Automobile computer control system for limiting the usage of wireless telephones on moving automobiles

• US 6,353,778 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Joe Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/810,029
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/93, 701/97, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/539, 340/441, 307/10.2, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• 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 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

An automobile computer control system for limiting the usage of wireless telephones in moving automobiles comprising an implementation for sensing when the velocity of the automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity, a wireless implementation for sensing when said wireless telephone is in use by the driver of said automobile and a function responsive to both of said sensing implementations for limiting said use of said wireless telephone by said driver of said automobile when the velocity of the said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity. For the best safety, the predetermined velocity is any moving velocity. Also, the wireless device for sensing when the velocity of the automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity may be carried out by simple infrared device.

Claims

1. An automobile computer control system for limiting the usage of wireless telephones in moving automobiles comprising:

wireless means for sensing when the velocity of the automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity;

means for sensing when said wireless telephone is in use by the driver of said automobile; and

means responsive to both of said sensing means for limiting said use of said wireless telephone by said driver of said automobile when the velocity of the said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity.

2. The automobile control system of claim 1 wherein said wireless telephone is a cellular telephone.

3. The automobile control system of claim 2 wherein said predetermined velocity is any moving velocity.

4. The automobile control system of claim 2 wherein said wireless means for sensing are infrared means.

11. The automobile control system of claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the use of said wireless telephone turns off said wireless telephone when the velocity of said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity.

12. The automobile control system of claim 11 further including:

means for notifying the driver that the wireless telephone will be turned off after a brief time period after said sensing that the velocity of the automobile has exceeded said predetermined velocity; and

means for delaying the turning off of said wireless telephone for said brief time period.

13. The automobile control system of claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the use of said wireless telephone when the velocity of said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity includes means for notifying the service provider of said wireless telephone, whereby said service provider may charge higher rates when said velocity exceeds said predetermined velocity.

14. The automobile control system of claim 13 wherein said means for notifying said service provider includes:

means for transmitting, along with the voice data during the driver'"'"'s use of said wireless telephone, additional data indicating that said velocity exceeds said predetermined velocity.

15. The automobile control system of claim 11 further including:

means permitting the receiving of an incoming telephone transmission on said turned off wireless telephone; and

means for turning off said incoming transmission after a brief predetermined time period.

16. The automobile control system of claim 11 further including:

means for storing a set of emergency telephone numbers; and

means for enabling said turned off wireless telephone to call any one of said set of emergency telephone numbers.

5. An automobile computer control system for limiting the usage of wireless telephones in moving automobiles comprising:

means in said automobile for emitting a signal towards the driver of the automobile when the velocity of the automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity;

means on the wireless telephone for sensing said emitted signal when said wireless telephone is in use by the driver of said automobile; and

means responsive to said sensing means for limiting said use of said wireless telephone by said driver of said automobile upon the sensing of said emitted signal.

6. The automobile control system of claim 5 wherein said wireless telephone is a cellular telephone.

7. The automobile control system of claim 6 wherein said predetermined velocity is any moving velocity.

8. The automobile control system of claim 6 wherein said means in said automobile for emitting said signal emits an infrared signal.

9. The automobile control system of claim 8 wherein said means on said wireless telephone for sensing said emitted signal comprises infrared signal sensing means.

10. The automobile control system of claim 9 wherein said means in said automobile for emitting said signal emits a narrow beam infrared signal directed towards the driver, whereby said narrow beam signal is sensed only if said cellular telephone is being used by the driver of said automobile.

17. A computer controlled method for limiting the usage of wireless telephones in moving automobiles comprising:

sensing when the velocity of the automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity;

wirelessly sensing when said wireless telephone is in use by the driver of said automobile; and

limiting said sensed use of the wireless telephone by the driver of said automobile when the sensed velocity of the said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said wireless telephone is a cellular telephone.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said predetermined velocity is any moving velocity.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of wirelessly sensing is sensing of infrared emissions.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of limiting the use of said wireless telephone turns off said wireless telephone when the velocity of said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity.

28. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:

notifying the driver that the wireless telephone will be turned off after a brief time period after said sensing that the velocity of the automobile has exceeded said predetermined velocity; and

delaying the turning off of said wireless telephone for said brief time period.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of limiting the use of said wireless telephone when the velocity of said automobile exceeds said predetermined velocity includes notifying the service provider of said wireless telephone, whereby said service provider may charge higher rates when said velocity exceeds said predetermined velocity.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said step of notifying said service provider includes the steps of:

transmitting, along with the voice data during the driver'"'"'s use of said wireless telephone, additional data indicating that said velocity exceeds said predetermined velocity.

31. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:

permitting the receiving of an incoming telephone transmission on said turned off wireless telephone; and

turning off said incoming transmission after a brief predetermined time period.

32. The method of claim 27 further including the steps of:

storing a set of emergency telephone numbers; and

enabling said turned off wireless telephone to call any one of said set of emergency telephone numbers.

21. A computer controlled method for limiting the usage of wireless telephones in moving automobiles comprising:

emitting in said automobile a signal towards the driver of the automobile when the velocity of said automobile exceeds a predetermined velocity;

sensing the emitted signal on the wireless telephone when said wireless telephone is in use by the driver of the automobile; and

limiting said use of said wireless telephone by the driver of the automobile upon the sensing of said emitted signal.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said wireless telephone is a cellular telephone.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said predetermined velocity is any moving velocity.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of emitting said signal emits an infrared signal.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said step of sensing said emitted signal comprises infrared signal sensing.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said step in said automobile for emitting said signal emits a narrow beam infrared signal directed towards the driver, whereby said narrow beam signal is sensed only if said cellular telephone is being used by the driver of said automobile.