Controlling mobile device calls, text messages and data usage while operating a motor vehicle

• US 8,666,382 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tango Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tango Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Silver, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/096,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/324 by mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed are an system and method of regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle. One example method may include determining a speed event indicating that a speed of the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies are invoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile device restriction policies to be removed. The first threshold may be equal to or greater than the second threshold. As a result of obtaining the speed event, the method may also provide transmitting the speed event to a remote edge gateway server located remotely from the motor vehicle, which stores the speed event for reference purposes when determining a policy for routing a particular mobile device call, text message and/or mobile data session.

Claims

1. A method of regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying an attempted communication comprising at least one of an attempted voice call, text message and mobile data communication from at least one mobile device located in the motor vehicle;

verifying a services profile of the at least one mobile device and determining at least one service is to be performed;

querying a carrier gateway server associated with the at least one service to identify a remote server;

querying, by the carrier gateway server, the remote server for a policy; and

applying the policy when a speed of a motor vehicle in which the at least one mobile device is located has either exceeded a first threshold, or fallen below a second threshold;

wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication;

wherein the first threshold is related to invoking restriction policies of the at least one mobile device;

wherein the second threshold is related to removing restriction policies of the at least one mobile device; and

wherein the first threshold is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing a remote edge gateway server of the attempted communication; and

verifying a stored speed event to determine whether to invoke mobile device usage restriction policies.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending routing instructions to the carrier gateway server indicating how to route the attempted communication; and

routing the communication responsive to receiving the routing instructions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of the at least one mobile device is determined to be in close proximity to the motor vehicle based on a distance between the at least one mobile device and the motor vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one mobile device is registered with a base station;

determining that the at least one mobile device is restricted from originating and receiving communication signaling while operating in the communication area of the base station based on a moving speed of the motor vehicle being above a threshold traveling speed;

at least partially restricting communication signaling from being originated and received by the at least one mobile device;

storing a communication message in memory until the at least one mobile device has traveled outside the communication area of the base station; and

retrieving the communication message from the memory and transmitting the message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the base station is a femtocell base station.

7. A system configured to regulate mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a carrier gateway server;

a session switching network;

a remote server;

a base station; and

at least one mobile device connected to the session switching network via the base station, the at least one mobile device being configured to attempt to originate a communication comprising at least one of a voice call, text message and mobile data communication from inside the motor vehicle, and responsive to the attempt, the session switching network is configured to transmit a query to the carrier gateway server to identify and query the remote server for a policy and apply the policy when a speed of the motor vehicle in which the at least one mobile device is located has either exceeded a first threshold, or fallen below a second threshold,

wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication;

wherein the first threshold is related to invoking restriction policies of the at least one mobile device;

wherein the second threshold is related to removing restriction policies of the at least one mobile device; and

wherein the first threshold is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the carrier gateway server is further configured to inform a remote edge gateway server of the mobile data communication session attempt, and the edge gateway server is further configured to verify the stored speed event to determine whether to invoke mobile device usage restriction policies.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the edge gateway server is further configured to send routing instructions to the carrier gateway server indicating how to route the mobile data communication session.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein a location of the at least one mobile device is determined to be in close proximity to the motor vehicle based on a distance between the at least one mobile device and the motor vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the edge gateway server is further configured to:

determine that the at least one mobile device is registered with the base station,

determine that the at least one mobile device is restricted from originating and receiving communication signaling while operating in the communication area of the base station based on a moving speed of the motor vehicle being above a threshold traveling speed;

at least partially restrict communication signaling from being originated and received by the at least one mobile device,

store the communication message in memory until the at least one mobile device has traveled outside the communication area of the base station, and

retrieve the message from the memory and transmit the message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the base station is a femtocell base station.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle, the processor being further configured to perform:

identifying an attempted communication comprising at least one of an attempted voice call, text message and mobile data communication session from at least one mobile device located in the motor vehicle;

verifying a services profile of the at least one mobile device and determining at least one service is to be performed;

querying a carrier gateway server associated with the at least one service to identify a remote server;

querying the remote server for a policy; and

applying the policy when a speed of a motor vehicle in which the at least one mobile device is located has either exceeded a first threshold, or fallen below a second threshold;

wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication;

wherein the first threshold is related to invoking restriction policies of the at least one mobile device;

wherein the second threshold is related to removing restriction policies of the at least one mobile device; and

wherein the first threshold is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

informing a remote edge gateway server of the attempted communication; and

verifying a stored speed event to determine whether to invoke mobile device usage restriction policies.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

sending routing instructions to the carrier gateway server indicating how to route the attempted communication; and

routing the communication responsive to receiving the routing instructions.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein a location of the at least one mobile device is determined to be in close proximity to the motor vehicle based on a distance between the at least one mobile device and the motor vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

determining that the at least one mobile device is registered with a base station;

determining that the at least one mobile device is restricted from originating and receiving communication signaling while operating in the communication area of the base station based on a moving speed of the motor vehicle being above a threshold traveling speed;

at least partially restricting communication signaling from being originated and received by the at least one mobile device;

storing the communication message in memory until the at least one mobile device has traveled outside the communication area of the base station; and

retrieving the message from the memory and transmitting the message.