Driving without distraction support system

• US 10,326,877 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Daniel, Roumeliotis, Tasos
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US15/664,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20170331943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 455405, 455418, 455419, 4554561, 4554563
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A processor-implemented system for supporting use of a reduced driving distraction program on a mobile device is disclosed. The system detects whether the mobile device is in a moving vehicle. If so, a driving mode is set in which driving is determined to be protected driving if the reduced distraction program is being followed and unprotected if the reduced distraction program is not being followed. The system then tracks unprotected driving and protected driving and aggregates the unprotected driving and protected driving. A party is then notified regarding the aggregation of unprotected driving and protected driving. Other drivers can be asked to join the reduced driving distraction program and awards can be given to drivers for meeting pre-determined milestones of protected driving. Either the mobile device or a remote computer may aggregate driving and send notifications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a particular reduced distraction application (“

the particular application”

) to a plurality of mobile devices, the particular application configured to;

access at least one of location data or sensor data of a particular mobile device on which the particular application is installed;

determine when the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle based on the at least one of the location data or the sensor data;

set a driving mode based on determining that the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle;

provide operation data corresponding to use of the particular application on the particular mobile device to a particular user of the particular mobile device via a user interface, the operation data comprising at least one of;

distance traveled by the particular mobile device with the particular application active and a total distance traveled by the particular mobile device;

or

length of time the particular mobile device is operated with the particular application active and a total length of time the particular mobile device is operated; and

transmit the operation data through a network;

receiving by a network connectable computing system from the plurality of mobile devices operation data corresponding to use of the particular application on the plurality of mobile devices;

aggregating by a processor the operation data from the plurality of mobile devices wherein the aggregated operation data comprises at least one of;

distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices with the particular application active and a total distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices;

or

length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated with the particular application active and a total length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated; and

selectively transmitting the operation data of the plurality of mobile devices to a plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices, the particular application further configured to provide to the particular user of the particular mobile device via the user interface the operation data of the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating at least one of an accelerometer or a GPS sensor to access the at least one of the location data or the sensor data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively transmitting awards to the plurality of users based on at least one of:

the distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices with the particular application active and the total distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices;

or

the length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated with the particular application active and the total length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the operation data from the plurality of mobile devices; and

providing to at least one of the plurality of mobile devices comprising the particular user of the particular mobile device a ranking of the operation data based on at least one of;

the distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices with the particular application active and the total distance traveled by the plurality of mobile devices;

or

the length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated with the particular application active and the total length of time the plurality of mobile devices are operated;

wherein the particular application is configured to provide to the particular user of the particular mobile device via the user interface the ranking of the operation data of the particular user relative to the operation data of others of the plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the particular user of the particular mobile device based on the aggregated operation data via the user interface an indication of at least one of:

a distance traveled by the particular user without the particular application active and the distance traveled by the particular user with the particular application active;

a distance traveled by the plurality of users without the particular application active and the distance traveled by the plurality of users with the particular application active;

a length of time the particular mobile device operated without the particular application active and the length of time the particular mobile device operated with the particular application active;

a length of time the plurality of mobile devices operated without the particular application active and the length of time the plurality of mobile devices operated with the particular application active;

or

a distanced traveled by the particular user without the particular application active relative to the distance traveled by the particular user with the particular application active.

6. A method comprising:

running a reduced distraction program on a plurality of mobile devices;

detecting via the reduced distraction program when the plurality of mobile devices are in respective ones of a plurality of moving vehicles;

setting for the plurality of mobile devices a driving mode when detected in the respective ones of the plurality of moving vehicles, wherein driving is determined to be protected driving when the reduced distraction program is being followed and unprotected driving when the reduced distraction program is not being followed;

tracking the protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices;

aggregating the protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices;

comparing the protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices; and

notifying a particular user of at least one of the plurality of mobile devices via the reduced distraction program of the comparing of protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising activating via the reduced distraction program at least one of an accelerometer or a GPS sensor to detect when the plurality of mobile devices are in the respective ones of a plurality of moving vehicles.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the notifying comprises providing the particular user of the at least one of the plurality of mobile devices a ranking of the particular user relative to other users of the plurality of mobile devices based on the comparing of the protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the notifying comprises providing the particular user of the at least one of the plurality of mobile devices an award based on the comparing of the protected driving of the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

tracking the unprotected driving of the plurality of mobile devices; and

aggregating the unprotected driving of the plurality of mobile devices;

wherein the comparing comprises comparing the protected driving relative to the unprotected driving of the plurality of mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the protected driving relative to the unprotected driving of the plurality of mobile devices comprises a percentage of trips of the particular user with the reduced distraction program being followed.

12. A method comprising:

transmitting a particular reduced distraction application (“

the particular application”

) to a plurality of mobile devices of a plurality of users, the particular application configured to;

access at least one of location data or sensor data of a particular mobile device on which the particular application is installed;

determine when the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle based on the at least one of the location data or the sensor data;

set a driving mode based on determining that the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle;

provide operation data indicating use of the particular application on the particular mobile device to a particular user of the particular mobile device via a user interface, and

transmit the operation data through a network;

receiving by a network connectable computing system from the plurality of mobile devices operation data indicating use of the particular application on the plurality of mobile devices;

aggregating the operation data from the plurality of mobile devices and comparing by at least one processor the operation data of the particular user with the operation data of at least one of the plurality of users other than the particular user; and

selectively transmitting the operation data of the plurality of mobile devices to the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices, the particular application further configured to provide to the particular user of the particular mobile device via the user interface results of the comparing.

13. The method of claim 12, the operation data comprising at least one of:

distance traveled with the particular application active by the particular mobile device;

length of time the particular mobile device is operated with the particular application active;

distance traveled with the particular application active relative to a total distance traveled by the particular mobile device;

or

length of time the particular mobile device is operated with the particular application active relative to a total time the particular mobile device is operated.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the selectively transmitted operation data of the plurality of mobile devices includes operation data corresponding to a particular group of the plurality of users corresponding to at least one of a particular geographic area or a particular social networking group.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

rendering the operation data of the plurality of mobile devices accessible by users of the plurality of mobile devices on a network-connected server system; and

selectively transmitting the operation data of the plurality of mobile devices to users of the plurality of mobile devices via the network-connected server system.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the operation data of the particular mobile device exceeds a particular threshold; and

notifying the particular user of the particular mobile device that the operation data exceeds the particular threshold.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that aggregated operation data of mobile devices of a particular group of the plurality of users exceeds a particular threshold; and

notifying the particular group of the plurality of users that the operation data exceeds the particular threshold;

wherein the operation data comprises at least one of;

aggregate distance traveled with the particular application active on the mobile devices of the particular group;

aggregate length of time the mobile devices of the particular group are operated with the particular application active;

aggregate distance traveled by the mobile devices of the particular group with the particular application active relative to a total distance traveled by the mobile devices of the particular group;

or

aggregate length of time the mobile devices of the particular group are operated with the particular application active relative to a total time the mobile devices of the particular group are operated.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the location data or the sensor data comprises location data from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) sensor, the method further comprising activating the GPS sensor to access the at least one of the location data or the sensor data.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the location data or the sensor data comprises acceleration data from an accelerometer on the particular mobile device, the method further comprising activating at least one of an accelerometer or a GPS sensor on the particular mobile device to access the at least one of the location data or the sensor data.

20. A method comprising:

using a processor to run a reduced distraction program on a particular mobile device;

detecting with the processor whether the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle;

setting a driving mode when the particular mobile device is detected in a moving vehicle, wherein driving is determined to be protected driving if the reduced distraction program is being followed and unprotected if the reduced distraction program is not being followed;

tracking unprotected driving of the particular mobile device;

tracking protected driving of the particular mobile device;

aggregating unprotected driving and protected driving; and

notifying a party regarding the aggregation of tracked unprotected driving and tracked protected driving.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the aggregating is performed using a processor of the particular mobile device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the aggregating is performed using a processor of a remote computer.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining an award should be granted based on the aggregating of the tracked unprotected driving and tracked protected driving; and

transmitting the award to the party, wherein the party comprises a user of the particular mobile device.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining an award should be granted for reaching a pre-determined protected driving milestone based on the aggregating of the tracked unprotected driving and tracked protected driving; and

transmitting the award to the party, wherein the party comprises a user of the particular mobile device.

25. A mobile computing device (“

the particular mobile device”

) comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the particular mobile device to perform a process by a particular reduced distraction application (“

the particular application”

) including;

activating at least one of an accelerometer or a GPS sensor to access at least one of location data or sensor data of the particular mobile device on which the particular application is installed;

determining when the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle based on the at least one of the location data or the sensor data;

setting a driving mode based on determining that the particular mobile device is in a moving vehicle;

providing operation data indicating use of the particular application on the particular mobile device to a particular user of the particular mobile device via a user interface of the particular mobile device;

transmitting through a network the operation data corresponding to use of the particular application on the particular mobile device;

selectively receiving from a network-connected computing system operation data corresponding to use of the particular application on a plurality of other mobile devices of a plurality of users other than the particular user;

comparing the operation data of the particular user with the operation data of at least one of the plurality of users other than the particular user; and

providing to the particular user of the particular mobile device via the user interface results of the comparing.

26. The particular mobile device of claim 25, wherein providing to the particular user the results of the comparing comprises providing a ranking of the operation data of the particular user compared with the operation data of at least one of the plurality of users other than the particular user.

27. The particular mobile device of claim 26, wherein the providing the ranking is based on at least one of:

distance traveled by the plurality of other mobile devices with the particular application active, total distance traveled by the plurality of other mobile devices, distance traveled by the particular mobile device with the particular application active, and total distance traveled by the particular mobile device;

or

length of time the plurality of other mobile devices are operated with the particular application active, total length of time the plurality of other mobile devices are operated, length of time the particular mobile device is operated with the particular application active, and total length of time the particular mobile device is operated.