Monitoring mobile device and vehicle use to detect inappropriate use

• US 9,210,256 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven L. Zimmers, Thomas W. Humphrey
• Original Assignee: Steven L. Zimmers, Thomas W. Humphrey
• Inventors: Humphrey, Thomas W., Zimmers, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US13/590,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 4554141-4142, 455418-420, 701/1, 701/31.4, 701/468, 340/438, 340/426.28, 340/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/10 Metering calls from calling party , i.e. A-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

The inappropriate use of a mobile device and/or a motor vehicle may be ameliorated through audit by a supervisor, parent or peer using a system that monitors vehicle movements and mobile device use and notifies the supervisor, parent or peer of potentially inappropriate use, such as simultaneous vehicle and mobile device use, use of the mobile device generally at times when such use is normally inappropriate according to a calendar of events, and use of the motor vehicle generally at a location or at a time and location that is normally inappropriate.

Claims

1. A method for auditing for the inappropriate use of a mobile device, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

installing a monitoring device in a motor vehicle, the monitoring device reporting use of the motor vehicle to a remote server;

storing records of motor vehicle use in said remote server, the records reflecting use occurring during a period of time prior to the time the motor vehicle use records are obtained;

storing records of telephone, text or data use of a mobile device via a cellular carrier with which the device is subscribed for service, the records reflecting use occurring during a period of time prior to the time the mobile device use records are obtained;

comparing records of use of the motor vehicle to records of use of the mobile device to identify simultaneous use of the mobile device and motor vehicle based upon time correspondence of uses of the mobile device and motor vehicle and regardless of the relative locations of the motor vehicle and mobile device; and

communicating a notice to an auditing person indicating one or both of the time and place of the simultaneous use of the mobile device and motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the use of the mobile device comprises one or more of:

origination of a telephone connection at a particular time;

receipt of a telephone connection at a particular time;

continuation of a telephone connection over a particular time range;

origination of a text message at a particular time;

receipt of a text message at a particular time;

use of data service at a particular time;

use of data service over a particular time range; and

use of any one of telephone, text or data service in a particular location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the use of a vehicle comprises one or more of:

movement of the vehicle above a threshold speed;

position of the vehicle within a specific geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing criteria of unacceptable simultaneous use of the mobile device and vehicle and based upon said criteria identifying whether a particular simultaneous use is acceptable according to said criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a record of a simultaneous use.

6. The method of claim 1 extended to use reference data defining normal activity, further comprising comparing records of use of the motor vehicle to said reference data, and communicating a notice to an auditing person in the event the use data indicates abnormal activity.

7. The method of claim 1 extended to use reference data defining normal activity, further comprising comparing records of use of the mobile device to said reference data, and communicating a notice to an auditing person in the event the use data indicates abnormal activity.

8. The method of claim 1 extended to use reference data defining normal activity, further comprising comparing records of use of the mobile device and motor vehicle to said reference data, and communicating a notice to an auditing person in the event the use data indicates abnormal activity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the records of telephone, text or data use of the mobile device are obtained from a database maintained by the cellular carrier.

10. A method for auditing for abnormal or unexpected use of a mobile device and motor vehicle, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

installing a monitoring device in a motor vehicle, the monitoring device reporting use of the motor vehicle to a remote server;

obtaining records of motor vehicle use in said remote server, the records reflecting use occurring during a period of time prior to the time the motor vehicle use records are obtained;

obtaining records of telephone, text or data use of a mobile device via a cellular carrier with which the device is subscribed for service, the records reflecting use occurring during a period of time prior to the time the mobile device use records are obtained;

storing reference data defining normal or expected activity of one or both of a motor vehicle and mobile device; and

comparing said stored records and reference data to identify an abnormal or unexpected use of one or both of the mobile device and motor vehicle that does not fit the normal or expected activity defined by the reference data, the comparison based at least in part upon the time of use of the mobile device or motor vehicle; and

communicating a notice to an auditing person indicating one or both of the time and place of the abnormal use of the mobile device and motor vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the records of telephone, text or data use of the mobile device are obtained from a database maintained by the cellular carrier.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said reference data is derived from geographical profiles of historical events.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the geographical profiles specify behavioral patterns and scenarios for a monitored person.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the historical events include movements of one or both of a vehicle and mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the telecommunication events are identified as one or more of a voice connection, data connection or text messaging.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the telecommunication events are identified by one or more of the geographical source and geographical destination of the telecommunication.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the historical events include telecommunication events using the cellular carrier.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the historical events include one or more of vehicle speed, vehicle engine RPM, vehicle engine running status, and vehicle diagnostic data.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said reference data is comprises static locations of interest.