Motion-based disabling of messaging on a wireless communications device by differentiating a driver from a passenger

• US 8,508,379 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Vander Veen, Raymond, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/827,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 340/670, 340/3.1, 340/539.13, 455/67.11, 455/550.1, 455/345, 455/26.1, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 340/670
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

When a wireless communications device is traveling at a speed exceeding a lower threshold but less than an upper threshold, the device is presumed to be traveling in a motor vehicle. In order to inhibit operation of the wireless communication device by a driver without restricting operation by a passenger, access to certain device functions or applications such as e-mail, text messaging, etc. are limited by challenging the user of the device to respond to an ergonomic challenge that requires two-handed user input. Only if two-handed input is received will the wireless communications device grant access to e-mail or instant messaging.

Claims

1. A method of restricting access to one or more applications on a handheld wireless communications device, the method comprising:

determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device;

where the current speed of the handheld wireless communications device is greater than a lower threshold

requesting two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device; and

restricting access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously pressing a first key and a second key, wherein the first key is randomly selected from a first side of the user input device and wherein the second key is randomly selected from a second side of the user input device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously touching a first image and a second image that are both displayed on a touchscreen, wherein the first image is displayed at a first randomly selected located on a first side of the touchscreen and wherein the second image is displayed at a second randomly selected location on a second side of the touchscreen.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the two-handed user input is requested only when the current speed is less than an upper threshold.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lower threshold is 6-10 km/h and the upper threshold is 200-240 km/h.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining the current speed of the device comprises determining whether the current speed is below the lower threshold for at least a predetermined period of time.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a handheld wireless communications device, is adapted to restrict access to one or more applications by:

determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device;

where the current speed of the handheld wireless communications device is greater than a lower threshold

requesting two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device; and

restricting access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.

8. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously pressing a first key and a second key, wherein the first key is randomly selected from a first side of the user input device and wherein the second key is randomly selected from a second side of the user input device.

9. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 7 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously touching a first image and a second image that are both displayed on a touchscreen, wherein the first image is displayed at a first randomly selected located on a first side of the touchscreen and wherein the second image is displayed at a second randomly selected location on a second side of the touchscreen.

10. A handheld wireless communications device comprising:

a radiofrequency transceiver for transmitting and receiving text-based communications;

a positioning subsystem for determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device; and

a processor operatively coupled to a memory and to the positioning subsystem for receiving the current speed from the positioning subsystem and for determining whether the current speed is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the processor and memory being further configured to, where the current speed is greater than a lower threshold, request two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device and restrict access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously pressing a first key and a second key, wherein the first key is randomly selected from a first side of the user input device and wherein the second key is randomly selected from a second side of the user input device.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the two-handed user input comprises simultaneously touching a first image and a second image that are both displayed on a touchscreen, wherein the first image is displayed at a first randomly selected located on a first side of the touchscreen and wherein the second image is displayed at a second randomly selected location on a second side of the touchscreen.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processor determines whether the current speed is below the lower threshold for at least a predetermined period of time.

14. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein requesting two-handed user input is performed multiple times before access is granted.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein a time allotted for responding to each successive request for two-handed user input is randomly varied.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15 wherein a number of requests for two-handed input is varied as a function of the current speed.

17. The device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the time allotted for each successive request is varied as a function of the current speed.

18. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the positioning subsystem is a Global Positioning Subsystem (GPS) receiver.

19. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processor and memory are configured to only request two-handed user input when the current speed is less than an upper threshold.

20. The device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the lower threshold is set between 6 and 10 km/h and the upper threshold is set between 200 and 240 km/h.