Method and apparatus for providing intelligent deactivation of electronic devices in aircraft

• US 8,805,359 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Locate Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailin, David R., Abraham, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/448,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/411, 455/410, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically deactivating an electronic device during flight of an aircraft. The method utilizes a global positioning system (GPS) or assisted global positioning system (AGPS) circuit to facilitate computing the acceleration, velocity and altitude of the electronic device and comparing this information to a profile to determine whether the acceleration, altitude and velocity meets a profile threshold of an airliner taking off. If the profile is that of the take-off of an aircraft, then the circuitry connected to the GPS/AGPS circuit will be deactivated.

Claims

1. A location enabled device, comprising:

a satellite receiver configured to compute a location of the location enabled device based upon a satellite signal;

a cellular transceiver configured to provide cellular communications between the location enabled device and other electronic devices communicatively coupled to a cellular network; and

a processor configured to determine a motion parameter of the location enabled device based upon the location and to compare the motion parameter with a motion parameter of an aircraft that is taking off to determine whether the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off, the processor further configured to deactivate the cellular transceiver when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

2. The location enabled device of claim 1, wherein the cellular transceiver is further configured to receive assistance data from the cellular network, and

wherein the satellite receiver is further configured to determine the location based upon assistance data.

3. The location enabled device of claim 2, wherein the assistance data comprises:

data relating to an orbit of a satellite that provided the satellite signal;

or

an estimated position of the location enabled device.

4. The location enabled device of claim 1, wherein the motion parameter comprises:

a velocity of the location enabled device;

an altitude of the location enabled device;

or

an acceleration of the location enabled device.

5. The location enabled device of claim 1, wherein the location enabled device is implemented as part of an electronic device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the electronic device when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

6. The location enabled device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the motion parameter with a threshold corresponding to the motion parameter of the aircraft that is taking off to determine whether the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

7. The location enabled device of claim 6, wherein the parameter comprises:

a velocity of the location enabled device;

an altitude of the location enabled device;

or

an acceleration of the location enabled device, and

wherein the parameter of the aircraft that is taking off comprises;

a velocity of the aircraft when it is taking off;

an altitude of the aircraft when it is taking off;

or

an acceleration of the aircraft when it is taking off.

8. The location enabled device of claim 1,

wherein the processor is further configured to notify a user of the location enabled device that the cellular transceiver is to be deactivated when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

9. A method of deactivating a location enabled device, comprising:

determining a motion parameter of the location enabled device based upon a location of the location enabled device;

comparing the motion parameter to a threshold corresponding to a motion parameter of an aircraft that is taking off;

determining that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off when the motion parameter is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

deactivating at least some portion of the location enabled device when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

reactivating the at least some portion of the location enabled device when it is determined that the location enabled device is no longer within the aircraft that is taking off.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reactivating comprises:

reactivating the at least some portion of the location enabled device when the motion parameter is less than the threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

computing the location based upon a satellite signal and assistance data that is received over a cellular network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing comprises:

computing the location based upon the satellite signal and the assistance data, the assistance data being;

data relating to an orbit of a satellite that provided the satellite signal;

or

an estimated position of the location enabled device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

notifying a user of the location enabled device that the at least some portion of the location enabled device is to be deactivated when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the aircraft that is taking off.

15. A location enabled device, comprising:

a receiver configured to compute a location of the location enabled device; and

a processor configured to determine a motion parameter of the location enabled device based upon the location, to compare the motion parameter to a threshold corresponding to a motion parameter of an environment, and to deactivate at least some portion of the location enabled device when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the environment, the environment being an aircraft that is taking off.

16. The location enabled device of claim 15, wherein the receiver is further configured to compute the location based upon a satellite signal or assistance data that is received over a cellular network.

17. The location enabled device of claim 15, wherein the parameter comprises:

a velocity of the location enabled device;

an altitude of the location enabled device;

or

an acceleration of the location enabled device, and

wherein the parameter of the environment comprises;

a velocity of the environment;

an altitude of the environment;

or

an acceleration of the environment.

18. The location enabled device of claim 15, further comprising:

a cellular transceiver configured to provide cellular communications between the location enabled device and other electronic devices communicatively coupled to a cellular network,

wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the cellular transceiver when it is determined the location enabled device is within the environment.

19. The location enabled device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to notify a user of the location enabled device that the cellular transceiver is to be deactivated when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the environment.

20. The location enabled device of claim 15, wherein the location enabled device is implemented as part of an electronic device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the electronic device when it is determined that the location enabled device is within the environment.