Car alcohol monitoring system

• US 8,089,364 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephanie Sofer
• Original Assignee: Stephanie Sofer
• Inventors: Sofer, Stephanie
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US12/714,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

Abstract

An alcohol monitoring system for monitoring a driver of a car includes a vapor analyzer system for detecting the amount of alcohol in a driver operating the car. A speed controller is provided for setting the maximum speed of the car to a predetermined level in the event that the amount of alcohol detected in the driver is above a predetermined threshold. A cell phone is configured to automatically call a remote call center, in the event that the amount of the alcohol detected in the driver is above the predetermined threshold. Furthermore, a location system is configured to provide the location of the car to said remote call center. A mapping database in said remote call center is configured to provide nearest resting locations to said car so as to guide the driver to drive the car to any one of said locations.

Claims

1. A vehicle alcohol monitoring system comprising:

a remote operator center configured to receive a communication from a vehicle, indicating that the vehicle is being driven by a driver with blood alcohol content above a predetermined threshold level, wherein when said communication is received at a remote call center, a code sequence is received during a communication set up process indicating that the communication relates to a condition that said driver that has an alcohol level above the predetermined threshold;

an operator assistance within said remote operator center configured to communicate with said driver;

a mapping database accessible to said operator assistance and configured to provide a nearest address to said vehicle, where said vehicle can be driven for further assistance to said driver; and

a subscriber database for storing information corresponding to subscribers willing to assist as designated drivers of said monitoring system, said database storing identities and locations of a plurality of said subscribers so as to locate at least one designated driver dose to said vehicle for sending a request to assist said driver.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a messaging system that plays an emergency message to said driver, providing instructions to pull over for safety.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said messaging system that plays an emergency message to said driver, further provides information corresponding to said designated driver.