Remote hands-free backseat driver

• US 9,266,473 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Elwell, Joseph, Buhler, Alan F., Carpio, Aliza Duenas
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tekle, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/345,450
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/5905 Wi-fi
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5899 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/5905 Wi-fi
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/592 External database involved
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 : using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 : characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 : Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 : Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 : Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 : of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 : Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/42 : Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 : External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 : Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 : for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method to communicate driving status from a vehicle. The method includes obtaining, using a mobile device travelling in the vehicle, movement data of the vehicle, determining, using a computer processor of the mobile device, that the vehicle is in motion by analyzing the movement data based on a specified criterion, generating, in response to determining that the vehicle is in motion, driving status data of the vehicle by further analyzing the movement data based on the specified criterion, and transmitting, using the mobile device, the driving status data to a remote user away from the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method to communicate driving status from a vehicle, comprising:

obtaining, using a mobile device travelling in the vehicle, movement data of the vehicle;

detecting that a phone call connection for a telephone conversation is established between a driver using the mobile device and a remote user away from the vehicle;

determining, using a computer processor of the mobile device and in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, that the vehicle is in motion by analyzing the movement data based on a specified criterion;

generating, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established and determining that the vehicle is in motion, driving status data of the vehicle by further analyzing the movement data based on the specified criterion;

transmitting, using the mobile device and in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, the driving status data to the remote user, and

stopping, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being terminated, transmission of the driving status data to the remote user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a driving event from the driving status data; and

further transmitting, using the mobile device and in response to detecting the driving event, an alert based on the driving event to the remote user,

wherein the specified criterion comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a first criterion based on a velocity of the vehicle and a second criterion based on an acceleration of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, using a telecommunication device of the remote user, the driving status data and the alert to the remote user who is engaged in the telephone conversation using the telecommunication device with the driver using the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the mobile device is held in a holder in the vehicle,

wherein the holder is located within the vehicle to allow the mobile device to view a roadway,

wherein the movement data is obtained from at least one selected from a group consisting of a sensor of the mobile device and a sensor of the vehicle, and

wherein determining that the user is driving the vehicle is in response to a signal from the holder.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending, using the mobile device and in response to a command received from the remote user, a control signal to the holder to reposition the mobile device in the holder,

wherein the driving status data comprises video data representing any moving vehicle in proximity to the vehicle, and

wherein the mobile device is repositioned to adjust a viewing angle of the video data for the remote user.

6. A method to communicate driving status from a vehicle, comprising:

detecting that a phone call connection for a telephone conversation is established between a mobile device used by a driver who is travelling in the vehicle and a telecommunication device used by a remote user who is away from the vehicle;

receiving, from the mobile device travelling in the vehicle and in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, driving status data of the vehicle; and

presenting, using the telecommunication device of the remote user away from the vehicle, the driving status data to the remote user, and

stopping, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being terminated, presentation of the driving status data to the remote user,

wherein the mobile device is held in a holder in the vehicle for obtaining movement data of the vehicle by viewing a roadway, and

wherein the driving status data is generated by analyzing, using a computer processor of the mobile device and in response to a signal from the holder, the movement data based on a specified criterion to determine that the vehicle is in motion.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending, to the mobile device from the remote user, a command to reposition the mobile device in the holder,

wherein the mobile device sends, in response to the command, a control signal to the holder to reposition the mobile device,

wherein the driving status data comprises video data representing any moving vehicle in proximity to the vehicle, and

wherein the mobile device is repositioned to adjust a viewing angle of the video data for the remote user.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device, an alert based on a driving event, wherein the driving event is identified by the mobile device from the driving status data, wherein the specified criterion comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a first criterion based on a velocity of the vehicle and a second criterion based on an acceleration of the vehicle; and

generating, in response to receiving the alert, a vibration of the telecommunication device, wherein a magnitude of the vibration represents at least one selected from a group consisting of the velocity of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle.

9. A mobile device to communicate driving status from a vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a motion detector executing on the processor and configured to obtain movement data representing movement of the vehicle when the mobile device is travelling in the vehicle;

a driving status analyzer executing on the processor and configured to;

detect that a phone call connection for a telephone conversation is established between a driver using the mobile device and a remote user away from the vehicle;

determine, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, that the vehicle is in motion by analyzing the movement data based on a specified criterion; and

generate, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established and determining that the vehicle is in motion, driving status data of the vehicle by further analyzing the movement data based on the specified criterion; and

a transmitter configured to;

transmit, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, the driving status data to the remote user; and

stop, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being terminated, transmission of the driving status data to the remote user.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, the driving status analyzer further configured to:

identify a driving event from the driving status data; and

further transmit, in response to detecting the driving event, an alert based on the driving event to the remote user,

wherein the specified criterion comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a first criterion based on a velocity of the vehicle and a second criterion based on an acceleration of the vehicle.

