Function disabler device and system

• US 10,448,472 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Pederson, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Kenneth N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lambert, David W
• Application Number:
  US16/210,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20190139401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A function disabler system includes a personal electronic device having at least one component such as a camera, and a processor having pulsed light communication software enabling receipt and transmission of pulsed light communication signals. The processor additionally includes a hosting customer software application, where the personal electronic device receives at least one pulsed light communication signal within a designated area and the pulsed light communication signal includes an instruction signal which instructs the hosting customer software application to disable the at least one component when the personal electronic device is positioned in the designated area.

Claims

1. A function disabler system comprising:

a personal electronic device, said personal electronic device comprising at least one component, a device processor, said device processor receiving and storing hosting customer function disabling software, said at least one component being selected from a group consisting of a camera, a microphone, a speaker, a photodetector, a light source, an LED light source, a text message communication device, a video recording device, and an audio recording device and combinations thereof;

a supplemental optical transceiver, said supplemental optical transceiver being releasably connectable to and in communication with said personal electronic device, said supplemental optical transceiver comprising a supplemental transceiver processor, said supplemental transceiver processor comprising pulsed light interface software, said supplemental optical transceiver further comprising at least one supplemental transceiver light emitting diode in communication with said supplemental transceiver processor, and at least one supplemental transceiver photodetector in communication with said supplemental transceiver processor, said at least one supplemental transceiver photodetector being constructed and arranged for receipt of at least one received pulsed light communication signal, said at least one received pulsed light communication signal having a wavelength in the visible spectrum comprising a plurality of rapid flashes of light, said rapid flashes of light having a frequency which is not observable to an individual, said at least one received pulsed light communication signal comprising said hosting customer function disabling software or an instruction signal, said hosting customer function disabling software or said instruction signal being embedded within said at least one received pulsed light communication signal, said supplemental transceiver processor processing said at least one received pulsed light communication signal and said pulsed light interface software into at least one electronic signal and communicating said at least one electronic signal to said personal electronic device, said at least one electronic signal comprising said pulsed light interface software and at least one of said hosting customer function disabling software and said instruction signal, said at least one received pulsed light communication signal further comprising a last transmission address signal identifier, said supplemental transceiver processor activating said at least one supplemental light emitting diode and transmitting at least one pulsed light transmission signal, said at least one pulsed light transmission signal being emitted in said wavelength in the visible spectrum, said wavelength in the visible spectrum comprising said plurality of rapid flashes of light, said rapid flashes of light having said frequency which is not observable to an individual, said at least one pulsed light transmission signal further comprising a received signal location identifier; and

a facility optical transceiver within a facility, said facility optical transceiver comprising a facility optical transceiver processor, at least one facility optical transceiver light emitting diode in communication with said facility optical transceiver processor, and at least one facility optical transceiver photodetector in communication with said facility optical transceiver processor, said facility optical transceiver photodetector being constructed and arranged for receipt of said at least one pulsed light transmission signal, said facility optical transceiver light emitting diode being constructed and arranged for emission of said at least one received pulsed light communication signal, said facility optical transceiver processor comprising memory, said memory storing said hosting customer function disabling software, said instruction signal, and said last transmission address signal identifier,

wherein said hosting customer function disabling software or said instruction signal are processed by said device processor and disable said at least one component when said personal electronic device is positioned in a designated area.

2. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said personal electronic device further comprising a receiving port.

3. The function disabler system according to claim 2, said supplemental optical transceiver further comprising a connection member.

4. The function disabler system according to claim 3, said supplemental optical transceiver comprising a supplemental receiving port.

5. The function disabler system according to claim 4, the function disabler system further comprising a supplemental transmission device, said supplemental transmission device comprising a supplemental connection member constructed and arranged for engagement to said supplemental receiving port.

6. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said supplemental optical transceiver further comprising a focusing element.

7. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said function disabler system further comprising a supplemental transmission device.

8. The function disabler system according to claim 7, said supplemental transmission device comprising an electrical cord.

9. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said personal electronic device further comprising a focusing element.

10. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said personal electronic device comprising a back, a side, and a top, wherein said supplemental optical transceiver is engaged to one of said back, said side, and said top of said personal electronic device.

11. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said facility optical transceiver having a facility optical transceiver identifier, said facility optical transceiver identifier being embedded in said received pulsed light communication signal or said instruction signal.

12. The function disabler system according to claim 1, said function disabler system further comprising at least one relay optical transceiver, said at least one relay optical transceiver having at least one relay optical transceiver processor, a plurality of relay light emitting diodes in communication with said at least one relay optical transceiver processor, and at least one relay optical transceiver photodetector in communication with said at least one relay optical transceiver processor, said at least one relay optical transceiver photodetector being constructed and arranged for receipt of said at least one received pulsed light communication signal, wherein said at least one received pulsed light communication signal and said at least one pulsed light transmission signal include packets of data, said at least one relay optical transceiver processor having a relay optical transceiver location identifier, said at least one received pulsed light communication signal having at least one destination optical transceiver location identifier, said at least one relay optical transceiver processor being further constructed and arranged to compare said at least one destination optical transceiver location identifier to said relay optical transceiver location identifier, said at least one relay optical transceiver processor being further constructed and arranged to replace said last transmission address signal identifier with said relay optical transceiver location identifier as an updated last transmission address signal identifier when said destination optical transceiver location identifier is different from said relay optical transceiver location identifier and re-transmit said at least one received pulsed light communication signal, or accept said at least one received pulsed light communication signal when said destination optical transceiver location identifier is the same said relay optical transceiver location identifier.