CELLULAR DEVICE CONTROL

• US 20110039572A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Drive Safely Corp.
• Original Assignee: Pm&L Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Lamb, Craig R., Mastrella, David M.
• Application Number:
  US12/540,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039572A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method of controlling a cellular device includes determining a velocity of the cellular device and temporarily disabling a short messaging service function of the cellular device in response to the velocity while a voice function of the cellular device remains enabled.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a cellular device, comprising:

(a) determining a velocity of the cellular device; and

(b) temporarily disabling a short messaging service (SMS) function of the cellular device in response to the velocity while a voice function of the cellular device remains enabled.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring entry of a full-attention validation before enabling the disabled SMS function.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the validation comprises a predetermined series of keystrokes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the validation comprises a randomly generated series of keystrokes.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising requiring entry of the validation within a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising requiring entry of a first portion of the validation before displaying a second portion of the validation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first portion comprises a first randomly generated keystroke and the second portion comprises a second randomly generated keystroke.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising locking the disabled SMS function in response to a locking trigger.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the locking trigger comprises one of entry of an incorrect validation and elapsing of a predetermined length of time.

10. The method of claim 2, further including enabling the SMS function for a predetermined period of time in response to entry of the validation.

11. The method of claim 2, further including requiring preselection of a validation method by a user of the cellular device, the validation method comprising entry of the full-attention validation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the velocity is determined in response to a user of the cellular device attempting to access the SMS function.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein firmware of the cellular device temporarily disables the SMS function.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the velocity comprises determining a first velocity of the cellular device and comparing the first velocity to a predetermined velocity limit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a second velocity of the cellular device if the first velocity is below the predetermined velocity limit.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the velocity comprises determining a velocity of the cellular device contemporaneous with a user attempting to access the SMS function.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined velocity corresponds to a distance between two spaced locations of SMS function access attempts and an elapsed time therebetween.

18. A method of controlling a cellular device, comprising:

(a) determining a velocity of the cellular device in response to a user accessing a short messaging service (SMS) function of the cellular device;

(b) comparing the velocity to a predetermined velocity limit and disabling the SMS function based on the comparison;

(c) requesting entry of a full-attention validation by the user in accordance with a validation method preselected by the user; and

(d) enabling the SMS function in response to entry of the validation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the validation comprises one of a predetermined series of keystrokes and a randomly generated series of keystrokes.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising locking the disabled SMS function in response to a locking trigger.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the validation method comprises requiring entry of a first portion of the validation before displaying a second portion of the validation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first portion comprises a first randomly generated keystroke and the second portion comprises a second randomly generated keystroke.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the validation method comprises requiring entry of the validation within a predetermined period of time.

24. A method of controlling a cellular device, comprising:

(a) determining a global positioning system (GPS)-based velocity of the cellular device;

(b) comparing the velocity to a predetermined velocity limit and enabling a safety feature of the cellular device based on the comparison;

(c) requesting entry of a full-attention validation; and

(d) disabling the safety feature in response to entry of the validation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein enabling the safety feature comprises disabling a SMS function of the cellular device.

26. The method of claim 25, further including locking the disabled SMS function in response to a locking trigger.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the locking trigger comprises one of entry of an incorrect validation and elapsing of a predetermined length of time.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the safety feature is disabled for a predetermined period of time.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein requesting entry of the validation comprises requiring entry of a first portion of the validation before displaying a second portion of the validation.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein requesting entry of the validation comprises requiring entry of the validation within a predetermined period of time.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein a voice function of the cellular device remains enabled while the safety feature is enabled.

32. A cellular system, comprising:

(a) a cellular device comprising a transmitter, the cellular device having a short messaging service (SMS) function and a voice function; and

(b) a controller selected to determine a velocity of the cellular device and to temporarily disable the SMS function in response to the velocity while the voice function remains enabled.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein firmware of the cellular device comprises the controller.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the transmitter comprises a GPS signal transmitter.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the transmitter is selected to receive information indicative of a location of the cellular device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller determines the velocity of the cellular device based on the information received.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein one of hardware and software of the cellular device comprises the controller.

38. A method of controlling a cellular device having a short messaging service (SMS) function and a voice function, comprising:

(a) identifying a first location of the cellular device in response to a user of the cellular device accessing the SMS function;

(b) storing information indicative of the first location;

(c) identifying a second location of the cellular device different from the first location;

(d) comparing the information indicative of the first location to the information indicative of the second location; and

(e) temporarily disabling the SMS function of the cellular device based on the comparison while a voice function of the cellular device remains enabled.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the second location of the cellular device is identified in response to the user accessing the SMS function.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the second location of the cellular device is identified in response to elapsing of a predetermined period of time.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising requiring entry of a full-attention validation before enabling the disabled SMS function.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising

(a) determining a first time at which the cellular device is in the first location and

(b) determining a second time at which the cellular device is in the second location, wherein comparing the information comprises comparing the first time to the second time.