STANDARD MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE DISTRACTION PREVENTION AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

• US 20160205239A1
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cell Command, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Try Safety First, Inc.
• Inventors: Fischer, John J., Nguyen, Hap
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00674 with switch-buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• 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 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing standardized mobile device distraction prevention and safety protocols are disclosed. In particular, an embodiment of a method for activating a distraction prevention or safety protocol behavior in a mobile device when the mobile device satisfies a specific condition is disclosed. The method includes discovering one or more protocol activators configured to transmit discovery information associated with a specific condition. The method further includes activating distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device based at least in part on the discovery information. In an implementation, the specific condition may be a specified environment itself and or include an event when the mobile device enters a specified environment or a specified sequence of numbers is dialed from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of activating distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in a mobile device within a specified environment comprising:

broadcasting, by a protocol activator, a trigger signal over a frequency other than one or more frequencies used within the specified environment for talk and text; and

including, by the protocol activator, a discovery information in the broadcast trigger signal, wherein the discovery information associated with the trigger signal corresponds to a modified universal unique identification (UUID) code of the protocol activator, and wherein at least a portion of the modified UUID code identifies at least a specified working group information in the specified environment in which the protocol activator operates;

wherein the discovery information broadcast from the protocol activator in the trigger signal causes activation of the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device within the specified environment, without establishing a connection pairing between the mobile device and the protocol activator, the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior being based on a state law or enacted rule created by a state or protocol enforcement agency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasting by the protocol activator comprises broadcasting the trigger signal within a pre-determined limited range inside the specified environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified UUID code associated with the protocol activator is informative of a specific condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the discovery information corresponds to at least one of a device name and a device class associated with the protocol activator, at least one of the device name and the device class being informative of a specific condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol activator corresponds to at least one transmitter characterized by a predetermined device name and class associated with the specified environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified environment corresponds to at least one of a transportation vehicle, a class room, a correctional facility, an airport, an airplane, a court room, a hospital, a church, a theatre, a fly zone, a danger zone, a bedroom, and an auditorium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the trigger signal by the protocol activator comprises activating at least one transmitter based on an actuating mechanism that detects the onset of a specific condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the specified environment is within a transportation vehicle and wherein activation of the at least one transmitter is based on a state or a position of at least one of a transportation vehicle component, the activation being based on the state law or enacted rule created by a state or protocol enforcement agency.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising responding to at least one request to obtain the discovery information.

10. A protocol activator for activating a distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in a mobile device within a specified environment, comprising:

a memory configured to store software instructions; and

a processor configured to access the software instructions from the memory;

the processor configured to access the software instructions from the memory to;

broadcast a trigger signal over a frequency other than one or more frequencies used within the specified environment for talk and text, the trigger signal comprising discovery information associated with the trigger signal corresponding to a modified universal unique identification (UUID) code, and wherein at least a portion of the modified UUID code identifies at least a specified working group information in the specified environment in which the protocol activator operates;

wherein the discovery information broadcast in the trigger signal causes activation of the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device within the specified environment, without establishing a connection pairing between the mobile device and the protocol activator, the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior being based on a state law or enacted rule created by a state or protocol enforcement agency.

11. The protocol activator of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to broadcast the trigger signal by being configured to broadcast the trigger signal over the frequency other than the one or more frequencies used within the specified environment for talk and text, within a pre-determined limited range inside the specified environment.

12. The protocol activator of claim 10, wherein the modified UUID code associated with the protocol activator is informative of a specific condition.

13. The protocol activator of claim 10, wherein the discovery information corresponds to at least one of a device name and a device class associated with the protocol activator, the at least one of the device name and the device class being informative of a specific condition.

14. The protocol activator of claim 10, associated with at least one transmitter characterized by a predetermined device name and class associated with the specified environment.

15. The protocol activator of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to activate at least one transmitter in response to an actuating mechanism detecting the onset of a specific condition;

wherein the processor is configured to broadcast the trigger signal by being configured to broadcast the trigger signal in response to the activation of the at least one transmitter.

16. The protocol activator of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the at least one transmitter in response to the actuating mechanism detecting the onset of a specific condition activation based on the state law or enacted rule created by the state or protocol enforcement agency.

17. The protocol activator of claim 15, wherein the specified environment is within a transportation vehicle;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to activate the at least one transmitter in response to the actuating mechanism detecting the onset of a specific condition activation based on a state or a position of at least one of a transportation vehicle component of the transportation vehicle

18. The protocol activator of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to respond to at least one request to obtain the discovery information.

19. A method for inhibiting a distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in a mobile device while within a proximity range of at least one protocol transmitter, comprising:

discovering, by the mobile device, a discovery information trigger signal transmitted by the at least one protocol transmitter corresponding to a modified universal unique identification (UUID) code comprising a distraction prevention code, wherein at least a portion of the distraction prevention code identifies at least one of;

a specified environment corresponding to a specific distraction prevention safety protocol behavior, and

a specified working group information in the specified environment corresponding to a distraction safety protocol behavior to which the at least one protocol transmitter operates; and

activating, by the mobile device, the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device, while outside a proximity range of a predetermined exception tag, based on the distraction prevention code in the modified UUID code and corresponding to a state law or enacted rule created by a state or protocol enforcement agency; and

inhibiting, by the mobile device, the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device in response to the mobile device being in a proximity range of a predetermined exception tag.

20. A system operating in a mobile device for inhibiting a distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device within a specified environment, comprising:

a memory configured to store software instructions; and

a processor configured to access the software instructions from the memory;

the processor configured to access the software instructions from the memory to;

execute the accessed software instructions to receive a trigger signal over a frequency other than one or more frequencies used within the specified environment for talk and text for the mobile device, the trigger signal comprising discovery information corresponding to a modified universal unique identification (UUID) code, and wherein at least a portion of the modified UUID code identifies at least a specified working group information in the specified environment in which the at least one transmitter operates; and

execute the accessed software instructions to inhibit execution of a protocol behavior in the mobile device in response to the mobile device being in a proximity range of a predetermined exception tag.