System and method for locating and determining substance use

• US 9,707,845 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert F. Nienhouse 1997 Declaration Of Trust .
• Original Assignee: Robert F. Nienhouse 1997 Declaration Of Trust .
• Inventors: Nienhouse, Robert Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolourchi, Nader
• Application Number:
  US14/322,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 34087007
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Levels of substance use, location, and vital signs are remotely monitored for a subject. In one embodiment, the system includes a testing device (102) and a communication device (130). The testing device (102) obtains a breathalyzer sample from a test subject and determines a substance level. The communication device (130) reports the substance level to a remote monitoring station. In addition, location and camera functions of the communication device can report additional information for verification and system integrity. In other embodiments, the system can be incorporated into an ankle bracelet for monitoring movement of an individual or into a vehicle system to prevent operation while impaired.

Claims

1. A method for locating and determining substance use, comprising:

physically coupling a communication device, including a camera, to a separate testing device including a display, such that the camera maintains view of the display;

with the camera, capturing an image simultaneously containing;

at least a portion of a face of the test subject while (a) the test subject provides a test sample to the testing device, and,

(b) the display is oriented away from the test subject;

at the testing device, sensing a level of the substance within the test sample;

at the communication device, determining a location of the test subject;

communicating the level of the substance and a unique serial number of the testing device to the communication device;

and

sending the image, the level of the substance, the location of the test subject, and the unique serial number of the testing device from the communication device to a remote server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the communication device to obtain biometric information for verifying an identity of the test subject.

3. The method of claim 1, the image further simultaneously capturing the display visually displaying the unique serial number.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a security code at the testing device and displaying the security code on the display of the testing device for capture within the image, the security code being a random value generated by the remote server and received via the communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically recognizing, at the remote server, the face of the test subject within the image; and

generating, at the remote server, an alert when the face of the test subject within the image is not recognized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the test subject is prompted by the communication device, based upon a defined schedule, to provide the test sample.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the test sample is a breath and the substance is alcohol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the test sample is a breath and the substance is Marijuana.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the level of the substance to a vehicle module coupled to a vehicle, wherein operation of the vehicle is based upon a comparison of the level of the substance to a predefined threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, the captured image further simultaneously including a tube permanently attached to the testing device and used by the test subject to provide the test sample.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising verifying, within the remote server, the identity of the test subject using the biometric information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the testing device to obtain biometric information for verifying an identity of the test subject.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising verifying, within the remote server, the identity of the test subject using the biometric information.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically recognizing, within the communication device, the face of the test subject within the image; and

generating, within the communication device, an alert when the face of the test subject within the image is not recognized.

15. The method of claim 1, the physically coupling a communication device including physically coupling the communication device to a cradle of the testing device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the security code on the display of the testing device, as a pseudo random value generated by the testing device, for capture within the image.

17. The method of claim 16, the remote server automatically detecting and recognizing the security code within the image to validate the testing device.

18. A testing device for determining a substance level within a test subject, comprising:

a sensor, within a foldable housing of the testing device, configured to sense the substance level within a test sample provided by the test subject;

a display, on the foldable housing, configured to display a visual representation of at least one of a testing device identification, a test identification, and biometric information, the display oriented away from a test subject when using the sensor;

an interface, within the foldable housing, configured to communicate the substance level to a communication device separate from the testing device;

the foldable housing moveable between extended and collapsed configurations; and

, the foldable housing including

a physical coupling mechanism configured to physically position, when the foldable housing is in the extended configuration, the communication device such that a camera thereof is configured to capture an image simultaneously containing;

at least part of a face of the test subject providing the test sample, and the display.

19. The testing device of claim 18, wherein the communication device communicates the substance level to a remote server.

20. The testing device of claim 18, the communication device configured to communicate the substance level to a vehicle module that enables and disables operation of a vehicle based upon the substance level.

