METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY ALTERING THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A WIRELESS PHONE BY MONITORING THE PHONE'S MOVEMENT AND/OR LOCATION

• US 20060148490A1
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee
• Application Number:
  US10/905,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product for dynamically altering the behavior of a wireless phone based on the movement and/or location of the phone is provided. The present invention further provides caller-initiated control over the behavior of a wireless phone.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically changing an operational characteristic of a wireless phone, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically monitoring the wireless phone for motion; and

changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the monitored motion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the monitored motion comprises the steps of:

determining if the wireless phone has been in motion for at least a first predetermined time period; and

disabling the ringing of the phone upon an incoming call if the phone has been in motion for a time exceeding the first predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

re-enabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone has been stationary for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

connecting the person making the incoming call with a holder of the wireless phone, if the wireless phone has been stationary for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

notifying both the party making the incoming call and a holder of the wireless phone of the incoming call, so that either party can re-initiate contact with the other party at their convenience.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the monitored motion comprises the steps of:

determining if the wireless phone has been stationary for at least a first predetermined time period; and

disabling the ringing of the phone upon an incoming call if the phone has been stationary for a time exceeding the first predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

re-enabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone has been in motion for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

connecting the person making the incoming call with a holder of the wireless phone, if the wireless phone has been in motion for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

notifying both the party making the incoming call and a holder of the wireless phone of the incoming call, so that either party can re-initiate contact with the other party at their convenience.

10. A method for dynamically changing an operational characteristic of a wireless phone, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically monitoring the wireless phone for locational indicia; and

changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the locational indicia and the intention of a caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the locational indicia and the intention of a caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone comprises the steps of:

determining if the wireless phone has been in motion for at least a first predetermined time period; and

disabling the ringing of the wireless phone upon an incoming call if the phone has been in motion for a time exceeding the first predetermined time period and the intention of the caller is to not ring the wireless phone while the phone is in motion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

re-enabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone has been stationary for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

connecting the person making the incoming call with the holder of the wireless phone, if the wireless phone has been stationary for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

notifying both the party making the incoming call and a holder of the wireless phone of the incoming call, so that either party can re-initiate contact with the other party at their convenience.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

enabling the caller to override the disabling of the ringing of the wireless phone in case of emergency.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the locational indicia and the intention of a caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone comprises the steps of:

determining if the wireless phone has been stationary for at least a first predetermined time period; and

disabling the ringing of the phone upon an incoming call if the phone has been stationary for a time exceeding the first predetermined time period and the intention of the caller is to not ring the wireless phone while the phone is stationary.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

re-enabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone has been in motion for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

connecting the person making the incoming call with the holder of the wireless phone, if the wireless phone has been in motion for a time exceeding a second predetermined time period following the disabling.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call;

notifying both the party making the incoming call and a holder of the wireless phone of the incoming call, so that either party can re-initiate contact with the other party at their convenience.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the locational indicia and the intention of a caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone comprises the steps of:

determining if the locational indicia indicates that the wireless phone resides within a predefined restricted access zone; and

disabling the ringing of the phone for the call if the phone currently resides within the restricted access zone and the intention of the caller is not to ring the wireless phone while the wireless phone resides within the restricted access zone.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

re-enabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone no longer resides within the restricted access zone.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call; and

connecting the person making the incoming call with the holder of the wireless phone, if the wireless phone no longer resides within the restricted access zone.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

capturing the identity of the person making the incoming call;

notifying both the party making the incoming call and a holder of the wireless phone of the incoming call, so that either party can re-initiate contact with the other party at their convenience.

24. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the locational indicia and the intention of a caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone comprises the steps of:

determining if the locational indicia indicates that the wireless phone resides within a predefined permitted access zone; and

enabling the ringing of the phone for the call if the phone currently resides within the permitted access zone and the intention of the caller is to ring the wireless phone only while the wireless phone resides within the permitted access zone.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

disabling the ringing of the wireless phone if the wireless phone no longer resides within the permitted access zone.

26. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing the operational characteristic of the wireless phone based upon the location indicia and the intention of the caller initiating a call to a holder of the wireless phone comprises the steps of:

determining if the locational indicia indicates that the wireless phone resides within a predefined restricted access zone;

determining if the amount of minutes remaining on the phone is at a depleted level; and

disabling the ringing of the wireless phone upon an incoming call if the phone resides within a predefined restricted access zone, and the amount of minutes remaining on the wireless phone is at a depleted level.

27. An apparatus for changing an operational characteristic of a wireless phone, the apparatus comprising:

a position detector for determining a set of locational indicia for the wireless phone;

a memory for storing a call routing program;

a processor, which upon executing the call routing program, is configured to;

receive an incoming call;

determine an originating phone number for the incoming call;

compare the originating phone number against a set of controlling phone numbers associated with the wireless phone to determine if the call is originating from a controlling phone;

compare the set of locational indicia from the wireless phone against a set of predefined locational/movement restrictions to determine if the wireless phone is currently restricted from receiving the call; and

defer the routing of the call to the wireless phone if the call is originating from a controlling phone and if the wireless phone is currently restricted from receiving the call.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the call routing program resides within the wireless phone.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the call routing program resides within a call center server of a wireless phone service provider.

30. An apparatus for changing an operational characteristic of a wireless phone, the apparatus comprising:

a position detector for determining a movement of the wireless phone;

a memory for storing a call routing program;

a processor, which upon executing the call routing program, is configured to;

receive an incoming call;

determine an originating phone number for the incoming call;

compare the movement of the wireless phone against a set of predefined movement restrictions to determine if the wireless phone is currently restricted from receiving the call; and

defer the routing of the call to the wireless phone wireless phone is currently restricted from receiving the call.

31. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

receiving an incoming wireless phone call from a calling phone destined for a receiving phone;

determining an originating phone number for the calling phone;

comparing the originating phone number of the calling phone against a set of controlling phone numbers associated with the receiving phone to determine if the call is originating from a controlling phone;

comparing a set of current locational indicia from the receiving phone against a set of predefined locational/movement restrictions to determine if the wireless phone is currently restricted from receiving the call; and

deferring the routing of the call to the receiving phone if the call is originating from a controlling phone and if the receiving phone is currently restricted from receiving the call.