Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING THE OPERATION OF
A MOTOR VEHICLE BY A PERSON WHO IS INTOXICATED
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method that will
prevent a human being from operating a motor vehicle if that
human being is intoxicated or under the effects of hallucinati-ng
drugs. The system includes the use of a galvanic detector that
can continuously measure the alcohol or toxicity level of the
human being in conjunction with override switches to prevent the
motor vehicle from being started or operated after impairment
levels of alcohol are detected.
2. Description of Related Art
Although-much progress has been made in the United States of
America against drunk drivers in the last decade, drunk driving
continues to be the number one factor in fatal automobile and
vehicle wrecks in the United States. The deaths, injuries and
destruction caused by drunk drivers is totally preventable.
Though systems have been devised that disable a motor vehicle
based on a driver's alcohol level, such systems, because of the
complexity, have not been employed as too costly or too easy to
circumvent. Some devices have used coordination measurement
which requires the user to push buttons in a random order within
a given amount of time in order to allow the vehicle to be
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started. Other systems have used detectors for analyzing the
breathe of the vehicle operator in order to start the car.
U.S. Patent No. 5,969,615 issued to Ivey Jr., et al.,
October 19, 1999, shows a system for monitoring and covering the
use of a hand operated machine by an impaired individual through
detection of toxins in the individual. This system uses vapor
from an individual's hands that is drawn through a sampling
apparatus. The resultant signal 'is used to estimate the
alcoholic content of the individual: The complexity, of ~this
system, the overall accuracy and the expense would seem to limit
its use on a practical level.
U.S. Patent No. 4,592,443 issued to Simon, June :3, 1986,
shows a sobriety interlock which includes an apparatus for
detecting alcohol on the breathe that is connected into the
ignition system of a vehicle. The use of breathe analyzers which
are not that accurate and which require an initial sensing is not
practical for use in conjunction with a vehicle during its
operation.
U.S. Patent No. 4,996,161 issued to Conners, et al.,
February 26, 1991, shows another breathe alcohol testing system
that may be used in conjunction with a vehicle. Although the.
breathe analyzer of this device may be highly accurate, its
interaction with a vehicle which requires a person driving to
breath into constantly is impractical. Another human being could
breath into the device in order to get the car started.
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U.S. Patent No. 3,823,382 issued to Gaddy, July 9, 1974,
shows a system for inhibiting motor vehicle operation by
inebriated drivers. This device uses a breathe analyzer that
measures the alcohol level in.order to prevent the.car from
starting.
U.S. Patent No. 3,811,116 issued to Takeuchi et al.., May 14;
1974.; shows a device for detecting mental impairment in-'a driver
t:hat, includes a degree of fatigue or drunkenness.= This device
uses critical flicker frequency for .judging the mental ability
which has been termed fusion of a flicker for operating:.a
vehicle.
U.S. Patent No. 5,793,292- issued to Ivey Jr., August' 11,
1998; also shows a device to prevent hand operated machines from
being operated by an impaired individual by measuring toxins of
the person. The system measures and detects the toxins in an
individual that can have sensors that,interact with the vehicle.
- U..S.- Patent No.; 4,613,845, issued to DuBois, September 23,
1986, shows an apparatus for preventing operation of machinery by
one who is intoxicated. The, devices uses an alcohol sensor
located near the control panel on a portion of the steering
wheel.
While many of the devices in the prior art attempt to solve
the problem of preventing a, person who is intoxicated from
operating a motor vehicle, the complexity and expense of the
units make it impractical for use in present day automobiles and
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road vehicles. The present invention overcomes these problems by
providing, a direct, continuous, galvanic measurement through the
epidermis of a person operating a vehicle as to the alcohol or
toxin level of the person operating the vehicle that.can be
continuously supplied to a sensing and actuating system that can
be used.to inhibit the ignition, steering lock or. other parts of
the vehicle to prevent a person who has a predetermined amount -of
alcohol,, or toxins in his, system from driving the vehicle. The
present. system will be economical to install and practical for
use to prevent drunk driving and save thousands of lives and
perhaps billions in medical, insurance and social service
(government) dollars.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A system and method for use in a vehicle such as an
automobile or truck that has a conventional combustion, engine
that employs an electrical spark system and ignition system for
preventing the vehicle from being driven by aperson who has
consumed alcohol beyond a point of legal baseline.
