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