Guardian Technologies

Felix J Comeau

Herman Quast

Kip L Fuller

Donald W Collier

Jeffrey C Jewitt

A sobriety interlock of the type connectable to a machine such as a vehicle and normally operating to disable the machine from starting unless a breath sobriety test is passed, is equipped with a service reminder timer operable to initiate an appropriate indication when the interlock is due to be serviced and optionally, to provide one or more advance indications prior thereto. In the event the interlock is not serviced when due or within an optional grace period thereafter, appropriate action is preferably initiated. In one alternative form, this action includes disabling the vehicle or other machine to which the interlock is connected, regardless of whether a sobriety test or other condition normally imposed by the interlock is satisfied, until timely service is obtained. In a second alternative form, the sobriety interlock of the invention does not disable the vehicle for failure to obtain timely service. Instead, the sobriety interlock itself is effectively disabled to the extent that it ceases to impose restrictions on the starting of the vehicle until service is obtained and the timer is reset. Also disclosed are remote service devices intended for use by authorized service personnel to inter-alia, effect reading and/or setting of the service reminder timer.

Sobriety interlock with service reminder

A sobriety interlock is connectable to a machine such as a vehicle and normally operates to disable the machine from starting unless one or more preconditions, such as the passage of a breath sobriety test, is satisfied. In the event the interlock is bypassed,i.e. the machine started without a prerequisite condition being satisfied, the bypass event is detected and recorded. The record of bypass events preferably includes an indication of each time interval, such as a day, during which at least one bypass event took place as well as the total number of bypass events detected since the sobriety interlock was installed or last serviced. Also disclosed is a remote service device connectable to the interlock by service personnel and useful for such purposes as reading and/or clearing the record of bypass attempts.

Sobriety interlock with bypass detection

A sobriety interlock system prevents a vehicle or other equipment from being started unless the identity of a designated operator is confirmed by the system and the operator passes a breath sobriety test. The designated operator is trained to perform a physical act, the successful completion of which can be determined by the system and which requires at least a predetermined number, N, of attempts to learn. A necessary precondition for starting the vehicle is satisfied when the system determines that the identity-confirming act has been performed in fewer than N attempts.

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Brampton, Canada

Felix J Comeau