The system includes a galvanic skin sensor that can provide
trans-dermal monitoring of a person's skin for ascertaining
whether or not the person has consumed alcohol and the person's
skin temperature. The sensor is connected through an actuating
switch control system that is mounted electrically, typically
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wi.thin the vehicle ignition system that can act as a cutoff
switch based on the various inputs from the trans-dermal sensor..
The trans-dermal sensor may be formed as a cover mounted on
the steering wheel of a vehicle or permanently implanted in the
steering. wheel with the sensing elements described-herein. In an
alternate.embodiment, the driver of the vehicle would be.required
to-wear one or,two--gloves that provide for continuous sensing of
the. wearer's epidermis for -the trans-dermal sensor and/or an
.interaction between the gloves and the steering wheel sensors. .
The interrupt system also includes a timing circuit that
.bypasses the sensing cutoff switching circuit t,o - allow brief
periods when the driver's hands are not in contact with the
steering wheel during the normal use of driving.
In a typical automobile engine, there is an ignition system
that requires the use of- a key or an electronic type turn on
-device that allows_the electrical system of the car engine that
may include. a coil which is connected to a set of spark plugs.
To, operate the invention with -the steering -wheel..sensor
only, the vehicle would be operated in a normal manner. The
vehicle would be equipped with the trans-dermal alcohol sensing
instrument surrounding the steering wheel such that when the
driver touches the steering wheel the driver's epidermis is in
constant contact with some portion of the steering wheel surface
either left hand or right hand. The steering wheel sensor
includes a transmission wire or transmitter to the actual
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galvanic sensing device itself. This device is capableof
measuring temperature continuously and through galvanic action,
the presence of ethanol in the skin or epidermis of a person
contacting the steering' wheel. This also appears as minor sweat
to.the galvanic sensor. The entire galvanic sensor has an output
signal that engages an electrical switch that is in direct series
with the entire automobile ignition system including the key.~ If
the galvanic sensor:electrical switch receives a signal from the
galvanic sensor that says that the driver has impairment levels
of alcohol as measured with his trans-dermal or epidermis, then
the circuit will open, shuttingoff the electrical current to.the
automobile spark plugs. In a diesel engine this could also be a
switch that cuts off the fuel supply to the engine, shutting off
the engine. A two minute warning. will.precede shut off.
If a,person were driving that does not have alcohol in their
blood that is measured through the trans-dermal alcohol sensing
instrument, then the vehicle will operate normally. If the
driver constantly -contacts. and removes his hands from the
steering wheel, it will not interrupt the automobile provided it
20. does not.exceed its predetermined time limit. One of the
features of this device is that for the engine to continue
running, there must also be a constant temperature measurement so
that someone could not defeat the system by putting on special
gloves to avoid detection of alcohol because there must be a
human temperature of their hand on the wheel in order for the
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system to work continuously. However, with the time delay
circuit that bypasses the trans-dermal sensing switch activator
for short periods, a person can change hands or move their hands
about. the steering wheel without shutting down the system. For
example, it would take 35 to 40 seconds of continuously non-
thermal input before the time delay shut off.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention,. the driver
would be required to wear special gloves that include the trans-
dermal sensors that can measure. temperature,and ethanolcontent
continuously which would then be attached directly to the trans-
dermal sensor and its switching action. Contact with the
steering wheel would not be required specifically but the person
wearing the gloves must periodically engage the steering wheel
with the gloves on.
In: yet another alternate embodiment, a combination of
special gloves and- special sensors on the steering wheel could
require that the glove and steering wheel interact: continuously
in order to allow the engine to run so~that someone could not try
to defeat the system by not wearing the gloves.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved
system and method for preventing drunk or inebriated drivers.from
driving an automobile or truck or road vehicle or plane.
It is another object of this invention to provide a low
cost, non-complex system that measures the alcohol level of a
driver of a vehicle and interrupts or prevents the automobile
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from being driven when a particular level of alcohol is detected
in the driver.
And yet still another object of this invention is to provide
an alcohol detection system that provides continuous signals
during the operation of a vehicle at all times that can measure
accurately the alcohol level of the person driving.
In.accordance with these and other objects which will become
apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described
with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram showing the system in
accordance with the prevent invention.
Figure 2 shows a circuit diagram in accordance with the
present invention.
