Home

m SIGNAKL :

1. 35 The processing unit records the date time duration and speed of the vehicle in data storage 35 each time it is detected that the vehicle operator is using their cellphone while driving the vehicle The processing unit may include a US 8 461 973 B2 9 Universal Serial Bus USB interface 36 and or a wireless data interface 37 for intermittently downloading recorded cellphone usage data to a monitoring computer not shown The data of such a cellphone usage log may be stored in simple comma delimited format and the monitoring com puter can perform various analysis and reports based on the data Such a system may be an effective deterrent in circum stances where another party desires to monitor another per son s usage of their cellphone while driving the vehicle The processing circuit 30 may be implemented in multiple ways by those of ordinary skill in the art For example the comparison and timing analysis described herein can be per formed on the signal from the amplifier circuit 20 by suitably designed and connected special purpose hardware Alterna tively a general purpose microcontroller can be adopted for this purpose and appropriately programmed to function in the manner described herein A suitable microcontroller system having both USB interface 36 and wireless data interface 37 is the CC2531 system on chip solution available from Texas Instruments Inc of Dallas Tex FIG 2 is an illustration of the process 200 that
2. a value indicating that the wireless com munications device has been detected the audio system emits an audible alarm until the wireless communication device is no longer in use or the vehicle is no longer being operated 26 A motor vehicle according to claim 18 further com prising a lighting system receiving the control signal output from the processing unit wherein the lighting system pro vides a visual alarm if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected 27 A motor vehicle according to claim 26 wherein the lighting system comprises internal lights and external lights and the visual alarm comprises flashing at least one of the external lights until the wireless communication device is no longer in use or the vehicle is no longer being operated 28 A motor vehicle according to claim 27 wherein said at least one of the external lights that is flashed comprises a light that is a different color than the brakelights of the vehicle 29 A motor vehicle according to claim 18 wherein the vehicle is disabled and is not enabled until the wireless com munication device is no longer in use 30 motor vehicle according to claim 18 wherein when the control signal has a value indicating that use of the wire less communications device has been detected the process ing unit records the date time and duration of the use along with the speed ofthe vehicle in a usage log and subseque
3. cellular tele phone or other wireless communication device at the non driver passenger stations of the vehicle without detection An illustration of an exemplary detection range and the unaf fected passenger areas in a typical motor vehicle is illustrated in the provisional applications such as in FIG 2 of U S US 8 461 973 B2 5 Provisional Patent Application No 61 311 531 filed on Mar 8 2010 which is herein incorporated by reference The cell phone detection system thus detects radio frequency range of cellular telephones as required for reception and transmission and or supply of electrical power to a cellular telephone device or change in the level and or amount of power supply to a cellular telephone device or other electronic device within the driver station area of a motor vehicle For vehicles equipped with a hands free cellular telephone assistance device the cellular telephone may be placed at a position that is outside of the programmed range of the detec tion system so as to allow for undisturbed operation of the cellular telephone Removal of the cellular telephone from a location that is outside of the programmed range of the detec tion system into the programmed range of the detection sys tem will cause interruption of the function of the hand free cellular telephone assistance device and will further cause transmission of signal by the detection device which prompts audio and or visual warnings and or transmission
4. may be carried out by the preferred embodiment of the integrated vehicle cellular telephone detection system 100 to detect and dissuade use of a wireless communications device by an operator while driving a vehicle At 210 the detection system is automatically activated when the vehicle is started such as by turning on the ignition and the transmission is moved for Park Although not shown the converse is also true and the detection system is deactivated when the vehicle is turned off or put back into Park At 220 the system passively monitors signals on one or more of the cellular frequencies using at least one antenna 10 During this stage the detection system 100 may perform any number of functions if there is a cell phone that is active but in the idle mode For example it may identify the cellphone from various control signals or infor mation relating to the cellphone which it then uses to facili tate the process of detecting whether the cellphone is used by an operator while driving the vehicle The detection system could for example use such information to determine with some specificity which uplink or downlink frequency should be monitored for the cellphone rather than scanning a large number of possible uplink or downlink frequencies At 230 the processing unit detects that an operator is participating in a telephone call answering an incoming call or making a call while driving the vehicle and takes action Pr
5. of this same current to be directed to and or directed by and or harnessed by and or programmed to be received by and or be pro grammed by and or be manipulated by one or several of a variety of electronic devices for a purpose or purposes that include but are not limited to processing of data and or recording of data and or prompting an additional audio and or visual alarm or alarms and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the vehicle in which the transmission of the signal does occur and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the cellular telephone device that initiated transmission of this same current The preferred embodiments thus may provide unaffected operation of a cellular telephone that is located outside the programmed range of the detection device in such a manner that allows optional hands free cell phone use by the vehicle driver Each antenna is attached to a respective amplifier circuit 20 which receives and amplifies the electrical signal pro vided by the respective antenna 10 in a specified frequency range It is an important aspect of the preferred embodiments that each amplifier circuit 20 be directly attached to or inte grated with rather than merely connected to its respective antenna 10 so as to ensure that its output signal is highly sensitive and accurate The processing unit 30 is normally located in the dashboard under the driver s seat or at some other unobtrusive location and t
6. the processing unit is input into the light ing system and the lighting system provides a visual alarm if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected 10 A method according to claim 9 wherein the visual alarm comprises flashing at least one of the external lights of the motor vehicle 11 method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving a transmission signal in said processing unit said transmission signal indicating whether or not the motor vehicle is in park or is in gear and wherein the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected only 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 14 when said transmission signal to said processing unit indicates that the motor vehicle is in gear 12 A method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving a speed signal in said processing unit wherein said speed signal indicates the speed of the motor vehicle and wherein the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected only when said speed signal input to said processing unit indicates that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds a minimum specified speed 13 A system discouraging the use of a wireless communi cation device by the operator of a motor vehicle comprising at least one antenna detecting radio frequency signals and providing an electrical
7. use The detection signal may also be used to trigger an audio circuit so as to disrupt the vehicle stereo system and use it for a loud audible message alert tone or warning One particular consideration is to gradually increase the audio to such a significant volume that the operator driv ing the vehicle finds it difficult or awkward to continue their phone call on the cellphone due to the difficulty of hearing the conversation This is the converse of many cellphone detec tion systems employed in hospitals theaters libraries etc where the intent is to reduce noise and interruptions The 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 audio and lighting circuits are just two examples and the detection signal 31 can also be used to trigger different cir cuits providing different warnings or actions The detection signal 31 can be directed to and or directed by and or har nessed by and or programmed to be received by and or be programmed by and or be manipulated by one or several of a variety of electronic devices in the vehicle for a purpose or purposes that include but are not limited to processing of data and or recording of data and or prompting an audio and or visual alarm or alarms and or prompting compromise of a function or functions ofthe vehicle in which the transmission of the signal does occur and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the cellular telephone device that initiated transmission of
8. 00 comprises at least one antenna 10 detecting radio frequency signals and providing an electrical signal represen tative of the signal strength energy level and or other char acteristics of the detected radio frequency signals Suitable locations for the antenna include but are not limited to the vehicle steering wheel the vehicle sun visor located at the driver s station ofthe vehicle or in the roof directly above the driver or above the driver s visor Two or three antennas can be used to increase the sensitivity of the detection system to the location of the wireless communication device such as when it is desired to have a detection range that is approxi mately the sameas the driver s position in the vehicle In such a case the antennas are preferably separated from each other but still located in the vicinity of the driver position For example additional antennas can be placed in the dashboard in front of the driver or under the driver s seat The placement of the antennas is selected to optimize the sensitivity of the system to detect use of a cellular telephone or other wireless communication device specifically at and around the driver station area of the vehicle The detection range of the system is adjusted and or programmed respectively to limit the detec tion of the radio frequency range of cellular telephones to the area in the immediate proximity of the vehicle operator posi tion This allows the unaffected utilization of a
9. 01 is and the vehicle trans mission shift switch 302 indicates that the transmission is engaged to permit movement of the vehicle For instance when used with an automobile having an automatic or con tinuously variable transmission as the vehicle ignition switch is on and the vehicle operator places the vehicle transmis sion in gear e g any position other than the park or P position switch 302 integrated with these two vehicle opera tion functions is activated after time delay 303 so that power supply 304 provides power to processing circuit 30 For vehicles with a manually operated transmission the signal detection system 100 is automatically activated when the vehicle ignition switch is and the vehicle transmission is placed in gear that is any position other than the neutral position The signal detection system is powered off and disengaged when the vehicle ignition switch is off or when the vehicle transmission is in a disengaged position such as the park or neutral position The vehicle cell phone detection system thus detects radio frequency range of cellular telephones as required for recep tion and transmission and or supply of electrical power to a cellular telephone device or change in the level and or amount of power supply to a cellular telephone device or other electronic device emanating from a cell phone or other wireless communication device inside a mot
10. 2009 Catten etal 340 439 2010 0035632 A1 2 2010 Catten we 455 456 1 US 2011 0080274 1 7 2011 2010 0227601 Al 9 2010 Walton etal 455 418 Related U S Application Data OTHER PUBLICATIONS 60 Provisional application No 61 278 173 filed on Oct Press Release CellAntenna Introduces Cell Phone Detection Sys 60 pp 173 y 2 2009 provisional application No 61 337 045 filed tem to Prevent Passenger Train and Public Transportation Accidents on Jan 28 2010 provisional application No May 26 2010 2 pages 61 337 746 filed on Feb 10 2010 provisional Continued application No 61 307 581 filed on Feb 24 2010 an provisional application No 61 311 531 filed on Mar 8 2010 Primary Examiner Donnie Crosland 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Robert M Bauer 51 Int CI B60Q 1 00 2006 01 57 ABSTRACT H04M 1 66 2006 01 H04M 11 04 2006 01 There is provided a structure and a method to detect a signal 52 U S Cl prompted by the use of a wireless communications device in 340 425 5 340 539 1 455 407 amotor vehicle or optionally in the area of a vehicle operator 455 405 455 410 455 414 1 455 418 455 575 9 Station A signal detection will set off audible and or visual 455 569 2 455 556 1 455 456 4 455 404 1 alarms The alarms may continue until the signal is no longer 58 Field of Classification Search detected USPC 340 425 5 455 405 See appl
11. NN ONISSHDOUd 80 HOLIAS SLHOTI Ca INNOW ONIHSV I4 OL WAATI LAIHS 906 806 NOOIGXIOL ODNKPIHOOSXH LOE OL HOLIMS NOLLINDI ACI US 8 461 973 B2 1 INTEGRATED VEHICLE CELLULAR TELEPHONE DETECTION SYSTEM This application claims the priority benefit of the filing date of the following provisional patent applications 1 U S Pro visional Patent Application No 61 278 173 filed on Oct 2 2009 2 U S Provisional Patent Application No 61 337 045 filed on Jan 28 2010 3 U S Provisional Patent Application No 61 337 746 filed on Feb 10 2010 4 U S Provisional Patent Application No 61 307 581 filed on Feb 24 2010 and 5 US Provisional Patent Application No 61 311 531 filed on Mar 8 2010 each of which provisional patent applica tions is hereby incorporated by reference FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to motor vehicle safety More particularly the invention relates to a system which detects the use of a wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone sometimes referred to as a cellphone by a person while driving a motor vehicle BACKGROUND As there has been a rapid growth in the use and operation of wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones there is a growing understanding of the impacts of these devices on our everyday life The ability to communicate with others has been enhanced tremendously in no small part due to the conv
12. are rela tively ubiquitous and simple to use Many cellphones allow phone calls to be made or answered by a simple step such as opening the phone or pressing a key and people utilize the cellphone even while driving an automobile In this applica tion the term cellphone or cellular telephone is meant to refer to any device that uses any one of a variety of standard ized radio interfaces which is now or is hereafter known to support telephony functionality between the device and a network while the device is moving at a high rate of speed such as when in a moving vehicle Such radio interfaces include not only Global System for Mobile Communication 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 GSM and Code Division Multiple Access 2000 but also more modern radio interfaces like Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access Mobile WiMax even though it may not utilize cells in the strictest sense of the word Other network radio interfaces such as WiFi may be developed or expanded in the future so as to facilitate their use in vehicles or there may be routers pro vided in vehicles which receive a cellular signal and provide a WiFi connection in the vicinity of the vehicle Although specific cellular embodiments are described herein the invention is not limited to such cellular embodiments and may be applied to a variety of instances involving a network radio interface of some kind The
13. az United States Patent US008461973B2 10 Patent No US 8 461 973 B2 Reed et al 45 Date of Patent Jun 11 2013 54 INTEGRATED VEHICLE CELLULAR 56 References Cited TELEPHONE DETECTION SYSTEM U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 75 Inventors John F Reed St Marys PA US Joe 6 675 006 BI 1 2004 Diaz etal o 455 404 1 C Largey Kersey PA US Amy B 6 687 497 Bl 2 2004 Parvulescu et al 455 420 Reed St Marys PA US 6 771 946 8 2004 Oyaski 455 345 6 907 252 B2 6 2005 Papadias et al 455 456 1 4 6 965 787 B2 11 2005 Kindo etal 455 569 2 73 Assignee Orion Innovations North East PA US 7474264 B2 A 342 463 2001 0050614 Al 12 2001 Yang 340 540 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this 2004 0198306 1 10 2004 Singh et al 455 345 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2006 0142917 Al 6 2006 Goudy 701 45 U S C 154 b by 439 days 2006 0212195 Al 9 2006 Veith et al 701 35 2007 0173293 Al 7 2007 Tran 455 569 1 2008 0036623 Al 2 2008 Rosen 340 936 21 Appl No 12 897 769 2008 0064446 Al 3 2008 Camp et al 455 565 2008 0268768 1 10 2008 Brown etal 455 1 22 Filed Oct 4 2010 2009 0029675 Al 1 2009 Steinmetz et al 455 410 2009 0063201 Al 3 2009 Nowotarski et al 705 4 65 Prior Publication Data 2009 0085728 Al 4
14. ce to detect radio waves in the frequency range of cellular telephones emanating from a cell phone within the driver station area of a motor vehicle Itis another object ofthe present invention to provide a cell phone detection device to detect radio waves in the frequency range of cellular telephones emanating from a cell phone within the driver station area of a motor vehicle and when a signal is detected a verbal audio announcement is made the audio entertainment system is shut down and the exterior lights of the vehicle flash as long as the signals are detected It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cell phone detection device to detect radio waves in the fre quency range of cellular telephones emanating from a cell phone within the non driver passenger area of a motor vehicle It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cellular telephone holding boot that is located outside the programmed range of the detection device to allow hands free cell phone use by the vehicle driver It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cell phone detection device that incorporates all of the above objects of this invention and is simple in construction eco nomical to manufacture and simple and efficient to use With the above and other objects in view the present inven tion consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described illustrated the accompa nyi
15. cient to use They consist of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims it being understood that changes may be made in the form size proportions and minor details of construction placement of and or total number of antennae as utilized by the detection system placement of the detection system and or inclusion of electronic device or devices as required to facilitate utili 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 zation of signals by the detection system as required to be directed to and or directed by and or harnessed by and or programmed to be received by and or programmed by and or manipulated by one or several of a variety of electronic devices and systems for a purpose or purposes that include but are not limited to processing of data and or recording of data and or prompting an additional audio and or visual alarm or alarms and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the vehicle in which the transmission of the signal does occur and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the cellular telephone without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention An alternative embodiment varies from the above embodi ments and integrates a conventional cellular telephone signal jamming device as a dashboard mounted or under the dash b
16. combination as commonly used for over the road cargo transport fleet delivery van or truck taxi cab or multiple passenger transport vehicle such as a bus train aircraft or boat Preferably the radio frequency signal detection device has arange which is limited to the position for an operator driving the vehicle so that passengers in the vehicle can utilize their cellphones without triggering the system The cellular tele phone signal detection system may be integrated as a built in electronic feature of the vehicle when manufactured or it may be installed as an market option added after manufacture Some ofthe preferred embodiments include an advanced cellular telephone signal detection device but a conventional cellular telephone signal detection device may also be adapted for use in some embodiments The preferred embodiments can be used to deter use of a variety of wireless communication devices In addition to cellphones such devices include for example laptops mobile computing devices GPS devices electronic mapping and navigation devices and a variety of other connected electronic devices Since the preferred embodiments are based on detection ofthe radio frequency signal the particu lars ofthe device are largely irrelevant and a particular vehicle detection system need only be concerned with the type of wireless communication interface that the device utilizes Cellphones are of particular concern because they
