IP Library Granted Patent US 11,993,269
Granted Patent B2
US 11,993,269 · App. 18/056,537 · Granted May 28, 2024

Smart ring system for measuring driver impairment levels and using machine learning techniques to predict high risk driving behavior

Inventor: Kenneth Jason Sanchez (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: BLUEOWL, LLC
B60W40/08B60W50/0097B60W50/14G01S19/42G06N5/04G06N20/00B60W2040/0836B60W2040/0845B60W2040/0872B60W2540/221B60W2540/24B60W2540/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,993,269
App. No.
18/056,537
Granted
May 28, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The described systems and methods determine a driver's fitness to safely operate a moving vehicle based at least in part upon observed impairment patterns. A smart ring, wearable on a user's finger, continuously monitors impairment levels. This impairment data, representing impairment patterns, can be utilized, in combination with driving data, to train a machine learning model, which will predict the user's level of risk exposure based at least in part upon observed impairment patterns. The user can be warned of this risk to prevent them from driving or to encourage them to delay driving. In some instances, the disclosed smart ring system may interact with the user's vehicle to prevent it from starting while the user is in a state of impairment induced by substance intoxication.

Claims (64)

1. A method for implementing a machine learning model to predict driving risk exposure based at least in part upon observed impairment patterns, the method comprising:

receiving a first set of data collected via a smart ring associated with a user;

analyzing, via a machine learning (ML) model, the first set of data collected by the smart ring associated with the user, wherein:

the ML model is trained using the first set of first data indicative of:

an impairment pattern collected via an impairment monitoring device, wherein the impairment monitoring device collects sleep data; and

a second set of data indicative of a high-risk driving pattern collected via one or more driving monitor devices, wherein the analyzing includes:

determining that the first set of data represents the impairment pattern correlated with the high-risk driving pattern; and

in response to the determining that the first set of data represents the impairment pattern, predicting, based at least in part upon the ML model, a level of risk exposure for the user during driving;

determining a remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure;

generating a notification to alert the user of the level of risk exposure or the remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure; and

providing the notification to at least one of the smart ring or a display in a vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the smart ring includes a physiological and biochemical sensor at least partially disposed on a surface of the smart ring.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of first data comprises physiological and biochemical data collected via one or more physiological and biochemical sensors of a first set of smart rings.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ML model is trained to discover one or more relationships between the impairment pattern and the high-risk driving pattern, wherein the one or more relationships include a relationship representing a correlation between the impairment pattern and the high-risk driving pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more driving monitor devices includes a vehicle computer or a dedicated electronic driving tracker device wherein acquiring the second set of data comprises acquiring the second set of data via one or more of the vehicle computer or the dedicated electronic driving tracker device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the level of risk exposure to a known threshold to determine the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold, generating a system action that prevents the user from operating a vehicle, wherein:

the system action includes preventing the user from starting the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the level of risk exposure to a known threshold to determine the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold, generating a system action that prevents the user from operating a vehicle, wherein:

the system action includes overtaking control of the vehicle while the vehicle is in operation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

utilizing the first set of data representing the impairment pattern to further train the ML model.

9. A system for acquiring data indicative of an impairment pattern, and utilizing the data to predict driving risk exposure, comprising:

one or more processors configured to:

receive a first set of data collected via a smart ring associated with a user;

analyze, via a machine learning (ML) model, the first set of data collected by the smart ring associated with the user, wherein:

the ML model is trained using the first set of data indicative of:

an impairment pattern collected via an impairment monitoring device, wherein the impairment monitoring device collects sleep data; and

a second set of data indicative of a high-risk driving pattern collected via one or more driving monitor devices, wherein the one or more processors:

 determine that the first set of data represents the impairment pattern correlated with the high-risk driving pattern; and

 in response to determining that the first set of data represents the impairment pattern, predict, via the ML model, a level of risk exposure for the user during driving;

determine a remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure;

generate a notification to alert the user of the predicted level of risk exposure or the remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure; and

provide the notification to at least one of the smart ring or a display in a vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the smart ring includes a physiological and biochemical sensor at least partially disposed on a surface of the smart ring.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first set of first data comprises physiological and biochemical data collected via one or more physiological and biochemical sensors of a first set of smart rings.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the ML model is trained to discover one or more relationships between the impairment pattern and the high-risk driving pattern, wherein the one or more relationships include a relationship representing a correlation between the impairment pattern and the high-risk driving pattern.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate the notification to alert the user of the level of risk exposure by way of generating the notification via the smart ring, a vehicle computer, or a mobile device in communication with the one or more processors.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first set of data includes impairment pattern data for users other than the user associated with the smart ring.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

compare the level of risk exposure to a known threshold to determine the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of risk exposure exceeds the known threshold, generate a system action and transmit the system action to a vehicle computer for a vehicle to cause the vehicle computer to prevent the user from operating the vehicle.

16. A server for implementing a machine learning (ML) model to predict driving risk exposure based at least in part upon acquired impairment patterns, the server comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more processors coupled to the communication interface; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when implemented, cause the one or more processors to:

analyze, via the ML model, a first set of data collected by a smart ring associated with a user, wherein:

the ML model is trained using the first set of data indicative of:

an impairment pattern collected via an impairment monitoring device, wherein the impairment monitoring device collects sleep data; and

a second set of data indicative of a high-risk driving pattern collected via one or more driving monitor devices, wherein analyzing includes:

determining that the first set of data represents the impairment pattern corresponding to a given impairment pattern correlated with the high-risk driving pattern; and

predicting, based at least in part upon the ML model, a level of risk exposure for the user during driving;

determine a remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure;

generate a notification to alert the user of the predicted level of risk exposure or the remediating action to reduce or eliminate the level of risk exposure; and

provide the notification to at least one of the smart ring or a display in a vehicle.

17. The server of claim 16 , wherein the smart ring includes a physiological and biochemical sensor at least partially disposed on a surface of the smart ring.

18. The server of claim 16 , wherein the level of risk exposure includes a binary or ternary parameter.

19. The server of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

compare the level of risk exposure to a threshold; and

when the level of risk exposure exceeds the threshold, generate a system action and transmit the system action to a vehicle computer for a vehicle to cause the vehicle computer to prevent the user from operating the vehicle.

20. The server of claim 16 , wherein the first set of data includes impairment pattern data for users other than the user associated with the smart ring.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 29, 2024
From: BLUEOWL, LLC
To: QUANATA, LLC
Reel/Frame 067558/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2023
From: SANCHEZ, KENNETH JASON
To: BLUEOWL, LLC
Reel/Frame 065025/0709 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16913446 · Jun 26, 2020
Provisional Application 62877391 · Jul 23, 2019
Related Publication 20230074056A1 · Mar 9, 2023