Estimating orientation of a mobile device with respect to a vehicle using global displacement information and local motion information

Abstract

A system for determining an orientation of a mobile device with respect to a vehicle. The system comprises at least one computer processor programmed to: receive local motion information regarding the mobile device; receive global displacement information regarding the mobile device; and based on the local motion information regarding the mobile device and the global displacement information regarding the mobile device, determine the orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle. A method for determining an orientation of a mobile device with respect to a vehicle, and at least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for determining information regarding an impact a vehicle has sustained, the system comprising:
 at least one computer processor programmed to:
 receive global displacement information regarding a mobile device inside the vehicle; 
 based at least in part on the global displacement information, determine an orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle; and 
 based on the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle, determine the information regarding the impact the vehicle has sustained. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to receive local motion information regarding the mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to determine the orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle based on the global displacement information and the local motion information. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to determine whether the mobile device has been handled between a time of the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle and a time of the impact. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to determine a gravity vector based on the local motion information and the global displacement information. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the information regarding the impact comprises a direction and/or an area of the impact. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed to determine at least one quality indicator indicating a degree of reliability of the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the global displacement information comprises at least one of:
 at least one speed of the mobile device;   at least one heading of the mobile device; and   at least two positions determined by a global positioning system component of the mobile device.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the global displacement information comprises at least one speed of the vehicle determined by at least one sensor of the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . At least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for determining information regarding an impact a vehicle has sustained, the method comprising acts of:
 receiving global displacement information regarding a mobile device inside the vehicle;   based at least in part on the global displacement information, determining an orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle; and   based on the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle, determining the information regarding the impact the vehicle has sustained.   
     
     
         12 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions define an act comprising receiving local motion information regarding the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions define an act comprising determining the orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle based on the global displacement information and the local motion information. 
     
     
         14 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions define an act comprising determining whether the mobile device has been handled between a time of the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle and a time of the impact. 
     
     
         15 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions define an act comprising estimating a gravity vector based on the local motion information and the global displacement information. 
     
     
         16 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the information regarding the impact comprises a direction and/or an area of the impact. 
     
     
         17 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions define an act comprising determining at least one quality indicator indicating a degree of reliability of the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . A method for determining information regarding an impact a vehicle has sustained, the method comprising acts of:
 receiving global displacement information regarding a mobile device inside the vehicle;   based at least in part on the global displacement information, determining an orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle; and   based on the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle, determining the information regarding the impact the vehicle has sustained.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the global displacement information comprises at least one of:
 at least one speed of the mobile device;   at least one heading of the mobile device; and   at least two positions determined by a global positioning system component or at least one sensor of the mobile device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the information regarding the impact comprises a direction and/or an area of the impact. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising determining at least one quality indicator indicating a degree of reliability of the determined orientation of the mobile device with respect to the vehicle.