Providing mobile user driving alerts

• US 8,983,369 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Reyes, Emerando M. Delos, Parker, Benjamin J., Ait-Ameur, Samir
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US13/465,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 340/180, 340/441, 340/446, 340/669, 340/994, 340/969, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/26.1
• US Class Current: 455/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A system is configured to receive an alert status, associated with a first user device, based on the first user device connecting with a mobile alert device, where the alert status is associated with an instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device, and where the alert status indicates that a user, associated with the first user device, is operating a vehicle. The system is configured to receive a call instruction from a second user device, where the call instruction includes an instruction to place a call from the second user device to the first user device. The system is further configured to send the alert status to the second user device, based on receiving the alert status and the call instruction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more devices, an alert status, associated with a first user device,

the alert status being associated with an instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device,

the alert status indicating that a user, associated with the first user device, is operating a vehicle, and

the first user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

receiving, by the one or more devices, a call instruction from a second user device,

the call instruction including an instruction to place a call from the second user device to the first user device, and

the second user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

generating, by the one or more devices and based on receiving the call instruction, a message,

the message being further based on the alert status, and

the message including an indication that the user is operating the vehicle;

sending, by the one or more devices and without sending the call from the second user device to the first user device, the message to the second user device; and

detecting, by the one or more devices, a removal of the alert status, thereby allowing calls to be sent to the first user device,

detecting the removal of the alert status including;

detecting the removal of the alert status based on disconnecting the first user device from a mobile alert device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an override instruction from the second user device to override the instruction to prevent calls to be sent to the first user device; and

sending the call to the first user device based on receiving the override instruction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more devices, call information associated with the call instruction; and

sending, by one or more devices, the call information to the first user device based on detecting the removal of the alert status.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an indication of the removal of the alert status to the second user device based on detecting the removal of the alert status.

5. The method of claim 1, where receiving the alert status includes:

receiving the alert status when a speed of the first user device exceeds a threshold speed.

6. The method of claim 5, where detecting the removal of the alert status further includes:

detecting the removal of the alert status when the speed of the first user device falls below the threshold speed for a particular period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, where receiving the alert status includes:

receiving the alert status based on connecting the first user device with the mobile alert device.

8. The method of claim 1, where

the alert status includes an interface type, and

the instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device includes:

an instruction to prevent sending a first type of call, based on the interface type, and

an instruction to permit sending a second type of call based on the interface type.

9. A system comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive an alert status associated with a first user device,

the alert status being associated with an instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device,

the alert status indicating that a user, associated with the first user device, is operating a vehicle, and

the first user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

receive a call instruction from a second user device,

the call instruction including an instruction to place a call from the second user device to the first user device, and

the second user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

generate, based on receiving the call instruction, a message,

the message being further based on the alert status, and

the message including an indication that the user is operating the vehicle;

send, without sending the call from the second user device to the first user device, the message to the second user device;

receive call information associated with the call instruction;

detect a removal of the alert status,

the one or more devices, when detecting the removal of the alert status, being to;

detect the removal of the alert status based on disconnecting the first user device from a mobile alert device; and

send the call information to the first user device based on detecting the removal of the alert status.

10. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices are further to:

send an indication of the removal of the alert status to the second user device, based on detecting the removal of the alert status.

11. The system of claim 9, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive an override instruction from the second user device to override the instruction to prevent calls to be sent to the first user device; and

send the call to the first user device based on receiving the override instruction.

12. The system of claim 9, where, when receiving the alert status, the one or more devices are to:

receive the alert status when a speed of the first user device exceeds a threshold speed.

13. The system of claim 12, where, when detecting the removal of the alert status, the one or more devices are further to:

detect the removal of the alert status when the speed of the first user device falls below a threshold speed for a particular period of time.

14. The system of claim 9, where, when receiving the alert status, the one or more devices are to:

receive the alert status based on connecting the first user device with the mobile alert device.

15. The system of claim 9, where

the alert status includes an interface type, and

the instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device includes:

an instruction to prevent sending a first type of call, based on the interface type, and

an instruction to permit sending a second type of call based on the interface type.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive an alert status, associated with a first user device, based on the first user device connecting with a mobile alert device,

the alert status being associated with an instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device,

the alert status indicating that a user, associated with the first user device, is operating a vehicle;

receive a call instruction from a second user device,

the call instruction including an instruction to place a call from the second user device to the first user device;

generate, based on receiving the call instruction, a message,

the message being further based on the alert status, and

the message including an indication that the user is operating the vehicle;

send, without sending the call from the second user device to the first user device, the message to the second user device; and

detect a removal of the alert status, thereby allowing calls to be sent to the first user device,

the one or more instructions to detect the removal of the alert status including;

one or more instructions to detect the removal of the alert status based on disconnecting the first user device from a mobile alert device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to receive an override instruction from the second user device to override the instruction to prevent calls to be sent to the first user device; and

one or more instructions to send the call to the first user device based on receiving the override instruction.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where

the alert status includes an interface type, and

the instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device includes:

an instruction to prevent sending a first type of call, based on the interface type, and

an instruction to permit sending a second type of call based on the interface type.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the instructions further include:

one or more instructions to send an indication of the removal of the alert status to the second user device based on detecting the removal of the alert status.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where

the one or more instructions to receive the alert status further include:

one or more instructions to receive the alert status when a speed of the first user device exceeds a threshold speed, and

the one or more instructions to detect the removal of the alert status further include;

one or more instructions to detect the removal of the alert status when the speed of the first user device falls below the threshold speed for a particular period of time.

21. A system comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive an alert status, associated with a first user device, based on the first user device connecting with a mobile alert device,

the alert status being associated with an instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device, and

the first user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

receive a call instruction from a second user device,

the call instruction including an instruction to place a call from the second user device to the first user device, and

the second user device being different than each of the one or more devices;

generate, based on receiving the call instruction, a message, the message being further based on the alert status;

send, without sending the call from the second user device to the first user device, the message to the second user device; and

remove, based on detecting that the first user device is disconnected from the alert mobile device, the alert status.

22. The system of claim 21, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive an override instruction from the second user device to override the instruction to prevent calls to be sent to the first user device; and

send the call to the first user device based on receiving the override instruction.

23. The system of claim 21, where

the alert status includes an interface type, and

the instruction to prevent calls from being sent to the first user device includes:

an instruction to prevent sending a first type of call, based on the interface type, and

an instruction to permit sending a second type of call based on the interface type.

24. The system of claim 21, where the one or more devices are further to:

send an indication of the removal of the alert status to the second user device based on detecting the removal of the alert status.