System And Method For Determining A Time When The Blood Alcohol Concentration Has Passed A Threshold Level

Abstract

A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value. The system includes an alcohol sensor operable to detect a current alcohol concentration in blood of the user, and a portable apparatus. The alcohol sensor and the portable apparatus each comprise a wireless communication apparatus. The wireless communication apparatus in the alcohol sensor is operable to wirelessly transmit the current alcohol concentration to the wireless communication apparatus in the portable apparatus.

Claims

1. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value, the system comprises an alcohol sensor means operable to detect a current alcohol concentration in blood of the user, and a portable apparatus, wherein the alcohol sensor means, and the portable apparatus each comprises a wireless communication means, wherein the wireless communication means in the alcohol sensor means is operable to wireless transmit the current alcohol concentration to the wireless communication means in the portable apparatus, and in that the portable apparatus also comprises a to the wireless communication means connected control means, a clock means, and a memory means, each connected to the control means, wherein the control means is operable to store the current alcohol concentration and a current time stamp from the clock means in the memory means, and in that the portable apparatus also comprises a to the control means connected calculation means operable to calculate the future point of time in dependence of a known alcohol burn rate of the user stored in said memory means, or an alcohol burn rate calculated by the calculation means in dependence of characteristics of the user which have an influence on the alcohol burn rate.

2. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 1, wherein the portable apparatus also comprises an to the control means connected input means with the aid of which the user is able to input the characteristics of the user in the form of sex, age, weight, health status, pregnant, kidneys, stomach, diet, physical fitness, diseases that affects the alcohol burn rate, and any drugs that the user takes.

3. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol sensor means also comprises a means operable to receive exhalation air from the user, and in that the alcohol sensor means comprises a fuel-cell.

4. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication means each is a radio transmitting and receiving device using low power.

5. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 1, wherein that portable apparatus is in the form of a mobile telephone, a mobile communicator, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a navigation equipment, or a portable computer.

6. A system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 1, wherein that portable apparatus can be connected to an ignition unit of a motor vehicle, whereby the vehicle is prevented from getting started if the current alcohol concentration is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

7. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value, the method comprise the steps: (a) to detect a current alcohol concentration in blood of the user with the aid of an alcohol sensor means; (b) to wireless transmit the current alcohol concentration to a portable apparatus; and (c) to calculate the future point of time in dependence of a known alcohol burn rate of the user, or an alcohol burn rate calculated in dependence of characteristics of the user which have an influence on the alcohol burn rate.

8. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 7, wherein the method also comprises the step: (a) to input the characteristics of the user in the form of sex, age, weight, health status, pregnant, kidneys, stomach, diet, physical fitness, diseases that affects the alcohol burn rate, and any drugs that the user takes.

9. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 7, wherein that the method also comprises the step: (a) that the user exhales exhalation air into the alcohol sensor means, and in that the alcohol sensor means comprises a fuel-cell.

10. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 7, wherein that the wireless transmission step is performed with the aid of a radio transmitting and receiving device using low power.

11. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 7, wherein that the portable apparatus is in the form of a mobile telephone, a mobile communicator, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a navigation equipment, or a portable computer.

12. A method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to claim 7, wherein the method also comprises the steps: (a) to connect the portable apparatus to an ignition unit of a motor vehicle; and (b) to prevent the motor vehicle from getting started if the current alcohol concentration is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

13. At least one computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of at least one digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing the steps of claim 7 when at least one product is run on at least one computer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to the present invention; and

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of some computer program products according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In FIG. 1 there is disclosed a system 10 operable to determine a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to the present invention. The system 10 comprises an alcohol sensor means 12 operable to detect a current alcohol concentration in blood of the user. As also is apparent in FIG. 1, the system 10 also comprises a portable apparatus 14. The alcohol sensor means 12 and the portable apparatus 14 each comprises a wireless communication means 16.sub.12; 16.sub.14. The wireless communication means 16.sub.12 in the alcohol sensor means 12 is operable to wireless transmit the current alcohol concentration to the wireless communication means 16.sub.14 in the portable apparatus 14. As is apparent in FIG. 1, the portable apparatus 14 also comprises a to the wireless communication means 16.sub.14 connected control means 18, a clock means 20, and a memory means 22, each connected to the control means 18. The control means 18 is operable to store the current alcohol concentration and a current time stamp from the clock means 20 in the memory means 22. The portable apparatus 14 also comprises a to the control means 18 connected calculation means 24 operable to calculate the future point of time in dependence of a known alcohol burn rate of the user stored in the memory means 22, or an alcohol burn rate calculated by the calculation means 24 in dependence of characteristics of the user which have an influence on the alcohol burn rate. As also is apparent in FIG. 1, the portable apparatus 14 can also comprise an input means 26 connected to the control means 18. With the input means 26, e.g. a keypad, the user is able to input the characteristics of the user in the form of sex, age, weight, health status, pregnancy, kidneys, stomach, diet, physical fitness, deceases that affects the alcohol burn rate, and any drugs that the user takes.

[0039] According to one preferred embodiment of the system 10, the alcohol sensor means 12 also comprises a means (not disclosed) operable to receive exhalation air from the user. The alcohol sensor means 12 comprises in this embodiment a fuel-cell.

[0040] According to another embodiment of the system 10, each of the wireless communication means 16.sub.12; 16.sub.14 is a radio transmitting and receiving device using low power such as Bluetooth®.

[0041] According to yet another preferred embodiment of the system 10, the portable apparatus 14 is in the form of a mobile telephone, a mobile communicator, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a navigation equipment, or a portable computer.

[0042] According to another preferred embodiment of the system 10, the portable apparatus 14 can be connected to an ignition unit of a motor vehicle, whereby the motor vehicle is prevented from getting started if the current alcohol concentration is higher than a predetermined value.

[0043] In FIG. 2 there is disclosed a flow chart of a method for determining a future point of time, at which the alcohol concentration in blood of a user is less than a threshold value according to the present invention. The method begins at block 50. At block 52 the method continues with the step: to detect a current alcohol concentration in blood of the user with the aid of an alcohol sensor means 12 (see FIG. 1). Thereafter, the method continues, at block 54, with the step: to wireless transmit the current alcohol concentration from the alcohol sensor means 12 to a portable apparatus 14 (see FIG. 1). The method then continues, at block 56, to ask the question: Is there a known alcohol burn rate for the user? If the answer to this question is affirmative, the method continues, at block 60, with the step: to calculate the future point of time in dependence of the known alcohol burn rate of the user. On the other, if the if the answer to the question is negative, the method continues, at block 58, with the step: to calculate an alcohol burn rate for the user in dependence of characteristics of the user which have an influence on the alcohol burn rate. Thereafter, the method continues, at block 60, with the step: to calculate the future point of time in dependence of the calculated alcohol burn rate. The method is competed at block 62.

[0044] According to another preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the method also comprises the step: to input the characteristics of the user in the form of sex, age, weight, health status, pregnancy, kidneys, stomach, diet, physical fitness, deceases that affects the alcohol burn rate, and any drugs taken by the user.

[0045] According to yet another embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the method also comprises the step performed by the user: to exhale exhalation air into the alcohol sensor means 12. According to this embodiment, the alcohol sensor means 12 comprises a fuel-cell.

[0046] According to another preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the wireless transmission step is performed with the aid of a radio transmitting and receiving device using low power such as Bluetooth®.

[0047] According to yet another embodiment of the method, the portable apparatus 14 is in the form of a mobile telephone, a mobile communicator, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a navigation equipment, or a portable computer.

[0048] According to another preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the method also comprises the steps: to connect the portable apparatus 14 to an ignition unit of a motor vehicle; and to prevent the motor vehicle from getting started if the current alcohol concentration of the user is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

[0049] In FIG. 3 there is disclosed a schematic diagram of some computer program products according to the present invention. There is disclosed n different digital computers 100.sub.1, . . . , 100.sub.n, wherein n is an integer. There is also disclosed n different computer program products 102.sub.1, . . . , 102.sub.n, here showed in the form of compact discs. The different computer program products 102.sub.1, . . . , 102.sub.n, are directly loadable into the internal memory of the n different digital computers 100.sub.1, . . . , 100.sub.n. Each computer program product 102.sub.1, . . . , 102.sub.n, comprises software code portions for performing some or all the steps of FIG. 2 when the product(s) 102.sub.1, . . . , 102.sub.n is/are run on said computer(s) 100.sub.1, . . . , 100.sub.n, Said computer program products 102.sub.1, . . . , 102.sub.n can e. g. be in the form of floppy disks, RAM disks, magnetic tapes, opto magnetical disks or any other suitable products.

[0050] It is pointed out that the calculation means 24 (see FIG. 1) make use of formulas about the burn rate of alcohol in the human body. The formulas are parameterized to allow for individual forecasting of when the person/user can start driving cars, start to breast-feed etc.

[0051] The system 10 can also be calibrated to enhance the reading accuracy. The calibration can be done over many different occasions or during the same occasion.

[0052] Due to the use of the characteristics of he user, the system 10 can be what is called a self calibrating system 10.

[0053] Due to the use of the clock means 20 in the system 10, the system 10 makes use of a so called time axle in that the clock means 20 keeps record of the current time and the system 10 performs corrections dependent on e. g. the aging of the user.

[0054] It is pointed out that the portable apparatus 14 can be used in cars, boats or any other type of vehicles.

[0055] The system 10 can also be used to check employees before they are entitled to proceed with their duties, e.g. to check-out keys to busses, taxis, trucks etc. It can also be used as a combined time clock and safety device.

[0056] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the foregoing. It will be obvious that many different modifications are possible within the scope of the following claims.