In-vehicle driver cell phone detector

• US 8,731,530 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S., DuVall, Wilbur E
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/780,303
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

System and method for monitoring emissions from a cell phone in a vehicle having a driver side and a passenger side. A first directional antennas is aimed toward the passenger side, a second directional antennas is aimed toward a location in which a head of a driver would be situated when a driver is situated on the driver side, and a third directional antenna is aimed toward a location below the location at which the second antennas is aimed on the driver side. A receiver is associated with each antenna and includes at least one amplifier and a rectifier module that converting radio frequency signals to direct current signals. A microprocessor processes the direct current signals received and determines based thereon which antenna provides a strongest signal, which can be correlated to a most likely location of a cell phone being used by an occupant in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring emissions from a cell phone in a vehicle having a driver side and a passenger side, comprising:

a plurality of directional antennas, a first one of said antennas being aimed toward the passenger side, a second one of said antennas being aimed toward a location in which a head of a driver would be situated when a driver is situated on the driver side, and a third one of said antennas being aimed toward a location below the location at which the second antennas is aimed on the driver side;

a receiver associated with each of said antennas, each receiver comprising at least one amplifier and a rectifier module receiving output from said at least one amplifier, each of said rectifier modules converting radio frequency signals to direct current signals; and

a microprocessor for digitizing the direct current signals received from said receivers and determining based thereon a most likely location of a cell phone being used by an occupant in the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said receivers comprises three amplifiers; and

at least one of said amplifiers is a radio frequency amplifier module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is configured to determine the most likely location of the cell phone by determining which of said first, second and third antennas provides a strongest signal, said microprocessor determining which of said first, second and third antennas provides a strongest signal by comparing amplitudes of the direct current signals from said rectifier modules.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor system that determines whether the vehicle is in motion, said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion by said sensor system, whether the cell phone is being used for texting.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to cause a warning to be generated when the cell phone is being used for texting.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion by said sensor system and the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor system that determines whether the vehicle is in motion,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion by said sensor system and the strongest signal is detected from said second or third antenna, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion and a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone, whether the strongest signal is detected from said second antenna,

said microprocessor being further configured to cause a warning to be generated when a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone and the strongest signal is detected from said second antenna.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor system that determines whether the vehicle is in motion,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion by said sensor system, whether an additional cell phone is present in the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone is determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is determined to be in motion, whether an additional occupant is present in the vehicle,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is determined to be in motion, whether the cell phone is being used for texting,

said microprocessor being further configured to cause a warning to be generated when the cell phone is being used for texting, said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle, the vehicle is determined to be in motion and the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone,

said microprocessor being further configured to cause a warning to be generated when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle, the vehicle is determined to be in motion, the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting and a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor system that determines whether the vehicle is in motion; and

a warning device that activates a warning when said second or third antenna provides a strongest signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said warning device is configured to activate the warning when:

said second antenna provides a strongest signal and the cell phone is determined to be used for talking without using a wireless communication protocol;

when said second or third antenna provides a strongest signal and the cell phone is determined to be used for texting;

when the cell phone is determined to be used for texting and no other cell phone or occupant is determined to be present in the vehicle; and

when the cell phone is determined to be used for talking without using a wireless communication protocol and no other cell phone or occupant is determined to be present in the vehicle.

12. A method for monitoring emissions from a cell phone in a vehicle having a driver side and a passenger side, comprising:

obtaining a first signal originating from a first directional antenna aimed toward the passenger side and passing through a receiver comprising at least one amplifier and a rectifier module that converts radio frequency signals from the at least one amplifier to direct current signals;

obtaining a second signal originating from a second directional antenna aimed toward a location in which a head of a driver would be situated when a driver is situated on the driver side and passing through a receiver comprising at least one amplifier and a rectifier module that converts radio frequency signals from the at least one amplifier to direct current signals;

obtaining a third signal originating from a third directional antenna aimed toward a location below the location at which the second antenna is aimed on the driver side and passing through a receiver comprising at least one amplifier and a rectifier module that converts radio frequency signals from the at least one amplifier to direct current signals;

digitizing the direct current signals received from the receivers;

determining based on the digitized direct current signals which of the first, second and third antennas provides a strongest signal; and

correlating the determination of which of the first, second and third antennas provides a strongest signal to a most likely location of a cell phone being used by an occupant in the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining which of the first, second and third antennas provides a strongest signal comprises comparing amplitudes of the direct current signals from the receivers.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether the vehicle is in motion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining whether the vehicle is in motion comprises:

obtaining output from a vehicle-resident sensor that provides data from which vehicle motion is determinable;

or

obtaining output from a cell phone-resident sensor that provides data from which vehicle motion is determinable.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, when the vehicle is in motion and the strongest signal is detected from the second or third antenna, whether the cell phone is being used for texting and generating a warning when the cell phone is being used for texting;

determining, when the vehicle is in motion, the strongest signal is detected from the second or third antenna and the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone;

determining, when the vehicle is in motion, a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone and the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting, whether the strongest signal is detected from the second antenna; and

generating a warning when a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone, the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting and the strongest signal is detected from the second antenna.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, when the vehicle is in motion and the strongest signal is detected from the second or third antenna, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone;

determining, when the vehicle is in motion and a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone, whether the strongest signal is detected from the second antenna and

generating a warning when a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone and the strongest signal is detected from the second antenna.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, when the vehicle is in motion, whether an additional cell phone is present in the vehicle by analyzing data from a sensor arranged on the cell phone to determine the presence of the additional cell phone;

determining, when no additional cell phone is determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is in motion, whether an additional occupant is present in the vehicle by analyzing data from a sensor arranged on the cell phone to determine the presence of the additional occupant; and

determining, when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is in motion, whether the cell phone is being used for texting and if so, generating a warning.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a warning via a warning device when the second or third antenna provides a strongest signal, the warning device being activated:

when the second antenna provides a strongest signal and the cell phone is determined to be used for talking without using a wireless communication protocol,

when the second or third antenna provides a strongest signal and the cell phone is determined to be used for texting,

when the cell phone is determined to be used for texting and no other cell phone or occupant is determined to be present in the vehicle, and

when the cell phone is determined to be used for talking without using a wireless communication protocol and no other cell phone or occupant is determined to be present in the vehicle.

20. A system for monitoring emissions from a cell phone in a vehicle having a driver side and a passenger side, comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a receiver associated with each of said antennas, each receiver comprising at least one amplifier and a rectifier module receiving output from said at least one amplifier, each of said rectifier modules converting radio frequency signals to direct current signals;

a sensor system that determines whether the vehicle is in motion; and

a microprocessor for digitizing the direct current signals received from said receivers and determining based thereon a most likely location of a cell phone being used by an occupant in the vehicle,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when the vehicle is determined to be in motion by said sensor system, whether an additional cell phone is present in the vehicle,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone is determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is determined to be in motion, whether an additional occupant is present in the vehicle,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle and the vehicle is determined to be in motion, whether the cell phone is being used for texting,

said microprocessor being further configured to cause a warning to be generated when the cell phone is being used for texting,

said microprocessor being further configured to determine, when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle, the vehicle is determined to be in motion and the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting, whether a wireless communication protocol is being used by the cell phone,

said microprocessor being further configured to cause a warning to be generated when no additional cell phone and occupant are determined to be present in the vehicle, the vehicle is determined to be in motion, the cell phone is determined not to be used for texting and a wireless communication protocol is not determined to be used by the cell phone.