System and Method for Detecting Use of a Wireless Device While Driving

Abstract

A system for detecting the use of wireless devices such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or pagers in a moving vehicle receives wireless signals inside a vehicle using a radio frequency (RF) sensor(s) and converts the RF signals into voltage signals. The voltage signals are then compared with known waveforms to determine if the wireless signals indicate a received call, if the received call is answered, a transmitted call, an SMS text message, data associated with internet browsing on a wireless device, or Bluetooth activity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for detecting wireless signals in a vehicle, comprising:
 a first antenna operable to receive a wireless signal;   a second antenna operable to receive the wireless signal;   a power detector, located in a vehicle, connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, the power detector operable to convert the wireless signal into a voltage waveform;   a motion sensor; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the power detector and the motion sensor, wherein the processor is operable to:
 receive the voltage waveform; 
 compare the voltage waveform to at least one pre-determined pattern; 
 determine mobile device usage based at least in part on the comparison of the voltage waveform to the at least one pre-determined pattern; and 
 correlate the determined mobile device usage with motion data indicating that the vehicle is in motion received from the motion sensor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the power detector is further operable to determine a magnitude of the wireless signal. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the power detector converts the wireless signal into the voltage waveform in response to determining that the magnitude of the wireless signal exceeds a power threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first antenna is omnidirectional. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the power detector is further operable to
 determine a first magnitude of the wireless signal received at the first antenna; and   determine a second magnitude of the wireless signal received at the second antenna.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the power detector is further operable to determine the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the power detector is further operable to determine the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use by a driver of the vehicle based at least in part upon the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable to:
 determine a combination pulse amplitude associated with the voltage waveform; and   determine the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the combination pulse amplitude.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a seat belt sensor and wherein the processor is further operable to:
 correlate seat belt sensor data received from the seat belt sensor with the determined mobile phone usage; and   determine a location of a user based at least in part upon the correlation of the seat belt sensor data with the determined mobile phone usage.   
     
     
         10 . A method for detecting wireless signals in a vehicle, comprising:
 receiving a wireless signal at a first antenna;   receiving the wireless signal at a second antenna;   converting, using a power detector located in a vehicle, the wireless signal into a voltage waveform, wherein the power detector is connected to the first antenna and the second antenna;   receiving, at a processor, the voltage waveform;   comparing the voltage waveform to at least one pre-determined pattern;   determining mobile device usage based at least in part on the comparison of the voltage waveform to the at least one pre-determined pattern; and   correlating the determined mobile device usage with motion data indicating that the vehicle is in motion received from a motion sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining a magnitude of the wireless signal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein converting the wireless signal into the voltage waveform is in response to determining that the magnitude of the wireless signal exceeds a power threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first antenna is omnidirectional. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining a first magnitude of the wireless signal received at the first antenna; and   determining a second magnitude of the wireless signal received at the second antenna.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use by a driver of the vehicle based at least in part upon the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining a combination pulse amplitude associated with the voltage waveform; and   determining the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the combination pulse amplitude.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 correlating seat belt sensor data received from a seat belt sensor with the determined mobile phone usage; and   determining a location of a user based at least in part upon the correlation of the seat belt sensor data with the determined mobile phone usage.   
     
     
         19 . A wireless signal detection system, comprising:
 a first antenna operable to receive a wireless signal, wherein the first antenna is omnidirectional;   a second antenna operable to receive the wireless signal;   a power detector, located in a vehicle, connected to the first antenna and the second antenna, the power detector operable to:
 determine a first magnitude of the wireless signal received at the first antenna; 
 convert the wireless signal into a voltage waveform in response to determining the first magnitude of the wireless signal exceeds a power threshold; 
   a motion sensor; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the power detector and the motion sensor, wherein the processor operable to:
 receive the voltage waveform; 
 compare the voltage waveform to at least one pre-determined pattern; 
 determine mobile device usage based at least in part on the comparison of the voltage waveform to the at least one pre-determined pattern; and 
 correlate the determined mobile device usage with motion data indicating that the vehicle is in motion received from the motion sensor. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the power detector is further operable to determine a second magnitude of the wireless signal received at the second antenna. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the power detector is further operable to determine that the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is further operable to:
 determine a combination pulse amplitude associated with the voltage waveform; and   determine the wireless signal is associated with a mobile device in use inside of the vehicle based at least in part upon the combination pulse amplitude.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a seat belt sensor and wherein the processor is operable to:
 correlate seat belt sensor data received from the seat belt sensor with the determined mobile phone usage; and   determine a location of a user based at least in part upon the correlation of the seat belt sensor data with the determined mobile phone usage.