# US 2018/0022276 A1 · System for discouraging distracted driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022276 A1 - Document ID: US20180022276A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/489,965 - Filed: 2017-04-18 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Nouvelle Engines, Inc. - Applicants: Nouvelle Engines, Inc. - Inventors: Robert BAKER; Lynn BAKER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022276A1 ## CPC - B60Q 9/00: Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2556/45: External transmission of data to or from the vehicle - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A system for modifying distracted driving behavior includes a plurality of radio frequency receivers, each radio frequency receiver coupled to an antenna; and a controller including at least one system indicator, the controller coupled to the plurality of radio frequency receivers and to at least one vehicle indicator of a vehicle. A method with the system includes defining an operator space within a vehicle, detecting presence of a mobile communications device within the operator space, detecting an operator attempting to engage the mobile communications device while the vehicle is moving; and in response, interacting with system indicators and vehicle indicators to draw attention to the vehicle and to the operator of the vehicle, and employing more than one level of accountability. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for modifying distracted driving behavior, comprising: a plurality of radio frequency receivers, each radio frequency receiver coupled to an antenna; a controller including at least one system indicator, the controller coupled to the plurality of radio frequency receivers and to at least one vehicle indicator of a vehicle, wherein the controller: defines an operator space within the vehicle, detects presence within the operator space of an active mobile communications device having a wireless radio frequency communications transceiver, and in response to the detection, interacts with the at least one vehicle indicator and the at least one system indicator to draw attention to the vehicle and to the operator of the vehicle; and an event recorder coupled to the controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein at least one system indicator is detectable from outside the vehicle and at least one system indicator is detectable from inside the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the detection, the controller generates a plurality of response levels and sequences by engaging different numbers of the at least one vehicle indicator at different times and by engaging different numbers of the at least one system indicator at different times. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein the controller adjusts to operator behavior by changing to different presettable response levels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein preset response levels are associated with individual operators. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the controller generates a violation notification when an operator attempts to engage the mobile communications device while the vehicle is moving. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the violation notification includes at least one of identity of the mobile communications device, time of day, type of violation, and speed of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein the violation notification is transmitted on a real-time basis to an authority figure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 including a radio frequency transmitter coupled to the controller for transmitting the violation notification to the authority figure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein the mobile communications device has a cooperative application operating on it, and wherein the mobile communications device indicates its presence within the operator space by transmitting a regular periodic control signal to a network service provider. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the controller sends a handshake signal to the mobile communications device whenever the mobile communications device indicates its presence within the operator space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the controller has a plurality of modes of operation including at least one of: a learning mode, a calibration mode, a diagnostic mode, an adjustment mode, a startup mode, a normal mode, a response mode, a recovery mode, and a quiescent mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the learning mode is for discovering dimensions of the operator space in a previously undetermined vehicle type, the calibration mode is for adjusting dimensions of the operator space in a vehicle of previously determined vehicle type, and the diagnostic mode is for validating that elements of the system are operating properly and that the system has not been tampered with. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein parameters of the dimensions of the operator space define a volumetric extent of the operator space through the use of the plurality of radio frequency receivers, each radio frequency receiver coupled to one antenna of a plurality of antennas. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the controller includes a nonvolatile memory and wherein predetermined parameters of the dimensions of the operator space for a given vehicle type and configuration are loaded in the nonvolatile memory to establish the dimensions of the operator space for a vehicle type and configuration of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein the predetermined parameters of the dimensions of the operator space and other characteristics of the system are adjustable within each vehicle of the given vehicle type based on recognition by the system of factors external to the system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, including an access device communicatively coupled to the controller, the access device for: determining dimensional parameters of the operator space, loading or retrieving dimensional parameters, modifying dimensional parameters in the nonvolatile memory, performing calibration operations on the controller, guiding diagnostic operations, retrieving data from the event recorder or from the external memory, setting and adjusting preset levels for different operators, and upgrading software of the system. ### Claim 18 A method for modifying distracted driving behavior, comprising: determining, with a controller, dimensional parameters of an operator space of a vehicle; loading, modifying and retrieving the dimensional parameters in a nonvolatile memory of the controller; retrieving data stored in the nonvolatile memory; adjusting a preset level of accountability for distracted driving behavior for an operator of the vehicle; defining an operator space within the vehicle; detecting presence within the operator space of an active mobile communications device having a wireless radio frequency communications transceiver; and in response to the detection, interacting with at least one vehicle indicator and at least one system indicator to draw attention to the vehicle and to the operator of the vehicle, wherein the controller enables a level of accountability for distracted driving behavior for each operator of at least two operators. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the detecting presence within the operator space of an active mobile communications device having a wireless radio frequency communications transceiver occurs only while the vehicle is moving. ### Claim 20 A method for modifying distracted driving behavior, comprising: defining an operator space within a vehicle; detecting, within the operator space, presence of a mobile communications device having a wireless radio frequency communications transceiver; detecting an operator attempting to engage the mobile communications device while the vehicle is turned on; and responsive to occurrence of the operator attempting to engage the mobile communications device while the vehicle is turned on, interacting with vehicle indicators of the vehicle to draw attention to the vehicle and to the operator of the vehicle.