Driver monitoring apparatus and method

• US 8,525,668 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eagle Engineering, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eagle Engineering, LLC
• Inventors: Alouani, Ali T., Cook, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/030,214
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/426.12, 340/539.31, 340/573.4, 180/287, 379/38, 701/36
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

A monitoring device and method is utilized to monitor certain individuals. A processor receives input from at least one if not a plurality of sensors. In preferred embodiments, if multiple sensors reach certain milestones relative to certain limits, an alarm condition is provided to alert a predetermined recipient of the alarm condition, such as the authorities in the case of a person going above a certain speed limit and moving at least one of his feet to correspond to braking and/or accelerating events. Another sensor such as near the wrist of an individual could be utilized to coordinate with directional headings of the individual to create a condition appearing to be steering of a car wheel.

Claims

1. A real time monitoring device comprising:

at least one sensor securely connected to a body of an individual, said at least one sensor providing inputs to a processor, said two sensors operating independently of one another, a first sensor outputting data relative to a speed of the individual and a second sensor outputting physical movement of an extremity of the individual as the inputs to the processor; and

wherein

the processor evaluates the data in real time relative to a programmed limit of a combined speed limit and a movement limit, and if the data is at least one of outside the speed and movement limit, providing at least one output identifying an alarm condition;

said monitoring device providing a communication through a wireless communication network upon occurrence of the alarm condition alerting of the alarm condition to a preselected recipient.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1 further comprising a geographic limit corresponding to a physical boundary selected from the group of a property and a house and the programmed limit includes the geographic limit with the first sensor providing a geographic location output evaluated by the processor.

3. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein at least first and second sensors and processor are located in a first housing secured to the body of the individual.

4. The monitoring device of claim 3 wherein the first housing is secured directly to an extremity of the individual, said extremity is selected from the group of an arm, a wrist, a leg, an ankle and a foot.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the second sensor provides data relative to the movement of the individual and the data is evaluated relative to at least to movement limits and the first sensor is a GPS sensor.

6. The monitoring device of claim 4 wherein the second sensor further comprises at least one sensor operably coupled to the extremity, said sensor sensing pressure related to foot movement.

7. The monitoring device of claim 4 wherein the second sensor further comprises at least one motion sensor operably coupled to the extremity, said at least one motion sensor sensing movement related to foot movement.

8. The monitoring device of claim 7 wherein the second sensor is selected from the group of a gyro and an accelerometer.

9. The monitoring device of claim 1 further comprising at least first and second housings with the first housing retaining the processor and the second housing retaining at least one of the at least two sensors.

10. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the first sensor further comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit providing at least one of location, speed and acceleration data and the second sensor providing movement data related to at least one of the individuals extremities.

11. The monitoring device of claim 10 wherein the data meets at least two criteria selected from the group of at least one of outside the geographic limit and within the movement limit, providing at least one output identifying an alarm condition.

12. The monitoring device of claim 11 wherein a foot movement relates to one of depressing and releasing one of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal by the second sensor, and a corresponding acceleration value is sensed by the first sensor.

13. The monitoring device of claim 11 wherein the movement limit is related to hand movement of the individual.

14. The monitoring device of claim 13 wherein the hand movement relates to turning of a vehicle steering wheel and the direction of the individual has a corresponding change.

15. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the communication is selected from the group of a text message and an e-mail.

16. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the preselected recipient is a governmental agency.

17. The monitoring device of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is locked to the body of the individual.

18. A monitoring device comprising

at least two independently operating sensors configured to monitor motion relative to a body of an individual, with a second sensors providing data relative to physical movement of an extremity of the individual as input to a processor;

and a first sensor providing data from a global positioning sensor unit to the processor;

said processor evaluates the input and data in real time relative to at least two programmed movement limits, and if the data and input is at least one of outside a speed or and inside of the movement limit, providing at least one output identifying an alarm conditions;

said monitoring device providing a communication through a wireless communication network upon occurrence of the alarm condition to a preselected recipient.

19. A method of monitoring an individual comprising the steps of:

providing at least two sensors securely connected to a body of an individual, said at least ene two sensors providing inputs to a processor, said first sensor outputting data relative to at least one of a geographic position of the individual and the second sensor outputting data relative to movement of an extremity of the individual;

the processor evaluating the data in real time relative to a programmed limit having a geographic limit and a speed limit, a movement limit, and if the data is outside the geographic and speed limits and within the movement limit, providing at least one output identifying an alarm condition; and

then

providing a communication through a wireless communication network upon occurrence of the alarm condition alerting of the alarm condition to a preselected recipient.