SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING MOBILE DEVICE COMMUNICATION

• US 20110228753A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Daniel, Polito, Anthony, Roumeliotis, Tasos, Hotes, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02213 Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for preventing communication using a mobile communication device is provided. The method includes enabling a motion detection process and detecting with the motion detection process at a first instance the mobile device is in motion. The motion detection process is disabled in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion. An attempted communication is detected via the mobile device, and the motion detection process is re-enabled in response to detecting the attempted communication. The method further includes detecting with the motion detection process at a second instance if the mobile device is in motion. If the mobile device is detected at the second instance in motion, the attempted communication is disabled. If the mobile device is detected at the second instance not in motion, the attempted communication is enabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing communication using a mobile communication device comprising:

enabling a motion detection process;

detecting with the motion detection process at a first instance the mobile device is in motion;

disabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion;

detecting an attempted communication via the mobile device;

re-enabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the attempted communication;

detecting with the motion detection process at a second instance if the mobile device is in motion; and

if the mobile device is detected at the second instance in motion, disabling the attempted communication, and if the mobile device is detected at the second instance not in motion, enabling the attempted communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

disabling the motion detection process comprises turning off a location stream; and

enabling the motion detection process comprises turning on the location stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

turning off the location stream comprises disabling a location resource; and

turning on the location stream comprises enabling a location resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting the attempted communication; and

disconnecting the communication in progress in response to detecting at the second instance the mobile device is in motion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling user communication access in response to detecting at the first instance the mobile device is in motion, wherein the attempted communication is disallowed until detecting the mobile device is not in motion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a history of times on prior days in which motion was detected; and

disabling user communication access in response to a current time corresponding to at least one of the times on the prior days in which motion was detected;

wherein the attempted communication is disallowed until detecting the mobile device is not in motion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a history of times on prior days in which motion was detected;

if a current time corresponds to at least one of the times on the prior days in which motion was detected, disabling user communication access, wherein the attempted communication is disallowed until detecting the mobile device is not in motion; and

if a current time corresponds to at least one of the times on the prior days in which motion was not detected, permitting the attempted communication, and disconnecting the communication in progress in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempted communication is at least one of:

a communication incoming to the mobile device initiated remotely via a communication network; and

a communication outgoing from the mobile device initiated by a user of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the attempted communication comprises enabling notification of an incoming communication, and wherein disabling the attempted communication comprises disabling notification of an incoming communication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling user notification of incoming communications in response to detecting at the first instance the mobile device is in motion; and

if the mobile device is detected in motion at the second instance, continuing to disable user notification of incoming communications including the attempted communication, and if the mobile device is detected not in motion at the second instance, enabling user notification of incoming communications, wherein notification of the attempted communication is enabled.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether the mobile device is connected to an external power source; and

disabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the mobile device is disconnected from an external power source and in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating a state of charge of a battery of the mobile device; and

disabling the motion detection process in response to estimating the state of charge of the battery of the mobile device is less than a predetermined threshold value and in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mobile device in motion comprises detecting the mobile device exceeding a predetermined velocity.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mobile device in motion comprises locating the mobile device by a method comprising:

(a) determining a current cell sector of the mobile device;

(b) comparing the current cell sector with a cell sector list of previously determined cell sectors;

(c) determining a current location of the mobile device if the current cell sector is not listed in the cell sector list;

(d) comparing the current location with at least one prior determined location comprising a last determined location;

(e) adding the current cell sector to the cell sector list if the current location is substantially the same as the last determined location;

(f) clearing the cell sector list if the current location is not substantially the same as the last determined location; and

(g) repeating steps (a)-(f) after a first predetermined period of time.

15. A computer-implemented method for preventing communication using a mobile communication device comprising:

enabling a first motion detection process;

detecting with the first motion detection process the mobile device is in motion;

disabling the first motion detection process in response to detecting with the first motion detection process the mobile device is in motion;

disabling user communication access in response to detecting with the first motion detection process the mobile device is in motion;

enabling a second motion detection process in response to detecting with the first motion detection process the mobile device is in motion;

detecting an attempted communication via the mobile device;

re-enabling the first motion detection process and detecting if the mobile device is in motion in response to detecting the attempted communication; and

if the mobile device is detected not in motion re-enabling the user communication access wherein the attempted communication is enabled.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting with the second motion detection process the mobile device is not in motion;

disabling the second motion detection process in response to detecting with the second motion detection process the mobile device is not in motion; and

re-enabling the first motion detection process in response to detecting with the second motion detection process the mobile device is not in motion.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first motion detection process comprises accessing a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) location stream and the second motion detection process comprises accessing location data based on terrestrial signal transmissions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second motion detection process comprises receiving signals from at least one LAN wireless access point.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting the mobile device is in motion with the second motion detection process comprises detecting a change in a characteristic of signals of the at least one LAN wireless access point.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second motion detection process comprises receiving signals from cellular base transceiver stations, wherein detecting the mobile device is in motion with the second motion detection process comprises detecting a change in a characteristic of signals from at least one of the cellular base transceiver stations.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the first motion detection process comprises determining a current location at a first predetermined rate, and wherein the second motion detection process comprises determining a current location at a second predetermined rate slower than the first predetermined rate.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the first motion detection process comprises determining a current location at a first predetermined rate, and wherein the second motion detection process comprises determining a current location at a rate corresponding to a growing period.

23. Non-transitory computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computing device to implement a method, the computing device being capable of interfacing with a communications network, the method comprising:

enabling a motion detection process;

detecting with the motion detection process at a first instance the mobile device is in motion;

disabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion;

detecting an attempted communication via the mobile device;

re-enabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the attempted communication;

detecting with the motion detection process at a second instance if the mobile device is in motion; and

if the mobile device is detected at the second instance in motion, disabling the attempted communication, and if the mobile device is detected at the second instance not in motion, enabling the attempted communication.

24. A mobile device comprising at least one computing device including at least one memory comprising instructions operable to enable the at least one computing device to perform a procedure comprising:

enabling a motion detection process;

detecting with the motion detection process at a first instance the mobile device is in motion;

disabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the mobile device is in motion;

detecting an attempted communication via the mobile device;

re-enabling the motion detection process in response to detecting the attempted communication;

detecting with the motion detection process at a second instance if the mobile device is in motion; and

if the mobile device is detected at the second instance in motion, disabling the attempted communication, and if the mobile device is detected at the second instance not in motion, enabling the attempted communication.