APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SAFE CONVEYANCE OF NOTIFICATIONS AND/OR ALERTS TO A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20130090103A1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Kyung Su, LEE, WonHyoung, YOON, Suk Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a mobile terminal including a display unit to safely convey notifications or alerts to a user of the mobile terminal are provided. The mobile terminal includes a display unit for safely conveying notifications or alerts to a user of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising, a cellular band transceiver for transmitting and receiving Radio Frequency (RF) signals in a cellular band, a controller for controlling operations of the mobile terminal, at least one sensor for one or more criteria, and a hazardous condition determining unit for determining a hazardous condition exists according to the sensed one or more criteria.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal including a display unit for safely conveying notifications or alerts to a user of the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising:

a cellular band transceiver for transmitting and receiving Radio Frequency (RF) signals in a cellular band;

a controller for controlling operations of the mobile terminal;

at least one sensor for sensing one or more criteria;

a hazardous condition determining unit for determining a hazardous condition exists according to the sensed one or more criteria; and

a memory for storing hazardous condition data including hazardous condition thresholds,

wherein the hazardous condition determining unit compares data of the sensed one or more criteria to respective ones of the hazardous condition thresholds to determine whether the hazardous condition exists and wherein the hazardous condition thresholds include at least one of a swerve threshold, an acceleration/deceleration threshold, and a slope threshold.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria comprises at least one of a traveling speed, an amount of acceleration, an amount of deceleration, an amount of a change in direction, a slope of an inclination of travel, weather conditions, a time of day and an amount of light.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, a light sensor and a thermometer.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller withholds a notification or an alert of an incoming communication if the hazardous condition determining unit determines that a hazardous condition exists.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the incoming communication comprises at least one of an incoming phone call, video call, text message, email or data communication.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller disables outgoing communication from the mobile terminal if the hazardous condition determining unit determines that a hazardous condition exists.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the outgoing communication comprises at least one of an outgoing phone call, video call, text message, email or data communication.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the controller withholds a notification or an alert of an incoming communication according to a sensed location of the mobile terminal.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

12. A method for safely conveying to a mobile terminal notifications or alerts corresponding to an incoming communication, the method comprising:

determining whether an incoming communication is being received by the mobile terminal;

determining whether a speed of a motor vehicle operated by a user of the mobile terminal exceeds a speed threshold and if determined that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds the speed threshold, determining whether another threshold is exceeded, and if determined that the other threshold is not exceeded, determining that a driving situation of the motor vehicle operated by the user of the mobile terminal is safe, and conveying to the mobile terminal the notification or the alert corresponding to the incoming communication when determined that the driving situation of the motor vehicle operated by the user of the mobile terminal is safe.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the other threshold is at least one of an amount of acceleration, an amount of deceleration, an amount of a change in direction, a slope of an inclination of travel, a weather condition, a time of day and an amount of light.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein if the speed threshold is exceeded and at least one of the other thresholds is exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is unsafe.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein if the speed threshold is not exceeded and all of the other thresholds are not exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising waiting a predetermined amount of time before determining again whether the incoming call or communication is being received by the mobile terminal after determining that the current driving situation is unsafe.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining again whether the current situation is safe for conveying the notification or the alert to the mobile terminal if it is determined that the incoming communication is still being received by the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising conveying a missed call or communication notification or alert to the user of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the incoming communication is not being received by the mobile terminal.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the conveying of the notification or the alert comprises conveying the notification or the alert to a user of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

13. (canceled)

21. A method for safely transmitting an outgoing communication using a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining whether an outgoing communication is being executed by the mobile terminal;

determining whether speed of a motor vehicle operated by a user of the mobile terminal exceeds a speed threshold and if determined that the speed of the motor vehicle exceeds the speed threshold, determining whether another threshold is exceeded, and if determined that the other threshold is not exceeded, determining that a driving situation of the motor vehicle operated by the user of the mobile terminal is safe; and

transmitting the outgoing communication when determined that the driving situation of the motor vehicle operated by the user of the mobile terminal is safe.

23. The method of claim 21,

wherein the other threshold is at least one of an amount of acceleration, an amount of deceleration, an amount of a change in direction, a slope of an inclination of travel, a weather condition, a time of day and an amount of light.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein if the speed threshold is exceeded and at least one of the other thresholds is exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is unsafe.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising notifying a user of the mobile terminal that the current driving situation is unsafe;

and

determining whether the user of the mobile terminal elects to execute the outgoing communication in the unsafe driving situation.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting the outgoing communication if the user elects to execute the outgoing communication in the unsafe driving situation.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein if the speed threshold is not exceeded and all of the other thresholds are not exceeded it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising allowing the transmitting of the communication if it is determined that the current driving situation is safe.

22. (canceled)