Hand-held cellular telephone system with location transmission inhibit

• US 20020107032A1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John J. Simkanich, John M. Allegrezza, Michael K. Agness
• Original Assignee: John J. Simkanich, John M. Allegrezza, Michael K. Agness
• Inventors: Simkanich, John J., Allegrezza, John M., Agness, Michael K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,799,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/01 Reducing phase shift
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/43 characterized by the control of the jamming power, signal-to-noise ratio or geographic coverage area
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/90 related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A digital cellular telephone circuit contains a GPS (Global Positioning System) location circuit, which generates a location code indication signal transmitted to a cellular signal processing station communication server at a local cell base station, when a transmission (telephone call) is placed or received by a cellular user. A program on the server interrogates appropriate ones of various stored databases which contain location information for cell transmission inhibit. Monitoring and control software in the communications server compares the cellular telephone'"'"'s GPS location against the stored databases of transmission inhibit locations. Such inhibit locations may include GPS highways locations, restricted commerce GPS locations, restricted activity selection, and others. If location or activity transmission inhibit data is found, the control software looks for the presence of an override signal bit. A rejection tone or message may be sent when calls are rejected. If the cellular telephone has been connected in an override state as a result of a special predetermined condition, i.e., a hands-free communication, or a “911” emergency call or medical alert is being placed, the cellular unit transmits an indicator signal which causes a by-pass of the inhibit function.

Claims

1. A monitoring and control system for cellular telephone transmission for inhibiting transmissions with a cell phone in a on-the-highway location, said cell phone communicating with a cell tower including a base station having a communications server, said cell phone having a main microprocessor, an operator touch pad connected to input to said main microprocessor, a protocol encoder/decoder circuit connected to said main processor, a modem connected to said protocol encoder/decoder circuit, and a transceiver connected to said modem, comprising:

a high definition GPS location receiver circuit connected to receive satellite GPS information through said cell phone antenna, and connected to said main processor for providing GPS location data of said cell phone to said main processor;

a hands-free adaptor (HFA) connected to input to said main processor, said input providing operation signals to said main processor;

a cell unit GPS location data line from said main processor to said protocol encoder/decoder circuit;

a HFA presence bit line from said main process to said protocol encoder/decoder circuit, said bit being “

high”

when said hands-free adaptor is connected and operational;

a transmission data line from said main processor to said protocol encoder/decoder circuit;

wherein said encoder/decoder formats the request for transmission call to a cell tower, said request including cell phone GPS location data and a HFA presence indicator bit; and

detection software resident in the communications server for said cell tower being requested for transmission, said software interrogating said cell phone transmission request, including the reading of said cell phone GPS location information and said cell phone HFA bit information, said software inhibiting further transmission with said cell phone when said cell phone is at an on-the-highway location without HFA presence.

2. The monitoring and control system of claim 1 also including:

an AM noise receiver connected to receive radio frequency noise generated by an operating engine through said cell phone antenna, and connected to said main processor for providing a noise presence bit to said main processor in the presence of engine operating noise; and

an engine operation, on-the-highway indicator bit line from said main processor to said protocol encoder/decoder circuit.

3. The monitoring and control system of claim 2 wherein said AM noise receiver includes a 2 KHz-110 KHz noise receiver connected to receive radio frequency noise generated by an operating engine through said cell phone antenna, and connected to said main processor for providing a noise presence bit to said main processor in the presence of engine operating noise.

4. The monitoring and control system of claim 1 wherein said cell tower base station communications server is connected to receive weather bureau information of severe weather by GPS location, and wherein said cell phone transmission is denied when said cell phone is at a severe weather location.

5. The monitoring and control system of claims 1 wherein said detection software at said communications server performs the following steps:

determining if a call request if from a land line;

if not from a land line, reading the cell phone request information including emergency priority request (“

911”

), cell phone GPS location, HFA bit presence, engine noise bit presence;

validating the request information;

validating the cell phone EDN, and if not valid disconnecting;

determining if a “

911”

emergency call, and if so, sending cell unit GPS location to emergency services and providing a priority connection to the transmission channel;

validating cell phone telephone number, and if not valid disconnecting;

comparing cell phone GPS location with highway GPS database to determine if cell phone on-the-highway, and if not then connecting the cell phone to a transmission channel;

if the cell phone GPS location is on-the-highway, then determining if there is severe weather at that GPS location, and if so rejecting the cell call request and disconnecting;

if the cell phone GPS location is on-the-highway, and there is determined no severe weather at that GPS location, then determining HFA presence and operation, if not then disconnecting; and

when the cell phone GPS location is on-the-highway, there is no severe weather at that GPS location, and the HFA bit is present, then connecting the cell phone to a transmission channel.

