Patent ID: 8862486

Claim:
A method of determining vehicle entry information for a user of a vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining a yaw measurement as a function of time using a mobile device independent of the vehicle and including a processor; determining, using the processor, a first time span associated with the user entering the vehicle; determining, using the processor, that a change in magnitude of the yaw measurement over the first time span is greater than a predetermined threshold; determining, using the processor, an angular orientation of the yaw measurement over the first time span; determining, using the processor, a right hand entry if the angular orientation of the yaw measurement is clockwise; determining, using the processor, a left hand entry if the angular orientation of the yaw measurement is counter-clockwise; determining, using the processor, a second time span associated with the user exiting the vehicle; determining, using the processor, that a change in magnitude of the yaw measurement over the second time span is greater than the predetermined threshold; determining, using the processor, a second angular orientation of the yaw measurement over the second time span; determining, using the processor, a right hand exit if the second angular orientation of the yaw measurement is counter-clockwise; determining, using the processor, a left hand exit if the second angular orientation of the yaw measurement is clockwise; and communicating the right hand entry or left hand entry and the right hand exit or the right hand exit to a server.