MOBILE COMMUNICATOR DEVICE INCLUDING USER ATTENTIVENESS DETECTOR

• US 20140004840A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• 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 9,026,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a mobile communicator that includes a speed detection system for determining whether the mobile communicator is moving faster than a threshold speed. The mobile communicator further includes a user attentiveness detector configured to determine whether a user is inattentive and a sensor element configured to determine orientation of the mobile communicator. The mobile communicator further includes a circuit configured to ensure that a functionality of the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system determines that the mobile communicator is moving faster than the threshold speed and at least one of: (a) the user attentiveness detector determines that the user is inattentive; and (b) the sensor element determines that the mobile communicator is in a substantially vertical position.

Claims

1. A mobile communicator comprising:

a speed detection system for determining whether the mobile communicator is moving faster than a threshold speed;

a user attentiveness detector configured to determine whether a user is inattentive;

a sensor element configured to determine orientation of the mobile communicator; and

a circuit configured to ensure that a functionality of the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system determines that the mobile communicator is moving faster than the threshold speed and at least one of;

the user attentiveness detector determines that the user is inattentive; and

the sensor element determines that the mobile communicator is in a substantially vertical position.

2. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the substantially vertical position is defined by an orientation that is at most 45 degrees from a perfectly vertical position.

3. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the mobile communicator includes a notification that displays a message informing a user to rotate the mobile communicator in a horizontal position to resume using the functionality.

4. The mobile communicator of claim 1, further comprising an override system that enables the functionality even if the circuit has placed the functionality in the turned off state.

5. The mobile communicator of claim 4, wherein the override system enables the functionality based on a second condition selected from the group consisting of biometrics, an accelerometer, motion detection, the time of day, a password, a voice command, and a wifi signal being present.

6. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein a wifi signal is configured to override the circuit and enable the functionality that has been otherwise turned off by the circuit.

7. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to ensure that the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system is unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

8. The mobile communicator of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to retain the functionality in its most recent state if the speed detection system becomes unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

9. A mobile communicator comprising:

a default turned off state wherein at least one restricted functionality is in a turned off state unless at least one condition has been met;

a speed detection system for determining whether the mobile communicator is moving slower than a threshold speed;

a user attentiveness detector configured to determine whether a user is attentive;

a sensor element configured to determine the orientation of the mobile communicator; and

a circuit configured to enable the at least one restricted functionality of the mobile communicator when the speed detection system determines that the mobile communicator is moving slower than the threshold speed and the user attentiveness detector determines that the user is attentive and the sensor element determines that the mobile communicator is in a substantially horizontal position.

10. The mobile communicator of claim 9, wherein the substantially horizontal position is defined by an orientation that is at most 45 degrees from a perfectly horizontal position.

11. The mobile communicator of claim 9, wherein the mobile communicator includes a notification that displays a message informing a user to rotate the mobile communicator in a horizontal position to enable the functionality.

12. The mobile communicator of claim 9, wherein a wifi signal is configured to override the circuit and enable the functionality regardless of speed, user attentiveness, and orientation.

13. The mobile communicator of claim 9, wherein the circuit is configured to ensure that the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system is unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

14. The mobile communicator of claim 9, wherein the circuit is configured to retain the functionality in its most recent state if the speed detection system becomes unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

15. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a mobile communicator to implement a method of restricting the functionality of the mobile communicator, the method comprising:

the processor determining whether the mobile communicator is moving faster than a threshold speed;

the processor determining whether a user is inattentive;

the processor determining whether the mobile communicator is in a vertical position and the processor disabling a functionality of the mobile communicator if the mobile communicator is moving faster than the threshold speed and at least one of;

the user is inattentive; and

the mobile communicator is in a substantially vertical orientation.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the substantially vertical position is defined by an orientation that is at most 45 degrees from a perfectly vertical position.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising the processor displaying a message informing a user to rotate the mobile communicator in a horizontal position to resume using the functionality.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising the processor enabling the functionality with an override system even if the circuit has placed the functionality in the turned off state.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the override system enables the functionality based on a second condition selected from the group consisting of biometrics, an accelerometer, motion detection, the time of day, a password, a voice command, and a wifi signal being present.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a wifi signal is configured to enable the functionality that has been otherwise turned off by the processor.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising the processor ensuring that the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system is unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, the method further comprising retaining the functionality in its most recent state if the speed detection system becomes unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

23. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable memory unit coupled to the processor, the memory unit containing instructions that when executed by the processor implement a method of restricting the functionality of the computer system, the method comprising;

determining whether the mobile communicator is moving faster than a threshold speed;

determining whether a user is inattentive;

determining whether the mobile communicator is in a vertical position; and

disabling a functionality of the mobile communicator if the mobile communicator is moving faster than the threshold speed and at least one of;

the user is inattentive; and

the mobile communicator is in a substantially vertical orientation.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the substantially vertical position is defined by an orientation that is at most 45 degrees from a perfectly vertical position.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, the method further comprising the processor displaying a message informing a user to rotate the mobile communicator in a horizontal position to resume using the functionality.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, the method further comprising the processor enabling the functionality with an override system even if the circuit has placed the functionality in the turned off state.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the override system enables the functionality based on a second condition selected from the group consisting of biometrics, an accelerometer, motion detection, the time of day, a password, a voice command, and a wifi signal being present.

28. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein a wifi signal is configured to enable the functionality that has been otherwise turned off by the processor.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, the method further comprising the processor ensuring that the mobile communicator is in a turned off state when the speed detection system is unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, the method further comprising retaining the functionality in its most recent state if the speed detection system becomes unable to discern the speed of the mobile communicator.