In-vehicle driver cell phone detector
First Claim
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1. A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a driver seat and a front passenger seat, comprising:
- a first microphone located on a driver side of the vehicle in a position in which it has an unobstructed sound path to an area above the driver seat;
a second microphone located on a passenger side of the vehicle in a position in which it has an unobstructed sound path to an area above the passenger seat;
a radio frequency receiver configured to determine whether there is a cell phone signal present in the passenger compartment; and
a processor coupled to said first and second microphones and to said radio frequency receiver and that determines from a difference between a time that a common emission from a cell phone in the passenger compartment is received by each of said first and second microphones, and when said radio frequency receiver determines that there is a cell phone signal present in the passenger compartment that is coincident in time with the common emission, whether the cell phone is in the area above the driver seat or in the area above the passenger seat,whereby the determination by said processor that the cell phone is in the area above the driver seat when the cell phone signal is present in the passenger compartment is provided to a vehicle database or in the form of a notification to an off-vehicle person.
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Abstract
System and method for monitoring emissions from a cell phone in a vehicle having a driver side and a passenger side, using several antennas at different locations. A receiver is associated with each antenna and includes at least one amplifier and a rectifier module that converting radio frequency signals to direct current signals. A microprocessor processes the direct current signals received and determines based thereon a phase shift or difference between signals received by two or more of the antennas, which can be correlated to a most likely location of a cell phone being used by an occupant in the vehicle.
129 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a driver seat and a front passenger seat, comprising:
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a first microphone located on a driver side of the vehicle in a position in which it has an unobstructed sound path to an area above the driver seat; a second microphone located on a passenger side of the vehicle in a position in which it has an unobstructed sound path to an area above the passenger seat; a radio frequency receiver configured to determine whether there is a cell phone signal present in the passenger compartment; and a processor coupled to said first and second microphones and to said radio frequency receiver and that determines from a difference between a time that a common emission from a cell phone in the passenger compartment is received by each of said first and second microphones, and when said radio frequency receiver determines that there is a cell phone signal present in the passenger compartment that is coincident in time with the common emission, whether the cell phone is in the area above the driver seat or in the area above the passenger seat, whereby the determination by said processor that the cell phone is in the area above the driver seat when the cell phone signal is present in the passenger compartment is provided to a vehicle database or in the form of a notification to an off-vehicle person. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification