Patent ID: 8924240

Claim:
A system for monitoring operator and motor vehicle behavior, comprising: (a) at least one mobile device, (i) wherein the mobile device is not installed in a vehicle being monitored and does not interface directly with the vehicle; (ii) wherein the mobile device further includes hardware, software, sensors, and communications functions; and (iii) wherein the hardware, software, sensors, and communications functions are operative to gather, record, characterize and communicate information about both the behavior of a motor vehicle and the behavior of an operator of the motor vehicle; and (b) application software resident on the mobile device, (i) wherein the application software interfaces with the hardware, software, sensors, and communications functions to gather, record, and characterize information relevant to both the behavior of a motor vehicle and the behavior of an operator of the motor vehicle; and (ii) wherein the application software is activated or deactivated based on certain predetermined trigger events; and (c) at least one information processor in communication with the mobile device or resident on the mobile device, (i) wherein the information processor further includes hardware; software; databases; communications functions; local memory; statistical programs and algorithms; demographic, geographic, driver, vehicle, and weather information; or combinations thereof; (ii) wherein the information processor is operative to communicate with the application software; collect, process, add to, and further characterize the information gathered by the application software; and (iii) wherein the information processor is further operative to communicate the processed and further characterized information to a user of the system.