PREVENTING CELL PHONE USE WHILE DRIVING

• US 20140329513A1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Jacob, Jomon
• Application Number:
  US13/875,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A first biometric sensor is configured to obtain a first biometric identifier from the driver of a motor vehicle and provide the driver'"'"'s biometric identifier to a computer. A second biometric sensor coupled to a cell phone or other wireless communications device enabler/disabler, is configured to obtain a second biometric identifier from a person who attempts to operate the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device. The second biometric identifier is also provided to the same computer. A comparison of the two biometric identifiers enables a determination of whether the driver, or someone else, attempts to use the wireless communications device.

Claims

1. An apparatus to impede usage of a communications device while operating a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communications device enabler/disabler configured to enable and disable the wireless communications device responsive to a comparison of a first biometric identifier to a second biometric identifier;

a first biometric sensor coupled to the communications device enabler/disabler, the first biometric sensor being configured to obtain the first biometric identifier from an operator of the motor vehicle and to provide to the communications device enabler/disabler a first signal representing the first biometric identifier;

a second biometric sensor coupled to the communications device enabler/disabler, the second biometric sensor being configured to obtain the second biometric identifier from a person who attempts to operate the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device and to provide to the communications device enabler/disabler, a second signal representing the second biometric identifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device is a mobile wireless communications device that is not built into the motor vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first biometric sensor comprises a fingerprint scanner.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fingerprint scanner comprises part of a vehicle ignition button, the fingerprint scanner being configured to generate a signal representing a fingerprint obtained from operation of the ignition button.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ignition button comprises a wireless key fob.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and the fingerprint scanner comprises part of the steering wheel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and wherein the first biometric scanner comprises a face scanner configured to generate a signal representing the face of a person located substantially behind the steering wheel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second biometric scanner is a fingerprint scanner configured to generate a signal representing a finger print obtained from a person attempting to operate the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second biometric scanner is a fingerprint scanner coupled to the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first biometric scanner is a first voice recognizer, configured to detect the voice of a person operating the motor vehicle and generate a signal representing a biometric identifier of the detected voice.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second biometric scanner is the first voice recognizer, configured to detect the voice of a person attempting to operate the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first biometric scanner is a retinal scanner.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first biometric scanner and the second biometric scanner are different types of scanners and obtain different types of biometric information.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle enabler/disabler comprises:

a computer having input ports and output ports, input ports being configured to receive signals from the biometric sensors, an output port being configured to output a communications device-enable/disabling signal to the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device;

a non-transitory memory device coupled to the computer and storing program instructions for the computer, which when executed cause the computer to;

compare the first signal to the second signal;

determine a first probability value that a person attempting to operate the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device is a person operating the motor vehicle responsive to the comparison of the first signal to the second signal; and

if the first probability value is greater than a first threshold probability, output a signal that disables operation of the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the program instructions cause the computer to:

determine whether the motor vehicle is moving; and

,

if the vehicle is not moving, enable operation of the motor-vehicle-located wireless communications device;

if the vehicle is moving, then perform the comparing step, the determining step and, if the first probability is greater than the first threshold probability, output the signal that disables operation of the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device is a wireless telephone device and wherein the communications device enabler/disabler is configured to always enable the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device, responsive to an attempt to call an emergency service provider.

17. A method of impeding a motor vehicle operator'"'"'s usage of a communications device, the method comprising:

obtaining a first biometric identifier from the motor vehicle operator;

obtaining a second biometric identifier from a person attempting to operate a motor vehicle-located wireless communications device;

comparing the first and second biometric identifiers; and

disabling a motor vehicle-located wireless communications device if the first biometric identifier is substantially the same as the second biometric identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device is a mobile wireless communications device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of obtaining a first biometric identifier comprises obtaining a signal representing a motor vehicle operator'"'"'s fingerprint, the signal being obtained from a fingerprint scanner coupled to an ignition switch.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the ignition switch comprises a wireless key fob.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of obtaining a first biometric identifier comprises obtaining a signal representing a motor vehicle operator'"'"'s fingerprint, the signal being obtained from a fingerprint scanner coupled to a vehicle steering wheel.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of obtaining a first biometric identifier comprises obtaining a signal representing a motor vehicle operator'"'"'s face, the signal being obtained from a face scanner.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of obtaining a first biometric identifier comprises obtaining a signal representing a characteristic of a person'"'"'s voice.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of obtaining a first biometric identifier comprises obtain a signal representing a retina scan.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of disabling the motor vehicle-located wireless communications device if the first biometric identifier is substantially the same as the second biometric identifier is preceded by a step of detecting whether the motor vehicle is moving and wherein the disabling step does not occur if the vehicle is not moving.