Apparatus and method for safe conveyance of notifications and/or alerts to a mobile terminal

• US 10,165,107 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyoung Su, Yoon, Suk Hwan, Lee, WonHyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US13/270,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 455567, 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a mobile terminal including a display unit to safely convey notifications or alerts to a user of the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal includes a display unit for safely conveying notifications or alerts to a user of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising, a cellular band transceiver for transmitting and receiving Radio Frequency (RF) signals in a cellular band, a controller for controlling operations of the mobile terminal, at least one sensor for one or more criteria, and a hazardous condition determining unit for determining a hazardous condition exists according to the sensed one or more criteria.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal including a display unit for safely conveying notifications using the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising:

a storage configured to store instructions therein;

a cellular band transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a cellular band;

at least one sensor configured to sense one or more criteria, the one or more criteria sensed from current driving conditions of a motor vehicle, the current driving conditions comprising at least one of a weather condition, or an amount of light; and

at least one processor;

wherein, upon execution of the instructions, the at least one processor is configured to;

determine that a hazardous condition exists according to the sensed one or more criteria, and

store hazardous condition data, including hazardous condition thresholds,

wherein the determining of the existence of the hazardous condition comprises comparing data of the sensed one or more criteria with respective ones of the hazardous condition thresholds stored in the mobile terminal to determine whether the hazardous condition exists based on the hazardous condition thresholds,

wherein the hazardous condition thresholds include a threshold applied to the weather condition, or the amount of light, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to withhold a notification or an alert of an incoming communication according to a sensed location of the mobile terminal corresponding to a predesignated safety zone location stored in memory.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria further comprises at least one of a traveling speed, an amount of acceleration, or an amount of deceleration.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, a light sensor or a thermometer.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to withhold the notification or the alert of the incoming communication when the at least one processor determines that a hazardous condition exists.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the incoming communication comprises at least one of an incoming phone call, video call, text message, email or data communication.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to disable outgoing communication from the mobile terminal when the at least one processor determines that a hazardous condition exists.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the outgoing communication comprises at least one of an outgoing phone call, video call, text message, email or data communication.

8. A method for safely conveying to a mobile terminal a notification or an alert corresponding to an incoming communication, the method comprising:

determining whether an incoming communication is being received by the mobile terminal;

determining whether a speed of a motor vehicle containing the mobile terminal exceeds a speed threshold;

when it is determined that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds the speed threshold, determining whether another threshold is exceeded;

when it is determined that the other threshold is exceeded, determining that a current driving situation of the motor vehicle is unsafe; and

conveying to the mobile terminal the notification or the alert corresponding to the incoming communication when it is determined that the current driving situation of the motor vehicle is safe,

wherein the other threshold applies to sensed current driving conditions, and comprises at least one of, a weather condition, or an amount of light, and

wherein when the speed threshold is exceeded and at least one of the other thresholds is exceeded determining that the current driving situation is unsafe, and waiting a predetermined amount of time before determining again whether the incoming call or communication is being received by the mobile terminal after determining that the current driving situation is unsafe.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the speed threshold is not exceeded and all of the other thresholds are not exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining again whether the current driving situation is safe for conveying the notification or the alert to the mobile terminal in response to the incoming communication still being received by the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising conveying a missed call or the notification or the alert using the mobile terminal when it is determined that the incoming communication is not being received by the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the conveying of the notification or the alert comprises conveying the notification or the alert using the mobile terminal upon determining that the current driving situation is safe.

13. A method for safely transmitting an outgoing communication using a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining that an outgoing communication is being executed by the mobile terminal;

determining that a speed of a motor vehicle containing the mobile terminal exceeds a speed threshold;

when the speed of the motor vehicle is determined to exceed the speed threshold;

determining that current driving situation of the motor vehicle containing the mobile terminal is unsafe,

blocking the outgoing communication, and

determining whether another threshold is exceeded, and when the other threshold is not exceeded;

determining that the current driving situation of the motor vehicle containing the mobile terminal is safe, and

transmitting the outgoing communication,

wherein the other threshold comprises at least one of, a weather condition, or an amount of light, and

wherein, when a sensed location of the mobile terminal corresponds to a predesignated safety zone location, the outgoing communication is blocked and a notification of an incoming communication is withheld.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the speed threshold is exceeded and at least one of the other thresholds is exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is unsafe.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

conveying an alert, using the mobile terminal, the alert being that the current driving situation is unsafe; and

determining whether the outgoing communication has been executed in the current driving situation determined to be unsafe.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting the outgoing communication in the current driving situation determined to be unsafe.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein when the speed threshold is not exceeded and all of the other thresholds are not exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising allowing the transmitting of the communication when it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.