Preventing distracted driving

• US 9,360,854 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kotecha, Lalit R., Nelson, Matthew W., Draznin, Sagiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kingston, Shawna M
• Application Number:
  US13/568,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/197 Blocking or enabling of input functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/55 Remote control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/566 Mobile devices displaying vehicle information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/573 Mobile devices controlling vehicle functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/80 Arrangements for controlling instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence

Abstract

A first device is configured to receive, from a second device, an indication of a presence of a third device inside of a vehicle, where the first device is located inside of the vehicle. The first device is further configured to receive data associated with the vehicle, determine a vehicle condition, of the vehicle, based on the data associated with the vehicle, and deactivate a function associated with the third device based on the vehicle condition. The first device may prevent the third device from performing the deactivated function when an instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the third device via manual input. The first device may permit the third device to perform the deactivated function when the instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the third device via a hands-free device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device and from a second device, an indication of a presence of a third device inside of a vehicle,

the first device being different than the second device,

the second device being a key device, and

the first device being located inside the vehicle;

receiving, by the first device, data associated with the vehicle,

the data corresponding to status information of the vehicle;

determining, by the first device and based on the data associated with the vehicle, a vehicle conditional of the vehicle;

accessing, by the first device and based on determining the vehicle condition, vehicle condition information and activation rules information,

the vehicle condition information including a plurality of conditions, and

the activation rules information including a plurality of rules,

each condition, of the plurality of conditions, being associated with the plurality of rules;

determining, by the first device, that the third device is associated with an operator of the vehicle based on a physical proximity of the third device to the second device; and

deactivating, by the first device and based on accessing the vehicle condition information and the activation rules information and determining that the third device is associated with the operator of the vehicle, a function associated with the third device based on the vehicle condition,

the first device preventing the third device from performing the deactivated function when an instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the third device via manual input, and

the first device permitting the third device to perform the deactivated function when the instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the third device via a hands-free device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a change in the vehicle condition; and

reactivating the deactivated function based on the change in the vehicle condition,

the first device permitting the third device to perform the reactivated function when an instruction to perform the reactivated function is received by the third device via manual input or via the hands-free device.

3. The method of claim 1,

where the physical proximity of the third device to the second device is determined based on a signal strength between the third device and the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, where receiving the indication of the presence of the third device is performed independent of user interaction.

5. The method of claim 1, where receiving the indication of the presence of the third device is based on a near field communications (NFC) signal, a Bluetooth signal, or a wired signal associated with the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, where the data, associated with the vehicle, is received from a vehicle analytics device associated with the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, where the vehicle condition relates to when the vehicle is moving or when the vehicle is not moving.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the third device is not located inside of the vehicle; and

preventing, based on determining that the third device is not located inside of the vehicle, the vehicle from starting.

9. A system comprising:

a device, located inside a vehicle, to;

receive, from a key device, an indication of a presence of a user device inside the vehicle,

the device being different than the key device;

receive data associated with the vehicle,

the data corresponding to status information of the vehicle;

determine, based on the data associated with the vehicle, a vehicle condition of the vehicle;

access, based on determining the vehicle condition, vehicle condition information and activation rules information,

the vehicle condition information including a plurality of conditions, and

the activation rules information including a plurality of rules,

each condition, of the plurality of conditions, being associated with the plurality of rules;

determine that the user device is associated with an operator of the vehicle based on a physical proximity of the user device to the key device; and

deactivate, based on accessing the vehicle condition information and the activation rules information and based on determining that the user device is associated with the operator of the vehicle, a function associated with the user device based on the vehicle condition,

the device causing the user device to prohibit the deactivated function when an instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the user device via manual input, and

the device causing the user device to permit the deactivated function when the instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the user device via a hands-free device.

10. The system of claim 9, where the device is further to:

determine a change in the vehicle condition;

reactivate the deactivated function based on the change in the vehicle condition,

the device causing the user device to permit the reactivated function when an instruction to perform the reactivated function is received by the user device via manual input or via the hands-free device.

11. The system of claim 9, where, when receiving the indication of the presence of the user device, the device is further to:

receive the indication of the presence of the user device independent of user interaction.

12. The system of claim 9, where, when receiving the indication of the presence of the user device, the device is further to:

receive the indication of the presence of the user device based on a near field communications (NFC) signal, a Bluetooth signal, or a wired signal associated with the key device.

13. The system of claim 9, where, when receiving the data, associated with the vehicle, the device is further to:

receive the data from a vehicle analytics device associated with the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, where the vehicle condition relates to when the vehicle is moving.

15. The system of claim 9, where the device is further to:

determine that the user device is not located inside of the vehicle; and

prevent, based on determining that the user device is not located inside of the vehicle, the vehicle from starting.

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

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

receive, from a second device, an indication of a presence of a user device inside a vehicle,

the first device being different than the second device,

the second device being a key device, and

the first device being located inside of the vehicle;

receive data associated with the vehicle,

the data corresponding to status information of the vehicle;

determine, based on the data associated with the vehicle, a vehicle condition;

access, based on determining the vehicle condition, vehicle condition information and activation rules information,

the vehicle condition information including a plurality of conditions, and

the activation rules information including a plurality of rules,

each condition, of the plurality of conditions, being associated with the plurality of rules;

determine that the user device is associated with an operator of the vehicle based on a physical proximity of the user device to the second device;

deactivate, based on accessing the vehicle condition information and the activation rules information and based on determining that the user device is associated with the operator of the vehicle, a function associated with the user device based on the vehicle condition;

the first device preventing the user device from performing the deactivated function when an instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the user device via manual input, and

the first device permitting the user device to perform the deactivated function when the instruction to perform the deactivated function is received by the user device via a hands-free device;

determine a change in the vehicle condition; and

reactivate the deactivated function based on the change in the vehicle condition,

the first device permitting the user device to perform the reactivated function when an instruction to perform the reactivated function is received by the user device via manual input or via the hands-free device.

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

physical proximity of the user device to the second device is determined based on a signal strength between the user device and the second device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the user device is not associated with an operator of the vehicle; and

permit all functions of the user device based on determining that the user device is not associated with the operator of the vehicle.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to receive the indication of the presence of the user device, include one or more instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

receive the indication of the presence of the user device based on a near field communications (NFC) signal, a Bluetooth signal, or a wired signal associated with the second device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to receive the data, associated with the vehicle, include one or more instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

receive the data, associated with the vehicle, from a vehicle analytics device associated with the vehicle.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the vehicle condition relates to when the vehicle is moving or when the vehicle is not moving.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the user device is not located inside of the vehicle; and

prevent, based on determining that the user device is not located inside of the vehicle, the vehicle from starting.