17. device that is engineered to detect radio waves in the frequency range of cellular telephones is installed into a common passenger motor vehicle such as a sedan SUV pickup truck or van The placement ofthe detec tion device and the detection range ofthe detection device are manipulated and programmed respectively to limit the detec tion of the radio frequency range of cellular telephones as required for reception and transmission to the area in the immediate proximity ofthe vehicle driver station The place 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 ment of the detection device and the detection range of the detection device are also manipulated and programmed to allow the unaffected utilization of radio waves in the fre quency range of cellular telephones as required for transmis sion and reception at the non driver passenger stations of the vehicle As the detection device detects signals in the radio frequency range of cellular telephones as required for recep tion and transmission of voice signals when the vehicle trans mission lever is placed in any drive operations position this action causes transmission of an electrical current by the detection device that is directed to the circuitry that transmits this current to an audio recording device prompting a verbal audio announcement that is transmitted to and heard over a vehicle installed speaker Transmission of this same current by the detection device also cause
18. ed with the system that emits a wireless signal of fixed strength in accordance with a known cellphone radio interface but which does not actually communicate with a cellular base station or other wise operate as a cellphone The installation tool can be operated alternately in both the desired detection zone in the driver position for operating the vehicle and in a passenger position in order to adjust the reference value for optimization of the desired detection zone The second part of determining whether a wireless com munication device is in use consists of subjecting the afore mentioned comparison result to a time based analysis This analysis includes checking the timing of the detected radio frequency signal to ensure that it is consistent with that of a known radio interface Although imperceptible to the user a cellphone is not constantly transmitting when it is in use Rather it must adhere to a specific timing pattern of the radio interface Since the radio interface is standardized the timing pattern is known and the comparison result is checked for consistency with the timing pattern Because the alarm or other warning that occurs when use is detected while driving should be highly undesirable in order to effectively dissuade the activity itis all the more important to reduce false positives In addition to checking the timing of the signal the processing unit 30 may implement any number and variety of quality techniques to en
19. eferably the detection system does not take action merely because the cellphone rings unless the operator driving the vehicle also answers the call This way an operator driving the vehicle who is expecting an important call will know that the call has been made and can move the vehicle to a safe location in order to return the call However to prevent even the distraction of the cellphone ringing the detection system may optionally be configured to detect the receipt of phone calls Text messages picture messages and push email can also be addressed with the same options described above with respect to phone calls although typically they have a different notification than the ringing of an incoming voice call How ever many cellphones store text messages picture messages and or emails locally in the cellphone and there may be no activity on the network radio interface if the operator later views it while driving the vehicle For this reason it is rec ommended but not necessary that the detection system 100 function to detect such communications according to the known network radio interface specifications for them and take action when such a text message picture message or email is being received by the operator In some cases com munications such as the Small Message Service SMS in um 0 jak 5 20 25 30 40 45 65 10 GSM are passed through the control channel rather than a downlink and or uplink freq
20. em can attempt to block messages associated with a particular IM service by obtaining the com munications protocol for the service if possible and utilizing it to detect the IM messages At 240 the detection of use of the wireless communica tions device by the operator while driving the vehicle in 230 leads to the processing unit 30 of detection system 100 gen erating the detection signal 31 used to trigger action to dis courage the use For example the detection system can trig ger an annoying alert tone or prerecorded message At 250 the detection system 100 takes any and all forms of action including by communicating with other systems or modules of the vehicle via the vehicle bus and controller area network and instructing them to operate in a certain way Preferably a variety of different actions to discourage the cellphone use can be implemented as desired and the detection system 100 enables these actions to be selected according to the prefer ences of the vehicle owner or the driver For example dis abling the stereo system may be an effective deterrent for teenage drivers Conversely disabling the vehicle by slowly reducing its speed may raise a concern that the driver may not be able to safely drive the car out of traffic to a safe location at which to stop At 250 the action taken by the detection system 100 to discourage the use of the wireless communication device continues until either the use ends or the vehicle i
21. enience of these devices But there have also been some negative consequences resulting from this new convenience In particular there has been growing awareness and concern over the impact of cell phone use by drivers while driving vehicles A growing num ber of states have passed laws prohibiting cell phone use while driving and additional states are considering similar regulation of cell phone use However regulation alone can not control the use of cell phones by drivers while driving A number of technological approaches have been taken to address this problem However all of these known approaches have at least one disadvantage For example some approaches require a subscription or require that the cell phone to be detected is pre programmed These cellphone centric solutions only work with a cellphone that has been subscribed or pre programmed Such systems can be defeated by swapping the subscribed or pre programmed cellphone with another cellphone that is not subscribed or pre programmed The system will also not work for any new driver ofthe vehicle unless the new driver s cellphone is also subscribed or pre programmed See U S Patent Application Publication No 2010 0227601 filed by Randy Walton et al on Mar 9 2009 and U S Patent Application Publication No 2009 0029675 filed by Allan Steinmetz et al on Jul 23 2008 for examples of previous approaches BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cell phone detection
