Devices, systems and methods for identifying and/or billing an individual in a vehicle

• US 9,576,306 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, John Potts III, McNamara, Justin Michael Anthony, Rector, Jay Daryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/633,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/74, 705/13, 340/5.61, 713/194, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for identifying a driver versus a passenger within a smart vehicle. This involves a determination of the relative positions of the wireless communication devices within the smart vehicle using near-field communication (NFC) or GPS, AGPS, etc. The wireless communication device detected closest to the driver seat is assumed to be the device owned by the driver. Once identified, the driver can be billed for tolls and other road services, based on the location of the smart vehicle. For instance, as the smart vehicle approaches a toll, a notification can be sent to all of the wireless communication devices. A response from a particular wireless communication device will result in the corresponding user'"'"'s account being billed for the toll. Further, the smart vehicle can communicate with near-field transceivers placed, for instance, alongside a High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. A driver of the vehicle can be billed, fined, or ticketed based upon a determination of an absence of passengers in the smart vehicle.

Claims

1. A smart vehicle comprising:

an antenna positioned at a distance that is closer to a driver seat of the smart vehicle than a passenger seat of the smart vehicle;

at least one processor; and

a device memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including;

receiving a first unique identifier from a first wireless communication device associated with a first user and a second unique identifier from a second wireless communication device associated with a second user, both the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being within a proximity of the smart vehicle,

determining that a communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device is associated with a signal strength that is greater than a signal strength associated with a communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device,

determining, based at least in part on the communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device being associated with the signal strength that is greater than the signal strength associated with the communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device and further based in part on the antenna being positioned closer to the driver seat of the smart vehicle than the passenger seat of the smart vehicle, that the first user associated with the first wireless communication device is a driver of the smart vehicle,

determining a location of the smart vehicle, wherein determining the location of the smart vehicle comprises receiving, from a roadside near-field communication transceiver, location information related to the location of the smart vehicle,

determining, based on the location of the smart vehicle, to bill the driver, and

transmitting, across a network, to a billing server, the first unique identifier from the first wireless communication device and the location of the smart vehicle, wherein the billing server determines a user account associated with the first unique identifier and bills the user account an amount based on the location of the smart vehicle.

2. The smart vehicle of claim 1, wherein the location of the smart vehicle includes any one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, or a geo-fence.

3. The smart vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices in communication with the smart vehicle, the plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device.

4. The smart vehicle of claim 1, wherein a billing notification is received at the first wireless communication device.

5. The smart vehicle of claim 1, further comprising one of a biometric sensor or a weight scale.

6. The smart vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are contactless smart cards.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a smart vehicle comprising at least one processor and an antenna positioned at a distance that is closer to a driver seat of the smart vehicle than a passenger seat of the smart vehicle, a first unique identifier from a first wireless communication device associated with a first user and a second unique identifier from a second wireless communication device associated with a second user, both the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being within a proximity of the smart vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor, that a communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device is associated with a signal strength that is greater than a signal strength associated with a communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device;

determining, by the at least one processor, based at least in part on the communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device being associated with the signal strength that is greater than the signal strength associated with the communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device and further based in part on the antenna being positioned closer to the driver seat of the smart vehicle than the passenger seat of the smart vehicle, that the first user associated with the first wireless communication device is a driver of the smart vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor, a location of the smart vehicle, wherein determining the location of the smart vehicle comprises receiving, from a roadside near-field communication transceiver, location information related to the location of the smart vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor, based on the location of the smart vehicle, to bill the driver; and

transmitting, by the smart vehicle, to a billing server, across a network, the first unique identifier from the first wireless communication device and the location of the smart vehicle, wherein the billing server determines a user account associated with the first unique identifier and bills the user account an amount based on the location of the smart vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the location of the smart vehicle includes one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, or a geo-fence.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a billing notification to the first wireless communication device; and

receiving a billing confirmation from the first wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a number of passengers in the smart vehicle; and

billing the user account based on the number of passengers in the smart vehicle.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising billing the user account based on a speed of the smart vehicle.

12. A device memory that stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a smart vehicle comprising an antenna positioned at a distance that is closer to a driver seat of the smart vehicle than a passenger seat of the smart vehicle, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first unique identifier from a first wireless communication device associated with a first user and a second unique identifier from a second wireless communication device associated with a second user, both the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device being within a first proximity of the smart vehicle;

determining that a communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device is associated with a signal strength that is greater than a signal strength associated with a communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device;

determining, based at least in part on the communication link between the antenna and the first wireless communication device being associated with the signal strength that is greater than the signal strength associated with the communication link between the antenna and the second wireless communication device and further based in part on the antenna being positioned closer to the driver seat of the smart vehicle than the passenger seat of the smart vehicle, that the first user associated with the first wireless communication device is a driver of the smart vehicle;

determining a location of the smart vehicle, wherein determining the location of the smart vehicle comprises receiving, from a roadside near-field communication transceiver, location information related to the location of the smart vehicle;

determining, based on the location of the smart vehicle, to bill the driver; and

transmitting, across a network, to a billing server, the first unique identifier from the first wireless communication device and the location of the smart vehicle, wherein the billing server determines a user account associated with the first unique identifier and bills the user account an amount based on the location of the smart vehicle.

13. The device memory of claim 12, wherein the location of the smart vehicle includes any one of a lane on a highway, a toll booth, and a geo-fence.

14. The device memory of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a plurality of unique identifiers from a corresponding plurality of wireless communication devices, the corresponding plurality of wireless communication devices including the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device.

15. The device memory of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise determining a number of passengers in the smart vehicle based in part on the plurality of unique identifiers.

16. The device memory of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining a number of passengers in the smart vehicle based in part on a plurality of biometric sensors coupled to the smart vehicle.

17. The device memory of claim 16, wherein the plurality of biometric sensors includes a weight scale coupled to a seat in the smart vehicle.