US 7,451,852 B2Granted

Vehicle sobriety interlock system with personal identification element

AssigneeSherman Enterprises, Inc.

InventorsJeffrey Stewart, James McClelland, Charles E. Smith

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An interlock system for measuring the sobriety of a potential motorized apparatus operator is coupled to the starting mechanism of said motorized apparatus. The interlock system includes a microprocessor controlled handset, base unit and photographic device. The photographic device facilitates the identification process of the person taking the test by taking at least two consecutive pictures, one before and one during the test, which makes circumvention of the test a recordable event for later viewing by a monitoring person or facility. Further, rolling re-tests are used in the event the motorized apparatus was allowed to engage and operate and to once again verify the blood alcohol content of the person operating said apparatus and verify their identity during said test with said photographic device.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A sobriety interlock system having an output coupled to a starter mechanism of a motorized apparatus for detecting the presence of alcohol in a breath sample of an individual introduced into said system, the sobriety interlock system preventing the motorized apparatus from being started if said apparatus is not yet operational and if said individual does not provide a passing sample from said breath sample, or, if said motorized apparatus is already operational, the sobriety interlock system recording a level of blood-alcohol content of the individual, the sobriety interlock system comprising:

a) a handset having a gas intake channel for receiving the breath sample;
b) a breath sampling housing enclosed within the handset and having a gas sampling channel in axial alignment with the handset gas intake channel;
c) a fuel cell positioned along the gas sampling channel of the breath sampling housing for measuring an alcohol vapor value of the breath sample;
d) a pressure transducer located within the handset in fluid communication with the gas sampling channel of the breath sampling housing for measuring a pressure value of the breath sample;
e) a microprocessor located within the handset in electrical communication with the fuel cell and the pressure transducer, the microprocessor containing an executable algorithm for determining a measured blood-alcohol content of the breath sample through an offset adjustment of the measured alcohol vapor value in relation to the measured breath sample pressure value;
f) a solenoid valve positioned upstream from the fuel cell along the gas sampling channel of the breath sampling housing for limiting the size of the breath sample across the fuel cell by opening for a finite period of time, the solenoid valve having a normally open state;
g) a photographic device for recording at least a first image on a storage medium before the breath sample is introduced into the handset gas intake channel;
and
h) a power source coupled to the handset and the photographic device.

6 more elements

A method of measuring the sobriety of an operator of a motorized apparatus, the motorized apparatus having a starter mechanism in a normally disengaged state, said starter mechanism engaging if a predetermined threshold of blood to alcohol content is not exceeded during the measurement process, the steps of the method comprising:

a) providing an interlock device for coupling to the motorized apparatus starter mechanism, the interlock device having a handset for use in receiving a breath sample of the motorized apparatus operator, a microprocessor controlled base unit for interfacing with said handset and a predefined threshold level for a permitted blood to alcohol content for the operator;
b) providing a photographic device having a low light illumination means, a camera lens and a photo memory storage medium, the photographic device interfacing with the interlock device base unit;
c) providing power to the interlock device;
d) recording a first photograph of the operator of the motorized apparatus non-responsive to the measurement process of the blood alcohol content;
e) prompting the operator to provide a breath sample;
f) providing a breath sample into the handset of the interlock device;
g) recording a second photograph of the operator at a moment substantially simultaneously with the step of providing the breath sample;
h) measuring the blood alcohol content of the breath sample;
i) comparing the measured blood alcohol content of he breath sample against the predefined threshold level for permitted blood to alcohol content for the operator;
and
h) affecting the starter mechanism of the motorized apparatus based upon a pass or fail of the comparison step.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/683,115Filed 7 Mar 2007 · continuation in part
Priority: 31 Oct 2003
Published: US 2007/0144812 A128 Jun 2007
Granted: 18 Nov 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B60K 28/063
Responsive to incapacity of driver: preventing starting of vehicles
B60W 2540/24
Input parameters relating to occupants: drug level, e.g. alcohol
B60K
Arrangement or mounting of propulsion units or of transmissions in vehicles
B60W
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function

Family

PCT/US03/34650Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Oct 2003
Application10/485,041Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Jan 2004
US 2007/0144812 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Jun 2007
US 7,204,335 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0241871 A1Published application
US 7,451,852 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.