Method and apparatus for motion-based disabling of electronic devices

• US 7,640,101 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Control Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaelin, Michael, Pair, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/875,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 701207-209, 701/213, 701/21, 701/36, 340989-993, 34225701-35712, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

The system of the present invention uses a gps receiver and a computer program product to disable a feature of an electronic device when movement of the receiver is detected. Speed data from a gps data stream is monitored. When the speed of the gps receiver exceeds a predetermined value, the desired feature of the electronic device is disabled. For example, when the speed of the gps receiver exceeds 0.5 knots, a windows function call is executed to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen. The system may allow for temporary enabling of disabled features and for rapid enabling of disabled features when motion stops. The system may also include navigational software. A manufacturer may also use a proprietary combination of one or more disabled data fields in a gps data stream to identify gps receivers approved for use with the system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing data from a gps receiver to an electronic device, said data comprising first data in a speed data field;

(2) monitoring said data to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

(3) disabling a feature of said electronic device when said first data in said speed data field indicates movement of said gps receiver at a speed that exceeds a predetermined value and altering a display screen of said electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 1 knot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 0.5 knots.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises setting a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver exceeds a predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (3) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver exceeds a predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (2) comprises monitoring said first data in said first data field to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

further comprising;

partially disabling said gps receiver so that said gps receiver does not provide second data in a second data field to said electronic device; and

detecting whether said gps receiver provides said second data to said electronic device; and

wherein step (3) comprises disabling said feature of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected only if it is also detected that said gps receiver does not provide said second data to said electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step (3), temporarily enabling said feature of said electronic device for a first selected period of time upon receipt of a temporary enabling command.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step (3), monitoring said first data in said speed data field to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said feature of said electronic device after a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

after step (3), monitoring said first data in said speed data field to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said feature of said electronic device after the sooner of (a) a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected, or (b) cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected and an enabling command is received.

11. A combination, comprising:

a machine;

a computer program product on a computer readable medium comprising at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, comprising;

(1) monitoring data received by the machine from a gps receiver to detect movement and speed of said gps receiver; and

(2) disabling a feature of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected and the speed exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein step (2) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

13. The combination of claim 11, further comprising a gps receiver external from and operably connected to said machine.

14. The combination of claim 13, further comprising navigational software.

15. The combination of claim 13, wherein said gps receiver is capable of providing data in a plurality of data fields to said machine, said gps receiver being partially disabled so that said gps receiver does not provide data from a least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine;

and

wherein said method steps further comprise;

detecting whether said gps receiver provides said data from said at least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine; and

wherein step (2) comprises disabling said feature of said machine when movement of said gps receiver is detected only if it is also detected that said gps receiver does not provide said data from said at least one of said plurality of data fields to said machine.

16. A combination, comprising:

a vehicle;

a laptop computer in said vehicle;

a gps receiver external from and operably connected to said laptop computer; and

a computer program product on a computer readable medium stored on and readable by said laptop computer, said computer program embodying a program of instructions executable by said laptop computer to perform method steps, comprising;

(1) monitoring speed data received from said gps receiver to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

(2) disabling a feature of said laptop computer when said speed data indicates movement of said gps receiver at a speed that exceeds a predetermined value.

17. The combination of claim 16 wherein step (2) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said laptop computer when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein step (2) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said laptop computer when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

19. A method, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing data from a gps receiver to an electronic device;

(2) monitoring said data to detect movement of said gps receiver, and determining the speed of said movement; and

(3) disabling a display feature of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected and the determined speed exceeds a predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

step (1) comprises, providing data from said gps receiver to said electronic device, said data comprising first data in a speed data field; and

step (3) comprises, disabling said display feature of said electronic device when said first data in said speed data field indicates movement at a speed that exceeds the predetermined value.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 1 knot.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said predetermined value is less than or equal to approximately 0.5 knots.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein step (3) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein step (3) comprises setting a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein step (3) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein:

step (1) comprises providing first data in a first data field from said gps receiver to said electronic device; and

step (2) comprises monitoring said first data in said first data field to detect movement of said gps receiver; and

further comprising the steps of;

(4) partially disabling said gps receiver so that said gps receiver does not provide second data in a second data field to said electronic device; and

(5) detecting whether said gps receiver provides said second data to said electronic device; and

wherein step (3) comprises disabling said display feature of said electronic device when movement of said gps receiver is detected only if it is also detected that said gps receiver does not provide said second data to said electronic device.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

after step (3), temporarily enabling said display feature of said electronic device for a first selected period of time upon receipt of a temporary enabling command.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

after step (3), monitoring said data to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said display feature of said electronic device after a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising;

after step (3), monitoring said data to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said display feature of said electronic device after the sooner of (a) a second selected period of time passes from when cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected, or (b) cessation of movement of said gps receiver is detected and an enabling command is received.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the desired display element is a moving graphic element.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the desired display element emulates a blank screen.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the blank screen is comprised of a color other then black.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the desired display element emulates a screen saver.

34. A method, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a first data in a first data field from a gps receiver to an electronic device;

(2) monitoring said first data in said first data field to detect movement of said gps receiver;

(3) partially disabling said gps receiver so that said gps receiver does not provide a second data in a second data field to said electronic device; and

(4) disabling a feature of said electronic device when said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein step (4) comprises obscuring data on a display screen of said electronic device when said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein step (4) comprises setting a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein step (4) comprises executing a windows function call to set a desired display element as a top window on a display screen of said electronic device when said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

after step (4), temporarily enabling said feature of said electronic device for a first selected period of time upon receipt of a temporary enabling command.

39. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

after step (4), monitoring said first data in said first data field to detect cessation of movement of said gps receiver; and

enabling said gps receiver upon detecting cessation of movement of said gps receiver so that said gps receiver can provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device; and

enabling said feature of said electronic device after said second data in said second data field is detected by said electronic device.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein:

step (1) comprises providing a first data in a first data field, said first data field comprising a speed data field; and

step (4) comprises partially disabling said feature of said electronic device when said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field to said electronic device, wherein said gps receiver does not provide said second data in said second data field when said first data in said speed data field indicates movement of said gps receiver at a speed that exceeds a predetermined value.

41. A method, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing, in a mobile environment, an electronic device with a display screen and a gps receiver;

(2) providing data from said gps receiver to said electronic device, said data comprising speed data in a speed data field;

(3) monitoring said data to detect a movement of said gps receiver; and

(4) disabling a feature of said electronic device when said data indicates said movement of said gps receiver meets a pre-defined criteria of said movement for disabling said feature and altering said display screen of said electronic device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein step (4) comprises disabling a feature of said electronic device when said data indicates said movement of said gps receiver meets a pre-defined criteria of said movement for disabling said feature, said pre-defined criteria comprising said speed data in said speed data field indicating said movement of said gps receiver at a speed exceeding a predetermined value.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein step (4) comprises disabling a feature of said electronic device when said data indicates said movement of said gps receiver meets a pre-defined criteria of said movement for disabling said feature, said pre-defined criteria comprising said speed data in said speed data field indicating said movement of said gps receiver at an acceleration change exceeding a predetermined value.