System for limiting mobile phone distraction in motor vehicles and / or within fixed locations

• US 9,807,577 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Efficiency, Inc.
• Original Assignee: United Efficiency, Inc.
• Inventors: Van Meter, II, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US14/813,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 4555692, 455573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A system that utilizes a remote device that is capable of transmitting speed, velocity, instantaneous velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, deceleration or other means of data to wirelessly notify a mobile handset that the vehicle is in motion or is traveling at a speed, velocity, instantaneous velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, deceleration greater than zero without using the cellular signal, gps data, or on board diagnostic computer or other direct or indirect link to vehicle mechanical, electrical mechanical or computer derived speed data. This system, or an embodiment thereof shall be universally compatible with all vehicles including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, busses, trains, airplanes, boats, construction equipment or otherwise where it is desirable to limit distractions from a personal communication device.

Claims

1. A system for limiting mobile phone distraction in motor vehicles and within fixed locations, executed by a machine, comprising:

a vehicle transmitter;

the vehicle transmitter consists of a printed circuit board (PCB) with the capability through a sensor, or a variety of sensors of singular or multiple technologies to detect or predict driver and/or passenger entry or occupancy and initiate a sequence to wake itself;

the vehicle transmitter has the capability through a transmitter, or a variety of transmitters to broadcast the vehicle'"'"'s speed, velocity, instantaneous velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, deceleration or other data that can be used to determine if a vehicle is in motion;

a land transmitter;

the land transmitter consists of a printed circuit board that is assigned a unique ID that defines single or multiple locations in which mobile phone use is desired to be limited by the mobile phone'"'"'s owner; and

a mobile receiver;

the mobile receiver is connected to a mobile device as part of the original equipment integrated into the mobile device'"'"'s circuit board, or installed in the mobile device after manufacture for receiving transmitted signals from the vehicle transmitter or land transmitter;

the mobile device itself will limit operation based on predefined settings that are defined by the device'"'"'s owner;

the vehicle transmitter programmatically sends commands to the mobile device to de-feature certain capabilities within the mobile application;

each land transmitter transmits a unique identification so that the mobile handset can recognize the land transmitter;

the mobile phone recognizes which vehicle transmitter it is nearby;

when driving, the mobile phone is detected by the vehicle transmitters;

the mobile phone reports to the administrator to determine what vehicle the driver is driving;

the vehicle transmitter is labeled to match the vehicle identification; and

the vehicle identification transmits this to the mobile phone as its identification.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmitter has the capability through a sensor, or a variety of sensors to detect or predict speed, velocity, instantaneous velocity, angular velocity, acceleration, deceleration or other data that can be used to determine if a vehicle is in motion.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensors are of singular or multiple technologies including optical flow.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmitter is powered by a moveable structure of the motor vehicle whereby the movement of the structure causes charging of the capacitor and when the structure is not moving, the capacitor discharges and provides energy.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the vehicle transmitter is powered by a battery, of either a conventional or atomic battery, or, when used in connection with a tire of the vehicle, a capacitor, super capacitor or ultra-capacitor (super cap) and charged by the rotation of the tire.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmitter is arranged or positioned in singular or multiple locations as necessary to achieve the desired outcome of limiting operator and/or passenger distractions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmitter transmits a unique identification so that the mobile handset can recognize the vehicle transmitter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmitter is fitted with a GPS chipset or a SIM card to transmit collected data over a cellular network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

each land transmitter is fitted with a means of transmitting an RF signal to mobile phones to signal the phone that it is in range of a land transmitter or a group of land transmitter'"'"'s;

and

assigning geo-tags to each land transmitter for purposes of establishing unique tags.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each land transmitter is fitted with a GPS chipset or a SIM card so that it may transmit collected data over a cellular network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile receiver includes a SIM card, SD card, Mini SD card, Micro SD card, or other peripheral that is capable of directly interfacing with the mobile handset and receiving RF from the vehicle transmitter.