Method and system for remotely monitoring intoxication

• US 9,250,228 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHN Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: KHN Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Nothacker, Keith Harry, Basaran, Pauline Anne, Rettus, Stacey Ilene, Saul, Zachary Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): COTEY, PHILIP L
• Application Number:
  US14/602,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20150204844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0836 due to alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/16 by matching signal segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

A method and system for remotely monitoring intoxication of a user, comprising: prompting the user to provide a breath sample at a time point; at a breath sample acquisition device, generating a breath sample signal upon reception of the breath sample from the user, and broadcasting a unique signature proximal in time to the time point; using a sensor of a mobile computing device, generating an authentication signal derived from detection of the unique signature; at a processing system in communication with the mobile computing device and the sample acquisition device, receiving the breath sample signal and the authentication signal; generating a verification assessment that validates provision of the breath sample by the user; determining a value of an intoxication metric for the user based upon the breath sample signal; and transforming the verification assessment and the value of the intoxication metric into an analysis of intoxication of the user.

Claims

1. A method for remotely monitoring intoxication of a user, comprising:

prompting the user to provide a breath sample at a time point by way of an application executing at a mobile computing device;

at a breath sample acquisition device in communication with the mobile computing device,

transmitting a breath sample signal, derived from reception of the breath sample from the user, to the mobile computing device, and

within a time interval, broadcasting a unique signature indicative of the breath sample acquisition device, wherein the time interval is proximal in time to the time point of breath sample provision from the user;

using a sensor of the mobile computing device, generating an authentication signal derived from detection of the unique signature in association with the breath sample from the user;

at a processing system in communication with the mobile computing device, receiving the breath sample signal and the authentication signal;

generating a verification assessment that validates provision of the breath sample by the user, based upon the breath sample signal and the authentication signal;

determining a value of an intoxication metric for the user based upon the breath sample signal; and

transforming the verification assessment and the value of the intoxication metric into an analysis of intoxication of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to provide the breath sample comprises emitting light with a light emitting module of the breath sample acquisition device at a first time point, and wherein broadcasting the unique signature comprises emitting a light signature with the light emitting module of the breath sample acquisition device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting comprises receiving a schedule of time points at which a supervising entity desires to monitor intoxication of the user, and automatically prompting the user to provide breath samples according to the schedule of time points.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting is automatically triggered based upon at least one of:

detection of an event of the user derived from accessing a social networking application native to the mobile computing device and detection of a location of the user derived from GPS data from the mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the unique signature comprises broadcasting at least one of:

a light emission signature at the breath sample acquisition device, an audio signal signature at the breath sample acquisition device, and a vibration signal signature at the breath sample acquisition device, proximal in time to the time point of breath sample provision from the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the authentication signal comprises detecting the unique signature in a configuration wherein the breath sample acquisition device is physically uncoupled from the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the verification assessment is based upon verification of pairing between the breath sample acquisition device associated with the user and the mobile computing device associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising blocking pairing of a second breath sample acquisition device with the mobile computing device, in enabling validation of a source of the breath sample provided by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a second authentication signal derived from video capture of a facial feature of the user, using a camera module of the mobile computing device, and wherein generating the authentication signal comprises detecting a light emission signature broadcasted by the breath sample acquisition device, using the camera module of the mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the verification assessment is based upon processing the authentication signal and the second authentication signal to validate the source of the breath sample signal as the breath sample acquisition device, and to validate an identifying feature of the user providing the breath sample.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the value of the intoxication metric for the user based upon the breath sample signal comprises transforming an electrical current magnitude resulting from oxidation of alcohol carried in the breath sample into a blood alcohol concentration value.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the analysis to an entity supervising the user, by way of a secure account accessible to the entity, thereby enabling remote monitoring of intoxication of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the analysis to the entity comprises providing the entity with video content showing a light emission signature broadcasted by the breath sample acquisition device as the unique signature and the user, as the user provides the breath sample, thereby enabling remote monitoring of intoxication of the user.

14. A method for remotely monitoring intoxication of a user, comprising:

at a breath sample acquisition device in communication with a mobile computing device,

transmitting a breath sample signal, derived from reception of a breath sample from the user, to the mobile computing device, and

broadcasting a unique signature, comprising a pattern of light emission emitted from light emitters of the breath sample acquisition device, proximal in time to the time point of breath sample provision from the user;

using an optical sensor of the mobile computing device, generating an authentication signal derived from detection of the pattern of light emission in association with the breath sample from the user;

at a processing system in communication with the mobile computing device, receiving the breath sample signal and the authentication signal;

generating a verification assessment that validates provision of the breath sample by the user, based upon the breath sample signal and the authentication signal;

determining a value of an intoxication metric for the user based upon the breath sample signal; and

transmitting information derived from the verification assessment and the value of the intoxication metric to an entity associated with the user.