Wireless communication devices
A method is provided for operating a wireless communication device located in a vehicle to transmit data indicative of trips made by the vehicle to a remote device via a wireless transmitter. An engine ‘on’ state of the vehicle is determined, and a corresponding first time is stored. A first time window of a first non-zero duration is defined beginning prior to the first time and ending at the first time, and a second time window of a second duration is defined beginning at the first time and ending at a second time. First user input is enabled only during the first and second time windows, via an input device operatively connected to the wireless communication device. A current trip is selectively characterized based on the first user input, or omission thereof, as being of a first or second type. A message is generated, indicating the current type of trip.
1 . A method of operating a wireless communication device located in a vehicle to transmit data indicative of trips made by the vehicle to a remote device, the wireless communication device comprising a wireless transmitter configured to communicate with the remote device, the method comprising steps carried out by the wireless communication device as follows:
determining an engine ‘on’ state of the vehicle, and storing in memory a first time at which said engine ‘on’ state is determined;
based on the stored first time, defining a time window that extends for a predetermined and non-zero period of time prior to said first time and further extends after said first time for a predetermined period of time or for a dynamic period of time which ends with a detected movement of the vehicle;
identifying if a first user input, received via an input device operatively connected to the wireless communication device, has been received during the window;
selectively characterizing a current trip as being of a first type or otherwise of a second type depending on if the first user input has been identified as received during the time window; and
generating a message, indicating whether the current trip is characterized as the first type or as the second type.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising wirelessly transmitting, at least when the current trip is characterized to be of the first type, the generated message to the remote device via the wireless transmitter of the wireless communication device.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is in the engine ‘on’ state includes determining that the vehicle is in an ignition ‘on’ state.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the vehicle is in the engine ‘on’ state comprises detecting at least one of: a voltage exceeding a predetermined threshold; and a temporary voltage drop of at least a predetermined magnitude.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is communicably connected to an ignition switch of the vehicle, and wherein determining an ignition ‘on’ state comprises receiving a signal from the ignition switch indicating the ignition state of the vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a voltage at a connector of said wireless communication device, via a voltage sensor on or in the vehicle operably connected to the wireless communication device, wherein said connector is installable into an on-board diagnostics (OBD) port of the vehicle, and wherein determining an ignition ‘on’ state comprises detecting when said voltage at the connector exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising said wireless communication device being operatively connected to a hardware device installed in the vehicle, said hardware device being connected through a wired connection to a CAN bus of the vehicle or said hardware device comprising a connector configured to connect said hardware device to an on-board diagnostics (OBD) port of the vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a start and an end of each trip made by the vehicle.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each trip is determined to have started when the engine ‘on’ state is determined and the vehicle remains in the engine ‘on’ state for more than a predetermined third duration after the first time.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a velocity state of the vehicle, via a velocity sensor on or in the vehicle operably connected to the wireless communication device, wherein said velocity state includes at least a velocity ‘stationary’ state, wherein a time at which said velocity state is transitioned into said velocity ‘stationary’ state is stored in said memory, and wherein each trip is determined to have ended when the velocity state is determined to transition to the velocity ‘stationary’ state and remains in the velocity ‘stationary’ state for more than a predetermined duration.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one of: (i) the first type of trip is a ‘private’ trip and the second type of trip is a ‘business’ trip; or (ii) the first type of trip is a ‘business’ trip and the second type of trip is a ‘private’ trip.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each first user input into the input device is timestamped and stored in said memory, wherein upon the first time being determined the timestamped first user input is compared to the time window to determine whether the timestamped first user input was made during the time window, and wherein the timestamped first user input is ignored when it is determined that it was not made during the time window.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon receiving a second user input when the current trip is characterized as the second type, via the input device operatively connected to the wireless communication device, ending the current trip of the second type and starting a new current trip that is characterized as the first type.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises the user input device enabling said user input, and wherein the wireless communication device is a smartphone.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an electric engine.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises both an internal combustion engine and an electric engine, wherein the first trip type is a trip driven by the electric engine and the second trip type is a trip driven by the internal combustion engine, or vice versa.
18 . A wireless communication device for use in a vehicle, the wireless communication device comprising:
a processor configured to
determine an engine ‘on’ state of the vehicle, and store in memory a first time at which said engine ‘on’ state is determined;
based on the stored first time, define a time window that extends for a predetermined and non-zero period of time prior to said first time and further extends after said first time for a predetermined period of time or for a dynamic period of time which ends with a detected movement of the vehicle;
enable user input, via an input device operatively connected to the wireless communication device, and further identify if a first user input has been received during the time window;
selectively characterize a current trip as being of a first type or otherwise of a second type depending on if the first user input has been identified as received during the time window; and
generate a message indicating whether the current trip is characterized as the first type or as the second type;
the wireless communication device further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to communicate with a remote device.
19 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a wireless communication device located in a vehicle, cause the wireless communication device to direct the performance of operations comprising:
determining an engine ‘on’ state of the vehicle, and storing in memory a first time at which said engine ‘on’ state is determined;
based on the stored first time, defining a time window that extends for a predetermined and non-zero period of time prior to said first time and further extends after said first time for a predetermined period of time or for a dynamic period of time which ends with a detected movement of the vehicle;
enabling user input, via an input device operatively connected to the wireless communication device, and further identifying if a first user input has been received during the time window;
selectively characterizing a current trip as being of a first type or otherwise of a second type depending on if the first user input has been identified as received during the time window; and
generating a message indicating whether the current trip is characterized as the first type or as the second type.