System for preventing text messaging while driving

• US 8,594,705 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US12/592,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A system and method are described to disable texting while driving a moving vehicle. The position and speed of a user'"'"'s cell phone are compared with that of a registered master phone. If the position and speed match that of the master phone, it is assumed that the user is a passenger and not a driver, and texting is enabled for that user. Texting at speed is disabled for a master phone user who may be an ordinary citizen or may be a professional driver of a mass transit vehicle. A professional driver may be known to the service provider and his phone may receive special treatment such that he is prevented from texting while driving but may be allowed to text while riding as a passenger. Passengers and operators of a train may be treated differently since the roadbed of a train has a known position.

Claims

1. A method for providing a cellular phone service wherein a service provider selectively disables text messaging for individual cell phones within a vehicle, comprising:

receiving a request to register a first cell phone as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the first cell phone;

temporarily registering the first cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register;

wherein the master phone is presumed to belong to a driver of the vehicle;

determining, upon registering the first cell phone as the master phone, that a second cell phone is within the vehicle when the second cell phone is within an envelope of the master phone; and

detecting that the first cell phone has a velocity that is greater than a disable threshold and disabling text messaging for the first cell phone; and

permitting text messaging for the second cell phone at any velocity when the first cell phone is registered as the master phone, wherein permitting text messaging occurs without requiring an action by the second cell phone;

detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is not registered as the master phone; and

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is registered as the master phone subsequent to detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the first cell phone when the velocity of the first cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a predetermined length of time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to register the first cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined number, calling a pre-determined number, and accessing a website location.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically re-enabling, if disabled, text messaging for the second cell phone when the velocity of the second cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a predetermined length of time.

3. A method whereby a service provider disables text messaging for a driver of a vehicle in motion, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to register an initial cell phone as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the initial cell phone;

temporarily registering the initial cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register;

wherein the master phone is presumed to belong to the driver;

establishing an envelope relative to the master phone that encompasses passengers that may be riding within the vehicle;

disabling text messaging for the initial cell phone when a velocity of the initial cell phone exceeds a disable threshold whether the initial cell phone is registered as the master phone or is not registered as the master phone;

allowing text messaging for additional cell phones within the envelope when a velocity of the additional cell phones exceeds the disable threshold and the initial cell phone is registered as the master phone; and

disabling text messaging for the additional cell phones when the velocity of the additional cell phones exceeds the disable threshold and the initial cell phone is not registered as the master phone;

detecting that the additional cell phones have a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling text messaging for the additional cell phones if the initial cell phone is not registered as the master phone; and

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the additional cell phones if the initial cell phone is registered as the master phone subsequent to detecting that the additional cell phones have a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein to enable text messaging for a cell phone when it is traveling in excess of the disable threshold, its direction of travel must also match the direction of travel of a master phone.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the request to register the initial cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined number, calling a pre-determined number, and accessing a website location.

5. A method for implementation by a cellular service provider for preventing unauthorized texting on cellular communication devices while operating a moving vehicle comprising:

determining the position and speed of a first cell phone;

comparing the speed of the first cell phone with a disable threshold whereby the first cell phone is determined to be in a moving vehicle if the speed is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling texting for the first cell phone when determined to be in a moving vehicle, if the first cell phone is currently registered with the service provider as a master phone;

determining if the position of the first cell phone is within a position envelope of one or more additional master phones if the first cell phone is not currently registered as the master phone;

wherein the position envelope is defined by a predetermined range of distance relative to a location of the one or more master phones;

for each additional master phone for which the first cell phone is within the respective position envelope, comparing the speed of the additional master phone with the speed of the first cell phone to determine if the speeds track within a predetermined deviation threshold value;

allowing texting for the first cell phone if the speed of the first cell phone tracks that of the additional master phone within the predetermined deviation threshold value, wherein if texting for the first cell phone is disabled, automatically re-enabling text messaging for the first cell phones; and

disabling texting for the first cell phone if no master phone whose position envelope contains the first cell phone is determined to have a speed that tracks within the predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the speed of said first cell phone.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

if text messaging has been disabled for the first cell phone, re-enabling text messaging for the first cell phone after the speed of said first cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein in order to enable text messaging for the first cell phone when it is traveling in excess of the disable threshold, the direction of travel of the first cell phone must also match the direction of travel of a master phone.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request to register the first cell phone as the master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the first cell phone; and

temporarily registering the first cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to register the first cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined number, calling a pre-determined number, and accessing a website location.

8. A method whereby a cellular service provider disables text messaging for a cell phone of an active operator of a train, wherein the active operator is one of a plurality of known operators of trains having information associated with cell phones of the plurality of known operators of trains stored in a database accessible to the cellular service provider, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a position envelope for the train based at least in part on a roadbed on which the train is traveling;

identifying one or more cell phones of possible operators within the position envelope based on the information associated with the cell phones of the plurality of known operators of trains stored in the database;

disabling text messaging for the one or more cell phones of possible operators within the position envelope;

receiving a request to register the cell phone of the active operator as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by the active operator; and

enabling, upon registration of the cell phone of the active operator as the master phone, text messaging for the one or more cell phones of possible operators within the position envelope not registered as the master phone.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

prompting the one or more possible operators within the position envelope to register with the cellular service provider as the active operator of the train if they are the active operator of the train.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the request to register the cell phone of the active operator as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined number, calling a pre-determined number, and accessing a website location.

10. A method whereby a cellular service provider disables text messaging for a cell phone of an active driver of a mass transit vehicle while in motion wherein the active driver is one of a plurality of known drivers of mass transit vehicles having information associated with cell phones of the plurality of known drivers of mass transit vehicles stored in a database accessible to the cellular service provider, the method, comprising the steps of:

determining an envelope of a group of cell phones traveling at substantially the same velocity as each other, wherein the velocity is above a disable threshold;

identifying one or more cell phones of possible drivers within the envelope based on the information associated with the cell phones of the plurality of known drivers of mass transit vehicles stored in the database;

disabling text messaging for the one or more cell phones of possible drivers within the envelope;

receiving a request to register the cell phone of the active driver of the mass transit vehicle as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by the active driver; and

enabling, upon registration of the cell phone of the active driver as the master phone, text messaging for the one or more cell phones of possible drivers within the envelope not registered as the master phone.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a vehicle type driven by each of the known drivers of mass transit vehicles is stored in the database, the method further comprising:

modifying a size of the envelope based on the vehicle type associated with each of the one or more possible drivers; and

identifying one or more cell phones of additional possible drivers within the modified envelope based on cell phone information of known mass transit vehicle drivers stored in a database accessible to the cellular service provider.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

prompting the one or more possible drivers within the envelope to register with the cellular service provider as the active driver of the mass transit vehicle if they are the active driver of the mass transit vehicle.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the request to register the cell phone of the active driver as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined number, calling a pre-determined number, and accessing a website location.