System for preventing text messaging while driving

• US 20110136509A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A system and method are described to disable texting while driving a moving vehicle. The position and speed of a user'"'"'s cell phone are compared with that of a registered master phone. If the position and speed match that of the master phone, it is assumed that the user is a passenger and not a driver, and texting is enabled for that user. Texting at speed is disabled for a master phone user who may be an ordinary citizen or may be a professional driver of a mass transit vehicle. A professional driver may be known to the service provider and his phone may receive special treatment such that he is prevented from texting while driving but may be allowed to text while riding as a passenger. Passengers and operators of a train may be treated differently since the roadbed of a train has a known position.

Claims

1. A cellular phone service providing system, including software at the service provider for selectively disabling text messaging for individual cell phones according to the method of:

determining the location and velocity of a cell phone;

determining if the velocity of the cell phone is greater than a disable threshold;

if the velocity of the cell phone is less than the disable threshold, enabling text messaging for the phone;

if the velocity of the cell phone is greater than the disable threshold, comparing the location and velocity of the cell phone with master phones in close proximity to the cell phone in order to determine if the cell phone is within the envelope of a master phone;

if the cell phone has a velocity greater than the disable threshold and is within the envelope of a master phone, enabling text messaging for the cell phone; and

if the cell phone has a velocity greater than the disable threshold and is not within the envelope of a master phone, disabling text messaging for the phone.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

after a cell phone has been thus disabled for text messaging, re-enabling the phone for text messaging after the velocity of said cell phone has been less than the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in order to enable text messaging for the cell phone when it is traveling in excess of the disable threshold, its direction of travel must also match the direction of travel of a master phone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the master phone may be any cellular phone that is currently registered as a master phone, and upon being thus registered has been disabled by the service provider for text messaging.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the master phone was registered by voluntary registration of said master phone by its user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the master phone was registered by automatic registration of said master phone and wherein the user of said master phone is a known professional operator of a mass transit vehicle.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the master phone was registered voluntarily by the user of said master phone;

the user of said master phone is a known professional operator of a mass transit vehicle; and

the user registered said master phone in response to a prompt sent by the service provider after a determination that said master phone was within the envelope of one or more cellular phones.

8. A method for disabling text messaging for vehicle drivers while in motion, comprising the steps of :

registering a cell phone belonging to the driver of a motor vehicle as a master phone;

determining the position and velocity of the master phone;

disabling texting for said master phone when the velocity of the master phone exceeds a disable threshold;

establishing an envelope relative to the master phone that encompasses passengers that may be riding within the motor vehicle;

allowing text messaging for cell phone users whose phones are within the envelope; and

disabling text messaging for drivers whose cell phones are moving at a velocity greater than the disable threshold and are not within the envelope of a master phone.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein to enable text messaging for a cell phone when it is traveling in excess of the disable threshold, its direction of travel must also match the direction of travel of a master phone.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is implemented solely by changes to the service provider infrastructure and not by changes made to any cellular phones.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the method is implemented solely by changes to the service provider software infrastructure and not by changes made to either cellular phones or service provider hardware infrastructure.

12. A method for implementation by a cellular service provider for preventing unauthorized texting on cellular communication devices while operating a moving vehicle comprising:

determining the position and speed of a first cell phone;

comparing the speed of the first cell phone with a disable threshold whereby the phone is determined to be in a moving vehicle if the speed is greater than the disable threshold;

for a first cell phone determined to be in a moving vehicle, determining if that cell phone is currently registered as a master phone, and if so registered, disabling texting for that phone;

if the first cell phone is not currently registered as a master phone, determining if the position of the phone is within the position envelope of one or more master phones;

for each master phone for which the first cell phone is within the master phone'"'"'s position envelope, comparing the speed of the master phone with the speed of the first cell phone to see if their speeds track within a threshold of equality;

if when comparing with any master phone, the speed of the first cell phone tracks that of that master phone within the threshold of equality, determining that the user of the first phone is in a moving vehicle with a registered driver and therefore allowing texting for said first cell phone; and

if no master phone whose position envelope contains the first cell phone is determined to have a speed that tracks within a threshold of equality when compared with the speed of said first cell phone, determining that the user of the first cell phone is not in a moving vehicle having a registered driver and therefore disabling texting for said first cell phone.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising repeating the steps of claim 12 for a second cell phone.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

after a cell phone has been thus disabled for text messaging, re-enabling the phone for text messaging after the speed of said cell phone has been less than the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein in order to enable text messaging for the first or second cell phones when they are traveling in excess of the disable threshold, their direction of travel must also match the direction of travel of a master phone.

16. A method for disabling text messaging for the operator of a train while in motion, comprising the steps of:

storing, at the cellular service provider, the phone identities of professional train operators;

determining the position and velocity of a cell phone belonging to a first professional train operator;

if said cell phone belonging to a first professional train operator is determined to be on a train roadbed and is traveling at a velocity greater than a disable threshold, disabling texting for that phone; and

enabling texting for all cell phones determined to be on the train roadbed regardless of velocity, for phones that do not belong to a professional train operator.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

establishing a position envelope for the train; and

enabling texting for a phone belonging to a second professional train operator located within the position envelope, after a first professional train operator located within the position envelope has registered his phone as the active train operator.

18. A method for disabling text messaging for the driver of a mass transit vehicle while in motion, comprising the steps of:

storing, at the cellular service provider, the phone identities of professional mass transit vehicle drivers;

determining the position and velocity of a cell phone belonging to a first professional mass transit vehicle driver;

determining that at least one cell phone not belonging to a professional mass transit vehicle driver is within the envelope of the cell phone belonging to the first professional mass transit vehicle driver;

if the cell phone belonging to the first professional mass transit vehicle driver is determined to be traveling at a velocity greater than a disable threshold, disabling texting for that phone; and

enabling texting for said at least one cell phone that is within the envelope of the first professional mass transit vehicle driver and does not belong to a professional mass transit vehicle driver.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

enabling texting for a phone belonging to a second professional mass transit vehicle driver located within the envelope, after the first professional mass transit vehicle driver located within the position envelope has registered his phone as the active driver of a mass transit vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

storing, at the cellular service provider, at least one parameter related to a vehicle driven by the professional mass transit vehicle driver.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

prompting the first professional mass transit vehicle driver to register as the active driver of the vehicle after determining that at least one cell phone not belonging to a professional mass transit vehicle driver is within the envelope of the cell phone belonging to the first professional mass transit vehicle driver.