Detecting handling of a device in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12335812-B2
Application number	US-202318225417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
after determining that a computing device is in a moving vehicle and that the computing device is being handled during movement of the vehicle, wirelessly communicating first information between the computing device and a first device positioned at a first location within the vehicle;
determining, based on the first communicated information, a location of the computing device within the vehicle that is indicative of whether the computing device is being handled by a passenger or a driver of the vehicle; and
generating device handling data based on the indication of whether the computing device is being handled by the passenger or the driver of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first device corresponds to a beacon.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprises determining a received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computing device corresponds to a mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprises the mobile device determining its approximate location within the vehicle based on a received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
wirelessly communicating second information between the computing device and a second device positioned at a second location within the vehicle, wherein determining the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprises:
determining the location of the computing device to be closer to the first location when a first received signal strength associated with the communicated first information is stronger than a second received signal strength associated with the communicated second information, and determining the location of the computing device to be closer to the second location when the second received signal strength associated with the communicated second information is stronger than the first received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
after determining, by the computing device, that a rate of rotation of the computing device perpendicular to a direction of gravity exceeds a threshold, determining that the computing device is being used within the vehicle.

8. A computing device comprising:
a processor; and
one or more storage devices that store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
after determining that the computing device is in a moving vehicle and that the computing device is being handled during movement of the vehicle, wirelessly communicating first information between the computing device and a first device positioned at a first location within the vehicle;
determining, based on the communicated first information, a location of the computing device within the vehicle that is indicative of whether the computing device is being handled by a passenger or a driver of the vehicle; and
generating device handling data based on the indication of whether the computing device is being handled by the passenger or the driver of the vehicle.

9. The computing device according to claim 8 , wherein the first device corresponds to a beacon.

10. The computing device according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions that cause the computing device to determine the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprise instructions that cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
determining a received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

11. The computing device according to claim 8 , wherein the computing device corresponds to a mobile device.

12. The computing device according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform further operations comprising:
wirelessly communicating second information between the computing device and a second device positioned at a second location within the vehicle, wherein determining the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprises:
determining the location of the computing device to be closer to the first location when a first received signal strength associated with the communicated first information is stronger than a second received signal strength associated with the communicated second information, and
determining the location of the computing device to be closer to the second location when the second received signal strength associated with the communicated second information is stronger than the first received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

13. The computing device according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform further operations comprising:
after determining that a rate of rotation of the computing device perpendicular to a direction of gravity exceeds a threshold, determining that the computing device is being used within the vehicle.

14. The computing device according to claim 13 , wherein the direction of gravity of the computing device is determined based on acceleration measurements made by an accelerometer over a period of time.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
after determining that the computing device is in a moving vehicle and that the computing device is being handled during movement of the vehicle, wirelessly communicating first information between the computing device and a first device positioned at a first location within the vehicle;
determining, based on the communicated first information, a location of the computing device within the vehicle that is indicative of whether the computing device is being handled by a driver of the vehicle; and
generate device handling data based on the indication of whether the computing device is being handled by the driver of the vehicle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the first device corresponds to a beacon.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions that cause the computing device to determine the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprise instructions that cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
determining a received signal strength associated with the communicated first information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the computing device corresponds to a mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to perform further operations comprising:
wirelessly communicating second information between the computing device and a second device positioned at a second location within the vehicle, wherein determining the location of the computing device within the vehicle comprises:
determining the location of the computing device to be closer to the first location when a first received signal strength associated with the communicated first information is stronger than a second received signal strength associated with the comm

Assignees

• Arity International Ltd
• Allstate Insurance Co

Inventors

• Snyder Jared S
• Ferguson Dana

Classifications

• H04W4/44

  for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/026

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title

• H04W4/027 Primary

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title