System for inhibiting texting and similar distractions while driving moving vehicles

• US 7,856,203 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2010
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Courteouscellphones, LLC
• Original Assignee: Courteouscellphones, LLC
• Inventors: Lipovski, Gerald John (Jack)
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US12/785,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 213 Days
• Field of Search: 455/1, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/456.4, 455/466, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A system is disclosed for preventing moving vehicle drivers from cell phone texting while that vehicle is moving. This system comprises a motion detector and a moving vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment containing at least four courtesy signal transmitters and at least one conventional cell phone having a text keyboard, a microphone, and a courtesy signal receiver disposed in the microphone which is in the keyboard. This compartment may also have devices in it which control the speed and direction the moving vehicle will go, and if so, it may have a moving vehicle driver, who may also be the aforementioned cell phone user, located to operate these devices. The cell phone may enable or disable the keyboard based on courtesy signal transit times and the motion indicator, but this determination may be overridden by the cell phone service provider, or person of authority located in the vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.

Claims

1. A system for preventing moving vehicle'"'"'s drivers from engaging in cell phone texting and similar dangerous activity while said moving vehicle is in motion, comprising:

(a) A motion detector, able to provide an indication that said moving vehicle is in motion, and

(b) A contiguous interior compartment wherein passengers may be located, said contiguous interior compartment having;

(i) at least four courtesy signal transmitters disposed within said contiguous interior compartment,

(ii) at least one cell phone operated by a cell phone user, having a radio frequency voice and data carrier signal transceiver capable of carrying at least text messages between the cell phone in said moving vehicle and another cell phone, having a display able to read received text, having a processor capable of controlling said cell phone, having a microphone to receive audio signals spoken by said cell phone user, and having a courtesy signal receiver incorporated in said microphone to receive courtesy signals from each courtesy signal transmitter,

(iii) possibly a steering wheel, brakes and accelerator pedal which controls the speed and direction the moving vehicle will go, and

(iv) if said steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedals control the vehicle are in said contiguous interior compartment, a moving vehicle driver, who may also be said cell phone user, may be positioned to operate said steering wheel and brake and accelerator pedals, wherein said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard may be enabled or disabled based on courtesy signal transit times and the motion indicator, said enabling or disabling which may be overridden by signals or commands received from the cell phone service provider or person of authority located in said motion vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said courtesy signal is an ultrasonic serial binary signal.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said courtesy signal is a radio-frequency serial binary signal.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said motion detector determines motion from a conventional GPS receiver, which determines speed by calculating change of position per time interval, and determining motion as having a speed above a predetermined value.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said motion detector determines motion from the moving vehicle'"'"'s speedometer, determining motion as having a speed above a predetermined value.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said motion detector determines motion from the presence of a signal from an accelerometer, determining motion as the sensor having a magnitude of vibration found to be above a predetermined value.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said motion detector determines motion from the presence of road, engine or wind noise, determining motion as the noise-reading microphone having magnitude of noise found to be above a predetermined value.

8. A system as defined in claim 1 whose moving vehicle has a stereo system comprising at least four speakers disposed within its interior compartment, wherein said courtesy signal transmitters are disposed within said speakers.

9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the location of the cell phone in the vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment is determined by a process that uses the transit time for four courtesy signals transmitted to said cell phone and evaluates the data following the evaluation done in conventional GPS systems.

10. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the location of the cell phone in the vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment is determined by trilateration that uses any three of the four courtesy signal transit times.

11. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the driver'"'"'s cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled or disabled based on testing according to the order:

if no courtesy signals are received by said courtesy signal receiver the cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is disabled, otherwise if the cell phone is found to be not located near the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel the cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled, otherwise if the vehicle is found to be moving the cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is disabled, otherwise cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled.

12. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said driver'"'"'s cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled or disabled based on testing according to the order:

if the vehicle is found to be not moving the cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled, otherwise if no courtesy signals are received by said courtesy signal receiver said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is disabled, otherwise if said cell phone is found to be not located near the vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled, otherwise said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is disabled.

13. Means for the cell phone user to override a system according to claim 1 to enable said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard when it should be disabled, by feeding fake courtesy signals to said courtesy signal receiver.

14. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said driver'"'"'s cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled or disabled based on testing according to the order:

if courtesy signals are received by said courtesy signal receiver and if the vehicle is found to be moving and if said cell phone is found to be located near said vehicle'"'"'s steering wheel said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is disabled, otherwise said cell phone'"'"'s keyboard is enabled.

15. Means for the cell phone user to override a system according to claim 1 to enable cell phone'"'"'s keyboard when it should be disabled, by squelching a courtesy signal sent from said courtesy signal transmitter to said courtesy signal receiver.

16. An overriding operation according to claim 1 wherein the cell phone provider enables otherwise disabled keyboards, such as to handle an emergency, having at least part of said operation being done within said motion vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.

17. An overriding operation according to claim 1 wherein the cell phone provider changes the cell phone'"'"'s action of disabling the keyboard, to the action of printing an error message on the cell phone, having at least part of said operation being done within said motion vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.

18. An overriding operation according to claim 1 wherein a person of authority over the moving vehicle, such as a train conductor over a train, who is located in the moving vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment, enables all cell phones within said moving vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.

19. An overriding operation according to claim 1 wherein a person of authority over the zone, such as a parent, who is located in the moving vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment, can disable the keyboards of any or all passenger'"'"'s cell phones, for instance in order to punish cell phone user(s) for bad behavior, having at least part of said operation being done within said moving vehicle'"'"'s contiguous interior compartment.