{
  "patent_number": "US 9518821",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Using a Smartphone to Autonomously Control a Vehicle's Direction",
  "original_title": "Vehicle control system",
  "summary": "This patent describes a system where a smartphone, rigidly mounted to a vehicle, uses its internal sensors to track the vehicle's orientation and then autonomously sends signals to control the vehicle's movement.",
  "what_it_does": "The system connects a smartphone to a vehicle's control electronics. A special mount holds the smartphone firmly to the vehicle (Claim 1), ensuring that any movement the vehicle experiences is also felt by the phone. This setup allows the smartphone's internal sensors, like its accelerometer and gyroscope (Claim 17), to continuously track the vehicle's orientation in three-dimensional space. The smartphone then autonomously calculates control signals based on how the vehicle's orientation changes from a starting point (Claim 1). These signals are sent to the vehicle's directional devices, such as flight surfaces or throttles on an airframe (Claim 9), through electromechanical control devices, allowing the phone to steer the vehicle. For example, a drone could use a smartphone mounted this way to automatically maintain a level flight path.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover systems where a smartphone is used only as a remote control or display, without autonomously tracking and controlling the vehicle's orientation.",
    "Does not cover systems where the smartphone is not rigidly secured to the vehicle, preventing its internal sensors from accurately reflecting vehicle motion.",
    "Does not cover vehicles where the smartphone's internal reference frame is not substantially aligned with the vehicle's own reference frame.",
    "Does not cover control systems that rely on external sensors or dedicated vehicle flight controllers for primary orientation tracking, rather than the smartphone's internal sensors.",
    "Does not cover systems where the smartphone does not autonomously generate control signals based on continuous orientation tracking."
  ],
  "filed": "2013-08-02",
  "granted": "2016-12-13",
  "expires": "2033-08-02",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Individual",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/individual",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Benjamin Malay",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/benjamin-malay"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 14,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software",
    "telecommunications",
    "robotics",
    "aerospace",
    "mechanical"
  ],
  "abstract": "A vehicle control system may include a vehicle frame, a mount secured to the vehicle frame and configured for rigidly securing a smartphone therein such that motions experienced by the vehicle frame are correspondingly experienced by the smartphone, and system electronics arranged on the frame and in communication with the smartphone and vehicle controllers, the system electronics configured to receive signals from the smartphone and control directional devices of the vehicle based on the signals via the vehicle controllers. A system for preparing signals for transmission to the vehicle to control navigation may also be provided.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9518821/vehicle-control-system",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9518821/vehicle-control-system/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US9518821",
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}