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

• US 9,439,133 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• 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): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US14/188,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/456.4, 455/420
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• 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, 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 a transport;

querying a carrier gateway server associated with the at least one mobile device to identify a remote server, wherein the carrier gateway server forwards a desired destination of the attempted communication and the mobile device location to the remote server which determines whether a policy should be applied to the attempted communication;

determining the mobile device is located within a communication area of a base station, wherein restrictions are imposed on sending and receiving communications while operating within the communication area of the base station;

identifying and recording a speed event when a transport speed has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold and fallen below a second threshold;

retrieving the recorded speed event responsive to identifying the attempted communication; and

applying the policy to the communication based on the recorded speed event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying, by the carrier gateway server, the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

informing the remote server of the attempted communication; and

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

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising at least one of:

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.

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

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

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

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 a restricted communication area of the base station; and

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

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

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

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

8. A 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,

wherein the at least one mobile device is configured to attempt to originate a communication comprising at least one of a voice call, text message and mobile data communication from inside a transport, and

responsive to the attempt, the session switching network is configured to transmit a query to the carrier gateway server, wherein the carrier gateway server is configured to forward a desired destination of the attempted communication and the mobile device location to the remote server which determines whether a policy should be applied to the attempted communication, and

wherein the remote server is configured to

determine the mobile device is located within a communication area of a base station, wherein restrictions on sending and receiving communications while operating within the communication area of the base station,

identify and record a speed event when a transport speed has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold and fallen below a second threshold,

retrieve the recorded speed event responsive to the attempted communication being identified, and

apply the policy to the communication based on the recorded speed event.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the session switching network is configured to query the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication session.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the carrier gateway server is further configured to inform a remote server of the communication attempt.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote server is further configured to perform at least one of:

send routing instructions to the carrier gateway server indicating how to route the communication session; and

verify the stored speed event to determine whether to invoke mobile device usage restriction policies.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein a location of the at least one mobile device is determined to be in close proximity to the transport based on a distance between the at least one mobile device and the transport.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote server is further configured to perform at least one of:

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

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

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

retrieve the message from the memory and transmit the message.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

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

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

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

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform:

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 a transport;

querying a carrier gateway server associated with the at least one mobile device to identify a remote server, wherein the carrier gateway server forwards a desired destination of the attempted communication and the mobile device location to the remote server which determines whether a policy should be applied to the attempted communication;

determining the mobile device is located within a communication area of a base station, wherein restrictions are imposed on sending and receiving communications while operating within the communication area of the base station;

identifying and recording a speed event when a transport speed has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold and fallen below a second threshold;

retrieving the recorded speed event responsive to identifying the attempted communication; and

applying the policy to the communication based on the recorded speed event.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 comprising instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform querying of the remote server for the policy, wherein the policy comprises at least one of rerouting, intercepting, delaying and disallowing the communication, and wherein a location of the at least one mobile device is determined to be in close proximity to the transport based on a distance between the at least one mobile device and the transport.

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

informing a remote server of the attempted communication; and

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

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

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.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

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

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

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

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

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

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 a restricted communication area of the base station; and

retrieving the message from the memory and transmitting the message.