22. es as the signal strength increases When the output signal of the amplifier circuit 20 in the example is less than 1 5 volts the output of the comparison shows that the signal is of sufficient strength to be transmitted from a device in the vehicle Of course the details of the comparison may be different from the above example and the reference voltage will vary depending on a number of factors such as the location of the antenna and the characteristics of the vehicle It is compara tively easy to select a reference voltage so that the signals transmitted by a wireless communication device inside the vehicle can be distinguished from signals transmitted by a wireless communication device outside the vehicle How ever it is preferred to be able to further distinguish between a device used by an operator driving the vehicle and a device used by a passenger in the vehicle For this reason the system allows the use of multiple antennas to triangulate the location of the device based on the voltages of the output signals reference from the respective processing circuits 20 But to enable a detection system using only a single antenna the processing unit 30 preferably enables the reference value to be varied based on the characteristics of the vehicle Adjust ment of the reference value in effect adjusts the range of the system The reference value used by the processing circuit 30 can be varied and adjusted in a number of different ways Mo
23. gnals with at least one antenna located in the vicinity of the operator and providing an US 8 461 973 B2 13 electrical signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna amplifying the electrical signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna and outputting an amplified signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna in a specified frequency range said specified frequency range being a range of frequencies used by the wireless communication device connecting the amplified signal to a processing unit processing the amplified signal in the processing unit to detect whether the wireless communication device is in use in the vehicle outputting a control signal from the processing unit to a warning unit said control signal having a value indica tive of whether the wireless communication device has been detected and if the control signal output from the processing unit has a value indicating that a wireless communication device has been detected then taking action by the warning unit to discourage the operator from using the wireless com munication device while driving the motor vehicle 2 A method according to claim 1 wherein said action taken by the warning unit comprises an audible alarm that is continued until the wireless communication device is no longer in use or the vehicle is no longer being
24. hat the wireless communications device has been detected only when said transmission signal indicates that the trans mission is in gear 20 A motor vehicle according to claim 18 further com prising a speed sensor outputting a speed signal indicating the speed of the motor vehicle and wherein the processing unit receives said speed signal and the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected only when said speed signal indicates that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds a minimum specified speed 20 25 30 35 40 16 21 A motor vehicle according to claim 18 further com prising an audio system receiving the control signal output from the processing unit 22 A motor vehicle according to claim 21 wherein the audio system varies at least the volume of audio in the motor vehicle if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communications device has been detected 23 A motor vehicle according to claim 22 wherein the volume of audio in the motor vehicle is increased to a high volume if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communications device has been detected 24 A motor vehicle according to claim 22 wherein the audio in the motor vehicle is muted if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communications device has been detected 25 A motor vehicle according to claim 21 wherein if the control signal has
25. he inventors have found that the unamplified signals of the antenna are quite sensitive to the length and positioning of the connector and makes it difficult to accurately set the detection range of the system to be substantially the same as the driver s position in the vehicle and to exclude passengers in the vehicle If a discrete ampli fier circuit 20 is attached to the antenna 10 it must be quite small in size 1 less than one inch square so that it is unobtrusive when placed at the same location as the antenna Suitable amplifier circuits are available from Mini Circuits Inc of Brooklyn N Y Each amplifier circuit 20 does some pre processing of the signal received from its respective antenna 10 and provides an output signal having voltage range that is proportional to the signal strength of the detected radio frequency signal For example the amplifier output voltage may have a first voltage when no radio frequency signal is detected and a second voltage when a full radio frequency signal is detected The output signal may be analog or digital This output signal of the amplifier circuit 20 does not in and of itself indicate whether a wireless communication device is in use The output signal of each amplifier circuit 20 1s provided to a processing unit 30 by a connector 25 The processing circuit 30 receives the output signal from each amplifier circuit 20 _ 0 a 5 30 40 45 55 65 6 and determines whe
26. herein the processing unit receives a transmission signal said transmission signal indicating whether or not the motor vehicle is in park or is in gear and wherein the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected only when said transmission signal indicates that the motor vehicle is in gear 16 A system according to claim 13 wherein the processing unit receives a speed signal said speed signal indicating the speed of the motor vehicle and wherein the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected only when said speed signal input indicates that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds a minimum specified speed 17 A system according to claim 13 wherein when the control signal has a value indicating that use of the wireless communications device has been detected the processing unit records the date time and duration of the use along with the speed of the vehicle in a usage log and subsequently provides the usage log to a remote computer for downloading and processing 18 A motor vehicle comprising a position for an operator operating the motor vehicle at least one passenger position for a passenger in the motor vehicle US 8 461 973 B2 15 at least one antenna located in the vicinity of said operator position and separated from said at least one passenger position said at least one antenna detecting radio fre quency signa
27. ication file for complete search history 33 REAL TIME 34 DETECTION SIGNAL 31 PROCESSING UNIT 30 30 Claims 3 Drawing Sheets LIGHTING USB IF WIRELESS IF US 8 461 973 B2 Page 2 OTHER PUBLICATIONS International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Jan 11 2011 International Application No PCT US2010 05 1377 11 pages Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Apr 12 2012 Interna tional Application No PCT US2010 05 1377 10 pages Cellbusters Cellphone Detector Plus User Manual Feb 2009 10 pages Key2SafeDriving com May 12 2010 19 pages Zoomsafer com Aug 24 2010 3 pages Aegis Mobility DriveAssist amp Teen Driving May 5 2009 2 pages cited by examiner US 8 461 973 B2 Sheet 1 of 3 Jun 11 2013 U S Patent 14 ONLLHOTI Le IVNOIS NOLLOH LAG SSH THUMM 0 Ie LINN DNISSHDONd ce 9 GE 00 US 8 461 973 B2 Sheet 2 of 3 Jun 11 2013 U S Patent 814 501 JNOHdTTAO DOULA UVINTID HOLINOIN WALSAS NOLLOX LAG TLVALLOV TVNOIS NOLLO3 LA4G 41 SINV IV TIOIHAJA US 8 461 973 B2 Sheet 3 of 3 Jun 11 2013 U S Patent 87014 voe 206 016 1 SAS OId AY OL HJOVANALNI LOO WAV TV ATddNS ACI 606 LANANALNI ACI HLOOLANTEA OL TIQOGON 006 06 LI
