Device function disablement during vehicle motion

• US 10,063,687 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Ira L., Williams, Douglas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US15/404,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A method and system for disabling functions of a movement detection enabled device is provided. The method includes monitoring a movement detection signal of the movement detection enabled device in a vehicle and determining that the vehicle is currently in motion. An electronic tag in the vehicle is detected and instructions associated with the movement detection enabled device are retrieved. It is determined that the movement detection enabled device is located within a specified proximity to a driver location of the vehicle and that a user of the device is a driver of the vehicle. In response, specified functions of the movement detection enabled device are disabled.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling, by a computer processor of a movement detection enabled device located within a vehicle, communications between said movement detection enabled device and an on-board computer of said vehicle;

enabling, by said computer processor, a warning function of said on-board computer, wherein said warning function is for indicating that an individual has disabled said communications and subsequently generating a log and warning for an authority entity indicating that said communications have been disabled by said individual;

determining, by said computer processor based on monitoring a movement detection signal of said movement detection enabled device, that said vehicle is currently in motion;

retrieving, by said computer processor from an electronic tag in said vehicle, instructions associated with said movement detection enabled device, wherein said instructions define commands associated with;

disabling said movement detection enabled device, overriding said disabling said movement detection enabled device, and instructions for reporting said disabling said movement detection enabled device to an authority entity;

determining, by said computer processor based on detecting said electronic tag and results of measuring a proximity of said movement detection enabled device with respect to said electronic tag, that said movement detection enabled device is located within a specified proximity of said electronic tag indicating a driver location of said vehicle;

determining, by said computer processor based on determining that said movement detection enabled device is located within said specified proximity to said driver location of said vehicle, that said user is a driver of said vehicle; and

disabling, by said computer processor based on said instructions and said determining that said user is said driver of said vehicle, specified functions of said movement detection enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling said movement detection enabled device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling text messaging functions of said movement detection enabled device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling message notification features associated with text messaging functions of said movement detection enabled device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling phone call functions of said movement detection enabled device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling Internet access functions of said movement detection enabled device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic tag comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said movement detection enabled device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a PDA, and a cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging, by said computer processor, movement data indicating that said vehicle is currently in motion;

transmitting, by said computer processor, said movement data to an authority entity;

determining, by said computer processor, that said vehicle is currently not in motion for a specified time period; and

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said determining that said vehicle is currently not in motion for said specified time period, said specified functions of said movement detection enabled device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said computer processor, that a current latitude and longitude with respect to a current location of the vehicle has not changed;

determining, by said computer processor based on said determining that said current latitude and longitude with respect to said current location of the vehicle has not changed, that said vehicle is not currently in motion for a time period;

executing, by said computer processor, a heuristics algorithm with respect to said time period;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said executing, that said time period is associated with a traffic control related stop time period;

determining, by said computer processor, if said time period exceeds a predetermined time period; and

presenting, by said computer processor via a display of said movement detection enabled device and based on results of said determining if said time period exceeds said predetermined time period, an option for enabling said specified functions of said movement detection enabled device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computer processor from said user, a command for overriding said disabling;

enabling, by said computer processor in response to said receiving said command, said specified functions of said movement detection enabled device;

determining, by said computer processor, that said enabling has exceeded a specified time period;

logging, by said computer processor, override data indicating that said enabling has exceeded said specified time period; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said override data to an insurance reporting agency or an authority entity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by said computer processor, said movement detection enabled device;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said monitoring, that inbound communication data is currently being received by said movement detection enabled device

generating, by said computer processor, a message indicating that said user is currently driving said vehicle and will review said inbound communication data at a later time period; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said message to a device transmitting said inbound communication data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said instructions comprise data defining disabling instructions, override instructions, and reporting instructions.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the computing system, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement said monitoring, said determining that said vehicle is currently in motion, said detecting, said retrieving, said determining that said movement detection enabled device is located within said specified proximity, said determining that said user is said driver of said vehicle, and said disabling.

15. A movement detection enabled device comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor implements a method comprising:

enabling, by said computer processor of said movement detection enabled device located within a vehicle, communications between said movement detection enabled device and an on-board computer of said vehicle;

enabling, by said computer processor, a warning function of said on-board computer, wherein said warning function is for indicating that an individual has disabled said communications and subsequently generating a log and warning for an authority entity indicating that said communications have been disabled by said individual;

determining, by said computer processor based on monitoring a movement detection signal of said movement detection enabled device, that said vehicle is currently in motion;

retrieving, by said computer processor from an electronic tag in said vehicle, instructions associated with said movement detection enabled device, wherein said instructions define commands associated with;

disabling said movement detection enabled device, overriding said disabling said movement detection enabled device, and instructions for reporting said disabling said movement detection enabled device to an authority entity;

determining, by said computer processor based on detecting said electronic tag and results of measuring a proximity of said movement detection enabled device with respect to said electronic tag, that said movement detection enabled device is located within a specified proximity of said electronic tag indicating a driver location of said vehicle;

determining, by said computer processor based on determining that said movement detection enabled device is located within said specified proximity to said driver location of said vehicle, that said user is a driver of said vehicle; and

disabling, by said computer processor based on said instructions and said determining that said user is said driver of said vehicle, specified functions of said movement detection enabled device.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling said movement detection enabled device.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling text messaging functions of said movement detection enabled device.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling message notification features associated with text messaging functions of said movement detection enabled device.

19. The computing system of claim 15, wherein said disabling said specified functions comprises disabling phone call functions of said movement detection enabled device.

20. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a movement detection enabled device implements a method, said method comprising:

enabling, by said computer processor of said movement detection enabled device located within a vehicle, communications between said movement detection enabled device and an on-board computer of said vehicle;

enabling, by said computer processor, a warning function of said on-board computer, wherein said warning function is for indicating that an individual has disabled said communications and subsequently generating a log and warning for an authority entity indicating that said communications have been disabled by said individual;

determining, by said computer processor based on monitoring a movement detection signal of said movement detection enabled device, that said vehicle is currently in motion;

retrieving, by said computer processor from an electronic tag in said vehicle, instructions associated with said movement detection enabled device, wherein said instructions define commands associated with;

disabling said movement detection enabled device, overriding said disabling said movement detection enabled device, and instructions for reporting said disabling said movement detection enabled device to an authority entity;

determining, by said computer processor based on detecting said electronic tag and results of measuring a proximity of said movement detection enabled device with respect to said electronic tag, that said movement detection enabled device is located within a specified proximity of said electronic tag indicating a driver location of said vehicle;

determining, by said computer processor based on determining that said movement detection enabled device is located within said specified proximity to said driver location of said vehicle, that said user is a driver of said vehicle; and

disabling, by said computer processor based on said instructions and said determining that said user is said driver of said vehicle, specified functions of said movement detection enabled device.