Method of inhibiting functions of a mobile communications device

• US 8,380,176 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Websafety, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Websafery Incorporated
• Inventors: Adler, Mike, Spiesser, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/506,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20100035588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/565, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 370328-338, 342455-465
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of inhibiting a function of a multi-function portable personal communications device includes determining a first position of the personal communications device, after a predetermined time interval, determining a second position of the personal communications device, determining the distance between the first position and the second position, determining the time interval in which the personal communications device moved from the first position and the second position, calculating an average velocity of the personal communications device based on the first position, the second position and the time interval and, if the average velocity of the personal communication device exceeds a predetermined value, inhibiting a function of the personal communications device.

Claims

1. A method of inhibiting a function of a multi-function portable personal communications device comprising:

determining a first position of the portable personal communications device;

after a predetermined time interval, determining a second position of the portable personal communications device;

determining the distance between the first position and the second position;

determining the time interval in which the portable personal communications device moved from the first position and the second position;

calculating an average velocity of the portable personal communications device based on the first position, the second position and the time interval;

determining when the determined first position is within a predetermined distance of a target location;

when the first position is within a predetermined distance of the target location within a defined time window; and

when the average velocity of the personal communication device exceeds a predetermined value, and the first position is determined to be within a predetermined distance of the target location, inhibiting a function of the portable personal communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable personal communications device comprises a cellular telephone handset including a global position receiver for determining the first and second position of the cellular handset and wherein the inhibited function is one or more textual message services.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the textual message service include one or more of a Short Message Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), Mobile Instant Messaging Service (MIMS), email and Internet access.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of inhibiting includes blocking calls made to the cellular telephone handset.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of inhibiting includes blocking calls made from the cellular telephone handset.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a message to a remote communications device, the message indicating the average velocity of the portable personal communications device has exceeded the predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-function portable personal communications device includes a global positioning receiver and wherein the step of determining the first and second positions of the device comprises receiving signals from a plurality of global positioning system satellites.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining an average velocity comprises determining the distance between the first and second positions and dividing the distance by the time interval in which the portable personal communications device moved from the first position to the second position.