LIMITING FUNCTIONALITY OF A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE BASED ON THE LOCATION OR SPEED THEREOF

• US 20140287736A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Meers
• Original Assignee: David Meers
• Inventors: Meers, David
• Application Number:
  US14/221,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20140287736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure allow an administrator of a portable electronic device (e.g., a parent, employer) through a web application to register a portable electronic device and then set a minimum speed at which the portable device 100 becomes limited (for example, limiting calling and/or texting). In some implementations, the administrator also can set locations or geographical areas where and dates and times when the portable electronic device will be limited (“TextLimit Zones”). In some implementations, the administrator can set a maximum speed at which the administrator (or another designated recipient) will receive an alert message 105 when the portable electronic device exceeds that speed. In some implementations, the administrator can specify one or more telephone numbers (“Go Through Numbers”) that the portable electronic device can still communicate with when the portable electronic device is limited due to the setting established by the administrator.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for limiting the functionality of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring the speed of the portable electronic device;

receiving a minimum speed value set by an administrator; and

disabling the display of the portable electronic device based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of disabling notification systems of the portable electronic device configured to alert a user of an incoming call based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of receiving a list of go through numbers and at least temporarily activating the display and notification systems of the portable electronic device based on the list of go through numbers received.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein disabling the display of the portable electronic device based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value comprises causing an alert box to at least partially obscure the display of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of receiving a maximum speed value set by an administrator and sending an alert message to a designated recipient based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the maximum speed value.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the geographic location of the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of receiving a list of geographical areas and disabling the display of the portable electronic device based on the geographic location of the portable electronic device and the list of geographical areas received.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein disabling the display of the portable electronic device comprises causing an alert box to at least partially obscure the display of the portable electronic device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of disabling notification systems of the portable electronic device configured to alert a user of an incoming text message based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of receiving a list of go through numbers and at least temporarily activating the display and notification systems of the portable electronic device based on the list of go through numbers received.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor on a portable electronic device, cause the portable electronic device to:

monitor the speed of the portable electronic device;

receive a minimum speed value set by an administrator; and

disable the display of the portable electronic device based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to disable notification systems of the portable electronic device configured to alert a user of an incoming call based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 comprising further instructions to receive a list of go through numbers and to at least temporarily activate the display and notification systems of the portable electronic device based on the list of go through numbers received

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to disable the display of the portable electronic device based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value received by causing an alert box to at least partially obscure the display of the portable electronic device

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to receive a maximum speed value set by an administrator and to send an alert message to a designated recipient based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the maximum speed value.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to transmit the geographic location of the portable electronic device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 comprising further instructions to receive a list of geographical areas and to disable the display of the portable electronic device based on the geographic location of the portable electronic device and the list of geographical areas received.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 comprising further instructions to disable the display of the portable electronic device by causing an alert box to at least partially obscure the display of the portable electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to disable notification systems of the portable electronic device configured to alert a user of an incoming text message based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 comprising further instructions to receive a list of go through numbers and to at least temporarily activate the display and notification systems of the portable electronic device based on the list of go through numbers received.

21. A computer server-implemented method for limiting the functionality of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving and storing a maximum and minimum speed value set by an administrator;

monitoring the speed of the portable electronic device;

receiving the geographic location of the portable electronic device;

disabling the display of the portable electronic device based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the minimum speed value or geographic location of the portable electronic device; and

sending an alert message to designated recipient based on the speed of the portable electronic device and the maximum speed value

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of sending an alert message to a designated recipient based on receiving the geographic location of the portable electronic device.