Mobile phone detection and interruption system and method

• US 20090275281A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Rosen
• Original Assignee: Michael Rosen
• Inventors: Rosen, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/415 based on motion status or velocity, e.g. for disabling use of mobile phones in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/44 characterized by the control of the jamming waveform or modulation type

Abstract

A mobile phone detection and interruption system and method are provided. The system is operative to transmit different blocking signals capable of degrading or blocking mobile phone communication in a vehicle responsive to a velocity of the vehicle reaching different pre-configured velocity levels.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a system comprising;

at least one processor;

a velocity detection device in operative connection with the at least one processor;

a transmitter device in operative connection with the at least one processor;

a memory in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the memory includes stored therein data representative of a plurality of velocity levels;

wherein the at least one processor is operative to selectively cause the transmitter device to output a plurality of different types of blocking signals capable of at least one of stopping and degrading a mobile phone communication between a mobile phone and a cellular network, wherein for each respective velocity level, the memory is operative to store an association with a respective different type of blocking signal, wherein the at least one processor is responsive to the velocity detection device detecting velocities corresponding to each velocity level, to cause the transmitter device to output the respective different type of blocking signal associated in the memory with the respective velocity level.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver device in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is responsive to the receiver device detecting the mobile phone communication and the velocity detection device detecting velocities corresponding to at least one of the velocity levels, to cause the transmitter device to output the respective type of blocking signal associated in the memory with the respective velocity level.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the transmitter device to transmit a first type of blocking signal and a second type of blocking signal, wherein the first type of blocking signal includes a first interrupting RF (radio frequency) output signal capable of degrading a mobile phone call associated with the mobile phone communication while enabling the mobile phone call to continue, wherein the second type of blocking signal includes a second interrupting RF output signal capable of causing the mobile phone call to be dropped by at least one of the mobile phone or the cellular network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first type of blocking signal includes a periodic output of the interrupting RF output signal for at least a duration of time, wherein the second type of blocking signal includes a continuous output of the interrupting RF output signal for at least the duration of time.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a vehicle, wherein the system is mounted inside the vehicle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a seat and an electrical connection with the seat, wherein at least a portion of the system is mounted under the seat and is in operative connection with the electrical connection with the seat.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system further includes at least one input device, wherein the at least one processor is operative to change at least one of the velocity levels stored in the memory responsive to at least one input received through operation of the at least one input device.

8. A method comprising:

a) through operation of at least one processor in a vehicle, detecting a first velocity with a velocity detection device in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the processor is in operative connection with a memory, wherein the memory includes stored therein data representative of a plurality of velocity levels;

b) through operation of the at least one processor, causing a transmitter device to output a first blocking signal capable of degrading a mobile phone communication between a mobile phone in the vehicle and a cellular network responsive to the processor determining correspondence between the first velocity and a first one of the plurality of velocity levels stored in the memory;

c) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting a second velocity with the velocity detection device, wherein the second velocity is greater than the first velocity; and

d) through operation of the at least one processor, causing the transmitter device to output a second blocking signal capable of stopping the mobile phone communication between the mobile phone and the cellular network responsive to the processor determining correspondence between the second velocity and a second one of the plurality of velocity levels stored in the memory.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

e) through operation of a receiver device, detecting mobile phone communication with an antenna in the vehicle;

wherein in at least one of (b) and (d), the at least one processor further causes the transmitter device to produce the respective first and second blocking signals responsive to (e).

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein in (b) the first blocking signal includes a first interrupting RF (radio frequency) output signal capable of degrading a mobile phone call associated with the mobile phone communication while enabling the mobile phone call to continue, wherein in (d) the second blocking signal includes a second interrupting RF output signal capable of causing the mobile phone call to be dropped by at least one of the mobile phone or the cellular network.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein in (b) the first blocking signal includes a periodic output of the interrupting RF output signals over a duration of time, wherein in (d) the second blocking signal includes a continuous output of the interrupting RF output signals for the duration of time.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

e) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting a third velocity with the velocity detection device, wherein the third velocity is less than the first velocity;

f) through operation of the at least one processor, determining not to cause the transmitter device to produce an output responsive to determining correspondence between the third velocity and a third one of the plurality of velocity levels stored in the memory.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

g) through operation of the at least one processor changing at least one of the velocity levels stored in the memory responsive to at least one input received through operation of an input device in operative connection with the at least one processor.

14. Computer readable media including computer executable instructions operative to cause at least one processor in a vehicle to carry out a method comprising:

a) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting a first velocity with a velocity detection device in operative connection with the at least one processor, wherein the processor is in operative connection with a memory, wherein the memory includes stored therein data representative of a plurality of velocity levels;

b) through operation of the at least one processor, causing a transmitter device to output a first blocking signal capable of degrading a mobile phone communication between a mobile phone in the vehicle and a cellular network responsive to the processor determining correspondence between the first velocity and a first one of the plurality of velocity levels stored in the memory;

c) through operation of the at least one processor, detecting a second velocity with the velocity detection device, wherein the second velocity is greater than the first velocity; and

d) through operation of the at least one processor, causing the transmitter device to output a second blocking signal capable of stopping the mobile phone communication between the mobile phone and the cellular network responsive to the processor determining correspondence between the second velocity and a second one of the plurality of velocity levels stored in the memory.