicle connected for operation in response to the receipt of the detector information signal and said control signal to modify the operation of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. An inebriate operation inhibitor system adapted for use in a vehicle comprising:
-
a breath receiving unit adapted to receive breath from the driver of the vehicle; means for sensing gas flow through said unit and producing a signal in response thereto; an evaluator adapted to receive gas flow through said unit and to produce a signal responsive to the alcohol content of said gas; and means for modifying the operation of the car unless a pass signal is supplied to said last mentioned means, consisting of a signal from the evaluator below a predetermined level of alcohol concentration while the flow indication signal is above a threshold value.
-
-
21. An inebriate operation inhibitor system adapted for use in a vehicle comprising:
-
a breath receiving unit adapted to receive breath from the driver of the vehicle; means for sensing gas flow through said breath receiving unit including means to signal the presence of gas flow above a threshold value; an evaluator coupled to said unit to receive said gas therefrom and to detect the alcohol concentration level of said gas; means associated with said evaluator for producing a signal determined by the alcohol concentration of said gas, said means producing a fail signal in the event said alcohol concentration is above a desired level; and output apparatus coupled to said evaluator and to said gas flow sensing means responsive to a fail signal from said evaluator or the absence of said gas flow signal to modify the operation of the vehicle.
-
Specification