Determining that a user is in a vehicle or driving a vehicle based on sensor data gathered by a user device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258409-B1
Application number	US-201414445748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2014
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A device may receive sensor data regarding a user device; and determine, based on the sensor data, that a user of the user device is in a vehicle or driving the vehicle. When determining that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or driving the vehicle, the device may compare the sensor data, received from the user device, with a reference dataset that includes reference data associated with users being present in or driving a vehicle, or determine that a value of a measurement, received as part of the sensor data, satisfies a threshold that is related to whether the user is in the vehicle or driving the vehicle. The device may output a particular control instruction to the user device based on determining that the user is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a device, location information from a user device;
determining, by the device, that the user device is in a vehicle, the determining being based on a traveling speed of the user device, as indicated by the location information;
receiving, by the device, first sensor data from the user device, the first sensor data including sensor measurements of the user device when the user device is determined to be in the vehicle, based on the traveling speed of the user device, as indicated by the location information;
generating a reference dataset based on the first sensor data;
receiving, by the device, second sensor data regarding the user device;
determining, by the device and based on the second sensor data, that a user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle, the determining including at least one of:
comparing the second sensor data, received from the user device, with the reference dataset, the reference data set including reference data associated with users being present in or driving a vehicle, wherein comparing the second sensor data with the reference dataset is based on the generated reference dataset, or
determining that a value of a measurement, received as part of the second sensor data, satisfies a threshold that is related to whether the user is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle; and

outputting, by the device, a particular control instruction to the user device based on determining that the user is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the particular control instruction causes the user device to begin tracking location information associated with the user device or to lock particular functions of the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor data includes at least one of:
accelerometer data,
gyroscope data,
magnetometer data,
barometer data,
communications hardware data,
location data,
audio data,
video data, or
image data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular control instruction is a first particular control instruction, the method further comprising:
determining that user has exited the vehicle based on additional sensor data and after determining that the user is in the vehicle or driving the vehicle; and
outputting a second particular control instruction based on determining that the user has exited the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle includes determining that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving when the user device does not output location information regarding the user device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle is further based on at least one of:
gyroscope data or the accelerometer data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user has entered the vehicle,
magnetometer data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user has entered the vehicle
the magnetometer data, when an engine of the vehicle is started, indicating that the user is sitting in a front seat of the vehicle, or
the gyroscope or the accelerometer data indicating that the user is in a driver side seat of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle is further based on at least one of:
an orientation of the user device, based on gyroscope data included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user device is located in the vehicle,
accelerometer or gyroscope data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user is walking to or from the vehicle,
information, included as part of the second sensor data, identifying that the user device is connected to a communications device associated with the vehicle,
audio data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user has entered the vehicle,
image data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the user has entered the vehicle and is sitting in a passenger seat or a driver seat of the vehicle, or
barometer data, included as part of the second sensor data, indicating that the vehicle is in motion.

8. A method comprising:
receiving information indicating that a user device is in communication with a device associated with a vehicle;
determining that the user device is in the vehicle, the determining being based on receiving the information indicating that the user device is in communication with the device associated with the vehicle;
receiving first sensor data, from the user device, the first sensor data including sensor measurements of the user device based on determining that the user device is in the vehicle;
generating a reference dataset based on the first sensor data;
receiving second sensor data regarding the user device;
determining, based on the second sensor data, that a user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle, the determining including at least one of:
comparing the second sensor data, received from the user device, with the reference dataset, the reference data set including reference data associated with users being present in or driving a vehicle, wherein comparing the sensor data with the reference dataset is based on the generated reference dataset, or
determining that a value of a measurement, received as part of the second sensor data, satisfies a threshold that is related to whether the user is in the vehicle or driving the vehicle; and

outputting a particular control instruction to the user device based on determining that the user is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein outputting the particular control instruction causes the user device to begin tracking location information associated with the user device or to lock particular functions of the user device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the particular control instruction is a first particular control instruction, the method further comprising:
determining that the user has exited the vehicle based on additional sensor data and after determining that the user is in the vehicle or driving the vehicle; and
outputting a second particular control instruction based on determining that the user has exited the vehicle.

11. A system comprising:
a device, comprising:
a non-transitory memory device storing:
a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the processor to:
receive location information from a user device;
determine that the user device is in a vehicle, based on a traveling speed of the user device, as indicated by the location information;
receive first sensor data from the user device, the first sensor data including sensor measurements of the user device when the user device is in the vehicle;
generate a reference dataset based on the first sensor data;
receive second sensor data regarding the user device;
determine, based on the second sensor data, that a user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions, to determine that the user of the user device is in the vehicle or is driving the vehicle, causes the processor to:
compare the second sensor data, received from the user device, with the reference dataset, the reference dataset including reference

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Barfield Jr James Ronald
• Welch Stephen Christopher
• Taylor Thomas Steven

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• H04W8/22

  Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04M1/72577 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04M1/6075

  adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle (H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241) · CPC title