IP Library Granted Patent US 11,427,083
Granted Patent B2
US 11,427,083 · App. 16/940,101 · Granted Aug 30, 2022

Method and system of deploying ignition interlock device functionality

Inventors: Amanda Renee Mallinger (Des Moines, IA); Jennifer Ringgenberg (West Des Moines, IA); Usha Rani Chintala (Grimes, IA); Douglas Robert Bruce (Urbandale, IA); Sujitha Chandra Mohan (Waukee, IA)
Assignee: Consumer Safety Technology, LLC
B60K28/063
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,427,083
App. No.
16/940,101
Granted
Aug 30, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and a system of deploying an ignition interlock device (IID). The method comprises receiving a time series of breath alcohol content (BrAC) measurements that are unitarily sourced from a pre-identified user, each BrAC measurement of the time series including an alveolar breath component and an interferent breath component; estimating a dissipation rate of alcohol attributable to the pre-identified user in accordance with the time series of BrAC measurements; determining, responsive to estimating the dissipation rate of alcohol, at least a subset of the BrAC measurements as being based on the alveolar breath component but not the interferent breath component; and performing one of triggering and not triggering the IID into a lockout state based on the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements.

Claims (38)

1. A method of deploying an ignition interlock device (IID), the method comprising:

receiving an initial sample volume of breath from a pre-identified user;

measuring a breath alcohol content (BrAC) of the initial sample volume of breath with a fuel cell of the IID;

after measuring the BrAC of the initial sample volume of breath, receiving a subsequent sample volume of breath from the pre-identified user;

measuring the BrAC of the subsequent sample volume of breath with the fuel cell of the IID;

wherein the initial sample volume of breath and the subsequent sample volume of breath each comprise an alveolar breath component and an interferent breath component;

estimating a dissipation rate of alcohol between the initial sample volume of breath and the subsequent sample volume of breath;

determining, responsive to estimating the dissipation rate of alcohol, at least a subset of the BrAC measurements as attributable to the alveolar breath component but not the interferent breath component; and

performing one of triggering and not triggering the IID into a lockout state based on the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein an alcohol dissipation rate attributable to the interferent breath component of the BrAC measurements exceeds a dissipation rate attributable to the alveolar breath component.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the alcohol dissipation rate attributable to the interferent breath component exceeds 0.025 g/100 mL/hour, and the dissipation rate attributable to the alveolar breath component ranges from 0.015 to 0.025 g/100 mL/hour.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the alveolar breath component is indicative of an alcohol ingestion event.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interferent breath component is indicative of a non-ingested alcohol event.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the non-ingested alcohol event is associated with at least one of a mouthwash liquid, a hand sanitizer fluid, and an ambient vapor.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising triggering the IID into the lockout state when the alveolar breath component of the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements indicates that a predetermined threshold of blood alcohol content is exceeded.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising not triggering the IID into the lockout state when the alveolar breath component of the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements indicates that a predetermined threshold of blood alcohol content is not exceeded.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the BrAC measurements comprise a series of BrAC measurements acquired from the pre-identified user at measured time intervals.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the measured time intervals comprise one of a regular duration and a random duration between at least a trio of successive BrAC measurements within the time series of BrAC measurements.

11. A computing system for deploying an ignition interlock device (IID), the computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing a set of instructions, the instructions when executed in the processor causing operations comprising:

receiving a initial sample volume of breath from a pre-identified user;

measuring a breath alcohol content (BrAC) of the initial sample volume of breath with a fuel cell of the IID;

after measuring the BrAC of the initial sample volume of breath, receiving a subsequent sample volume of breath from the pre-identified user;

measuring the BrAC of the subsequent sample volume of breath with the fuel cell of the IID;

wherein the initial sample volume of breath and the subsequent sample volume of breath comprise an alveolar breath component and an interferent breath component;

estimating a dissipation rate of alcohol between the initial sample volume of breath and the subsequent sample volume of breath;

determining, responsive to estimating the dissipation rate of alcohol, at least a subset of the BrAC measurements as attributable to the alveolar breath component but not the interferent breath component; and

performing one of triggering and not triggering the IID into a lockout state based on the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements.

12. The computing system of claim 11 wherein an alcohol dissipation rate attributable to the interferent breath component of the BrAC measurements exceeds a dissipation rate attributable to the alveolar breath component.

13. The computing system of claim 12 wherein the alcohol dissipation rate attributable to the interferent breath component exceeds 0.025 g/100 mL/hour, and the dissipation rate attributable to the alveolar breath component ranges from 0.015 to 0.025 g/100 mL/hour.

14. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the alveolar breath component is indicative of an alcohol ingestion event.

15. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the interferent breath component is indicative of a non-ingested alcohol event.

16. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the non-ingested alcohol event is associated with at least one of a mouthwash liquid, a hand sanitizer fluid, and an ambient vapor.

17. The computing system of claim 11 further comprising instructions causing triggering the IID into the lockout state when the alveolar breath component of the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements indicates that a predetermined threshold of blood alcohol content is exceeded.

18. The computing system of claim 11 further comprising instructions causing not triggering the IID into the lockout state when the alveolar breath component of the at least a subset of the BrAC measurements indicates that a predetermined threshold of blood alcohol content is not exceeded.

19. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the BrAC measurements comprise a series of BrAC measurements acquired from the pre-identified user at measured time intervals.

20. The computing system of claim 19 wherein the measured time intervals comprise one of a regular duration and a random duration between at least a trio of successive BrAC measurements within the time series of BrAC measurements.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 5TH INVENTOR LAST NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 61052 FRAME: 720. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 5, 2025
From: MALLINGER, AMANDA RENEE; RINGGENBERG, JENNIFER; CHINTALA, USHA RANI; BRUCE, DOUGLAS ROBERT; CHANDRA MOHAN, SUJITHA
To: CONSUMER SAFETY TECHNOLOGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 070115/0323 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2022
From: CONSUMER SAFETY TECHNOLOGY, LLC; ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY, LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061617/0407 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2022
From: MALLINGER, AMANDA RENEE; RINGGENBERG, JENNIFER; CHINTALA, USHA RANI; BRUCE, DOUGLAS ROBERT; MOHAN, SUJITHA CHANDRA
To: CONSUMER SAFETY TECHNOLOGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 061052/0720 →