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

• US 10,178,229 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• 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:
  US15/791,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 455 261
• 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 1/724098 Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075
• 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 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

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;

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;

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;

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

the mobile phone recognizes which vehicle transmitter it is nearby;

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

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

the vehicle transmitter transmits label information to the phone as its identification, which is specifically associated to the vehicle;

the vehicle transmitter makes the decisions through an on board voting firmware to determine driving versus other vehicle activity such as sitting in the car, exiting the vehicle, or entering the car; and

the device'"'"'s on board voting engine determines how the driver is driving and sends only over limit conditions to the mobile handset for reporting to the administrator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein

the device programmatically presses the call reject button when an incoming call is detected;

and

the device programmatically allows certain predefined calls while driving which have been placed on a white list by an administration.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the device programmatically writes a message on behalf of the user when driving, transmits this message to the mobile device and programmatically presses the send button for the driver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein

the device programmatically sends commands to the mobile device to de-feature capabilities within mobile application.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein

the mobile phone recognizes which smart dot vehicle transmitter it is nearby, and when driving is detected by the smart dot vehicle transmitter, the phone reports to the administrator to determine what vehicle the driver is driving.

6. 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.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensors are of singular or multiple technologies including optical flow.

8. 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.

9. The system of claim 8, 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.

10. 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.

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

12. 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.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein

each vehicle 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 vehicle transmitter or a group of vehicle transmitter'"'"'s;

and

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

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

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

16. A method for limiting mobile phone distraction in motor vehicles and within fixed locations, executed by a machine, comprising the steps of:

a mobile receiver receives RF signals from the vehicle transmitter or the vehicle transmitter for processing or acknowledgement by the mobile handset;

the mobile receiver will handoff the data provided by the vehicle transmitter or vehicle transmitter along with the vehicle transmitter or vehicle transmitter signature to the handset for processing or analysis;

based on the information provided (digital, analog, binary or otherwise) the mobile handset'"'"'s profile is updated in accordance with mobile handset'"'"'s administrative settings or the mobile handset will perform a scripted routine;

generating an automatic response notification to caller that phone user is driving;

generating an automatic response notification to caller that phone user is in an area where phone use is not allowed;

analyzing mobile handset derived data to determine vector of handset and in turn selectively limit handset feature set;

establishing an internet interface for remotely limiting a mobile device'"'"'s feature set based on location, speed, or proximity;

remotely alerting an administrator if mobile handset software has been removed or modified; and

allowing the motor vehicle passenger to gain access to the full or partial device feature set by entering a code or solving a puzzle.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

a mobile device'"'"'s feature set would be reduced when a vehicle is in motion;

the mobile device'"'"'s feature set would be limited or “

de-featured”

in certain locations; and

the mobile device will send an automated response with arriving or departing a vehicle transmitter or vehicle transmitter signal area, the mobile handset automatically responds with a SMS, MMS, email, IM or phone call when it is contacted within the vehicle transmitter or vehicle transmitter signal area.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device itself will limit operation based on predefined settings that are defined by the device'"'"'s owner.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the device will utilize methods for comprehensive limits to mobile devices such that they are used in a safe manner both while driving or operating equipment or in areas where mobile use is dangerous.