Devices, systems and methods for identifying and/or billing an individual in a vehicle

• US 8,280,791 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael Anthony, Rector, Jay Daryl, Davis, III, John Potts
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US12/632,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13, 705/74, 340/928, 340/5.42, 235/384, 380/24
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for identifying a driver versus a passenger within a smart vehicle. This involves a determination of the relative positions of the wireless communication devices within the smart vehicle using near-field communication (NFC) or GPS, AGPS, etc. The wireless communication device detected closest to the driver seat is assumed to be the device owned by the driver. Once identified, the driver can be billed for tolls and other road services, based on the location of the smart vehicle. For instance, as the smart vehicle approaches a toll, a notification can be sent to all of the wireless communication devices. A response from a particular wireless communication device will result in the corresponding user'"'"'s account being billed for the toll. Further, the smart vehicle can communicate with near-field transceivers placed, for instance, alongside a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. A driver of the vehicle can be billed, fined, or ticketed based upon a determination of an absence of passengers in the smart vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for billing a driver of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a network;

a billing server on the network, the billing server including a user account for a user of a first wireless communication device in communication with a smart vehicle, the smart vehicle in communication with the network and a second wireless communication device; and

a server logic on the billing server includes instructions that when executed by a server processor perform operations including associating a first unique identifier with a user account, and billing the user account an amount based on a location of the smart vehicle;

wherein a client logic on the smart vehicle includes instructions that when executed by a vehicle processor perform operations including retrieving the first unique identifier from the first wireless communication device and a second unique identifier from the second wireless communication device, determining that the first wireless communication device corresponds to a driver of the vehicle, determining the location of the smart vehicle, and transmitting the first unique identifier and the location to the billing server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location includes any one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, and a geo-fence.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an NFC transceiver in the location, the NFC transceiver being in communication with the smart vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a driver seat in the smart vehicle;

a passenger seat in the smart vehicle;

a plurality of wireless communication devices in communication with the smart vehicle, the plurality of wireless communication devices including the first and second wireless communication devices; and

an antenna coupled to the smart vehicle, the antenna being positioned significantly closer to the driver seat than the passenger seat;

wherein the client logic includes further instructions that when executed by the vehicle processor perform additional operations including;

retrieving a unique identifier from each of the plurality of wireless communication devices, each unique identifier corresponding to one of a plurality of user accounts, and

determining which of the plurality of wireless communication devices corresponds to a driver of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a billing notification received at the first wireless communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising one of a biometric sensor and a weight scale coupled to a seat in the smart vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless communication devices are contactless smart cards.

8. A method for billing a driver of a smart vehicle in communication with a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a first unique identifier from the first wireless communication device and a second unique identifier from the second wireless communication device;

determining that a user of the first wireless communication device is a driver of the smart vehicle;

determining the location of the smart vehicle; and

transmitting the first unique identifier and the location to a billing server on a network;

wherein the first unique identifier is associated with a user account for the user, and the location is associated with an amount to be debited from the user account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location includes one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, and a geo-fence.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the location further comprises querying an NFC transceiver in communication with the smart vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the driver of the smart vehicle includes receiving the first unique identifier from the wireless communication device via an antenna positioned significantly closer to a driver seat of the smart vehicle than a passenger seat of the smart vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a billing notification to the first wireless communication device; and

receiving a billing confirmation from the first wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining the number of passengers in the smart vehicle; and

billing the user account based on the number of passengers in the smart vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising billing the user account based on a speed of the vehicle.

15. A smart vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle having a driver seat and a passenger seat;

a processor coupled to the vehicle;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a transceiver in communication with the processor;

an antenna coupled to the transceiver, the antenna positioned significantly closer to the driver seat than to the passenger seat; and

a client logic on the memory including instructions that when executed the processor performs operations including

retrieving a first unique identifier from a first wireless communication device and a second unique identifier from a second wireless communication device,

determining that the first wireless communication device corresponds to a driver of the vehicle,

determining a location of the vehicle, and

transmitting the first unique identifier and the location to a billing server on a network,

wherein the first unique identifier is associated with a user account for the user, and the location is associated with an amount to be debited from the user account.

16. The smart vehicle of claim 15, wherein the location includes any one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, and a geo-fence.

17. The smart vehicle of claim 15, wherein the transceiver communicates with an NFC transceiver in the location.

18. The smart vehicle of claim 15, wherein the client logic includes further instructions that when executed by the processor perform additional operations including receiving a plurality of unique identifiers from a plurality of wireless communication devices in communication with the smart vehicle, the plurality of wireless communication devices including the first and second wireless communication devices.

19. The smart vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a biometric sensor.

20. The smart vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a weight scale coupled to a seat in the vehicle.