21. The testing device of claim 18, further comprising:

a memory for storing a unique serial number of the testing device;

a processor; and

software stored within the memory and comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of;

determining the substance level based upon information read from the sensor when the test sample is provided by the test subject;

displaying a visual representation of the unique serial number of the testing device on the display; and

sending, via the interface, a digital value representing the substance level and a digital value representing the unique serial number of the testing device to the communication device.

22. The testing device of claim 18, wherein the communication device captures an image of the display and the face of the test subject in response to a signal from a remote server.

23. The testing device of claim 18, further comprising a biometric reader for providing additional identification information of the test subject.

24. The testing device of claim 18, further comprising a speaker for generating a sound to indicate that a sample is to be provided.

25. The testing device of claim 21, the software further comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of:

generating a pseudo random security code; and

displaying the pseudo random security code on the display for capture within the image;

the pseudo random security code being detected and recognized within the image by a remote server to validate the testing unit.

26. A method for monitoring substance use, comprising:

at a communication device separate from a testing device, obtaining a level of the substance within a test sample provided by a subject to the testing device;

operating the communication device, while the communication device is physically coupled to the testing device, to obtain test verification information correlated to the test sample, the test verification information including an image simultaneously containing at least a portion of the face of the subject and a display of the testing device oriented towards the communication device; and

sending the level of the substance and the test verification information from the communication device to a remote server.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of obtaining comprises receiving one or more messages from a testing device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said messages include at least one of an identification of the testing device and an identification of a test by which the test sample was provided.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said test verification information comprises biometric information obtained using said communication device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said biometric information comprises at least one of an image of a face of the subject, an image of an iris of the subject and a fingerprint of the subject.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein said sending comprises transmitting image information and digital information that includes at least one identical element when the test sample is authentic.

32. The method of claim 26, the operating the communication device occurring while the communication device is physically coupled to a cradle of the testing device.

33. A testing device for determining a substance level in a test subject, comprising:

a sensor, located at a housing of the testing device, configured to sense the substance level within a test sample provided by the test subject;

an interface, within the housing, configured to communicate the substance level to one of a communication device separate from the testing device; and

the housing including a physical coupling mechanism for positioning said communication device with respect to said testing device;

said testing device having a housing that is movable between extended and collapsed configurations such that, in said extended configuration, said physical mechanism positions a camera of said communication device for acquiring an image simultaneously containing a face of said test subject and a display of the testing device each oriented towards the camera.

34. A software product comprising stored instructions, stored on non-transitory computer-readable media, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a digital processor of a communication device removably attached to a testing device, perform steps for controlling the testing device to determine a substance level in a test sample provided to the testing device by a test subject, the stored instructions comprising instructions for:

from the communication device, generating a prompt for the test subject to provide the test sample to the testing device;

using a camera of the communication device, periodically capturing a plurality of images of the test subject providing the test sample to the testing device, the plurality of images simultaneously including at least a portion of the test subject and a display of the testing device oriented towards the camera;

from the communication device, controlling the testing device to detect the substance level within the test sample;

within the communication device and from the test device, receiving, a value indicative of the substance level;

within the communication device, determining a current location; and

from the communication device, sending the plurality of images, the value indicative of the substance level, and/or the current location to a remote server.

35. The software product of claim 34, further comprising instructions for validating connectivity and operation of the particular testing device prior to receiving the test sample.

36. The software product of claim 34, further comprising instructions for displaying, on the communication device, a status of connectivity between the communication device and the testing device.

37. The software product of claim 34, further comprising instructions for verifying the identity of the test subject within at least one of the plurality of images using biometric information.

38. The software product of claim 35, further comprising instructions for generating an alert when the identity of the test subject is not verified.

39. The software product of claim 34, the instructions for receiving further comprising instructions for receiving, within the communication device and from the testing device, a unique serial number of the testing device, the instructions for sending further comprising instructions for sending the unique serial number to the remote server with the value indicative of the substance level.

40. The software product of claim 34, further comprising instructions for capturing, within the communication device, biometric information of the test subject, the instructions for sending further comprising instructions for sending the biometric information to the remote server with the value indicative of the substance level.

41. The software product of claim 34, the communication device comprising a smart device.