Detecting Mobile Devices Within a Vehicle Based on Cellular Data Detected Within the Vehicle

• US 20180070291A1
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellcontrol, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Obdedge LLC
• Inventors: Breaux, Joseph E., Kennedy, Chad A., Lynn, Michael W., Brohn, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/563 Vehicle displaying mobile device information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/592 Data transfer involving external databases
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 : Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for detecting the presence and location of a mobile communication device within a vehicle includes a monitoring device mounted within the vehicle, the monitoring device includes a primary antenna for detecting cellular data signals originating from within the vehicle. One or more external antenna components mounted at different locations within the vehicle further help to pinpoint the location of detected cellular data signals and correspondingly the location of the mobile device. The external antenna components further help to eliminate and distinguish cellular data signals coming from outside the vehicle and from other mobile communication devices that are not within the driver space of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for detecting the presence and location of a mobile communication device within a vehicle, the system comprising:

a monitoring device separate and distinct from the mobile communication device, the monitoring device having a housing that is mounted within the vehicle, the monitoring device including a primary antenna, the monitoring device further comprising a power supply contained within the housing and adapted to provide power to the primary antenna and to electronic components contained within the housing, the electronic components including a microprocessor, memory coupled to the microprocessor, and a mobile device detection software application installed and running on the monitoring device;

an external antenna component mounted between a driver space and a passenger space within the vehicle, the external antenna component being in electronic communication with the monitoring device, the external antenna component configured as an antenna sandwich, the antenna sandwich having a first antenna focused toward the driver space and a second antenna focused toward the passenger space, the first and second antennas being separated by an RF reflective or absorptive material disposed therebetween, the first and second antennas further being configured to detect cellular data transmissions; and

wherein the mobile device detection software application includes software code stored in the memory and having instructions executable by the processor that performs the steps of;

causing the primary antenna and the external antenna to monitor for mobile communication frequency signals;

upon detecting a target mobile communication frequency signal by the primary antenna, determining the power level of the target mobile communication frequency signal to determine whether the target mobile communication frequency signal is originating from within the vehicle; and

receiving data associated with the target mobile communication frequency signal from the first and second antennas of the external antenna, wherein the data indicates whether the target mobile communication frequency signal is originating from the driver space or the passenger space, which correspondingly identifies the location of the mobile communication device when the target mobile communication frequency signal is detected.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF reflective or absorptive material is configured in a parabolic orientation around each of the first and second antennas.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF reflective or absorptive material is arranged in a straight fashion between the first and second antennas.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the primary antenna monitors for mobile communication frequency signals based on uplink frequency bands expected to be used by the mobile communication device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein a power detector is used to determine the power level of the target mobile communication frequency signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the target mobile communication frequency signal is originating from within the vehicle further includes confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the step of confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle includes monitoring the target mobile communication frequency signal over a period of time while the vehicle is in motion.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein monitoring the target mobile communication frequency signal over the period of time while the vehicle is in motion identifies rogue signals coming from outside the vehicle from cellular towers, from mobile devices outside the vehicle, from anomalous transmitters, and from broken transmitters.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the step of confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle includes monitoring power levels of both uplink and downlink frequency bands of the target mobile communication frequency signal.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the step of confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle includes monitoring a downlink signal strength of a carrier associated with the mobile device using a cellular modem associated with the monitoring device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second antennas are directional antennas.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second antennas are omnidirectional antennas and wherein the RF reflective or absorptive material enables the first and second antennas to focus toward the driver space and the passenger space, respectively.

13. A monitoring device for detecting the presence of a mobile communication device within a vehicle, the monitoring device being separate and distinct from the mobile communication device, the monitoring device comprising:

a housing mounted within the vehicle;

a primary antenna;

a power supply contained within the housing and adapted to provide power to the primary antenna and to electronic components contained within the housing, the electronic components including a microprocessor, memory coupled to the microprocessor, and a mobile device detection software application installed and running on the monitoring device, the mobile device detection software application including software code stored in the memory and having instructions executable by the processor that performs the steps of;

causing the primary antenna to monitor for mobile communication frequency signals; and

upon detecting a target mobile communication frequency signal by the primary antenna, determining the power level of the target mobile communication frequency signal to determine whether the target mobile communication frequency signal is originating from within the vehicle.

14. The monitoring device of claim 13 wherein the housing is mounted to an internal surface of a windshield of the vehicle positioned generally between a driver side and a passenger side of the vehicle.

15. The monitoring device of claim 13 wherein the primary antenna monitors for mobile communication frequency signals based on uplink frequency bands expected to be used by the mobile communication device.

16. The monitoring device of claim 13 further comprising a power detector that is used to determine the power level of the target mobile communication frequency signal.

17. The monitoring device of claim 13 wherein the step of determining whether the target mobile communication frequency signal is originating from within the vehicle further includes confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle.

18. The monitoring device of claim 17 wherein the step of confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle includes monitoring the target mobile communication frequency signal over a period of time while the vehicle is in motion.

19. The monitoring device of claim 18 wherein monitoring the target mobile communication frequency signal over the period of time while the vehicle is in motion identifies rogue signals coming from outside the vehicle from cellular towers, from mobile devices outside the vehicle, from anomalous transmitters, and from broken transmitters.

20. The monitoring device of claim 17 wherein the step of confirming that the target mobile communication frequency signal is not a false positive signal originating from outside the vehicle includes monitoring power levels of both uplink and downlink frequency bands of the target mobile communication frequency signal.