SYSTEM, DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND MONITORING MOBILE PHONE USAGE WHILE OPERATING A VEHICLE IN ORDER TO DETER AND PREVENT SUCH USAGE

• US 20170310804A1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen Rhyne
• Original Assignee: Stephen Rhyne
• Inventors: Rhyne, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,257,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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 4/48 for in-vehicle communication

Abstract

A system, device, and method for tracking and monitoring mobile phone usage while operating a vehicle in order to deter and prevent such usage are disclosed. The system comprises a device that engages with a vehicle and an application on a mobile phone to monitor the phone'"'"'s usage in a vehicle and to prevent certain functions of the phone while the vehicle is being operated. The device may also record information about the different states of the device, such as the number of times and length of time the device is in each state, as well as the count and time that an audible and/or visual alarm is on, which data is transmitted to the mobile phone application. The device, in combination with the mobile phone application, may record information about certain behaviors the user engages in on the mobile phone while operating a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and recording use of one or more of a plurality of functions of a mobile phone of a user when the user is in a vehicle, comprising:

a device comprising one or more vehicle state sensors, wherein the said one or more vehicle state sensors is not an onboard diagnostic port, a wireless transmitter and a microchip configured to receive and store data; and

the mobile phone of the user, comprising a wireless receiver and a software application installed on the mobile phone,

wherein the device is engaged with the vehicle'"'"'s accessory port, data from the one or more vehicle state sensors are used to determine a vehicle state, the wireless transmitter of the device communicates the vehicle state to the mobile phone via the receiver and the software application monitors use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone and records use of the one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone and the associated vehicle state received from the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user and the monitoring and recording are performed in accordance with settings for the user profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state sensor comprises a voltmeter for measuring the vehicle battery'"'"'s voltage output.

4. The system of claim .1, wherein the vehicle state sensor comprises an accelerometer for measuring vehicle vibrations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state sensors comprise at least a voltmeter for measuring the vehicle battery'"'"'s voltage output and an accelerometer for measuring vehicle vibrations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a user'"'"'s use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone is viewable by an administrator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile phone further comprises a GPS sensor;

and

the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user, which

user profile comprises a speed check feature, whereby the user requests through an application interface on the mobile phone that the software application determine whether the user is traveling under a defined speed threshold, the software application periodically acquires data from the GPS sensor to determine if the mobile phone is moving under the speed threshold and the software application monitors and records use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in response to the data received from the GPS sensor, allowing full functionality of the mobile phone if the phone is moving under the speed threshold and monitoring and recording use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone if the mobile phone is moving over the speed threshold.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the mobile phone further comprises mobile phone sensor technology;

and

the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user, which user profile comprises a mobile phone sensor technology feature, whereby the software application periodically acquires data from the mobile phone sensor technology to determine if the mobile phone is in motion and the software application monitors and records use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in response to the data received from the mobile phone sensor technology, allowing full functionality of the mobile phone if the phone is not in motion and monitoring and recording use one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone if the mobile phone is in motion.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

the mobile phone application further comprises prescribed protocols;

and

the device further comprises an alarm,

wherein the alarm is triggered when data received by the device from the software application indicates that the user is not complying with the prescribed protocols, and the alarm is selected from the group consisting of an audible alarm, a visual alarm, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the prescribed protocols include one or more of connecting the device and the mobile phone application when the vehicle is turned on, not exiting the software application while driving, maintaining the connection between the mobile phone application and the device while driving, not putting the mobile phone application in the background of the mobile phone, and not engaging in prohibited mobile phone functions while driving.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user and the prescribed protocols are to be performed in accordance with settings for the user profile.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the software application is configured to determine if the user is a driver of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein

the device further comprises a unique number for identifying the device;

the mobile phone further comprises a unique identifier for identifying the mobile phone;

the wireless transmitter of the device communicates the unique number of the device to the mobile phone via the receiver; and

the software application uses the unique number and the unique identifier to determine if the user is a driver of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein

the microchip is further configured to determine a status of the device, which status is selected from a plurality of device states, and to record the number of times the device is in each device state and the total amount of time that the device is in each device state;

and

the software application generates a user score based on the number of times and the total amount of time that the device is in each device state and the usage of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone.

5. (canceled)

16. A system for preventing use of one or more of a plurality of functions of a mobile phone of a user when the user is in a vehicle, comprising:

a device comprising one or more vehicle state sensors, wherein the said one or more vehicle state sensors is not an onboard diagnostic port, a wireless transmitter and a microchip configured to receive and store data; and

the mobile phone of the user, comprising a wireless receiver and a software application installed on the mobile phone,

wherein the device is engaged with the vehicle'"'"'s accessory port, data from the one or more vehicle state sensors are used to determine a vehicle state, the wireless transmitter of the device communicates the vehicle state to the mobile phone via the receiver and the software application prevents one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in response to the vehicle state received from the device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user and the software application prevents one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in accordance with settings for the user profile.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle state sensor comprises a voltmeter for measuring the vehicle battery'"'"'s voltage output.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle state sensor comprises an accelerometer for measuring vehicle vibrations.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle state sensors comprise at least a voltmeter for measuring the vehicle battery'"'"'s voltage output and an accelerometer for measuring vehicle vibrations.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein a user'"'"'s use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone is viewable by an administrator.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein

the mobile phone further comprises a GPS sensor:

and

the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user, which user profile comprises a speed check feature, whereby the user requests through an application interface on the mobile phone that the software application determine whether the user is traveling under a defined speed threshold, the software application periodically acquires data from the GPS sensor to determine if the mobile phone is moving under the speed threshold and the software application prevents use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in response to the data received from the GPS sensor, allowing full functionality of the mobile phone if the phone is moving under the speed threshold and preventing use of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone if the mobile phone is moving over the speed threshold.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein

the mobile phone further comprises mobile phone sensor technology;

and

the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user, which user profile comprises a mobile phone sensor technology feature, whereby the software application periodically acquires data from the mobile phone sensor technology to determine if the mobile phone is in motion and the software application prevents one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone in response to the data received from the mobile phone sensor technology, allowing full functionality of the mobile phone if the phone is not in motion and preventing one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone if the mobile phone is in motion.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein

the mobile phone application further comprises prescribed protocols;

and

the device further comprises an alarm,

wherein the alarm is triggered when data received by the device from the software application indicates that the user is not complying with the prescribed protocols, and the alarm is selected from the group consisting of an audible alarm, a visual alarm, and combinations thereof.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the prescribed protocols include one or more of:

connecting the device and the mobile phone application when the vehicle is turned on, not exiting the software application while driving, maintaining the connection between the mobile phone application and the device while driving, not putting the mobile phone application in the background of the mobile phone, and not engaging in prohibited mobile phone functions while driving.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the mobile phone application further comprises a user profile for the user and the prescribed protocols are to be performed in accordance with settings for the user profile.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the software application is configured to determine if the user is a driver of the vehicle.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein

the device further comprises a unique number for identifying the device;

the mobile phone further comprises a unique identifier for identifying the mobile phone;

the wireless transmitter of the device communicates the unique number of the device to the mobile phone via the receiver; and

the software application uses the unique number and the unique identifier to determine if the user is a driver of the vehicle.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein

the microchip is further configured to determine a status of the device, which status is selected from a plurality of device states, and to record the number of times the device is in each device state and the total amount of time that the device is in each device state;

and

the software application generates a user score based on the number of times and the total amount of time that the device is in each device state and the usage of one or more of the plurality of functions of the mobile phone.

20. (canceled)