MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REDUCING EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ENERGY DURING TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20100144321A1
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: RANNEY, Matthew J., PANTTAJA, James T., PANTTAJA, Mary G., KATIS, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A mobile communication device and method for reducing exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy during outgoing and incoming transmissions. During outgoing transmissions, media is stored in a local storage element on the mobile communication device as the media is being created. When the device is positioned a safe distance away from the user, the media is transmitted out of storage over the network to the recipient. Alternatively for incoming transmissions, media is stored on the network as it is created. While the wireless communication device is a safe distance away from the user, the media stored on the network is transmitted to the mobile communication device, where it is locally stored. The user of the mobile communication device can then review the incoming media at an arbitrary later time out of storage. As a result, the exposure of the user of the mobile communication device to RF energy for both outgoing and incoming transmissions is either substantially reduced or eliminated altogether.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

notifying a network to implement an RF energy protection mode for a wireless communication device wirelessly connected to the network;

storing media intended for the wireless communication device on the network while the energy protection mode is implemented;

notifying the network when the wireless communication device is positioned a safe distance away from the user of the wireless communication device;

transmitting the media intended for the wireless communication device and stored on the network to the wireless communication device after receiving the notification when the wireless communication device is positioned the safe distance away from the user;

locally storing the media on the wireless communication device when the media is transmitted to the wireless communication device; and

enabling the user of the wireless communication device to render the media after transmission by accessing the media out of local storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the network to implement the RF energy protection mode further comprises;

generating a notification signal at the wireless communication device; and

transmitting the notification signal from the wireless communication device to the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the notification signal at the wireless communication device further comprises one of the following:

(i) generating the notification signal in response to an explicit command entered into the wireless communication device by the user;

(ii) generating the notification signal based on the behavior of the user of the communication device, wherein the notification signal is generated when the user is not using the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the media intended for the wireless communication device on the network further comprises storing the media on a server located on the network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein storing the media on the server located on the network further comprising storing the media on the server in a time-indexed format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the network when the wireless communication device is positioned the safe distance away from the user further comprises:

generating a safe-to-transmit signal at the wireless communication device; and

transmitting the safe-to-transit signal from the wireless communication device to a server node on the network, the server node storing the media intended for the wireless communication device while the energy protection mode is implemented.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the safe-to-transmit signal at the wireless communication device further comprises one of the following:

(i) generating the safe-to-transit signal when a motion detector embedded in the wireless communication device determines when the wireless communication device is no longer being held by the user;

(ii) generating the safe-to-transit signal when a sensor embedded in the wireless communication device determines when the wireless communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iii) generating the safe-to-transit signal when an image detector embedded in the wireless communication device determines when the wireless communication device is no longer being held near the head of the user;

(iv) generating the safe-to-transmit signal in response to instructions entered into the wireless communication device by the user;

or

(v) any combination of (i) through (iv).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein locally storing the media on the wireless communication device further comprises storing the media in a time-indexed format in a memory located on the wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the network not to implement the RF energy protection mode for the wireless communication device wirelessly connected to the network; and

forwarding media intended for the wireless communication device from a sender as the media is received on the network when the RF energy protection mode is not implemented.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is one of the following:

(i) a wireless phone;

(ii) a cellular phone;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a satellite phone;

(v) a computer;

(vi) a radio;

(vii) a tactical radio;

(viii) a satellite radio;

or

(iix) a tactical radio.

21. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the communication device is one of the following:

(i) a wireless phone;

(ii) a cellular phone;

(iii) a mobile phone;

(iv) a satellite phone;

(v) a computer;

(vi) a radio;

(vii) a tactical radio;

or

(viii) a satellite radio.

11. A system comprising:

a network including a server, the server including a server storage element; and

a communication device associated with a recipient and wirelessly connected to the network, the communication device including;

an RF protection mode element for indicating, when set, that the recipient would like to reduce exposure to RF energy during transmissions received on the network and intended for wireless transmission to the communication device;

a position detection element configured to determine when the communication device is positioned a safe distance from the recipient; and

a network notification element configured to transmit a safe-to-transmit signal to the network when (a) the position detection element determines that the communication device is positioned the safe distance from the recipient and (b) the RF protection mode element is set,

the server on the network further configured, when the RF protection mode on the communication device is set, to;

(i) store in the server storage element media received on the network and intended for wireless transmission to the communication device; and

(ii) wirelessly transmit the media stored in the server storage element to the communication device after receiving the safe-to-transmit signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the RF protection mode element is selectively configured to be either set on or reset off.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network notification element is further configured to transmit to the network a network notification signal that notifies the network that the RF protection mode element on the communication device is either set on or reset off.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the network is further configured to wirelessly transmit to the communication device media received on the network intended for the communication device as the media is received on the network when the network notification signal signifies that the RF protection mode is reset off.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the server storage element is further configured to store the incoming media in a time-indexed format.

16. The system of claim 11, whereon the server storage element is further configured to persistently store the incoming media.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication device further comprises local storage for locally storing the media received over the wireless network.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication device further comprises a rendering element enabling the recipient to render the media stored in the local storage on the communication device at an arbitrary time after receipt.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the position detection element comprises one of the following:

(i) a motion detector embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer being held by the user;

(ii) a capacitance sensor embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iii) a resistive sensor embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer in contact with the user;

(iv) an image detector embedded in the communication device to determine when the communication device is no longer being held near the head of the user;

(v) a timer which times the RF transmission of the not time-sensitive voice media from the storage element a predetermined period of time after the timer has been set;

or

(vi) any combination of (i) through (v).

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the position detection element further determines the safe distance when the communication device has been placed away from the head of the user.