Figure 3 shows a schematic circuit and operational diagram
of the present invention as used in an automobile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings and in particular Figure 1,
the present invention is shown generally at 10 including a trans-
dermal alcohol sensing instrument that includes a galvanic trans-
dermal sensor that can measure alcohol, temperature and sweat in
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conjunction with the trans-dermal sensing surface 26 or a glove
28 that interacts to provide the signals representative of a
continuous alcohol measurement for the driver. The operation of
this alcohol sensing system is described fully in U.S. Patent No.
5,944,661. This patent
reference is not the basis of the invention but shows an example
of a- trans-dermal alcohol. sensing system that could be.- modified
such-a<way as to be useful as an element-of the present invention
described herein.
The present invention is incorporated into a convent-ional
automobile and basically connected-to the ignition system 18 of
an automobile. The system will require circuit logic 20 to be
used in conjunction with a trans-dermal alcohol sensing.
instrument 12.
Referring now to Figure 2, as shown in Figure 2, there is an-
ignition switch 18a that allows a key to turn on the automobile~
engine by providing power from a battery 32 through the igmition
circuit 18 to the car engine spark system 22a. In order for'
spark to operate. and current to. reach the spark from the battery
32 through the ignition circuit, the signal must pass through the
trans-dermal sensor and switch 12 or go through time delay 24.
If the system detects that the driver has alcohol content,
then the trans-dermal sensor 12 and switch will open the circuit
preventing electrical current from reaching the engine spark 22a,
shutting off the engine with a pre-shut down warning time. This
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basically disengages the entire ignition circuit of the car.
However, if the trans-dermal does not sense alcohol but is
sensing temperature then the switch will not be activated in the.
trans-dermal sensor and current will flow to the car engine. in- a
normal. manner. However, should the driver move his hands about
the wheel or change hands.while driving for short periods of.time
with no. temperature sensing, a system would shut off after an
amount of time.. = The purpose- of the timing circuit. 24 is to all,ow
current continue flowing even if there is no current flow through
trans-dermal sensor and switch 12 from brief periods of time when
the driver is moving his hands about the wheel.
Referring now to Figure 3, the specific operational= system
is shown with the cutoff switch 30 being mounted between the
engine's spark and the ignition circuit. The trans-dermal
potential control circuit 12 includes inputs that measure'skin =
temperature, skin=sweat and through its galvanic mea-surement
device can detect alcohol using the skin of the user. This =is
described completely in U.S. Patent No. 5,944,661
that describes a system that
allows for a trans-dermal alcohol detection and which can provide
a database or circuit to produce a control signal. In the
present invention, this circuit has been modified such that the
output, when alcohol is detected, is sent to a switch 30 that is.
the cutoff switch for the system. However, the system is also
set up that in order for switch 30 not to shut off there must be
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constant temperature monitor too. So the logic of the system is
set up such that it requires a constant skin temperature in
conjunction with no alcohol input to allow switch 30 to operate.
If, the temperature is not measured or drops below a certain
amount, switch 30 will be turned off and opened. If alcohol is
detected in the potential control circuit 12, switch 30 will also
be tu~rned off even though thereis sufficient.temperature.
In~ the alternate embodiment and referring also back to.
Figure 1, the system could include a galvanic detector, in the
form of glove 28 which is in direct contact with the dr.iver's
skin and which,includes several sensors throughout for providing
direct signals to the.trans-dermal alcohol sensing instrument'and
a direct temperature signal at all times. The. glove 28 shown in
Figure 1. as an alternate embodiment could also function
eliminating the need for a special sensing cover 26 on steering
wheel 14a in one embodiment. However, the sensing cover 26 could
also include electrodes that interact with the epidermal glove 28
to also provide useful information that shows that the user'~s
hand is-engaged to the steering wheel and keeping the system on.
Although the sensitivity of the trans-dermal galvanic sensor
for detecting alcohol could be varied, ideally a person 'should
not be allowed to drive a car with any alcohol in his system.
The particular present invention is capable of detecting very
small levels of alcohol and would be suitable for zero tolerance
program with respect to alcohol and driving automobiles.
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And yet another alternate embodiment, the system could also
galvanically detect cocaine or other drugs based on the chemical
that is provided on the trans-dermal area of the skin.
The.instant inventionhas been shown and described herein in
what is considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be
.made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious.
.modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.