28. ls and providing an electrical signal repre sentative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna an amplifier amplifying the electrical signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna and outputting an amplified signal repre sentative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna in a specified frequency range said specified frequency range being a range of frequencies used by the wireless communication device a processing unit aconnector connecting the processing unit to the amplified signal output by said amplifier the processing unit pro cessing the amplified signal to detect whether the wire less communications device is in use and outputting a control signal having a value indicative of whether the wireless communications device has been detected and a warning unit receiving the control signal from the pro cessing unit and if the control signal has a value indi cating that the wireless communications device has been detected then taking action to discourage the operator from using the wireless communications device while driving the motor vehicle 19 A motor vehicle according to claim 18 further com prising a transmission wherein the processing unit receives a transmission signal said transmission signal indicating whether or not the transmission is in park or is in gear and wherein the control signal has a value indicating t
29. ng drawing and more particularly pointed out in the US 8 461 973 B2 3 appended claims it being understood that changes may be made in the form size proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a block diagram showing the architecture of the integrated vehicle cellular telephone detection system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention FIG 2 is a flow diagram of the process performed by the integrated vehicle cellular telephone detection system in FIG 1 FIG 3 is a block diagram showing the connections of the processing unit 30 in the integrated vehicle cellular telephone detection system embodiment shown in FIG 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the invention are now described with particular reference to the drawings An integrated vehicle detection system according to the preferred embodi ments combines a radio frequency signal detection device and processing unit with the electrical functions of the motor vehicle to discourage operation of a cellular telephone within the confines ofa motor vehicle interior during operation of the vehicle With adjustments as described herein the preferred embodiments may be employed regardless of whether the vehicle is a sedan SUV pickup truck van cargo hauling vehicle such as a tractor trailer
30. ntly provides the usage log to a remote computer for downloading and processing
31. oard concealed standard electronic feature Passengers who desire to operate a cellular telephone device during the mobi lized operation of the vehicle access a remote antenna on the exterior of the vehicle and out of the effective range of the jamming device This access and connection to the remote antenna is accomplished with an extending retracting wire from to a spring activated coil or spooling device that is placed behind the vehicle interior finish paneling or uphol stery and that is accessed for extending the remote antenna connecting wire for attachment to a cellular telephone anten nae system by lifting a small surface flush mounted access door one of which is located in close proximity to each passenger station throughout the vehicle The remote antenna connecting wire has an attached plug in jack installed at the lead end of the wire that accommodates connection and also has an installed grasping device such as a clip for the purpose of connection to a cellular telephone antennae stem either of which jack or clip effects connection of a cellular telephone antennae system connected at a passenger station by utiliza tion of the extending retracting connecting wire The vehicle operator station extending retracting connect ing wire can be installed with an electrical current interrup tion device switch that disengages completion of connec tion to the remote antenna as the vehicle transmission shift lever is placed in any p
32. operated 3 A method according to claim 1 wherein the warning unit comprises at least one system of the motor vehicle having at least one use other than discouraging the operator from using the wireless communication device 4 A method according to claim 3 wherein the system comprises an audio system of the motor vehicle and the control signal output from the processing unit is input into the audio system 5 A method according to claim 4 wherein the audio sys tem varies at least the volume of audio in the motor vehicle if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected 6 A method according to claim 5 wherein said wireless communication device includes at least one speaker or ear piece that emits sound and wherein the volume of audio in the motor vehicle is increased to a high volume if the control signal has a value indicating that a wireless communication device has been detected 7 method according to claim 5 wherein the audio in the motor vehicle is muted if the control signal has a value indi cating that the wireless communication device has been detected 8 A method according to claim 4 wherein the audio sys tem emits an audible alarm if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected 9 A method according to claim 3 wherein the system comprises a lighting system ofthe motor vehicle the control signal output from
33. or vehicle The vehicle cell phone detection system thus detects radio frequency range of cellular telephones as required for recep tion and transmission and or supply of electrical power to a cellular telephone device or change in the level and or amount of power supply to a cellular telephone device or other electronic device emanating from a cell phone or other wireless communication device within the driver station area of a motor vehicle and when a signal is detected a verbal audio announcement is made and or the audio entertainment system is shut down and or the exterior lights of the vehicle flash as long as the signals are detected and or transmission of a detection signal is directed to and or directed by and or harnessed by and or programmed to be received by and or is programmed by and or is manipulated by one or several of a variety of electronic devices or systems for a purpose or purposes that include but are not limited to processing of data and or recording of data and or prompting an additional audio and or visual alarm or alarms and or prompting compromise of a function or functions of the vehicle in which the trans mission of the signal does occur and or prompting compro mise of a function or functions of the cellular telephone Vehicle cell phone detection systems according to the above preferred embodiments have all of the advantages noted above and is simple in construction economical to manufacture and simple and effi
34. osition other than that of the park or position in vehicles with an automatic or continuously variable operated transmission or in any position other than that of the neutral position for vehicles with a manually operated transmission As such remote antenna signal inter ruption is exclusively effected at the vehicle operator passen ger station as the vehicle transmission is engaged in a drive position When the vehicle ignition switch 15 the posi tion reconnection to the remote antenna at the vehicle opera tor station is effected only as the vehicle transmission lever is placed in the park position or the neutral position as applicable Sufficient antennae signal for use and operation of acellulartelephone device from the vehicle operator station is eliminated as concurrently sufficient signal for use and operation of a cellular telephone device from each vehicle non operator station is simultaneously accommodated The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without depart ing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims We hereby claim the invention as follows 1 A method of discouraging the use of a wireless commu nication device by the operator of a motor vehicle compris ing detecting radio frequency si
