Mobile device lock-out system

• US 10,567,572 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saferide Acquisition Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Saferide Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Rownin, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Application Number:
  US16/170,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20190173998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A mobile electronic device that is operable to at least partially disable functionality of the mobile electronic device in response to receiving an indication that a vehicle is in motion. In one or more implementations, the electronic device includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and a processor communicatively coupled to the touch-sensitive display and to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to detect presence of a lock-out device and to receive an indication that a vehicle is in motion. The processor is also operable to execute the one or more modules to cause the mobile electronic device to be at least partially inoperable in response to receiving the indication and detecting presence of the lock-out device.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a display configured to receive one or more inputs;

at least one input/output device;

a processor operably coupled to the display and the at least one input/output device, the processor operable to;

detect a presence of a lock-out device, the lock-out device being integrated with at least one computing device of a vehicle;

receive an indication that the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle including the mobile electronic device; and

in response to receiving the indication that the vehicle is in motion and detecting the presence of the lock-out device, cause at least one of the display or the at least one input/output device to be at least partially inoperable.

2. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the lock-out device comprises a transceiver configured to transmit at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal, the at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal indicating the presence of the lock-out device.

3. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an accelerometer or a global positioning system receiver, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether the mobile electronic device is moving.

4. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to pair the mobile electronic device with the lockout device based on an indication received from an administrator computing device.

5. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to communicatively couple the mobile electronic device with the lock-out device a communication network by at least one of a direct network connection or an indirect network connection.

6. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive display.

7. A lock-out system comprising:

a lock-out device configured to be detectable by one or more mobile electronic devices located in a vehicle, the lock-out device being integrated with at least one computing device of the vehicle;

one or more mobile electronic devices communicatively coupled to the lock-out device, each of the one or more mobile electronic devices comprising;

a display configured to receive one or more inputs;

at least one input/output device;

a processor operably coupled to the display and the at least one input/output device, the processor operable to;

detect a presence of the lock-out device;

receive an indication that the vehicle is in motion, the vehicle including the mobile electronic device; and

in response to receiving the indication that the vehicle is in motion and detecting the presence of the lock-out device, cause at least one of the display or the at least one input/output device to be at least partially inoperable.

8. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, wherein the lock-out device comprises a transceiver configured to transmit at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal, the at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal indicating the presence of the lock-out device.

9. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, further comprising at least one of an accelerometer or a global positioning system receiver, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether the mobile electronic device is moving.

10. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a transceiver communicatively coupled to the mobile electronic device, the transceiver configured to transmit the indication that the vehicle is in motion.

11. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobile electronic device is communicatively coupled with the lock-out device via a communication network by at least one of a direct network connection or an indirect network connection.

12. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one of the mobile electronic device or the lockout device is communicatively coupled with an administrator computing device.

13. The lock-out system as recited in claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to pair the mobile electronic device with the lockout device based on an indication received from the administrator computing device.

14. The lock-out system as recited in claim 7, wherein the lock-out device is further configured to communicatively couple with the vehicle.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a presence of a lock-out device, the lock-out device being integrated with at least one computing device of a vehicle;

receiving an indication that the vehicle is in motion at a mobile electronic device;

at least partially disabling functionality of the mobile electronic device in response to receiving the indication that the vehicle is in motion and detecting presence of the lock-out device;

determining whether the vehicle is still in motion; and

restoring the disabled functionality when the vehicle is determined to be no longer in motion.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein detecting the presence of the lock-out device includes receiving at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal, the at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, or an electromagnetic signal indicating the presence of the lock-out device.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising, coupling the mobile electronic device with the lock-out device via a communication network by at least one of a direct network connection or an indirect network connection.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the indication that the vehicle is in motion is transmitted by a transceiver, the transceiver configured to transmit at least one of a Bluetooth signal, a Wi Fi signal, an electromagnetic signal, or a global positioning system signal.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein detecting the presence of a lock-out device further comprises pairing the mobile electronic device with the lock-out device via an administrator computing device.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein at least partially disabling functionality of the mobile electronic device in response to receiving the indication that the vehicle is in motion further comprises at least partially disabling detection of touch inputs to a touch-sensitive display.