Vehicle event recorder mobile phone mount

• US 9,247,040 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Sutton, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/035,739
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/419, 455/420, 455/421, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/459, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/565, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 455/556.1, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A phone vehicle event recorder mount comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive an indication of whether a phone vehicle event recorder is connected. The processor is configured to, in the event that the phone vehicle event recorder is connected, provide an indication to disable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls.

Claims

1. A phone vehicle event recorder mount, comprising:

a mount for holding a mobile phone;

an interface configured to receive a connection indication of whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount, wherein the mobile phone runs a vehicle event recorder app; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount based on the indication, wherein the mobile phone is connected to the mount in the event that the mobile phone is placed in the mount;

in the event the mobile phone is connected to the mount, provide a launch indication to launch the vehicle event recorder app on the mobile phone, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events and anomalous vehicle events;

in the event that the mobile phone is connected to the mount, provide a disable indication to the mobile phone to disable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls; and

in the event a disconnect indication is received that the mobile phone is disconnected from the mount, provide a re-enable indication to the mobile phone to re-enable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls.

2. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a wired interface.

3. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a wireless interface.

4. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events using one or more accelerometers.

5. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events using one or more gyroscopes.

6. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events using a camera.

7. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a text disable indication to the mobile phone to disable receiving and transmitting text communications.

8. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an event data indication to the mobile phone to provide event data to a server.

9. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the interface is further configured to communicate with vehicle systems.

10. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 9, wherein the interface is configured to communicate with vehicle systems via an OBD bus.

11. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 9, wherein the interface is configured to receive sensor data from vehicle systems.

12. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, further comprising a data storage.

13. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 12, wherein the data storage is configured to store event data.

14. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 12, wherein the data storage is configured to store map data.

15. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a resource indication to the mobile phone of available resources.

16. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, further comprising one or more lights for display of information.

17. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, further comprising a display screen.

18. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication to re-enable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls in response to an indication to a vehicle event recorder app.

19. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the anomalous vehicle events including accidents, speed limit violations, rough road events, hard maneuvering events, dangerous driving events, or any combination thereof.

20. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether event data from the mobile phone running the event recorder app to store has been received after detecting an anomalous vehicle event; and

in the event that event data is received from the mobile phone, store event data in a data storage on the phone vehicle event recorder mount.

21. The phone vehicle event recorder mount of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a event data request has been received; and

in the event that event data has been requested, provide event data from a data storage in a data storage on the phone vehicle event recorder mount to the mobile phone through the interface.

22. A method for a phone vehicle event recorder mount, comprising:

receiving a connection indication of whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount for holding the mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone runs a vehicle event recorder app; and

determining, using a processor, whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount based on the indication, wherein the mobile phone is connected to the mount in the event that the mobile phone is placed in the mount;

in the event the mobile phone is connected to the mount, providing a launch indication to launch the vehicle event recorder app on the mobile phone, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events and anomalous vehicle events;

in the event that the mobile phone is connected to the mount, providing an indication to the mobile phone to disable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls; and

in the event a disconnect indication is received that the mobile phone is disconnected from the mount, providing a re-enable indication to the mobile phone to re-enable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls.

23. A computer program product for a phone vehicle event recorder mount, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a connection indication of whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount for holding the mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone runs a vehicle event recorder app; and

determining, using a processor, whether the mobile phone is connected to the mount based on the indication, wherein the mobile phone is connected to the mount in the event that the mobile phone is placed in the mount;

in the event the mobile phone is connected to the mount, providing a launch indication to launch the vehicle event recorder app on the mobile phone, wherein the vehicle event recorder app is configured to detect vehicle events and anomalous vehicle events;

in the event that the mobile phone is connected to the mount, providing an indication to the mobile phone to disable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls; and

in the event a disconnect indication is received that the mobile phone is disconnected from the mount, providing a re-enable indication to the mobile phone to re-enable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls.