APPARATUS FOR AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING A MOBILE COMMUNICATOR

• US 20130252575A1
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Communication Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mobile Communication Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Ewell, Robert C. Jr., Garmany, Douglas L., Kelly, Charles T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• 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: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a mobile communicator that includes a contact operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and positioned to complete an electric circuit when the contact is in the closed position thereby activating the mobile communicator and providing the mobile communicator with functionality. The mobile communicator includes a display, a notification mechanism, a user interface, a transmitter and a receiver. Further, the mobile communicator includes an initial default disabled state. The mobile communicator remains in the initial default disabled state even when the contact is in the closed position and the activating electrical circuit is complete. A logic of the enabling system is configured to change the initial default disabled state of the mobile communicator to an enabled state, wherein the at least one of the plurality of functions become enabled, when a condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. A mobile communicator comprising:

a contact operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and positioned to complete an electric circuit when the contact is in the closed position thereby activating the mobile communicator and providing the mobile communicator with functionality;

a display;

a notification mechanism for alerting a user;

a user interface configured for allowing a user to enter a plurality of inputs;

a transmitter in operable communication with the user interface;

a receiver capable of receiving a transmission from a transmitting device; and

an enabling system;

wherein the mobile communicator includes an initial default disabled state;

wherein the mobile communicator remains in the initial default disabled state even when the contact is in the closed position and the activating electrical circuit is complete; and

wherein the enabling system is configured to change the initial default disabled state of the mobile communicator to an enabled state when a speed detection system of the mobile communicator determines that the mobile communicator is moving at a speed that is less than a setpoint speed.

2. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the speed detection system selected from the group consisting of GPS, triangulation, multilateration, vehicle diagnostics, inertial navigation, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

3. The mobile communicator of claim 2, wherein the speed detection system is deactivated until a second condition is met.

4. The mobile communicator of claim 3, wherein the second condition is that a user attempts to activate the text messaging interface.

5. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator is a communicator selected from the group consisting of a cell phone, an IPAD®

, a tablet, a mobile computer, a BLACKBERRY®

, an IPHONE®

, and a GPS device.

6. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein a speed sensing system of the mobile communicator is configured to enter into a “

sleep mode”

automatically.

7. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein a speed sensing system of the mobile communicator is configured to enter into a “

sleep mode”

wherein the speed sensing system is disabled until an activating event.

8. The mobile communicator of claim 7, wherein the activating event is the mobile communicator receiving a call, and wherein the mobile communicator is configured to provide a message to a caller.

9. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator is automatically enabled by the enabling system for a predetermined amount of time after an emergency communication is made by the mobile communicator.

10. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator stores a log of enabled and disabled functions.

11. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator stores a log of incoming and transmitted signals that take place and the corresponding enabled and disabled functions at the time of the incoming and transmitted signals.

12. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator stores a log of at least one of incoming and transmitted signals that take place and the mobile communicator stores a log of a determination of whether the mobile communicator is moving at a speed that is less than a setpoint speed at the time of the incoming and transmitted signals.

13. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator is programmable with at least one pre-authorized destination device, and wherein the mobile communicator is only communicable with the at least one pre-authorized destination device.

14. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator is programmable with at least one pre-authorized destination device, and wherein an alert is sent to a controlling authority when the mobile communicator communicates with a non-authorized destination device.

15. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the enabling system is configured to enable at least one function based on a span of time in a day.

16. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator forwards a communication to another device when the mobile communicator is in the initial default disabled state.

17. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the initial default disabled state includes at least one enabled function and where the condition disables the at least one enabled function.

18. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the enabling system is configured to change the initial default disabled state of the mobile communicator to the enabled state when the user inputs an voluntary override command.

19. A mobile communicator, comprising:

a contact operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and positioned to complete an electric circuit when the contact is in the closed position thereby activating the mobile communicator and providing the mobile communicator with functionality;

a display;

a notification mechanism for alerting a user;

a user interface configured for allowing a user to enter a plurality of inputs;

a transmitter in operable communication with the user interface;

a receiver capable of receiving a transmission from a transmitting device; and

an enabling system;

wherein the mobile communicator includes an initial default disabled state;

wherein the mobile communicator remains in the initial default disabled state even when the contact is in the closed position and the activating electrical circuit is complete; and

wherein the enabling system is configured to change the initial default disabled state of the mobile communicator to an enabled state when a hands-free mode of the mobile communicator is activated.

20. A mobile communicator comprising:

a contact operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration and positioned to complete an electric circuit when the contact is in the closed position thereby activating the mobile communicator and providing the mobile communicator with functionality;

a display;

a notification mechanism for alerting a user;

a user interface configured for allowing a user to enter a plurality of inputs;

a transmitter in operable communication with the user interface;

a receiver capable of receiving a transmission from a transmitting device; and

an enabling system;

wherein the mobile communicator includes an initial default disabled state;

wherein the mobile communicator remains in the initial default disabled state even when the contact is in the closed position and the activating electrical circuit is complete; and

wherein the enabling system is configured to change the initial default disabled state of the mobile communicator to an enabled state when the mobile communicator receives an enabling signal from a third party source that is separate from the mobile communicator.