6. The monitoring and control system of claim 4 wherein said detection software at said communications server performs the following steps:

determining if a call request if from a land line;

if not from a land line, reading the cell phone request information including emergency priority request (“

911”

), cell phone GPS location, HFA bit presence, engine noise bit presence;

validating the request information;

validating the cell phone EDN, and if not valid disconnecting;

determining if a “

911”

emergency call, and if so, sending cell unit GPS location to emergency services and providing a priority connection to the transmission channel;

validating cell phone telephone number, and if not valid disconnecting;

determining if an engine operation, on-the-highway indicator bit is present, and if not then connecting the cell phone to a transmission channel;

if an engine operation, on-the-highway indicator bit is present, then determining if there is severe weather at the cell phone GPS location, and if so rejecting the cell call request and disconnecting;

if an engine operation, on-the-highway indicator bit is present, and there is determined no severe weather at the cell phone GPS location, then determining HFA presence and operation, if not then disconnecting; and

when the engine operation, on-the-highway indicator bit is present, there is no severe weather at the cell phone GPS location, and the HFA bit is present, then connecting the cell phone to a transmission channel.

7. A monitoring and control system for a cellular telephone network which inhibits transmission as a function of cellular user location, said cellular telephone network including a base station in wired communication with a cell tower and in wired communications with a land line network, said cell tower being in wireless communication with a cellular telephone, a communications server resident at said base station for processing communications, including an interface circuit connecting said communications server to said cell tower;

and wherein said cellular telephone has a main microprocessor, a protocol encoder/decoder circuit connected to said main processor, a modem connected to said main microprocessor, and a transceiver connected to said modem, said transceiver being capable of receiving global position system (GPS) signals, and said microprocessor being capable of encoding said GPS information into the routing header of a cellular transmission request, comprising;

a high definition GPS circuit connected to said cellular telephone main microprocessor for calculating said cellular telephone ground position from said received GPS signals to within 10-20 feet of error;

a monitoring and control circuit at said base station and interposed between said communications server and said server to said cell tower interface for inhibiting cell phone transmissions and initiating an inhibit announcement; and

a plurality of database storage each containing different types of data denoting GPS position for cell phone transmission inhibit, said database storage each being connected to said monitoring and control circuit;

wherein when a cell transmission request is received by said interface circuit to said communications server, said monitoring and control circuit compares the cell user location with each of said databases in turn, if a matched location is found, said monitoring and control circuit inhibits said cell phone transmission to said communications server and initiates an inhibit message.

8. The monitoring and control system of claim 7 wherein said database storage are each on a centralized system.

9. The monitoring and control system of claim 7 wherein said database storage are each on a regional system, said database storage being specific to the respective region.

10. The monitoring and control system of claim 8 including a database of existing highway GPS location information.

11. The monitoring and control system of claim 10 also including a database of severe storm GPS locations.

12. The monitoring and control system of claim 10 also including a database of restricted transmission business GPS locations.

13. The monitoring and control system of claim 12 also including a database of cell user elected transmission inhibit GPS locations.

14. The monitoring and control system of claim 13 also including a database of cell user elected time of day transmission inhibits.

15. The monitoring and control system of claim 14 also including a database of GPS locations of high risk.

17. The method of claim 16 also including after the step of inhibiting transmission the steps of:

establishing a mail box for said cell phone;

placing the time and telephone number of said inhibited call in said mail box; and

sending an inhibit message to said caller'"'"'s telephone.

18. The method of claim 17 also including after the step of intercepting each transmission request the steps of:

determining if said transmission request is from a cell phone and if said transmission request is an emergency call; and

permitting said call to go through without inhibiting transmission if it is an emergency call.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said storing data of prohibited situations step includes storing GPS location data of on the highway locations;

and wherein said comparing step includes comparing said cell phone header GPS location information to said stored GPS location data of on the highway locations.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said storing data of prohibited situations step further also includes establishing plural stored databases of separate GPS location data of any of restricted transmission business locations, restricted transmission high risk area locations, cell user elected locations, and cell user elected time restrictions;

and wherein said comparing step includes comparing said cell phone header information to said plural database data.

16. A method of inhibiting transmissions with a cell phone in a prohibited situation in an existing cellular telephone transmission system, where each cell phone has GPS position signal reception and high definition location calculation, with a programmed monitoring and control circuit interposed before a base station communications server to interrupt cell phone transmissions to or from said base station communications server, comprising the steps of:

placing said cell phone GPS location in the transmission request header format;

storing data of prohibited situations for said cell phone transmission;

intercepting each transmission request to and from said cell phone and comparing said cell phone header to said stored prohibited situation data; and

inhibiting transmission with said cell phone if said prohibited situation data is matched.