Vehicle immobilizer methods and apparatus based on driver impairment

• US 8,196,694 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Biondo, William A., McCall, Clark E., Proefke, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US12/470,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20100294583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/287, 180/272, 744/731, 744/732.1, 701/45, 701/48, 701/51, 701/53, 701/62
• US Class Current: 180/272
• 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

Embodiments include systems and methods for immobilizing a motor vehicle. A system comprises an impairment sensor system and a control subsystem. The impairment sensor system is adapted to perform an analysis of a sample provided by an operator of a motor vehicle, where the analysis includes determining an impairment-related metric based on the sample. The control subsystem is adapted to control at least one mobility-related apparatus and at least one non-mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle. When the result of the analysis indicates that the impairment-related metric does not meet a criteria, the control subsystem is adapted to control the at least one mobility-related apparatus in a manner that disables the motor vehicle from moving and to control the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus in a manner that allows the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus to operate.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an impairment sensor system adapted to perform an analysis of a sample provided by an operator of a motor vehicle, wherein the analysis includes determining an impairment-related metric based on the sample; and

a control subsystem, operatively coupled with the impairment sensor system, and adapted to control at least one mobility-related apparatus and at least one non-mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle, wherein, in response to a result of the analysis indicating that the impairment-related metric does not meet a criteria thus indicating that the operator is impaired, the control subsystem transitions to a no-mobility operational mode from a different operational mode, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode includes the control subsystem disabling the motor vehicle from moving through control of the at least one mobility-related apparatus, and simultaneously allowing the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus to operate through control of the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus, and wherein the different operational mode is chosen from a non-operational mode and a full operational mode, wherein the non-operational mode is an operational mode in which an engine of the motor vehicle is off, and wherein the full operational mode is an operational mode in which the engine is enabled and the motor vehicle is capable of being mobilized.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises:

a shift control mechanism of the motor vehicle, which is controlled by locking the shift control mechanism.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises:

a transmission system of the motor vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from a group of apparatus consisting of a throttle, a fuel delivery system, propulsion battery energy, and an electric park brake system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of the motor vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus comprises an entertainment system of the motor vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus comprises the engine of the motor vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample includes a breath sample, wherein the analysis includes an analysis of the sample to determine the impairment-related metric as a blood alcohol concentration, wherein the result indicates the blood alcohol concentration, and wherein the control subsystem controls the at least one mobility-related apparatus in the manner that disables the motor vehicle when the blood alcohol concentration is above a threshold.

9. A system comprising:

an impairment sensor system adapted to perform an analysis of a sample provided by an operator of a motor vehicle, wherein the analysis includes determining an impairment-related metric based on the sample, and wherein the impairment sensor system is further adapted to provide a signal in response to the impairment sensor system detecting that the impairment-related metric does not meet a criteria and thus that the operator is impaired, wherein the signal causes the motor vehicle to transition to a no-mobility operational mode from a different operational mode, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode includes disabling the motor vehicle from moving through control of at least one mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle, and allowing at least one non-mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle to operate through control of the at least one non-mobility related apparatus, and wherein the different operational mode is chosen from a non-operational mode and a full operational mode, wherein the non-operational mode is an operational mode in which an engine of the motor vehicle is off, and wherein the full operational mode is an operational mode in which the engine is enabled and the motor vehicle is capable of being mobilized.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises:

a shift control mechanism of the motor vehicle, which is disabled by locking the shift control mechanism.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises:

a transmission system of the motor vehicle.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one mobility-related apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from a group of apparatus consisting of a throttle, a fuel delivery system, propulsion battery energy, and an electric park brake system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of the motor vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one non-mobility-related apparatus comprises an entertainment system of the motor vehicle.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the non-mobility-related apparatus comprises the engine of the motor vehicle.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the impairment-related metric includes a blood alcohol concentration.

17. A method for immobilizing a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an impairment-related metric from a sample obtained from a vehicle operator;

determining whether the impairment-related metric meets a criteria; and

in response to the impairment-related metric not meeting the criteria thus indicating that the vehicle operator is impaired, transitioning to a no-mobility operational mode from a different operational mode, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode includes disabling at least one mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle in order to disable the motor vehicle from moving, and allowing at least one non-mobility-related apparatus of the motor vehicle to be enabled, and wherein the different operational mode is chosen from a non-operational mode and a full operational mode, wherein the non-operational mode is an operational mode in which an engine of the motor vehicle is off, and wherein the full operational mode is an operational mode in which the engine is enabled and the motor vehicle is capable of being mobilized.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode comprises:

locking a shift control mechanism of the motor vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode comprises:

disabling a transmission system of the motor vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein transitioning to the no-mobility operational mode comprises:

refraining from disabling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of the motor vehicle.