Restrictions on mobile device usage when driving a vehicle

• US 10,200,529 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuntebeck, Erich Peter, Tse, Kar Fai, Lu, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US14/498,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 4554122, 455418-420, 4554141-4144, 4554561-4566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for restricting usage of a mobile device when a user is driving a vehicle. In one embodiment, it is determined that a mobile device is in use by a driver of an active vehicle. A functionality of the mobile device is then restricted based at least in part on determining that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle. For example, a touch screen of the mobile device may be disabled, and the use of a hands-free interface may be made mandatory.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in at least one computing device, wherein when executed the program causes the at least one computing device to at least:

determine that a mobile device is in use in a moving vehicle based at least in part on a plurality of global positioning system (GPS) readings of the mobile device that indicate that the mobile device is in motion beyond a first predefined speed;

determine that the mobile device is in use by a driver of the moving vehicle based at least in part on a lack of a fixed gaze by the driver upon the mobile device, the lack of the fixed gaze being detected via a camera of the mobile device;

restrict a functionality of the mobile device based at least in part on determining that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the moving vehicle; and

restore at least a portion of the restricted functionality of the mobile device based at least in part on determining that the moving vehicle is maintaining at least a second predefined speed, the second predefined speed being greater than the first predefined speed.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein when executed the program further causes the at least one computing device to at least:

receive a request from the driver to bypass a restriction of the functionality;

restore the functionality of the mobile device in response to the request from the driver to bypass the restriction; and

send a notification to an administrator that the restriction has been bypassed.

3. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device from a server, information indicating one or more restrictions to a functionality of the mobile device;

detecting, by at least one computing device comprising the mobile device, that the mobile device is in use by a driver within an active vehicle, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a current location of the mobile device;

comparing, by the at least one computing device, the current location of the mobile device to a route employed by a mass transportation vehicle; and

determining, by the at least one computing device, that the active vehicle does not correspond to the mass transportation vehicle; and

applying, by the at least one computing device, the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device in response to detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver within the active vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver within the active vehicle further comprises determining, by the at least one computing device, that the active vehicle is in motion.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver within the active vehicle further comprises determining, by the at least one computing device, that the active vehicle is turned on.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

restoring, by the at least one computing device, a previous functionality of the mobile device in response to determining at least one of;

that a user of the mobile device has performed a predefined task;

that the active vehicle is no longer in motion;

or

that the user of the mobile device is no longer the driver.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device further comprises automatically configuring the mobile device to use a text-to-speech functionality to produce an auditory representation of a message using an audio device in lieu of showing the message on a display.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device further comprises automatically configuring the mobile device to require use of a hands-free interface.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device further comprises selectively enabling a proper subset of a plurality of notification types for the mobile device based at least in part on the one or more restrictions.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device further comprises automatically enabling an automated reply to a received message by the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein applying the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device further comprises disabling use of at least one application via the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises detecting, by the at least one computing device, a signal emitted by the active vehicle.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises:

capturing, by a camera of the mobile device, a sequence of images; and

determining, by the at least one computing device, that a person visible in the sequence of images does not have a fixed gaze upon a display of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises:

capturing, by a camera of the mobile device, at least one image; and

determining, by the at least one computing device, that the at least one image depicts a portion of the active vehicle from a viewpoint of the driver.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting, by the at least one computing device, a speed of the active vehicle; and

wherein the one or more restrictions to the functionality of the mobile device are applied based at least in part on the speed of the active vehicle.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising selectively enabling, by the at least one computing device, the one or more restrictions based at least in part on a current time.

17. A mobile device, comprising:

instructions embedded in a memory that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to at least;

receive information from a server specifying one or more restrictions on usage of the mobile device;

determine that the mobile device is in use by a driver within an active vehicle;

restrict a functionality of the mobile device according to the one or more restrictions based at least in part on determining that the mobile device is in use by the driver within the active vehicle;

receive a request from the driver to bypass a restriction of the functionality;

restore the functionality of the mobile device in response to the request from the driver to bypass the restriction; and

send a notification to an administrator that the restriction has been bypassed.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the one or more restrictions pertain to a plurality of mobile devices managed by an organization.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the one or more restrictions are selectively enabled based at least in part on a current time.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to at least receive updated information from the server specifying an update to the one or more restrictions.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to at least restore at least a portion of the restricted functionality of the mobile device based at least in part on determining that the active vehicle is maintaining at least a predefined speed.

22. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein determining that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises at least one of:

determining that the mobile device is not moving along a scheduled route of a mass transportation vehicle;

or

determining that the mobile device does not detect a predetermined signal associated with the mass transportation vehicle.

23. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein determining that the mobile device is in use by the driver of the active vehicle further comprises determining that a user of the mobile device is not looking at the mobile device with a fixed gaze.

24. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein restricting a functionality of the mobile device further comprises at least one of:

disabling use of a touchscreen display of the mobile device;

requiring use of a hands-free interface of the mobile device;

automatically enabling automated replies to received messages by the mobile device;

or

automatically enabling a text-to-speech interface for at least one application of the mobile device.

25. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein restricting a functionality of the mobile device further comprises automatically enabling a restricted version of an application in the mobile device in lieu of an unrestricted version of the application.