Detecting handling of a device in a vehicle

• US 9,888,392 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arity International Limited (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Snyder, Jared S., Ferguson, Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US14/808,472
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554566, 4555501, 4555561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• 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 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining whether or not an apparatus, such as a mobile device, is being handled or otherwise used within a vehicle. The apparatus may comprise an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration and a gyroscope configured to measure orientation. The apparatus may determine an axis of gravity of the apparatus based on acceleration measurements made by the accelerometer over a period of time. The apparatus may also determine a rotation vector of the apparatus based on orientation measurements made by the gyroscope. Using the axis of gravity of the apparatus and the rotation vector of the apparatus, the apparatus may determine a rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity. If the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold, the apparatus may determine that it is being handled or otherwise used within the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration of the apparatus;

a gyroscope configured to measure orientation of the apparatus;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

determine, based on acceleration measurements made by the accelerometer over a period of time, an axis of gravity of the apparatus;

determine, based on orientation measurements made by the gyroscope, a rotation vector of the apparatus;

determine, based on the axis of gravity of the apparatus and the rotation vector of the apparatus, a rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity; and

if the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold, determine a frequency of handling events in which the apparatus is being used within a vehicle and transmit the frequency of the handling events to a server or the vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle, wherein the frequency comprises one or more of a frequency of handling events per mile, a frequency of handling events per hour, or a frequency of handling events per trip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

if the rate of rotation of the apparatus perpendicular to the axis of gravity does not exceed the threshold, determine that the apparatus is not being used within the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the axis of gravity of the apparatus comprises a first axis of gravity of the apparatus, and wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a second axis of gravity of the apparatus; and

in response to a determination that the second axis of gravity differs from the first axis of gravity by more than a threshold amount, confirm that the apparatus is being used within the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a rate of rotation of the apparatus parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the rate of rotation of the apparatus parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold rate of rotation, confirm that the apparatus is being used within the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine an amount of lateral movement of the apparatus parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the amount of lateral movement of the apparatus parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold amount of lateral movement, confirm that the apparatus is being used within the vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine whether the apparatus has received a wireless signal from a short-range transmitter in the vehicle; and

in response to determining that the apparatus has received the wireless signal from the short-range transmitter in the vehicle, confirm that the apparatus is being used within the vehicle.

8. A system comprising:

a mobile device comprising;

an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration of the mobile device; and

a gyroscope configured to measure orientation of the mobile device; and

a server comprising;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to;

determine, based on acceleration measurements made by the accelerometer of the mobile device over a period of time and transmitted from the mobile device, an axis of gravity of the mobile device;

determine, based on orientation measurements made by the gyroscope of the mobile device and transmitted from the mobile device, a rotation vector of the mobile device;

determine, based on the axis of gravity of the mobile device and the rotation vector of the mobile device, a rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity; and

if the rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold, determine a frequency of handling events in which the mobile device is being used within a vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle, wherein the frequency comprises one or more of a frequency of handling events per mile, a frequency of handling events per hour, or a frequency of handling events per trip.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

if the rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity does not exceed the threshold, determine that the mobile device is not being used within the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the axis of gravity of the mobile device comprises a first axis of gravity of the mobile device, and wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

determine a second axis of gravity of the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the second axis of gravity differs from the first axis of gravity by more than a threshold amount, confirm that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

determine a rate of rotation of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the rate of rotation of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold rate of rotation, confirm that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

determine an amount of lateral movement of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the amount of lateral movement of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold amount of lateral movement, confirm that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to:

determine whether the mobile device has received a wireless signal from a short-range transmitter in the vehicle; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has received the wireless signal from the short-range transmitter in the vehicle, confirm that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

14. A method comprising:

determining, by a vehicle or a server, based on acceleration measurements made by an accelerometer of a mobile device over a period of time and transmitted from the mobile device, an axis of gravity of the mobile device;

determining, by the vehicle or the server, based on orientation measurements made by a gyroscope of the mobile device and transmitted from the mobile device, a rotation vector of the mobile device;

determining, by the vehicle or the server, based on the axis of gravity of the mobile device and the rotation vector of the mobile device, a rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity; and

if the rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity is determined to exceed a threshold, determining, by the vehicle or the server, a frequency of handling events in which the mobile device is being used within the vehicle to adjust an insurance policy of the vehicle, wherein the frequency comprises one or more of a frequency of handling events per mile, a frequency of handling events per hour, or a frequency of handling events per trip.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

if the rate of rotation of the mobile device perpendicular to the axis of gravity does not exceed the threshold, determining that the mobile device is not being used within the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the axis of gravity of the mobile device comprises a first axis of gravity of the mobile device, the method further comprising:

determining a second axis of gravity of the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the second axis of gravity differs from the first axis of gravity by more than a threshold amount, confirming that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a rate of rotation of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the rate of rotation of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold rate of rotation, confirming that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining an amount of lateral movement of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity; and

in response to a determination that the amount of lateral movement of the mobile device parallel to the axis of gravity exceeds a threshold amount of lateral movement, confirming that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile device has received a wireless signal from a short-range transmitter in the vehicle; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has received the wireless signal from the short-range transmitter in the vehicle, confirming that the mobile device is being used within the vehicle.