Systems, Methods, and Devices for Policy-Based Control and Monitoring of Use of Mobile Devices by Vehicle Operators

• US 20130316737A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellcontrol, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Obdedge LLC
• Inventors: Breaux, Joseph E. III, Powers, Donald L., Brown, Sean, GUBA, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for controlling and limiting use of functions, such as calling, texting, chatting, emailing, Internet surfing, and similar applications, on a mobile device when the mobile device is in a moving vehicle, includes use of an on-board computer installed within the vehicle, a transmitter in electronic communication with the on-board computer that periodically transmits speed data of the vehicle to a receiver installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes suitable software and a rules-based policy that define and control when and which functions of the mobile device are disabled or interrupted by the software when the vehicle is in motion above a minimum threshold speed. Policies are set by default but may be customized for particular individuals, devices, or circumstances. Policies may also be customized for particular groups or subgroups of employees or contractors for company or legal compliance to reduce distracted driving.

Claims

1. A system for controlling use of functions on a mobile device when the mobile device is in a vehicle, comprising

a vehicular on-board computer installed within the vehicle and configured to obtain speed data from the vehicle;

a transmitter in electronic communication with the on-board computer and configured to transmit an indication of the speed data on a periodic basis;

a receiver installed on the mobile device adapted to receive the indication of speed data transmissions from the transmitter;

a software application installed on the mobile device, wherein the software application runs in memory resident on the mobile device whenever the mobile device is powered on and wherein the software application receives the indication of speed data from the receiver, the software application including a policy associated therewith that defines when and which functions of the mobile device are disabled by the software application in response to the indication of speed data transmission;

whereby, in response to receipt of the indication of speed transmission data, if the vehicle speed exceeds a minimum threshold speed level, the software application disables the functions of the mobile device in accordance with the policy associated therewith.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the functions of the mobile device remain disabled for a predetermined period of time after the indication of speed transmission data indicates that the vehicle speed exceeds the minimum threshold speed level.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the predetermined period of time in which the functions of the mobile device remain disabled is set according to the policy.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the functions of the mobile device are enabled after the indication of speed transmission data indicates that the vehicle speed has been below the minimum threshold speed level for a predetermined period of time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined period of time in which the indication of speed transmission data indicates that the vehicle speed has been below the minimum threshold speed is set according to the policy.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein functions on the mobile device include one or more of:

making an outgoing call, receiving an incoming call, sending or receiving a text message, text chatting, sending or receiving an email, Internet browsing, and launching of a specified application installed on the mobile device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is built into and integrated with the on-board computer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is included in an on-board diagnostic (OBD) device that plugs into the OBD port of the vehicle, wherein the OBD port is in electronic communication with the on-board computer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter and receiver communicate through a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitter and receiver are paired using the Bluetooth protocol.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the transmitter broadcasts the indication of speed data without pairing with the receiver.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein one or more mobile devices are able to receive and act upon the transmitter broadcast simultaneously because there is no specific Bluetooth pairing.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the transmitter broadcasts the indication of speed data by embedding the indication of speed data in its device name.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the transmitter broadcasts additional data by embedding the additional data in its device name.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the policy addresses one or more of the following:

prevents outgoing calls from the mobile device, prevents the mobile device from accessing the phone functions on the mobile device, disables the display screen of the mobile device, causes the software application to display a system screen on the display screen of the mobile device when the vehicle speed exceeds the minimum threshold speed level, or immediately interrupts and disables the functions of the mobile device when the vehicle speed exceeds the minimum threshold speed level, is associated with the vehicle, is associated with the mobile device, is only effective during predefined days of the week and hours of the day, has a plurality of rules that vary as a function of predefined days of the week and hours of the day, includes a plurality of rules that vary based upon the GPS-determined location of the mobile device, defines a PIN or password that can be entered into the mobile device to enable all functions of the mobile device even if the vehicle is in motion, defines a PIN or password that can be entered into the mobile device to enable predefined functions of the mobile device even if the vehicle is in motion, prevents incoming calls from being received by the mobile device, allows incoming calls to be received by the mobile device, but prevents any indication of the incoming call from being detected by or notified to a user of the mobile device until a later period of time, routes incoming calls directly to voice mail, prevents incoming and outgoing text messages, disables the mobile device completely, identifies specific numbers or contacts from which the mobile device can receive communications on an incoming basis even when the vehicle is in motion, identifies specific numbers or contacts to which the mobile device is permitted to communicate on an outgoing basis even when the vehicle is in motion, and identifies specific applications that are usable or launchable by the mobile device even when the vehicle is in motion.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the software application has a default policy that is associated with the software application when the software application is installed on the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the policy is customizable by an account administrator and is distributed to a selectable plurality of mobile devices.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the indication of speed data is included as a variable in the device name transmitted by the transmitter.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the policy is updated on the mobile device by means of a text message sent to the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the policy is updated on the mobile device when the mobile device is connected to the Internet.