In-car driver tracking device

• US 9,142,142 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kaarya LLC
• Original Assignee: Kaarya LLC
• Inventors: Nath, Ujjual, Fletcher, William, Billett, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/872,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20130244210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/29.1, 701/33.7, 701/2, 701/29.6, 701/29.7, 701/31.5, 701/32.1, 701/32.7, 701/424, 434/65, 706/11, 705/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• 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 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are a device and method for providing driver tracking and behavior analysis, initiated without concurrent user input, by the presence detection of one or more drivers of the vehicle. Vehicle motion inferred from a location aware device sensor, as well as other driver smartphone sensors and application use are logged and analyzed to determine risk factors associated with identified drivers. Internet data sources are further utilized for associating road conditions and traffic regulations with the logged locations of the vehicle. Logged and analyzed data from the identified drivers is aggregated for reporting on vehicle risk.

Claims

1. A device associated with an individual for in-vehicle use that provides driving behavior analysis comprising:

a location aware sensor;

a data transceiver system for communicating over the internet;

a non-volatile memory component for storing instructions for processing the vehicle location data and driving behavior;

a volatile memory component for storing data during when processing of instructions related to the vehicle location and driving behavior;

a central processing unit for processing instructions and data related to the vehicle location, and driving behavior;

a short range wireless communication component for detecting proximity of an identified vehicle to said device, and which initiates tracking the vehicle location without user initiated input to start said tracking;

instructions stored in memory for computation of vehicle location over time;

instructions stored in memory for logging, analysis and characterization of driving behavior associated with said individual;

instructions stored in memory for monitoring and logging smart phone microphone ambient noise level while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

instructions stored in memory for adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on said ambient noise while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

wherein said device is a smartphone.

2. A device according to claim 1 also comprising:

instructions for retrieving traffic regulations from the internet and comparing the regulations to the motion of the vehicle,

instructions stored in memory for adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on the degree of conformity to said traffic regulations.

3. A device according to claim 1 also comprising:

instructions stored in memory for monitoring and logging smart phone accelerometer sensor data while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

instructions stored in memory for adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on said accelerometer output while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver.

4. A device according to claim 1 also comprising:

wherein said device uses no data received from said vehicle, other than for detection of the presence of said device to said vehicle;

whereby driver behavior logging is automatically initiated by said detection of presence.

5. A method for providing driving behavior analysis associated with identified drivers of a vehicle comprising;

tracking the vehicle location, elevation, and time from a location aware sensor device;

logging other device sensor data;

communicating over the internet by a data transceiver system;

managing incoming and outgoing data related to the vehicle location, other device sensor data, and the driving behavior analysis by an input/output control system;

storing instructions for processing and vehicle location data, device sensor data and driving behavior analysis;

storing temporary data during the processing of instructions related to the vehicle location, device sensor data and driving behavior analysis;

processing instructions and data related to the vehicle location, device sensor data and the driving behavior analysis by a smart phone;

computing the vehicle accumulated mileage from the vehicle location;

determining vehicle speed for periods of time from the vehicle location;

analyzing driving behavior based upon the determined vehicle speeds for said periods of time for one of the identified drivers;

communicating driving behavior analysis to an identified user;

wherein said method uses no data received from said vehicle other than for detection of the presence of said device to said vehicle;

monitoring and logging smart phone microphone ambient noise level while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on said ambient noise while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver.

6. A method as in claim 5 also comprising:

monitoring and logging smart phone use, and smart phone application use by the identified driver while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on phone and application use by identified driver.

7. A method as in claim 5 also comprising:

retrieving traffic regulations from the internet and comparing the regulations to the motion of the vehicle,

adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on the degree of conformity to said traffic regulations.

8. A method as in claim 6 also comprising:

monitoring and logging smart phone accelerometer sensor data while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver;

adjusting the driving behavior analysis based on said accelerometer output while said vehicle is being driven by the identified driver.

9. A method as in claim 6 also comprising:

aggregating the analysis of driver behavior for one or more identified drivers for said vehicle to determine overall risk analysis for said vehicle.