Controlling mobile device calls, text messages and data usage while operating a motor vehicle

• US 10,200,935 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tango Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tango Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Silver, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US15/866,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20180132163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 4554564, 4554566
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed are an system and method of regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle. One example method may include determining a speed event indicating that a speed of the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies are invoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile device restriction policies to be removed. The first threshold may be equal to or greater than the second threshold. As a result of obtaining the speed event, the method may also provide transmitting the speed event to a remote edge gateway server located remotely from the motor vehicle, which stores the speed event for reference purposes when determining a policy for routing a particular mobile device call, text message and/or mobile data session.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a carrier server associated with at least one mobile device operated by a user, a notification of an attempted communication, wherein the attempted communication comprises at least one of an attempted voice call, a text message, and a mobile data communication to or from the mobile device;

identifying, by the carrier server, a remote server,

determining, by the remote server, whether a transport is in motion based on a received speed event message identifying that a transport speed of the transport has exceeded a speed threshold;

determining, by the remote server, whether the mobile device is located in the transport based on an assessment that a first distance measurement and a second distance measurement are equal;

wherein the first distance measurement is calculated between a first location of the mobile device at a first time and a first location of the transport at the first time, and the second distance measurement is calculated between a second location of the mobile device at a second time and a second location of the transport at the second time, wherein the second time is after the first time; and

applying, by the carrier server, a policy to the attempted communication when the transport speed has exceeded the speed threshold and the mobile device is identified as being located in the transport.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying, by the carrier server, the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the attempted communication.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising at least one of:

notifying the remote server of the attempted communication, and verifying the received speed event message to determine whether to invoke the policy and apply a mobile device usage restriction policy.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising at least one of:

sending routing instructions to the carrier server indicating how to route the attempted communication, and routing the attempted communication responsive to receiving the routing instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising not applying the policy to the attempted communication, by the remote server, when determining that the mobile device is not located inside the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising invoking the policy to restrict the mobile device when the speed threshold is triggered.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising removing the policy restricting the mobile device when a second speed threshold is triggered, wherein the second speed threshold is equal to or less than the first speed threshold.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving, at a carrier server associated with at least one mobile device operated by a user, a notification of an attempted communication, wherein the attempted communication comprises at least one of an attempted voice call, a text message, and a mobile data communication to or from the mobile device;

identifying, by the carrier server, a remote server,

determining, by the remote server, whether a transport is in motion based on a received speed event message identifying that a transport speed of the transport has exceeded a speed threshold;

determining, by the remote server, whether the mobile device is located in the transport based on an assessment that a first distance measurement and a second distance measurement are equal;

wherein the first distance measurement is calculated between a first location of the mobile device at a first time and a first location of the transport at the first time, and the second distance measurement is calculated between a second location of the mobile device at a second time and a second location of the transport at the second time, wherein the second time is after the first time; and

applying, by the carrier server, a policy to the attempted communication when the transport speed has exceeded the speed threshold and the mobile device is identified as being located in the transport.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to perform querying, by the carrier server, the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the attempted communication.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least one of:

notifying the remote server of the attempted communication, and verifying the received speed event message to determine whether to invoke the policy and apply a mobile device usage restriction policy.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least one of:

sending routing instructions to the carrier server indicating how to route the attempted communication, and routing the attempted communication responsive to receiving the routing instructions.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising not applying the policy to the attempted communication, by the remote server, when determining that the mobile device is not located inside the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when read by the processor, cause the processor to perform invoking the policy to restrict the mobile device when the speed threshold is triggered.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising removing the policy restricting the mobile device when a second speed threshold is triggered, wherein the second speed threshold is equal to or less than the first speed threshold.

15. A system, comprising:

a remote server configured to;

determine whether a transport is in motion based on a received speed event message identifying that a transport speed of the transport has exceeded a speed threshold;

determine whether a mobile device is located in the transport based on an assessment that a first distance measurement and a second distance measurement are equal;

wherein the first distance measurement is calculated between a first location of the mobile device at a first time and a first location of the transport at the first time, and the second distance measurement is calculated between a second location of the mobile device at a second time and a second location of the transport at the second time, wherein the second time is after the first time;

a carrier server configured to;

receive a notification of an attempted communication by the mobile device operated by a user, wherein the attempted communication comprises at least one of an attempted voice call, a text message, and a mobile data communication to or from the mobile device; and

apply a policy to the attempted communication when the transport speed has exceeded the speed threshold and the mobile device is identified as being located in the transport.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the carrier server is further configured to query the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the attempted communication.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the carrier server is further configured to perform at least one of:

notify the remote server of the attempted communication, and verify the received speed event message to determine whether to invoke the policy and apply a mobile device usage restriction policy.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote server is further configured to perform at least one of:

send routing instructions to the carrier server indicating how to route the attempted communication, and route the attempted communication responsive to reception of the routing instructions.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote server is further configured to not apply the policy to the attempted communication when it is determined that the mobile device is not located inside the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote server is further configured to invoke the policy to restrict the mobile device when the speed threshold is triggered.