Method and system for preventing unauthorized use of a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle

• US 20070239992A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspiring Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Affirmed Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: White, Steve, Dorin, Michael, Noto, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/255 Eye recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/302 using recording means, e.g. black box
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/24 Drug level, e.g. alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method and system for preventing use of a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle. The system includes a system controller; a biometric authenticator coupled to the system controller; and a substance detecting device adapted to provide a substance level in the operator to the system controller. Here, the system controller is adapted to communicate a driving restriction to the vehicle if the substance level in the operator is above a tolerance level or if the operator is not authenticated by the authenticator, the substance level is determined at an extremity of the operator, the operator is also authenticated at the extremity, and the extremity is selected from the group consisting of finger, thumb, toe, ear, palm, sole, foot, hand, and head.

Claims

1. A system for preventing use of a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a system controller;

a biometric authenticator coupled to the system controller; and

a substance detecting device adapted to provide a substance level in the operator to the system controller,

wherein the system controller is adapted to communicate a driving restriction to the vehicle if the substance level in the operator is above a tolerance level or if the operator is not authenticated by the authenticator,

wherein the substance level is determined at an extremity of the operator,

wherein the operator is also authenticated at the extremity, and

wherein the extremity is selected from the group consisting of finger, thumb, toe, ear, palm, sole, foot, hand, and head.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is further adapted to communicate with the vehicle to permit the vehicle to start if the operator has been authenticated by the authenticator and the substance level in the operator is not above the tolerance level.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises a biometric authenticator selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint authenticator, a face recognition authenticator, a hand-geometry authenticator, a voice authenticator, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises a fingerprint sensor, and wherein the substance level in the operator is determined in-vivo within the finger of the operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the substance detecting device is adapted to detect an alcohol level in the operator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the substance detecting device comprises a broadband detector.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the substance detecting device further comprises a light source configured to direct a light beam at a specific wavelength band toward the broadband detector.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1300 nm to about 2400 nm.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the range is selected from the group consisting of a first range from about 1400 nm to about 1500 nm, a second range from about 1650 nm to about 1750 nm, and a third range from about 2200 nm to about 2400 nm.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the specific wavelength band is at about 1450 nm.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the broadband detector is a single detector.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the single detector is an InGaAs detector.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the extremity is the finger.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a credential sensor coupled to the system controller and adapted to sense a verifiable credential of the operator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system controller is adapted to verify that the operator authenticated by the authenticator matches the verifiable credential of the operator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the verifiable credential comprises a credential selected from the group consisting of a driver'"'"'s license, an RFID tag, a smartcard, a credit card, a key ring including an infrared (IR) adapter, an under-skin implant, and combinations thereof.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the substance detecting device comprises a broadband detector, a first light beam at a first specific wavelength band directed toward the broadband detector, and a second light beam at a second specific wavelength band directed toward the broadband detector.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first specific wavelength band is at a wavelength where ethanol is less absorptive than water and the second specific wavelength band is at a wavelength where ethanol is more absorptive than water.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the broadband detector is a single detector.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the single detector is an InGaAs detector.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the first specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1400 nm to about 1500 nm and the second specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1650 nm to about 1750 nm.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the first specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1400 nm to about 1500 nm and the second specific wavelength band is within a range from about 2200 nm to about 2400 nm.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the substance detecting device comprises a broadband detector, a first light beam at a first specific wavelength band directed toward the broadband detector, a second light beam at a second specific wavelength band directed toward the broadband detector, and a third light beam at a third specific wavelength band directed toward the broadband detector.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the broadband detector is a single detector.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the first specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1400 nm to about 1500 nm, the second specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1650 nm to about 1750 nm, and the third specific wavelength band is within a range from about 2200 nm to about 2400 nm.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first specific wavelength band is at about 1450 nm.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising a light source configured to provide the first, second, and third light beams.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a filtering system disposed between the light source and the broadband detector and adapted to provide the first, second, and third light beams at the first, second, and third specific wavelength bands to the broadband detector.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the substance detecting device comprises a single broadband detector selected from the group consisting of a PbS detector, a PbSe detector, an InAs detector, an InGaAs detector, an InSb detector, and a HgCdTe detector and a light source adapted to direct a light beam at a specific wavelength to the single broadband detector.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a wavelength filtering system disposed between the light source and the single broadband detector and adapted to provide the light beam at the specific wavelength band to the single broadband detector.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the wavelength filtering system is disposed closer in distance to the single broadband detector than to the light source.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising a platform coupled to both the light source and the single broadband detector, wherein the platform is configured to contact a surface of the extremity of the operator and has an index of refraction substantially equal to that of the surface of extremity of the operator.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an automobile.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the automobile is a rental car.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a vehicle selected from the group consisting of an aircraft, a mass transit vehicle, a watercraft, a piece of industrial equipment, and a piece of heavy machinery and equipment.

36. A time clock system, the system comprising:

a system controller;

a biometric authenticator coupled to the system controller; and

a substance detecting device adapted to provide a substance level in an operator of the time clock system to the system controller,

wherein the substance level is determined at an extremity of the operator,

wherein the operator is also authenticated at the extremity, and

wherein the extremity is selected from the group consisting of finger, thumb, toe, ear, palm, sole, foot, hand, and head.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the system controller is adapted to create an alert if the substance level in the operator is above a tolerance level or if the operator is not authenticated by the authenticator.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a time clock adapted to determine a time when the alert is created.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the system controller is adapted to communicate with a building security device to permit the operator to access the building security device if the operator has been authenticated and the concentration of the substance is not above a tolerance level.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the system controller is adapted to communicate with the building security device to restrict the operator from accessing the building security device if the operator has not been authenticated or the concentration of the substance is above the tolerance level.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the building access device comprises a time clock adapted to determine a time when the operator is permitted access to the building security device.

42. A system for preventing use of a vehicle by an operator of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a system controller;

a biometric authenticator adapted to detect at least one biometric parameter at a first dermal location of an operator of a vehicle and generate an authentication output indicating that the operator has been authenticated; and

a substance detecting device adapted to detect a level of a substance in the operator at a second dermal location proximate to the first dermal location and generate a level output,

wherein the system controller operates in response to the authentication output and the level output to selectively restrict use of the vehicle if the operator is not authenticated or the detection output is above a preselected tolerance value.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the first dermal location of the operator is a location capable of biometrically authenticating the operator.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the first dermal location of the operator is located at a fingerprint of the operator.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the substance detecting device comprises a broadband detector.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the substance detecting device further comprises a light source configured to direct a light beam at a specific wavelength band toward the broadband detector.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the specific wavelength band is within a range from about 1300 nm to about 2400 nm.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the range is selected from the group consisting of a first range from about 1400 nm to about 1500 nm, a second range from about 1650 nm to about 1750 nm, and a third range from about 2200 nm to about 2400 nm.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the specific wavelength band is at about 1450 nm.

50. The system of claim 46, wherein the broadband detector is a single detector.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the single detector is an InGaAs detector.