35. preferred cellular embodiments of the invention take advantage ofthe fact that despite there being many models of cellphones all cellphones must use a known standardized radio interface to operate Furthermore the frequencies on which the cellphone must operate are also standardized in most countries Thus the preferred embodiments detect the use of a cellphone in a vehicle by appropriately monitoring the requisite frequencies to detect signals that are in accor dance with the radio interface Most radio interfaces for cell phones are separated into a control channel a downlink chan nel for voice and data received by the cellphone and an uplink channel for voice and date transmitted by the cellphone When a cellphone is operating in an idle mode in which it is available to receive phone calls signals are only present on the control channel and there are no signals on the downlink oruplink channels Most notifications are also provided to the cellphone on the control channel rather than a downlink chan nel Thus some preferred embodiments monitor only the uplink channels and only deter actual use of the cellphone rather than mere ringing of the cellphone or receipt of notifi cations In this way a person can leave their cellphone on while driving the vehicle so as to be aware of any phone calls or notifications and can pull over the vehicle to use their cellphone in safety As shown in the block diagram of FIG 1 the detection system 1
36. s the vehicle audio enter tainment system to shut down and causes exterior lights ofthe vehicle to continually flash on and off until such time as the detection device no longer detects radio frequency in the range required for cellular telephone transmission and or reception For vehicles equipped with a hands free cellular telephone assistance device the vehicle operator cellular telephone user has the option of placing the cellular telephone in a cellular telephone holding boot that is located outside of the programmed range of the detection device Placement of the cellular telephone to be utilized by the vehicle operator into the holding boot allows for operation of the holding boot installed cellular telephone by the vehicle operator without the effects of detection of radio frequency range of the cellu lar telephone as required for receipt and transmission by the detection device Removal of the vehicle operator utilized cellular telephone from the holding boot and or detection of transmission or reception signal within the programmed range of the detection device will cause interruption of the function ofthe hand free cellular telephone assistance device It is an object of the present invention to provide a cell phone detection device to detect radio waves in the frequency range of cellular telephones emanating from a cell phone inside a motor vehicle Itis another object ofthe present invention to provide a cell phone detection devi
37. s turned off For example an alert tone can be repeated periodically or lights made to flash If the use of the wireless communication device ends the detection system will return to an active state of phase 210 at that time If the vehicle is turned off then the detection system 100 will return to the active state phase 210 when the vehicle is restarted FIG 3 shows an exemplary installation of the processing unit 30 of the integrated vehicle cellular telephone detection system in a vehicle The installation includes a 12 volt igni tion switch 301 a transmission gear shift switch 302 a time delay 303 and a 12 volt to 6 volt power supply 304 The processing unit 30 when it detects cellphone use by a driver of the vehicle provides a signal which is connected to an audio circuit to trigger an audio recording 305 and to an LED light circuit to trigger a flashing icon 306 The processing US 8 461 973 B2 11 circuit 30 also drives an input output module 307 that con nects to the vehicle bus and can control various systems of the vehicle via the controller area network For example I O module 307 may cause flashing of marker lights 308 inter ruption of bluetooth communications 309 and interruption of the stereo system 310 There may also be an alarm out inter face 311 to the I O module 307 The processing unit 30 and other parts of the detection system 100 are preferably automatically activated whenever the vehicle ignition switch 3
38. signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna an amplifier amplifying the electrical signal representative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna and outputting an amplified signal repre sentative of the radio frequency signals detected by said at least one antenna in a specified frequency range said specified frequency range being a range of frequencies used by the wireless communication device a processing unit a connector connecting the processing unit to the amplified signal output by said amplifier the processing unit pro cessing the amplified signal to detect whether the wire less communication device is in use and outputting a control signal having a value indicative of whether the wireless communication device has been detected and a warning unit receiving the control signal from the pro cessing unit and if the control signal has a value indi cating that the wireless communication device has been detected then taking action to discourage the operator from using the wireless communication device while driving the motor vehicle 14 A system according to claim 13 wherein if the control signal has a value indicating that the wireless communication device has been detected the warning unit emits an audible alarm until the wireless communication device is no longer in use or the vehicle 15 no longer being operated 15 A system according to claim 13 w
39. st simply there is a sensitivity setting on processing unit 30 which allows the reference value to be manually adjusted For new vehicle manufacture the characteristics of the vehicle and the location of the antenna placement in the vehicle are known in advance and the adjustment can be made in advance In such cases the reference value may be fixed or varied only with appropriate safeguards to prevent disabling of the system rather than being manually adjustable For aftermarket installations of the system since the amplifier circuit 20 is with the antenna 10 the system works regardless of the location of the processing unit 30 or the length or bending of the connector between the amplifier circuit 20 and the processing unit 30 Thus the reference value and the detection zone can preferably be manually adjusted after the antenna 10 is located in its final position but before the pro cessing circuit 30 is installed in its final position in the dash board or under the seat or is otherwise not easily accessed In US 8 461 973 B2 7 other cases the adjustment can be made occurs easily after the antenna is located Since the signal strength of a cellphone at the time of installation varies depending upon the status of its battery and its distance from the nearest cellular base station after market installation should not depend on a cell phone chosen at random to perform the adjustment For this reason an installation tool may be provid
