STANDARD MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE DISTRACTION PREVENTION AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

• US 20110063098A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cell Command, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Try Safety First, Inc.
• Inventors: NGUYEN, Hap, FISCHER, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00674 with switch-buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• 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 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing standardized mobile device distraction prevention and safety protocols are disclosed. In particular, an embodiment of a method for activating a distraction prevention or safety protocol behavior in a mobile device when the mobile device satisfies a specific condition is disclosed. The method includes discovering one or more protocol activators configured to transmit discovery information associated with a specific condition. The method further includes activating distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device based at least in part on the discovery information. In an implementation, the specific condition may be a specified environment itself and or include an event when the mobile device enters a specified environment or a specified sequence of numbers is dialed from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for activating a distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in a mobile device when the mobile device satisfies a specific condition, the method comprising:

discovering at least one protocol activator configured to transmit discovery information associated with the specific condition; and

activating the distraction prevention safety protocol behavior in the mobile device based at least in part on the discovery information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific condition corresponds to at least one of two events being when the mobile device enters a specified environment and when a specified sequence of numbers is dialed respectively.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the discovering comprises searching for at least one protocol activator in the specified environment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the discovering further comprises transmitting at least one request to obtain the discovery information.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discovery information corresponds to device name and device class associated with the at least one protocol activator, the device class being informative of the specific condition.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discovering further comprises accessing a look up table and determining an entry corresponding to the discovery information associated with the specific condition.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation comprises determining from a look up table the safety protocol behavior corresponding to the discovery information.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protocol activators correspond to pre-standardized Bluetooth sensors characterized by a predetermined device name and class associated with the specified environment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the specified environment corresponds to at least one of a transportation vehicle, a class room, a correctional facility, an airport, an airplane, a court room, a hospital, a church, a theatre, a fly zone, a danger zone, a bedroom, and an auditorium.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activating comprises at least disabling partially at least one function associated with the mobile device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the activating comprises gathering additional information associated with a specified working group in the specified environment.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the activating comprises determining protocol behavior corresponding to a specified working group.

13. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the activating comprises issuing a warning signal when the discovery information corresponds to an unlawful or unsafe operation in the specified environment.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety protocol behavior corresponds to at least partial disablement of the functionality of the mobile device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one protocol activator corresponds to at least one of a Bluetooth sensor, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader, a EdOcean sensor, a TransferJet sensor, an Ultra wideband sensor, a UWB sensor, a Wireless USB, a DSRC sensor, an IrDAa sensor, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) sensor, a Zigbee sensor, a Near Field Communication (NFC) sensor, and a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) sensor.

16. A method of controlling functionality of a mobile device within a specified environment comprising:

broadcasting a trigger signal within the specified environment;

determining discovery information associated with the trigger signal and the specified environment;

implementing a set of protocol instructional behaviors in the mobile device based at least in part on the discovery information and the specified environment, the implementing resulting in restricted functionality of the mobile device.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the specified environment corresponds to at least one of the following environments:

transportation vehicle, a class room, a correctional (prison) facility, an airport, an airplane, a court room, a hospital, a church, a theatre, a fly zone, a danger zone, a bedroom, and an auditorium.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein broadcasting a trigger signal comprises activating at least one sensor based on an actuating mechanism that detects the onset of a specific condition.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein determining discovery information comprises intercepting the trigger signal being broadcast, and identifying at least one of a working group and the specified environment.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the implementing is based on the trigger signal from at least one of the identified working group, and the specified environment.

21. The method as in claim 16, wherein the implementing comprises determining the set of protocol instructional behaviors corresponding to at least one trigger signal associated with a class, a name, an address, and a working group.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the implementing comprises at least partial disablement of the functionality of the mobile device.

23. The method as in claim 18, wherein at least one sensor corresponds to at least one of:

a Bluetooth sensor, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader, a EdOcean sensor, a TransferJet sensor, an Ultra wideband sensor, a UWB sensor, a Wireless USB, a DSRC sensor, an IrDAa sensor, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) sensor, a Zigbee sensor, a Near Field Communication (NFC) sensor, and a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) sensor.

24. The method as in claim 16, wherein the protocol instructional behaviors permits emergency calls to at least one pre-determined programmable numbers.

25. The method as in claim 16, wherein the functionality corresponds to at least one of:

a calling function, a texting function, a mailing function, a social networking function associated with the mobile device.

26. The method as in claim 18, wherein the discovery information comprises at least one of:

a class, a name, an address associated with at least one sensor in the specified environment.

34. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors correspond to self-powered Bluetooth sensors.

27. A system for implementing safety protocols in a mobile device, the system comprising:

a call authorization module configured to execute a protocol behavior in the mobile device based at least in part on discovery information associated with a specified environment in which the mobile device operates, the discovery information being transmitted by at least one sensor in the specified environment.

28. The system as claimed in claim 27 further comprising a communications module configured to receive discovery information from at least one sensor.

29. The system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the discovery information comprises a device name of at least one sensor with class information of the specified environment.

30. The system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the specified environment corresponds to at least one of:

a transportation vehicle, a class room, a correctional facility, an airport, an airplane, a court room, a hospital, a church, a theatre, a fly zone, a danger zone, a bedroom, and an auditorium.

