Driver identification system and methods

• US 9,221,428 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automatic Labs Incorporated (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Kote, Thejovardhana S., Jariyasunant, Jerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US13/403,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/29, 701/33, 701/49, 701/51, 701/29.6, 701/31.4, 701/400, 701/45, 340/439, 340/426.14, 340/5.83, 340/572.1, 340/576, 340/901, 340/933, 340/988, 340/990, 340/942, 340/541, 340/5.64, 340/5.33, 340/426.13, 455/426.1, 455/5.8, 455/5.81, 455/345, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 705/4.63, 705/36.R, 705/37, 705/4, 705/5, 705/500, 705/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

A system for developing a digital signature identifying a specific person operating a vehicle uses a computerized appliance and software or firmware executing from a non-transitory medium on the computerized appliance and providing a first function collecting raw data regarding vehicle operation from sensors implemented in the vehicle during operation by the specific person, a second function analyzing the raw data and identifying at least one pattern of behavior associated with the specific person; and a third function developing a digital signature from the analyzed data for that specific person.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computerized appliance; and

software executing from a non-transitory medium on the computerized appliance and providing;

collecting raw data regarding vehicle operation from sensors implemented in the vehicle during real-time operation by a specific person, the raw data comprising at least acceleration, deceleration, continued average speed, centrifugal force, braking patterns, gearshift manipulation patterns, frequency of lane changes, adjusted seat position, and adjusted mirror position;

associating the collected data to pre-programmed event categories;

developing a signature value for individual ones of the categories based on at least filtering and processing the collected data in each category, the signature values expressed as digital strings;

concatenating the digital strings from each category into a single digital string as a digital signature for the specific person; and

testing the digital signature for the specific person against other digital signatures stored for other persons to determine that the digital signature is indeed unique.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the computerized appliance communicates with a network-connected server, communicates data to the server, and the server provides at least a part of the development of the digital signature.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing includes at least value hashing, algorithmic processing, mathematical equating, including introduction of constants or variables to create the signature values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the raw data comprises weather conditions, vehicle and operator combined weight, and traffic conditions during vehicle operation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computerized appliance is one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an in-dash telephone, or notebook computer enhanced for telephony.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computerized appliance is a wireless modem-assisted reporting module having electronic access to car diagnostics systems through a fixed engine control unit (ECU).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital signatures are developed for more than one specific person associated with a single vehicle, the digital signatures used during vehicle operation to identify which one of multiple persons associated with the single vehicle operators is currently operating the vehicle.

8. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) collecting, by a computerized appliance from sensors implemented in the vehicle, and during operation by a specific person, raw data regarding vehicle operation, the raw data comprising at least acceleration, deceleration, continued average speed, centrifugal force, braking patterns, gearshift manipulation patterns, frequency of lane changes, adjusted seat position, and adjusted mirror position;

(b) associating the collected data to pre-programmed event categories;

(c) developing a signature value for individual ones of the event categories based on at least filtering and processing the collected data in each category, the signature values expressed as machine-readable digital strings; and

(d) concatenating the digital strings from each category into a single digital string as a digital signature for the specific person; and

testing the digital signature for the specific person against other digital signatures stored for other persons to determine that the digital signature is indeed unique.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the computerized appliance communicates with a network-connected server, communicates data to the server, and the server provides at least a part of the development of the digital signature.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing includes at least value hashing, algorithmic processing, mathematical equating, including introduction of constants or variables to create the signature values.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the raw data comprises weather conditions, vehicle and operator combined weight, and traffic conditions during vehicle operation.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the computerized appliance is one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an in-dash telephone, or a notebook computer enhanced for telephony.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the computerized appliance is a wireless modem-assisted reporting module having electronic access to car diagnostics systems through a fixed engine control unit (ECU).

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the digital signatures are developed for more than one specific person associated with a single vehicle, the digital signatures used during vehicle operation to identify which one of multiple persons associated with the single vehicle operators is currently operating the vehicle.