Safety control system for vehicles

• US 10,532,709 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Safe Driving Technologies, LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Safe Driving Technologies, LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Inventors: Naboulsi, Mouhamad A
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US16/140,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20190031124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad

Abstract

According to one aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, a safety control system for using applications in vehicles, includes, a communication device having at least one of an input accessible from within the vehicle and an output communicated within the vehicle, at least one sensor operable to sense at least one condition related to vehicle operation, and data about distraction features of a running application, to and a controller communicated with the sensor and the communication device to selectively suppress at least one of said input and said output in response to a sensed parameter of said at least one condition being outside of a threshold. When an input is suppressed, the driver is prevented from accessing or inputting information into the communication device. When an output is suppressed, communication between the device and the driver of a vehicle is suppressed to, among other things, avoid distracting the driver during certain driving situations or conditions relating to the driver, vehicle and/or environment.

Claims

1. A telematics system for a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a bus and the telematics system is operable by a driver of the vehicle, the telematics system comprising:

a first mode of operation and a reduced distractions mode of operation;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a cellular phone having at least one feature and an output;

the telematics system operable by a driver of the motor vehicle;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a web server;

the telematics system being operatively coupled to the vehicle'"'"'s bus and being configured to receive at least one of a vehicle transmission information and a vehicle movement information from the bus;

the telematics system configured to automatically switch between the first mode of operation and the reduced distractions mode of operation, as a result of at least one predetermined condition being met by the at least one of the transmission information and the vehicle movement information; and

,

wherein the telematics system, while operating in the reduced distractions mode of operation, is configured to disable the at least one feature, suppress at least a portion of the output and provide at least one indicium to the driver that the reduced distractions mode of operation is active;

wherein the at least one indicium is presented by the motor vehicle.

2. The telematics system of claim 1, further configured to provide a second output format instead of the suppressed output format.

3. The telematics system of claim 1, further configured to receive settings from the web server.

4. The telematics system of claim 1, further comprising the telematics system being configured to receive a navigation information from the bus.

5. A method for providing safety to a driver in a motor vehicle that includes a bus, a cellular phone and a web server, the method comprising:

receiving at a controller a vehicle transmission information and a vehicle movement information from the bus;

determining from at least one of the vehicle transmission information and the vehicle movement information, that a predetermined condition has been met;

the controller, in response to determining that the predetermined condition has been met, switching between a first mode of operation having at least one feature wherein the at least one feature includes an output and a reduced distractions mode;

wherein in the reduced distractions mode of operation the at least one feature is disabled and at least a portion of the output is suppressed;

and the controller providing at least one indicium from the motor vehicle that the reduced distractions mode of operation is active.

6. The method according to claim 5 further including the controller receiving at least one setting from the web server.

7. The method according to claim 5, further including the controller receiving a navigation information from the bus.

8. The telematics system of claim 7, further including the controller determining from the navigation information that the predetermined condition has been met.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the output is a ringer signal.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the output is an incoming call notification.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second output format is a missed call notification.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein the feature is placing a phone call.

13. The method according to claim 5, wherein the feature is an Internet access operation.

14. A telematics system for a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a bus and the telematics system is operable by a driver of the motor vehicle, the telematics system comprising:

a first mode of operation and a reduced distractions mode of operation;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a cellular phone having at least one feature and an output;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a web server;

the telematics system being operatively coupled to the motor vehicle'"'"'s bus and being configured to receive a vehicle transmission information from the bus;

the telematics system configured to automatically switch between the first mode of operation and the reduced distractions mode of operation, as a result of at least one predetermined condition being met by the vehicle transmission information; and

,

wherein the telematics system, while operating in the reduced distractions mode of operation, is configured to disable the at least one feature, suppress at least a portion of the output and provide at least one indicium to the driver that the reduced distractions mode of operation is active.

15. A telematics system for a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a bus and the telematics system is operable by a driver of the motor vehicle, the telematics system comprising:

a first mode of operation, a second mode of operation, and a third mode of operation each being respectively configured to operate a first, a second, and a third set of telematics features;

wherein at least the first set of telematics features is disabled in the second mode of operation and at least the second set of telematics features is disabled in the third mode of operation;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a cellular phone;

the telematics system configured to be operatively coupled with a web server;

the telematics system being operatively coupled to the motor vehicle'"'"'s bus and being configured to receive at least one of a vehicle transmission information and a vehicle movement information from the bus;

the telematics system configured to automatically switch between the first, the second, and the third modes of operation based on at least one of the transmission information and the vehicle movement information.

16. The telematics system of claim 15, wherein the first and the second sets of telematics features respectively include a first and a second output format for substantially the same information, and the first output format is disabled in the second set.