Tracking driving without mobile phone distraction

• US 9,992,328 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emma Michaela Siritzky
• Original Assignee: Emma Michaela Siritzky
• Inventors: Siritzky, Emma Michaela
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US15/724,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20180091646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• Field of Search: 455418, 702142
• 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 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A mobile communication device has a plurality of modes, including a normal mode and a driving mode. In the driving mode, one or more features of said device are at least partially disabled, including one or more features relating to communication supported by the device. The device tracks particular information about the device'"'"'s modes and reports some of the particular information to at least one location off the device. The particular information about said device'"'"'s modes is usable to determine when the device was in driving mode.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

one or more processors and one or more memories supporting communication, said device comprising a plurality of modes, including a normal mode and a driving mode,

wherein said normal mode is distinct from said driving mode, and

wherein, when said device is in said driving mode one or more features of said device are at least partially disabled, and wherein the one or more features of said device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more features relating to communication supported by the device, wherein aspects of said driving mode are implemented, at least in part, by an operating system (OS) of said device, and

wherein the device is configured to;

(a) track particular information about at least some of said device'"'"'s modes by one or more of (i) time, and (ii) location; and

(b) report at least some of said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes to at least one location off the device; and

(c) support selection and de-selection of said driving mode via a user interface (UI), said UI being at least partially integrated into the operating system (OS) of the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to:

track said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes by one or more of;

(i) start time, (ii) end time, (iii) start location, and (iv) end location.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least some of said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes is reported by one or more of:

(i) sending said at least some of said particular information by electronic mail, and (ii) sending said at least some of said particular information to another computer.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein particular information about said device'"'"'s modes is usable to determine when the device was in said driving mode.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said certain information is locked on said device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein unauthorized access to said certain information on said device is prevented.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein, in the driving mode, emergency features of the device are not disabled.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said one or more processors and one or more memories supporting communication support wireless communication.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said wireless communication comprises cellular communication.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a control panel of said device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said control panel is a system control panel.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said control panel is integrated into the operating system (OS) of the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said control panel comprises a switch to selectively set said device into or out of said driving mode.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein, when in said driving mode, said device indicates that said device is in said driving mode.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein, when in said driving mode, said device indicates that said device is in said driving mode by an icon on a display.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a cellular phone.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is at least partially integrated into a vehicle.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein said device enters said driving mode when said device connects to a vehicle.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein said device automatically enters said driving mode when said device connects to a vehicle to which the device has previously connected.

10. The device of 9, wherein the one or more features of said device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more of:

(A) notifications of one or more incoming calls;

(B) notifications of one or more incoming messages;

(C) one or more outgoing calls; and

(D) one or more applications on said device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the one or more applications on the device comprise one or more of:

one or more social networking applications;

one or more texting applications;

one or more browser applications;

one or more messaging applications;

one or more conferencing applications; and

one or more photography applications.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with one or more computer programs stored therein that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, said device comprising a plurality of modes, including a normal mode and a driving mode, cause the one or more processors to perform at least the operations of:

(A) tracking particular information about at least some of said device'"'"'s modes by one or more of (i) time, and (ii) location;

(B) reporting at least some of said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes to at least one location off the device; and

(C) selection and de-selection of said driving mode via a user interface (UI), said UI being at least partially integrated into an operating system (OS) of the device,

wherein said normal mode is distinct from said driving mode, and wherein, when said device is in said driving mode one or more features of said device are at least partially disabled, and wherein the one or more features of said device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more features relating to communication supported by the device, wherein aspects of said driving mode are implemented, at least in part, by the operating system (OS) of said device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said tracking in (A) tracks said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes by one or more of:

(i) start time, (ii) end time, (iii) start location, and (iv) end location.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said at least some of said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes is usable to determine when the device was in said driving mode.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said certain information on said device is locked.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein unauthorized access to said certain information on said device is prevented.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said at least some of said particular information about said device'"'"'s modes is reported in (B) by one or more of:

(i) sending said at least some of said particular information by electronic mail, and (ii) sending said at least some of said particular information to another computer.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein said at least some tracked information about said device'"'"'s modes is reported by one or more of:

(i) sending said information by electronic mail, and (ii) sending said information to another computer.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said device supports wireless communication.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein said wireless communication comprises cellular communication.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the one or more features of said device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more of:

(A) notifications of one or more incoming calls;

(B) notifications of one or more incoming messages;

(C) one or more outgoing calls; and

(D) one or more applications on said device.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the one or more applications on the device comprise one or more of:

one or more social networking applications;

one or more texting applications;

one or more browser applications;

one or more messaging applications;

one or more conferencing applications; and

one or more photography applications.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said user interface comprises a control panel of said device.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein said control panel is a system control panel.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein said control panel is integrated into the operating system (OS) of the device.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein said control panel comprises a switch to selectively set said device into or out of said driving mode.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein, when in said driving mode, said device indicates that said device is in said driving mode.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein, when in said driving mode, said device indicates that said device is in said driving mode by an icon on a display associated with the device.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said device comprises a cellular phone.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said device is at least partially integrated into a vehicle.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said device enters said driving mode when said device connects to a vehicle to which the device has previously connected.

42. A cellular telephone device comprising:

one or more processors and one or more memories supporting wireless communication, including cellular communication, said device comprising a plurality of modes, including a normal mode and a driving mode,

wherein said normal mode is distinct from said driving mode, and wherein, when said device is in said driving mode one or more features of said device are at least partially disabled, and wherein the one or more features of said device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more features relating to communication supported by the device, wherein aspects of said driving mode are implemented, at least in part, by an operating system (OS) of said device, and

wherein the device is configured to;

(a) track certain information about at least some of said device'"'"'s modes, wherein said certain information is tracked by one or more of (i) time, and (ii) location; and

(b) report at least some certain information to at least one location off the device; and

(c) support selection and de-selection of said driving mode via a user interface (UI), said UI being at least partially integrated into the operating system (OS) of the device.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein said certain information about said at least some of said device'"'"'s modes is usable off said device to determine when the device was in said driving mode.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein said certain information about said at least some of device'"'"'s modes is locked on said device.

45. The device of claim 43, wherein unauthorized access to said certain information is prevented.

46. The device of claim 42, wherein the one or more features of said cellular telephone device that are at least partially disabled in the driving mode include one or more of:

(A) notifications of one or more incoming calls;

(B) notifications of one or more incoming messages;

(C) one or more outgoing calls; and

(D) one or more applications on said device.

47. The device of claim 46, wherein the one or more applications on the device comprise one or more of:

one or more social networking applications;

one or more texting applications;

one or more browser applications;

one or more messaging applications;

one or more conferencing applications; and

one or more photography applications.

48. The device of claim 42, wherein said user interface comprises a control panel of said device.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein said control panel is a system control panel.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein said control panel is integrated into the operating system (OS) of the device.

51. The device of claim 48, wherein said control panel comprises a switch to selectively set said device into or out of said driving mode.

52. The device of claim 42, wherein said device is at least partially integrated into a vehicle.

53. The device of claim 42, wherein, when in said driving mode, said device indicates that said device is in said driving mode.

54. The device of claim 42, wherein said device supports wireless communication.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein said wireless communication comprises cellular communication.

56. The device of claim 42, wherein, in the driving mode, emergency features of the device are not disabled.

57. The device of claim 42, wherein said certain information about at least some of said device'"'"'s modes includes information about when said device is in said driving mode.