Method and apparatus for motion-based disabling of electronic devices

• US 20050288860A1
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: Control Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaelin, Michael, Pair, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

The system of the present invention uses a gps receiver and a computer program product to disable a feature of an electronic device when movement of the receiver is detected. Speed data from a gps data stream is monitored. When the speed of the gps receiver exceeds a predetermined value, the desired feature of the electronic device is disabled. For example, when the speed of the gps receiver exceeds 0.5 knots, a windows function call is executed to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen. The system may allow for temporary enabling of disabled features and for rapid enabling of disabled features when motion stops. The system may also include navigational software. A manufacturer may also use a proprietary combination of one or more disabled data fields in a gps data stream to identify gps receivers approved for use with the system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(1) providing data from a gps receiver to an electronic device;

(2) monitoring said data to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

(3) disabling a feature of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (1) comprises, providing data from said gps receiver to said electronic device, said data comprising first data in a speed data field; and

step (3) comprises, disabling said feature of said electronic device when said first data in said speed data field indicates movement at a speed that exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 1 knot.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 0.5 knots.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises setting a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (1) comprises providing first data in a first data field from said gps receiver to said electronic device; and

step (2) comprises monitoring said first data in said first data field to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

further comprising;

partially disabling said gps receiver so that said gps receiver does not provide second data in a second data field to said electronic device; and

detecting whether said gps receiver provides said second data to said electronic device; and

wherein step (3) comprises disabling said feature of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected only if it is also detected that said gps receiver does not provide said second data to said electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step (3), temporarily enabling said feature of said electronic device for a first selected period of time upon receipt of a temporary enabling command.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step (3), monitoring said data to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said feature of said electronic device after a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step (3), monitoring said data to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said feature of said electronic device after the sooner of (a) a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected, or (b) cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected and an enabling command is received.

12. A combination, comprising:

a computer program product comprising at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, comprising;

(1) monitoring data received by the machine from a gps receiver to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

(2) disabling a feature of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein step (2) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

14. The combination of claim 12, further comprising a gps receiver external from and operably connected to said machine.

15. The combination of claim 14, further comprising navigational software.

16. The combination of claim 14, wherein said gps receiver is capable of providing data in a plurality of data fields to said machine, said gps receiver being partially disabled so that said gps receiver does not provide data from at least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine;

and

wherein said method steps further comprise;

detecting whether said gps receiver provides said data from said at least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine; and

wherein step (2) comprises disabling said feature of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected only if it is also detected that said gps receiver does not provide said data from said at least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine.

17. A combination, comprising:

a vehicle;

a laptop computer in said vehicle;

a gps receiver external from and operably connected to said laptop computer; and

a computer program product stored on and readable by said laptop computer, said computer program embodying a program of instructions executable by said laptop computer to perform method steps, comprising;

(1) monitoring data received from said gps receiver to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

(2) disabling a feature of said laptop computer when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein step (2) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said laptop computer when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

19. The combination of claim 17, wherein step (2) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said laptop computer when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

20. The combination of claim 17, wherein:

step (1) comprises, monitoring speed data received from said gps receiver to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

step (2) comprises, disabling said feature of said laptop computer when said speed data indicates movement at a speed that exceeds a predetermined value.