# Using a Smartphone to Autonomously Control a Vehicle's Direction > 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. - **Patent:** US 9518821 - **Original title:** Vehicle control system - **Owner:** Individual - **Granted:** 2016 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 14 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, robotics, aerospace, mechanical ## 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. ## The clever bit The real innovation is using an off-the-shelf smartphone's built-in sensors (like accelerometers and gyroscopes) and processing power to autonomously track and control a vehicle's precise 3D orientation, rather than relying on dedicated, often more expensive, custom control units. ## Real-world examples 1. Hobbyist drones using smartphone-based flight controllers 2. Autonomous model airplanes 3. Robotics platforms integrating smartphones for navigation 4. DIY autonomous ground vehicles ## Why it matters This patent explores how common smartphone technology, with its powerful processors and built-in sensors, can be repurposed for complex tasks like vehicle control. By using a smartphone as the "brain" for navigation, it could potentially reduce the cost and complexity of creating autonomous vehicles, especially for smaller or hobbyist applications. This approach leverages widely available hardware for sophisticated real-time 3D orientation control. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Using a Smartphone to Autonomously Control a Vehicle's Direction cover? 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. ### Who owns patent US 9518821? Individual owns this patent, granted in 2016. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on August 2, 2033, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 9518821 cited by? This patent has been cited by 14 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This patent explores how common smartphone technology, with its powerful processors and built-in sensors, can be repurposed for complex tasks like vehicle control. By using a smartphone as the "brain" for navigation, it could potentially reduce the cost and complexity of creating autonomous vehicles, especially for smaller or hobbyist applications. This approach leverages widely available hardware for sophisticated real-time 3D orientation control. ### What does this patent 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9518821/vehicle-control-system **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9518821 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How a Drone Automatically Films a Moving Car Like a Movie Crew](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11490056/drone-system-and-method-of-capturing-image-of-vehicle-by-drone) — This patent describes a system where a drone automatically films a moving vehicle by receiving real-time vehicle data, predicting its future path, and then flying a pre-planned "movie script" of camera shots relative to the car. - [Drone Navigation Using Cameras and Echolocation](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9562773/autonomous-vehicle-navigation-system-and-method) — This 2017 patent describes a drone navigation system that uses both cameras and echolocation sensors to detect obstacles and find its way, with echolocation taking priority for immediate threats. - [How a Drone Can Fly Ahead of a Moving Vehicle](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10133281/leading-drone-system) — This patent describes a system where a drone flies a non-linear path, deliberately spaced from a moving ground or water vehicle, using the vehicle's future path information to stay ahead or in a specific relative position. - [How Autonomous Air Taxis Use Hand Gestures and 3D Mapping](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11513606/universal-control) — A system for operating air taxis that uses hand gestures for control and crowd-sourced 3D mapping to navigate urban environments. - [How a Drone Flies Ahead of a Moving Ground or Water Vehicle](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20180321681/leading-drone-method) — This patent describes a method where an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flies ahead of a mobile base station, like a boat or ground vehicle, by predicting the base station's future path and scouting the area in advance.