# US 9,519,905 B2 · Recording and reporting of driving characteristics using wireless mobile device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,905 B2 - Document ID: US9519905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/126,045 - Filed: 2008-05-23 - Published: 2008-11-27 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2007-05-23 - Assignees: Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. - Applicants: Otman A. Basir - Inventors: Otman A. Basir - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519905B2 ## CPC - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) - G01C 21/3492: {employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968)} - G01C 21/3691: {Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09)} - G01S 19/13: Receivers - G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G07C 5/0858: {wherein the data carrier is removable} - G08G 1/012: {from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks} - H04W 4/027: {using movement velocity, acceleration information} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - G08G 1/015: with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system and method for monitoring a vehicle uses a wireless mobile device. The wireless mobile device, such as a cell phone, smart phone, PDA, etc., includes some of the hardware that could be utilized to monitor and analyze data and transmit the data (or summaries, statistics or analyses of the data) to a central server. This can greatly reduce the overall cost of the system. The data can be used to determine an insurance rate or as a speed probe for creating traffic maps, for example. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of monitoring a vehicle including the steps of: a) determining that a mobile device is near the vehicle, said mobile device including a cell phone including a GPS receiver; b) determining a location of the mobile device by determining the location of the cell phone via the GPS receiver; c) determining a location of the vehicle based upon said steps a-b); d) storing the vehicle location from said step c) on the mobile device as a last vehicle location; e) comparing the last vehicle location to a new vehicle location where the vehicle reestablishes communication with the mobile device; and f) determining whether the vehicle has been moved without the mobile device based upon said step e). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining a cost of insurance based upon said step c). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving on the mobile device vehicle operating data from the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining that the vehicle has been operated without the presence of the mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including the step of: sending vehicle speed information and the location of the vehicle to a server. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further including the step of accumulating vehicle speed information and vehicle location from a plurality of vehicles, including the vehicle, in order to compile traffic information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: g) determining that the mobile device is no longer near the vehicle; and h) after said step g), indicating the stored location of the vehicle to a user on the mobile device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further including the step of determining a cost of insurance based upon said step c). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further including the step of receiving on the mobile device vehicle operating data from the vehicle. ### Claim 10 A method of monitoring a vehicle including the steps of: a) determining that a mobile device is near the vehicle, said mobile device including a cell phone including a GPS receiver; b) determining a location of the mobile device by determining the location of the cell phone via the GPS receiver; c) determining a location of the vehicle based upon said steps a-b); d) storing the location of the vehicle on the mobile device; e) determining that the mobile device is no longer near the vehicle; and f) after said step e), indicating the stored location of the vehicle to a user on the mobile device. ### Claim 11 A vehicle monitoring device comprising: a vehicle unit for installation in a vehicle, the vehicle unit programmed to be associated with at least one mobile device and to transmit vehicle operating data via the mobile device, wherein the vehicle unit stores a last location received from the mobile device after a connection with the mobile device is lost. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit includes a GPS receiver. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit includes a cell phone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit includes an accelerometer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit collects the vehicle operating data from the vehicle including speed and odometer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14 wherein the vehicle unit analyzes the vehicle operating data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit is programmed to receive location information from the mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the vehicle unit records distance traveled by the vehicle when the mobile device is not present. ### Claim 19 A mobile device for monitoring a vehicle, wherein the mobile device is programmed to: determine that the mobile device is near a vehicle, wherein the mobile device includes a cell phone and a GPS receiver; determine a location of the mobile device; and monitor operation of the vehicle based upon a determination that the mobile device is near the vehicle and based upon the location of the mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device is programmed to: store a location of the vehicle on the mobile device; determine that the mobile device is no longer near the vehicle; and while the mobile device is not near the vehicle, indicate the stored location of the vehicle to a user on the mobile device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device is programmed to receive vehicle operating data from the vehicle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device is programmed to: store the vehicle location on the mobile device as a last vehicle location; compare the last vehicle location to a new vehicle location where the vehicle reestablishes communication with the mobile device; and determine whether the vehicle has been moved without the mobile device based upon the comparison. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device is programmed to determine that the vehicle has been operated without the presence of the mobile device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device is programmed to send vehicle speed information and the location of the vehicle to a server. ### Claim 25 A method of monitoring a vehicle including the steps of: a. determining that a cell phone carried by a user is near the vehicle; b. determining a location of the cell phone via a GPS receiver in the cell phone; and c. determining a location of the vehicle based upon said steps a-b). ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further including the step of transmitting the location of the vehicle to a server via the cell phone. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 further including the step of determining a cost of insurance for the vehicle based upon the location of the vehicle. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27 further including the step of determining that the user associated with the cell phone is driving the vehicle and determining the cost of insurance based upon the determination that the user is driving the vehicle. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 further including the step of determining that the user associated with the cell phone is driving the vehicle and determining a cost of insurance based upon the determination that the user is driving the vehicle. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 wherein said step a) is performed based upon detecting a wireless signal from the cell phone.