Vehicle Mobile Device Detection Using Bluetooth Presence

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a common issue where individuals forget their mobile devices in vehicles, leading to accidental departure without the device or leaving the device behind after exiting the vehicle, which existing systems do not effectively address.

Innovation Solution

A mobile device detection system integrated into vehicles uses identification tags and image recognition to associate mobile devices with users, providing notifications when a device is not present within the vehicle or when a user has exited, allowing for timely retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing monitoring systems are used to detect mobile devices in vehicles, then device presence can be tracked, but users still forget devices and leave them behind due to lack of effective warning mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice presence detection accuracyVSAvoiduser awareness of forgotten devices
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of mobile device presence before the user exits the vehicle. By continuously monitoring device presence and cross-referencing with user presence status, the system proactively identifies forgotten devices and issues warnings before the user walks away, preventing the loss rather than detecting it afterward.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where detection results are immediately communicated to the user through multiple warning channels (visual, auditory, haptic). The warning message provides specific information about the forgotten device and location, and the system continues monitoring until the device is retrieved or the user confirms departure, ensuring the feedback loop closes only when the issue is resolved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If multiple detection methods are implemented to improve device detection, then detection reliability increases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice detection accuracyVSAvoiddetection system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system leverages the vehicle's existing Bluetooth communication infrastructure for mobile device detection, making the existing multi-functional system serve the additional purpose of forgotten device warning. By reusing the Bluetooth stack, audio system, and display already present in modern vehicles, the patent avoids adding dedicated detection hardware while achieving reliable device presence monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the mobile device's own Bluetooth transceiver and identification data to detect its presence and identity. Rather than requiring external scanning hardware, the vehicle's Bluetooth system passively receives connection requests and device information from mobile phones, using the device's self-provided data for detection and warning purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2678998B1Apparatus for use in a vehicle to warn a user that he has left behind a mobile device
Publication Date: 2015.11.04 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2678998B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2678998B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP2678998B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Example methods and apparatus to detect mobile devices are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processor to determine whether a first wireless transceiver is in communication range of a vehicle. The first wireless transceiver is to provide an identifier associated with a person. When the first wireless transceiver is not in communication range of the vehicle, a second wireless transceiver in the vehicle is transitioned from a first power transmission mode to a relatively lower power transmission mode.