Breath alcohol ignition interlock device with biometric facial recognition with real-time verification of the user

• US 7,823,681 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biometric Equipment & Safety Technology Labs, Inc., Best Label Co., Inc. (Resource Label Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Best Label Co., Inc. (Resource Label Group LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Alex, Crespo, Pierre M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US12/595,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 180/272, 340/576, 382/104
• US Class Current: 180/272
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol

Abstract

An interlock system using biometrics scans to identify in real-time an individual who seeks to operate a mechanical device, such as an automobile. Biometrics features that uniquely identify an individual are selected. If a real-time biometrics scan of the individual does not match a stored image of an authorized operator, the interlock system will lock the mechanical device to prevent operation. The interlock system may be used in conjunction with a breath alcohol analyzer to determine impairment. If the biometrics testing indicates that the individual is required to be tested for impairment, the mechanical device will not operate until the testing is completed. If the biometrics testing automatically indicates that the operator of the mechanical apparatus and the individual exhaling into the breath alcohol analyzer component of the ignition interlock is not the same person, the ignition system of the mechanical apparatus, which operates in conjunction with the ignition interlock of the present invention, provides a programmable software option to prevent the apparatus from starting. If the test indicates that the individual is impaired the interlock system will lock the mechanical device to prevent operation.

Claims

1. A breath alcohol ignition interlock device, comprising:

a 3-D infrared scanning device for performing a biometrics infrared facial scan of an individual positioned proximate to the device and proximate to an ignition of a mechanical device, wherein the 3-D scanning device analyzes both hard and soft tissue to generate a real-time identity scan of the individual using infrared radiation;

a CPU having memory capabilities;

3-D biometrics infrared hard and soft tissue scan images obtained using infrared radiation of at least one authorized operator of the mechanical device stored in the memory;

means for comparing the stored infrared hard and soft tissue scan images of an authorized operator of the mechanical device from memory with the real-time scan of the individual obtained using infrared radiation to determine that the individual is one of the authorized operators;

a detection device in communication with the CPU to ascertain the presence and amount of a controlled substance consumed by the individual; and

an interlock device in communication with the detection device and the CPU, wherein the interlock device prevents operation of the mechanical device when the means for comparing stored hard and soft tissue images with the real-time scan indicates that the individual is not one of the authorized operators and when the detection device indicates the presence and amount of a controlled substance consumed by the individual exceeds a legal limit for the controlled substance.

2. A breath alcohol ignition interlock device, comprising:

a 4-D infrared scanning device for performing a real-time biometrics infrared facial scan of an individual positioned proximate to the device and proximate to an ignition of a mechanical device, wherein the 4-D scanning device analyzes both hard and soft facial tissue of the individual, using infrared radiation to generate a realtime scan of the individual;

a CPU having memory capabilities;

4-D biometrics infrared facial scan images of at least one authorized operator of the mechanical device stored in the CPU memory;

means for comparing the infrared facial scan images of the at least one authorized operator of the mechanical device stored in the CPU memory with the real-time infrared facial scan of the individual positioned proximate the ignition of the mechanical device to determine whether the individual is one of the authorized operators;

a detection device in communication with the CPU to ascertain the presence and amount of a controlled substance consumed by the individual; and

an interlock device in communication with the detection device and the CPU, wherein the interlock device prevents operation of the mechanical device when the means for comparing stored facial images of the at least one operator with the real-time facial scan of the individual indicates that the individual is not one of the authorized operators or when the detection device indicates the presence and amount of a controlled substance consumed by the individual exceeds a legal limit for the controlled substance.

3. An interlock system, comprising:

a scanning device for performing a biometrics scan of a facial feature of an individual positioned proximate to the scanning device and proximate to an ignition of a mechanical device, wherein the scanning device analyzes a biometric facial characteristic that is unique to the individual, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of an infrared facial scan of hard and soft tissue, and a real-time infrared ocular biometrics scan of an ocular feature, to provide a real-time biometrics scan;

a CPU;

a memory storage device;

a biometrics image of the hard and soft tissue of at least one operator authorized to operate the mechanical device, the image stored in the memory storage device;

means for comparing the biometrics image of at least one operator stored in the memory storage device with a real-time biometrics scan of the individual proximate the ignition generated by the scanning device to ascertain that the individual is an authorized operator;

an interlock unit in communication with the CPU and the means for comparing the stored biometrics image with the real-time biometrics scan.

4. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the interlock unit prevents operation of the mechanical device when the means for comparing the stored biometrics image of the authorized operator with the real-time biometrics scan of the individual indicates that the individual proximate the ignition is not one of the authorized operators of the mechanical device.

5. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the CPU and the memory storage device are combined in a single integral unit.

6. The interlock system of claim 3 further including a memory storage device in electronic communications with the CPU.

7. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the real-time biometrics scan and the stored biometrics image include a 3-D infrared scan of the biometric characteristic of the individual proximate the ignition and the stored 3-D image of the of the biometric characteristic of at least one authorized operator.

8. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the real-time biometrics scan and the stored biometrics images include a 4-D biometric scan of the facial feature of the individual proximate the ignition and the 4-D biometric image of the facial feature of at least one authorized operator.

9. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the stored, biometrics image further includes an infrared ocular image of measured pupil dilation and measured pupil movement, and, the real-time infrared biometrics facial scan includes the infrared ocular biometrics scan of pupil dilation and pupil movement of the individual proximate the ignition that compares the stored measured pupil dilation and the stored measured pupil movement of at least one operator with the real-time pupil dilation and the real-time pupil movement of the individual, wherein the comparison determines one of impairment and non-impairment.

10. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the real-time infrared ocular biometrics scan of the individual and the stored biometrics image of the facial feature of at least one operator include a biometrics scan of at least one feature of the eye selected from the group consisting of an iris, a retina, a cornea, and a blood vessel pattern.

11. The interlock system of claim 10 wherein the interlock unit prevents operation of the mechanical device when the scanning device performing the biometrics scan of the facial feature indicates that the individual proximate the ignition is not at least one authorized operator of the mechanical device.

12. The interlock system of claim 3 wherein the system further includes a detection device in communication with the CPU to determine the presence of a controlled substance consumed by the individual positioned proximate the device and the ignition of the mechanical device and to identify the individual using a real time infrared biometrics scan.

13. The interlock system of claim 12 wherein the detection device in communication with the CPU further determines whether the individual positioned proximate the device and the ignition is impaired.

14. The interlock system of claim 13 wherein the means for comparing further determines that the individual proximate the ignition is an authorized user that is required to utilize the detection device to ascertain whether the individual is impaired, and the interlock device prevents operation of the mechanical device when the individual is an authorized user required to utilize the detection device, until the individual utilizes the detection device.

15. The interlock system of claim 14 wherein the interlock device prevents operation of the mechanical device when the individual positioned proximate the interlock device utilizes the detection device and the detection device determines the individual is impaired.

16. The interlock system of claim 13 wherein the scanning device performs the real-time ocular biometrics scan of the ocular feature of the individual proximate the ignition, and the memory storage device includes the image of the ocular feature of at least one operator authorized to operate the mechanical device, and wherein the detection device includes a saliva test strip reader used in conjunction with a saliva test strip to test saliva provided by the operator to determine impairment.

17. The interlock system of claim 13 wherein the detection device utilizes the real-time infrared ocular biometrics scan wherein the real-time ocular biometrics scan measures pupil eye dilation and pupil eye movement by comparison against a baseline measurement of the ocular biometrics image stored in memory to determine whether the individual positioned proximate the device and proximate to the ignition is impaired.

18. The interlock system of claim 17 wherein the real-time infrared biometrics scan of the pupil eye dilation and the pupil eye movement are compared against a baseline measurement of the pupil eye dilation and the pupil eye movement stored in the memory storage device to determine whether the individual positioned proximate the device and proximate to the ignition is impaired, and wherein real-time biometrics scanning is performed as a retest during vehicle operation.

19. The vehicle interlock device of claim 13 further including a two- way communications system wherein the two-way communications system transmits recorded positions stored in memory and receives notification for an operator to report to a predetermined location.

20. The interlock system of claim 12 wherein the detection device analyzes a breath sample of the individual positioned proximate the ignition to determine a blood alcohol level.

21. The interlock system of claim 12 wherein the detection device performs a retest of the individual proximate the ignition for impairment during operation of the mechanical device, and wherein a real-time image of the individual is stored in the memory storage device when impairment is determined.

22. The interlock system of claim 3 further including a GPRS device that determines the location of the vehicle, records the location of the vehicle at a predetermined frequency, stores the recorded location in a memory storage device, and transmits the real-time location of the vehicle.