31. The system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising a safety protocol module configured to determine the protocol behavior based at least in part on the discovery information.

32. The system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the discovery information corresponds to a set of alphanumeric characters.

33. The system as claimed in claim 27, wherein at least one sensor corresponds to at least one of:

a Bluetooth sensor, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader, a EdOcean sensor, a TransferJet sensor, an Ultra wideband sensor, a UWB sensor, a Wireless USB, a DSRC sensor, an IrDAa sensor, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) sensor, a Zigbee sensor, a Near Field Communication (NFC) sensor, and a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) sensor.

57. The system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the one or more sensors correspond to self-powered Bluetooth sensors.

35. A method for controlling functionality of a mobile device inside a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

activating a sensor configured to broadcast a trigger signal within a pre-determined limited range inside the vehicle; and

implementing a protocol behavior in the mobile device based at least in part on the trigger signal, wherein activation of sensor is based on the state of a tilt switch mechanism configured to determine vehicular movement.

36. The method as in claim 35, wherein implementing the protocol behavior in the mobile device is carried out inside a predetermined limited range of the sensor.

37. The method as in claim 35, wherein the mobile device corresponds to driver'"'"'s mobile device only.

38. The method as in claim 35, wherein at least one vehicular component comprises parking/emergency brake, transmission gear assembly, accelerator, brake, odometer, tachometer, wheel, seat belt assembly, engine component, steering wheel.

39. The method as in claim 35, wherein implementing a protocol behavior comprises disabling at least one function associated with the mobile device.

40. The method as in claim 39, wherein the disabling at least one function comprises disabling at least one calling, answering, emailing, browsing, reading, text messaging function.

41. A vehicle occupant safety system, said system comprising:

a smart phone comprising a first computing system for signal processing;

a trigger signal emitter for use by a passenger of a vehicle, the trigger signal emitter in communication with a second computing system when said passenger is in said vehicle, the second computing system being configured to control operational functions of said vehicle; and

a processing logic associated with the second computing system for determining when said vehicle concluded operation and for detecting a signal from said trigger signal emitter so that the second computing system may be activated to send a distress signal when said passenger has remained in said vehicle for a predetermined time subsequent to ceased operation of the vehicle.

42. The vehicle occupant safety system as in claim 41, wherein the second computer is configured to detect motion in the vehicle by means of a tilt sensor mounted on the vehicle.

43. The vehicle occupant safety system as in claim 41, wherein the second computer is configured to detect motion in the vehicle by determining the state of one or more vehicular components.

44. The vehicle occupant safety system as in claim 43, wherein at least one of the vehicular components comprises a parking brake, a transmission gear, an accelerator, an odometer, a tachometer, a wheel, an engine component, a steering wheel.

45. The vehicle occupant safety system as in claim 41, wherein the trigger signal emitter corresponds to a Bluetooth sensor.

46. A system for enforcement of safety protocols, the system comprising:

a mobile device configured to communicate with at least one vehicular component inside a transportation vehicle to determine an unsafe driving based on safety protocols configured in the mobile device; and

an exterior vehicle warning signal indicator (WSI) configured to issue visible warning signals based on the determination by the mobile device.

47. The system as claimed in claim 46 further comprising an engine control unit (ECU) configured to communicate and control at least one of the vehicular components.

48. The system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine the unsafe driving based on a trigger signal transmitted by a vehicular component.

49. The system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the vehicular components comprises at least a driver seat sensor (DSS) with a RFID transponder tag, a transmission gear shift detection assembly, a circuited seat belt (CSB) assembly, a RFID tag reader.

50. The system as claimed in claim 46, wherein at least one vehicular component transmits a trigger signal that represents a state corresponding to a driving mode of the transportation vehicle.

51. The system as claimed in claim 46, wherein the mobile device is configured to instruct a warning signal indicator (WSI) to issue at least one visual warning signal outside the vehicle.

52. A system for implementing mobile safety protocols, the system comprising;

a self-powered Bluetooth sensor assembly configured to transmit discovery information without an external power supply; and

a mobile device configured to determine and implement a safety protocol behavior based on the discovery information, wherein the discovery information corresponds to a name of the self-powered Bluetooth sensor and a class of a specified environment in which the self-powered Bluetooth sensor operates.

53. The system as claimed in claim 52, wherein the self-powered Bluetooth sensor assembly comprises:

a coil assembly configured to generate an alternating signal based on a lateral movement;

a rectifier module in an electric connection with the coil assembly configured to rectify the alternating signal and store power; and

a Bluetooth sensor in electric communication with the rectifier module configured to derive power from the rectifier module to transmit the discovery information.

54. The system as claimed in claim 53, wherein the coil assembly comprises a copper wire winding wound in a cylindrical shape and a magnet placed coaxially inside the copper wire winding such that a coaxial movement of the magnet inside the copper winding generates an alternating signal.

55. The system as claimed in claim 53, wherein the rectifier module comprises an ultra capacitor configured to store voltage and a battery configured to be charged by excess voltage across the ultra capacitor.

56. The system as claimed in claim 54, wherein the coaxial movement of the magnet corresponds to a lateral movement of the coil assembly.