Tracking, Warning, and Blocking Unsafe Texting in Moving Vehicles including Telematics Systems

• US 20160270025A1
• Filed: 04/24/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,609,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

System and methods are described to track and warn a person suspected of texting while driving, or alternately to block texting for drivers of moving vehicles. The position and speed of cell phones, and a GPS-enabled telematics system if present, are compared with those of other GPS-enabled devices in the vicinity. If the position and speed of a phone track that of one or more neighboring phones or a telematics system, it is assumed that a cell phone user may under certain conditions be texting while driving. For circumstances where persons suspected to be in the same vehicle utilize different service providers, parameters such any of cell phone position, velocity, and direction of travel are time-stamped and then compared. Texting is detected emanating directly from cell phones, or from a telematics system in a vehicle, or via a WiFi hotspot of a cell phone in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A process for preventing texting while driving, wherein the process utilizes:

one or more mobile communication devices used by persons travelling in a vehicle;

one or more cellular service providers supplying cellular infrastructure and services;

a wide area communications network such as the Internet; and

a telematics system optionally installed in the vehicle;

wherein the process comprises;

tracking positions of cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems in communication with at least a first service provider;

determining at least a position of each tracked cell phone and GPS-enabled telematics system, utilizing at least a GPS function contained in each of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems;

determining that one or more of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems are in a first envelope;

if a cell phone determined to be in the first envelope has been registered by its user as a master phone and is determined to be travelling in excess of a specified threshold velocity, preventing texting for that master phone wherein texts are communicated by any of the following;

a) via a cellular network of the at least a first service provider;

b) via a telematics system determined to be in the first envelope;

or

c) via a hotspot of another phone within the first envelope;

wherein texting communicated solely by voice may be optionally allowed for the registered master phone;

allowing texting for passengers whose mobile communication devices are determined to be in the first envelope as long as the master phone remains registered;

preventing texting for all mobile communication devices determined to be in the first envelope when it is determined that there is no registered master phone within the first envelope, and the velocity of the first envelope exceeds the specified threshold velocity; and

if any of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems determined to be in the first envelope are determined to communicate via a second cellular provider, then determining that the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems communicating via the second cellular provider are in the first envelope by comparing at least time-stamped position information for each of the tracked cell phones and telematics systems.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein a software app is installed on one or more of the mobile communication devices, and wherein the software app tracks at least a position of the one or more of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems, and also provides the at least a position via the at least a first service provider.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the provided at least a position is time-stamped by the app to enable the position comparison made when both first and second cellular service providers provide connections to the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems located in the vehicle.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein within the envelope, a name or number associated with the master phone is displayed on at least a mobile communications device associated with a passenger.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the master phone supplies a WiFi hotspot within the vehicle.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein a telematics system supplies a WiFi hotspot within the vehicle, and the master phone provides a cellular connection for the WiFi hotspot.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the GPS-enabled telematics system supplies a WiFi hotspot within the vehicle, and also provides a cellular connection for the WiFi hotspot in communication with the at least a first service provider.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the master phone provides a WiFi hotspot within the vehicle, including providing a cellular connection for the WiFi hotspot, and wherein if a telematics system is installed in the vehicle the telematics system serves to support the master phone.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein to determine if any mobile communication device within the first envelope is texting, packets transmitted by any of the mobile communication devices within the first envelope are analyzed including examining one or more of the following parameters:

a) a Time to Live number;

b) a MAC address;

c) a TCP/IP Stack Fingerprint;

or

d) a Destination IP/URL

11. A process for tracking and warning of texting while driving, wherein the process utilizes:

one or more mobile communication devices used by persons travelling in a vehicle;

one or more cellular service providers supplying cellular infrastructure and services;

a wide area communications network such as the Internet; and

a telematics system installed in the vehicle;

wherein the process comprises;

tracking at least positions of cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems in communication with at least a first service provider;

determining at least a position of each tracked cell phone and GPS-enabled telematics system, utilizing at least a GPS function contained in each of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems;

determining that one or more of the tracked cell phones and a GPS-enabled telematics system are in a first envelope, and that the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics system are travelling at a velocity in excess of a specified threshold velocity;

for all cell phones thus determined according to the at least their position information to be within the first envelope, accessing a database to determine which cell phones in the envelope belong to licensed drivers and which do not;

analyzing communications between the at least a first service provider and the cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics system determined to be within the first envelope to determine whether any mobile communication device contained within the first envelope is texting;

warning a vehicle occupant of probable unsafe texting under the following conditions;

