Safety features for portable electronic device

• US 8,270,933 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: ZoomSafer Inc. (Aegis Mobility Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riemer, Michael S., Barbera, Melvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B
• Application Number:
  US12/755,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20100216509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/345, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/565, 455/567, 455/568.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.1, 455/575.9, 340/441, 340/525, 340/575, 340/576, 340/901
• US Class Current: 455/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• 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 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A portable device includes a safety feature that prevents some forms of use when the device is moving. The device may detect its speed or movement, compare that to a threshold, and provide a response or blocking function upon exceeding that threshold. The device may be a cell phone configured to disable transmission and reception of voice/text, conceal its display screen, and disable incorporated features and functions, if the cell phone is moving faster than walking speed or the movement is uncharacteristic of walking. The blocking function may be partially overridden based on a safety policy, which can be managed and customized. The introduction of hands-free devices may serve to override a blocking function and enable other functions.

Claims

1. A method of minimizing a plurality of motion requests made by a motion detector to determine a motion of a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first event from a plurality of events generated by one or more functions of the portable electronic device;

setting a baseline interval equal to a first interval in response to the first event, the first interval based on a type of the first event, and wherein the baseline interval specifies an amount of time between a first motion request and a second motion request among the plurality of motion requests;

setting a running time of the baseline interval equal to a first running time, the first running time based on the type of the first event; and

setting the baseline interval equal to a default interval and the running time equal to a default running time if no further events are received at the end of the running time of the first event.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second event from the plurality of events;

setting the baseline interval equal to a second interval in response to the second event, the second interval based on a type of the second event; and

setting the running time equal to a second running time, the second running time based on the type of the second event.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of events includes detecting the presence of a charger, using a voice communication function, using a text messaging function, using an email function, turning on the portable electronic device, restarting the portable electronic device, receiving a location update via an external signal, receiving an alert from a third-party application, using the third-party application, detecting a hands-free device, and a calendar event.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a policy from a consumer of the portable electronic device, the policy indicating a consumer preference relating to the plurality of events, the baseline interval, and the running time.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a set of usage patterns performed by a consumer of the portable electronic device on a storage system associated with the portable electronic device, the usage patterns related to the one or more functions used by the consumer.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of storing further comprises the steps of:

storing an event entry associated with the first event in the set of usage patterns; and

analyzing the set of usage patterns to update the first interval and the first running time.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing uses a machine learning algorithm to analyze the set of usage patterns.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the set of usage patterns includes a plurality of entries in a file, wherein each entry from the plurality of entries includes an event name associated with a received event from the plurality of events, a time and a day associated with the received event, and a duration of the received event.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the storage system is located within the portable electronic device.

10. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the storage system is located remotely from the portable electronic device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the baseline interval and the running time are set according to a remaining battery life of the portable electronic device.