Monitoring vehicle usage

• US 9,373,200 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Warren, Jeremy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US14/298,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.5, 701/1, 701/31.3, 701/33.4, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/556.1, 455/569.2, 340/425.5, 340/436, 340/437, 340/463, 340465-467
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0809 Driver authorisation; Driver identity check
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/18 Braking system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/30 Driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for monitoring vehicle usage is described. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting a vehicle event and detecting a query from a mobile device. The query includes a Wi-Fi probe request or Bluetooth inquiry. The method includes identifying a mobile device identifier from the query and associating the mobile device identifier with the vehicle event.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring events within a vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by a processor, a vehicle event;

detecting, by the processor, a query from a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the queries each comprising a Wi-Fi probe request or Bluetooth inquiry;

identifying, by the processor, a mobile device identifier from each of the queries; and

associating, by the processor, each of the mobile device identifiers with the vehicle event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device identifier includes any combination of a device serial number, international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, mobile equipment identifier (MEID), cellular data number (CDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), Wi-Fi media access control (MAC) address, BLUETOOTH®

MAC address, BLUETOOTH®

global identifier, carrier information, mobile device model information, and a list of service set identifiers (SSIDs).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle event comprises any combination of vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle deceleration, vehicle braking, vehicle gravitational force (g-force), vehicle seat belt use, distance traveled, engine performance, vehicle occupancy, and vehicle location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the first mobile device is within the vehicle, wherein determining whether the first mobile device is within the vehicle comprises any combination of satisfying a quantity of queries threshold, satisfying a query timing threshold, and satisfying a signal strength threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, excessive behavior from the vehicle event, the excessive behavior comprising any combination of satisfying a speed threshold, satisfying an acceleration threshold, satisfying a deceleration threshold, satisfying a braking threshold, satisfying a g-force threshold, satisfying a revolutions per minute (RPM) threshold, and satisfying an audio system volume threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

associating, by the processor, each of the mobile device identifiers with the excessive behavior.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the processor, each of the mobile device identifiers with an identity of a vehicle occupant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting a predetermined mobile device identifier, by the processor, altering an operation of the vehicle and generating an alert notification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle event is detected in conjunction with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the processor, the mobile device identifier and data associated with the mobile device identifier in a cloud data service, wherein the mobile device identifier and associations of the mobile device identifier are communicated to the cloud data service via a cellular link.

11. A computing device configured for monitoring vehicle usage within a vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a vehicle event history;

detecting a vehicle event;

detecting a query from a mobile device, the query comprising a Wi-Fi probe request or Bluetooth inquiry;

identifying a mobile device identifier from the query;

associating the mobile device identifier with the vehicle event; and

generating an alert notification based at least in part on the vehicle event history and the association.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the mobile device identifier includes any combination of a device serial number, international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, mobile equipment identifier (MEID), cellular data number (CDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), Wi-Fi media access control (MAC) address, BLUETOOTH®

MAC address, BLUETOOTH®

global identifier, carrier information, mobile device model information, and a list of service set identifiers (SSIDs).

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the vehicle event comprises any combination of vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, vehicle deceleration, vehicle braking, vehicle gravitational force (g-force), vehicle seat belt use, distance traveled, engine performance, vehicle occupancy, and vehicle location.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

determining whether the mobile device is within the vehicle, wherein determining whether mobile device is within the vehicle comprises any combination of satisfying a quantity of queries threshold, satisfying a query timing threshold, and satisfying a signal strength threshold.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

identifying excessive behavior from the vehicle event, the excessive behavior comprising any combination of satisfying a speed threshold, satisfying an acceleration threshold, satisfying a deceleration threshold, satisfying a braking threshold, satisfying a g-force threshold, satisfying a revolutions per minute (RPM) threshold, and satisfying an audio system volume threshold.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

associating the mobile device identifier with the excessive behavior.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

upon detecting the predetermined mobile device identifier, altering an operation of the vehicle and generating an alert notification.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

storing the mobile device identifier and data associated with mobile device identifier in a cloud data service, wherein the mobile device identifier and associations of the mobile device identifier are communicated to the cloud data service via a cellular link.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting a vehicle event;

detecting a query from a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the queries each comprising a Wi-Fi probe request or Bluetooth inquiry;

identifying a mobile device identifier from each of the queries;

associating the mobile device identifiers with the vehicle event; and

determining whether the first mobile device is within the vehicle by at least one of satisfying a quantity of queries threshold, satisfying a query timing threshold, and satisfying a signal strength threshold.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein the mobile device identifier includes any combination of a device serial number, international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, mobile equipment identifier (MEID), cellular data number (CDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), Wi-Fi media access control (MAC) address, BLUETOOTH®

MAC address, BLUETOOTH®

global identifier, carrier information, mobile device model information, and a list of service set identifiers (SSIDs).