(i) the vehicle occupant is determined to be a licensed driver; and

(ii) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be within the envelope; and

(iii) an activity for the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device falls into one of the following categories;

(a) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be the only device within the first envelope that is texting;

(b) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be texting, and any other mobile communication devices in the first envelope that are determined to be texting belong to users with no drivers license; and

(c) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be texting and the mobile communication devices of all other licensed drivers within the first envelope are determined to be texting; and

if any of the cell phones and the GPS-enabled telematics system determined to be in the first envelope are determined to communicate via a second cellular provider, then determining that the cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics system are in the first envelope by comparing at least time-stamped position information for each of the cell phones and the GPS-enabled telematics system.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein if no cell phones are detected within the first envelope and texting is detected communicated with the at least a first service provider from the telematics system within the vehicle, then accessing a database to determine the registered owner of the vehicle and warning the registered owner of probable unsafe texting.

13. The process of claim 11 wherein it is assumed that any user of a mobile communication device probably has a cell phone, and that if they are in the first envelope their cell phone is probably active while their mobile communication device is in use.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein a software app is present on one or more of the mobile communication devices, and wherein the software app tracks at least a position of the one or more of the tracked cell phones and the GPS-enabled telematics system, and provides the at least a position via the at least a first service provider.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the provided at least a position is time-stamped by the software app to enable the position comparison made when both first and second cellular service providers provide connections to the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics system located in the first envelope.

16. The process of claim 11 wherein if texting is detected from within the first envelope and no active cell phones are detected within the first envelope, a warning message is displayed on at least a mobile communication device located within the first envelope.

17. The process of claim 11 wherein to determine if any mobile communication device within the first envelope is texting, packets transmitted by any of the mobile communication devices within the first envelope are analyzed including examining one or more of the following parameters:

a) a Time to Live number;

b) a MAC address;

c) a TCP/IP Stack Fingerprint;

or

d) a Destination IP/URL

18. A process for tracking and warning of texting while driving, wherein the process utilizes:

one or more mobile communication devices used by persons travelling in a vehicle;

one or more cellular service providers supplying cellular infrastructure and services; and

a wide area communications network such as the Internet;

wherein the process comprises;

tracking at least positions of GPS-enabled cell phones in communication with at least a first service provider;

determining at least a position of each tracked cell phone, utilizing at least a GPS function contained in each of the tracked cell phones;

determining that one or more of the tracked cell phones are in a first envelope;

for all cell phones thus determined according to the at least their position information to be within the first envelope, accessing a database to determine which cell phones in the envelope belong to licensed drivers and which do not;

analyzing communications between the at least a first service provider and the cell phones determined to be within the first envelope to determine whether any mobile communication device contained within the first envelope is texting;

warning a vehicle occupant of probable unsafe texting under the following conditions;

(i) the vehicle occupant is determined to be a licensed driver; and

(ii) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be within the envelope; and

(iii) an activity for the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device falls into one of the following categories;

(a) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be the only device within the first envelope that is texting;

(b) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be texting, and any other mobile communication devices in the first envelope that are determined to be texting belong to users with no drivers license; and

(c) the vehicle occupant'"'"'s mobile communication device is determined to be texting and the mobile communication devices of all other licensed drivers within the first envelope are determined to be texting; and

if any of the cell phones determined to be in the first envelope are determined to communicate via a second cellular provider, then determining that the tracked cell phones are in the first envelope by comparing at least time-stamped position information for each of the tracked cell phones; and

wherein determining whether a mobile communication device contained within the first envelope is texting further comprises determining that the mobile communication device is texting via a hotspot of a cell phone within the first envelope.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein to determine if any mobile communication device within the first envelope is texting, including texting via a hotspot of a cell phone within the first envelope, packets transmitted by any of the mobile communication devices within the first envelope are analyzed including examining one or more of the following parameters:

a) a Time to Live number;

b) a MAC address;

c) a TCP/IP Stack Fingerprint;

or

d) a Destination IP/URL