Patent ID: 7756617

Claim:
A portable electronic device for use inside a motor vehicle to collect and store information regarding operation of the motor vehicle, the portable electronic device comprising: a digital memory; means for automatically detecting that the motor vehicle has started a new trip; means for, in response to the detecting that the new trip has started, providing to an occupant of the motor vehicle at the start of the new trip an option of designating the new trip as a continuation of a prior trip; means for generating data during the new trip representing distance traveled during the new trip; and means for storing the data representing the distance traveled during the trip in the digital memory by: adding the data representing distance traveled during the new trip to data stored in the digital memory representing distance traveled during the prior trip if the occupant designated the new trip as a continuation of the prior trip, or storing the data representing distance traveled during the new trip in the digital memory in association with a new trip identifier identifying the new trip if the occupant did not designate the new trip as a continuation of the prior trip.