11. The mobile device of claim 10,

wherein the driving status data and the alert is presented to the remote user using a telecommunication device of the remote user, and

wherein the remote user is engaged in the telephone conversation using the telecommunication device with the driver using the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 9,

wherein the mobile device is held in a holder in the vehicle,

wherein the holder is located within the vehicle to allow the mobile device to view a roadway,

wherein the movement data is obtained from at least one selected from a group consisting of a sensor of the mobile device and a sensor of the vehicle, and

wherein determining that the user is driving the vehicle is in response to a signal from the holder.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to:

send, in response to a command received from the remote user, a control signal to the holder to reposition the mobile device in the holder,

wherein the driving status data comprises video data representing any moving vehicle in proximity to the vehicle, and

wherein the mobile device is repositioned to adjust a viewing angle of the video data for the remote user.

14. A telecommunication device to communicate driving status from a vehicle, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions when executed by the processor comprising functionality to;

establish a phone call connection with a mobile device used by a driver who is travelling in the vehicle;

receive, from the mobile device travelling in the vehicle, driving status data of the vehicle; and

present, in response to establishing the phone call connection for a telephone conversation between the driver using the mobile device and a remote user using the telecommunication device and away from the vehicle, the driving status data to the remote user, and

stop, in response to the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being terminated, presentation of the driving status data to the remote user,

wherein the mobile device is held in a holder in the vehicle for obtaining movement data of the vehicle, and

wherein the driving status data is generated by analyzing, using a computer processor of the mobile device and in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, the movement data based on a specified criterion to determine that the vehicle is in motion.

15. The telecommunication device of claim 14, the instructions when executed by the processor further comprising functionality to:

send, to the mobile device from the remote user, a command to reposition the mobile device in the holder,

wherein the mobile device sends, in response to the command, a control signal to the holder to reposition the mobile device,

wherein the driving status data comprises video data representing any moving vehicle in proximity to the vehicle, and

wherein the mobile device is repositioned to adjust a viewing angle of the video data for the remote user.

16. The telecommunication device of claim 14, the instructions when executed by the processor further comprising functionality to:

receive, from the mobile device, an alert based on a driving event, wherein the driving event is identified by the mobile device from the driving status data, wherein the specified criterion comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a first criterion based on a velocity of the vehicle and a second criterion based on an acceleration of the vehicle; and

generate, in response to receiving the alert, a vibration of the telecommunication device, wherein a magnitude of the vibration represents at least one selected from a group consisting of the velocity of the vehicle and the acceleration of the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to communicate driving status from a vehicle, the instructions when executed by a computer processor of a mobile device comprising functionality to:

obtain, using the mobile device travelling in the vehicle, movement data of the vehicle;

detect that a phone call connection for a telephone conversation is established between a driver using the mobile device and a remote user away from the vehicle;

determine, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, that the vehicle is in motion by analyzing the movement data based on a specified criterion;

generate, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established and determining that the vehicle is in motion, driving status data of the vehicle by further analyzing the movement data based on the specified criterion;

transmit, using the mobile device and in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being established, the driving status data to the remote user, and

stop, in response to detecting the phone call connection for the telephone conversation being terminated, transmission of the driving status data to the remote user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality to:

identify a driving event from the driving status data; and

further transmit, using the mobile device and in response to detecting the driving event, an alert based on the driving event to the remote user,

wherein the specified criterion comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a first criterion based on a velocity of the vehicle and a second criterion based on an acceleration of the vehicle.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18,

wherein the driving status data and the alert are presented, using a telecommunication device of the remote user, to the remote user who is engaged in the telephone conversation using the telecommunication device with the driver using the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17,

wherein the mobile device is held in a holder in the vehicle,

wherein the holder is located within the vehicle to allow the mobile device to view a roadway,

wherein the movement data is obtained from at least one selected from a group consisting of a sensor of the mobile device and a sensor of the vehicle, and

wherein determining that the user is driving the vehicle is in response to a signal from the holder.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, the driving status data and the alert

send, using the mobile device and in response to a command received from the remote user, a control signal to the holder to reposition the mobile device in the holder,

wherein the driving status data comprises video data representing any moving vehicle in proximity to the vehicle, and

wherein the mobile device is repositioned to adjust a viewing angle of the video data for the remote user.