IP Library Granted Patent US 12,085,546
Granted Patent B2
US 12,085,546 · App. 17/321,021 · Granted Sep 10, 2024

Method and system of ignition interlock device calibration and cleaning

Inventors: David L. Smith (Des Moines, IA); Kevin Kauffold (Des Moines, IA); Michael White (Des Moines, IA); James Thomsen (Des Moines, IA); Elizabeth Youngwirth (Des Moines, IA)
Assignee: Consumer Safety Technology, LLC
G01N33/0029B60K28/063G01N33/0006G01N33/4972A61L2/10A61L2/202
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,085,546
App. No.
17/321,021
Granted
Sep 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method of bio-cleaning an ignition interlock device (IID). The method comprises receiving a handheld unit of an IID in a fixtured arrangement with an IID calibration station, and applying, while maintaining the IID handheld unit in the fixtured arrangement, a bio-cleaning agent to at least one ingress port of the IID handheld unit in a consolidated IID bio-cleaning and IID calibration operation.

Claims (28)

1. A method of cleaning an ignition interlock device (IID) comprising:

receiving, in a fixtured arrangement within an IID calibration station, an IID handheld unit; and

applying, responsive to maintaining the IID handheld unit in the fixtured arrangement, a bio-cleaning agent to at least one ingress port of the IID handheld unit; wherein the bio-cleaning agent comprises a UV light guide probe.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fixtured arrangement comprises establishing at least one of an electrical connection and a mechanical connection between the IID handheld unit and the IID calibration station.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising initiating, at one of prior to and subsequent to applying the bio-cleaning agent, a calibration process that indicates operational suitability of the IID based on an impairment parameter determined in accordance with a fuel cell sensor device of the IID handheld unit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the impairment parameter comprises a breath alcohol content (BrAC).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ingress port comprises one of a top and a bottom port of a housing of the IID handheld unit, the method further comprising applying the bio-cleaning agent into a breath sample channel within the IID handheld unit, the breath sample channel configured for fluid communication between the ingress port and a fuel cell sensor device located within the housing.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the bio-cleaning agent comprises at least one of an anti-viral and an anti-bacterial cleaning agent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the anti-viral and the anti-bacterial cleaning agent comprises at least one of: a biomist, and a bio-cleaning fluid.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the biomist comprises at least one of ozone vapor, steam and an alcohol vapor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV light guide probe retractably provides UV light along a set of contiguous portions of the breath sample channel, the UV light being provided at a frequency range of the UV light being typically provided at a frequency range between the wavelengths of 207 and 222 nanometers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IID calibration station is communicatively connected with a server computing device, the method further comprising communicating a timestamp of a completed bio-cleaning operation in conjunction with a unique identifier associated with the IID to the server computing device.

11. An ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory including instructions, the instructions when executed in the processor causing operations comprising:

detecting placement of an IID handheld unit in fixtured arrangement within the IID calibration station; and

generating, at a display interface of at least one of the IID handheld unit and the IID calibration station, an instruction associated with application of a bio-cleaning agent to an ingress port of the IID handheld unit; wherein the bio-cleaning agent comprises a UV light guide probe.

12. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 11 , wherein the fixtured arrangement comprises establishing at least one of an electrical connection and a mechanical connection between the IID handheld unit and the IID calibration station.

13. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 12 , further comprising instructions executable to cause initiating, at one of prior to and subsequent to applying the bio-cleaning agent, a calibration process that indicates operational suitability of the IID based on an impairment parameter determined in accordance with a fuel cell sensor device of the IID handheld unit.

14. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 13 , wherein the impairment parameter comprises a breath alcohol content (BrAC).

15. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 11 , wherein the ingress port comprises one of a top and a bottom port of a housing of the IID handheld unit, and further comprising instructions executable to cause initiating applying the bio-cleaning agent into a breath sample channel within the IID handheld unit, the breath sample channel configured for fluid communication between the ingress port and a fuel cell sensor device located within the housing.

16. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 15 , wherein the bio-cleaning agent comprises at least one of an anti-viral and an anti-bacterial cleaning agent.

17. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 16 , wherein the at least one of the anti-viral and the anti-bacterial cleaning agent comprises at least one of: a biomist and a bio-cleaning fluid.

18. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 11 , wherein the UV light guide probe retractably provides UV light along a set of contiguous portions of the breath sample channel, the UV light being provided at a frequency range of between the wavelengths of 207 and 222 nanometers.

19. The ignition interlock device (IID) calibration station of claim 11 , wherein the IID calibration station is communicatively connected with a server computing device, and further comprising instructions executable to cause communicating a timestamp of a completed bio-cleaning operation in conjunction with a unique identifier associated with the IID to the server computing device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing instructions executable in a processor device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor device, cause the processor device to perform operations comprising:

detecting placement of an IID handheld unit in fixtured arrangement within an IID calibration station; and

generating, at a display interface of at least one of the IID handheld unit and the IID calibration station, an instruction associated with application of a bio-cleaning agent to an ingress port of the IID handheld unit; wherein the bio-cleaning agent comprises a UV light guide probe.

Assignments (2)
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 May 14, 2021
From: KAUFFOLD, KEVIN D.; SMITH, DAVID LIVINGSTON; THOMSEN, JAMES; WHITE, MICHAEL; YOUNGWIRTH, ELIZABETH
To: CONSUMER SAFETY TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 056249/0670 →