40. sure that the determi nation that the wireless communication device is in use inside the vehicle or optionally the desired detection zone in the driver position for operating the vehicle For example it may be required that the comparison and the timing analysis have results positively indicating wireless communication device use over an extended period of time e g 15 seconds before the processing unit 30 makes a final determination that the vehicle operator is using a wireless communication device while driving When processing unit 30 makes a final determination that a wireless communication device is being used by the vehicle operator while driving it may provide a warning alert or recorded audio message via a speaker in the unit However it is preferable for the action taken upon detection to be more substantial so that it serves as an effective deterrent Process ing unit 30 thus outputs a simple binary detection signal 31 which indicates the final determination of whether the vehicle operator is using a wireless communication device while driving This detection signal 31 may be connected to any number and variety of systems in the vehicle As shown in FIG 1 the detection signal may be connected to a lighting circuit and used to trigger a series of lights in the interior of the vehicle such as light emitting diode LED lights or to trigger flash ing of exterior lights in such a manner so as to bring attention to the cellphone
41. ther a wireless communication device is in use The determination is based on both the level of the signal strength of the detected radio frequency signal as rep resented by the voltage of the output signal of the amplifier circuit 20 and the application of a timing analysis to deter mine if the detected radio frequency signal corresponds to that of the known radio interface The first part of determining whether a wireless commu nication device is in use consists of determining whether the detected radio frequency signal in the uplink channel origi nated from a detection zone within the vehicle In this regard the voltage of the output signal from each amplifier circuit 20 is compared to a reference voltage to see if the detected radio frequency signal is of sufficient strength The reference volt age has a value carefully selected and adjusted in consider ation of the range of voltages in the output signal of the amplifier circuit s 20 and the characteristics of the vehicle A comparison is made between the reference voltage and the output signal of the amplifier circuit 20 For example if the output signal of the amplifier circuit 20 has a voltage of 2 2 volts when there is no signal detected and a voltage of 1 0 volts when there is a full signal detected then the reference voltage can be set to 1 5 volts Of course rather than the negative slope in this example the output signal can also have a positive slope where the voltage increas
42. this same current Preferably the circuits repeat the warnings or actions at least until the detec tion signal 31 changes value indicating that cellphone use has stopped or that the vehicle is no longer being driven by the person using the cellphone In a further feature ofthe preferred embodiments the pro cessor unit 30 is connected to a vehicle bus and contains a module or interface 32 for a controller area network on the vehicle bus This module or interface 32 permits the processor unit to connect to other systems connected to the controller area network so that when use of a wireless communication device is detected it can initiate and send one or more control signals to other systems in the vehicle to utilize those systems These systems may include for example an audio system controlling all of the speakers in the vehicle and a lighting system controlling the internal and external lights of the vehicle In this feature the module or interface does not merely provide a signal indicating that the vehicle operator is using their cellphone while driving the vehicle and the signal triggers a circuit which completes some predefined action Instead the module or interface 32 provides control signals that instruct the other systems connected to the vehicle bus and controller area network In this way the operation of the vehicle or certain systems of the vehicle may be compro mised in a manner as to discourage use of the wireless com m
43. uency and so the control channel must be monitored to detect them even though the downlink and or uplink frequency might otherwise be sufficient Yet another class of communications is instant messaging IM such as AOL Instant Messaging AIM Blackberry Messenger BBM and Microsoft Social Network MSN These communications are especially dangerous because they are specifically intended to provide near instantaneous communications and often include status messages that can be set by the person For example a person can indicate whether they are unavailable or bored and eager to receive messages A bored status by itself can be indicative that the operator of a vehicle is not acting responsibly and intends to engage in IM while driving Thus the detection system should endeavor to detect and take action against IM activity including the communication of mere status messages Unfortunately IM messages are generally not specified in the network radio interface and each IM service operates accord ing to different communication protocols In general IM messages are sent in the uplink and downlink data channels so they can be effectively discouraged by detecting and taking action against any and all transfers of data Therefore the detection system 100 may not be able to operate with respect to IM messages as effectively as it does with phone calls but it can attempt to do so If desired despite the additional com plexity the detection syst
44. unication device There may also be alarm s and or flash ing of lights until such time as it is detected that use of the wireless communications device has ceased Any number and variety of vehicle systems or modules that is connected to the vehicle bus can be utilized For example with appropriate audible warnings the speed of the vehicle can be forced to gradually decrease despite the operator s use of the accelera tor pedal in order to compel the operator to drive the vehicle to the side ofthe road As extreme examples there could be an electric shock applied through the driver s seat or the driver s seat may be ejected from the vehicle Optionally processing unit 30 may receive the output sig nal of vehicle s speed sensor indicating the speed of the vehicle via the controller area network The processing unit may utilize the speed sensor signal 33 as a threshold for triggering action For example the processing unit 30 may only detect cellphone use and change the value of detection signal 31 to indicate that cellphone use has been detected when the vehicle is moving faster than a minimum speed such as for example 10 miles per hour The processing unit 30 also captures and records the speed indicated by the speed sensor signal 33 when it detects that a person is using their cellphone while driving the vehicle The processing unit 30 also receives a real time clock signal 34 providing the time and date and includes data stor age

m SIGNAKL :

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents