System, method, and apparatus for reducing driving while texting

• US 10,333,647 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin L. Harrison
• Original Assignee: Benjamin L. Harrison
• Inventors: Harrison, Benjamin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura N
• Application Number:
  US16/199,560
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/00 Jamming of communication; Counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/40 Jamming having variable characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/415 based on motion status or velocity, e.g. for disabling use of mobile phones in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A system for reducing driving while texting includes a containment vessel with a door. When the door is closed, the containment vessel attenuates cellular radio signals to prevent the user device held there within from communicating with a transceiver that is external to the containment vessel (e.g. Cell Tower). A transceiver having an antenna internal to the containment vessel looks for a transceiver of the user device to detect the presence of the user device within the containment vessel. A sensor detects when the door is closed. There is a way to detecting movement of a vehicle in which the containment vessel is held and a way to log data indicating at least time periods in which movement is detected and either the door is open or the transceiver of the user device is not detected. The data is reported (e.g. to a parent/guardian).

Claims

1. A system for reducing driving while texting, the system comprising:

a containment vessel, the containment vessel having shielding that attenuates cellular radio signals thereby preventing a user device held within the containment vessel from communicating to a cellular radio transceiver that is external to the containment vessel;

means for detecting the presence of the user device within the containment vessel;

means for detecting movement of a vehicle in which the containment vessel is held;

means for logging at least time periods in which movement is detected by the means for detecting movement and an absence of the user device is detected by the means for detecting the presence of the user device; and

means for reporting the time periods.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the containment vessel includes a door through which the user device is inserted into the containment vessel.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising means for detecting that the door is closed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting movement comprises a global positioning system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting movement comprises an interface to a speed sensor of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting the user device within the containment vessel comprises a radio transceiver having an antenna operatively coupled thereto whereas the antenna is within the containment vessel for communicating with a second radio transceiver of the user device that is within the containment vessel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the containment vessel is formed as a glove compartment or console compartment of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device is a smartphone.

9. A method of reducing driving while texting comprising:

blocking external radio frequency signals from reaching a user device by a containment vessel when the user device is held within the containment vessel;

communicating with a radio frequency transceiver of the user device to determine that the user device is that of the user by way of a unique identification received from the radio frequency transceiver of the user device while the user device is within the containment vessel;

detecting movement of a vehicle in which the containment vessel is held;

if the vehicle is moving when the user device is not within the containment vessel, logging data indicative of the vehicle moving when the user device is not within the containment vessel; and

reporting the data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein before the step of communicating with the radio frequency transceiver of the user device to determine that the user device is that of the user, registering the user device by associating the unique identification of the radio frequency transceiver with the user device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of detecting the movement of the vehicle in which the containment vessel is held is performed by monitoring a location of the vehicle as reported by a global positioning system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of detecting the movement of the vehicle in which the containment vessel is held is performed by monitoring a speed sensor of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of blocking the external radio frequency signals from reaching the user device that is held within the containment vessel includes the step of placing the user device into the containment vessel through an orifice and then a step of closing a door to close the orifice.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the user device is a smartphone.

15. A system for reducing driving while texting, the system comprising:

a containment vessel having a door for inserting a user device there within, the containment vessel attenuates cellular radio signals thereby preventing the user device held within the containment vessel from communicating using cellular services;

a radio frequency transceiver of the system for reducing driving while texting searches for a signal from a user device radio frequency transceiver, the presence of the user device within the containment vessel is known when the system radio frequency transceiver receives the signal from the user device radio frequency transceiver and the signal is authenticated as having a pre-registered unique address;

a sensor that detects when the door is closed;

means for detecting movement of a vehicle in which the containment vessel is held;

means for logging at least time periods in which movement is detected by the means for detecting movement and either the door is open or the system radio frequency transceiver does not receive the signal from the user device radio frequency transceiver or the system radio frequency transceiver does not recognize the pre-registered unique address of the user device radio frequency transceiver; and

means for reporting the time periods.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting movement comprises a global positioning system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting movement comprises an interface to a speed sensor of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the containment vessel is formed as a glove compartment or console compartment of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the user device radio frequency transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver and the pre-registered unique address of the user device radio frequency transceiver is a MAC address.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for reporting the time periods comprises transferring the time periods to a device of a parent/guardian.