Cellular Device Identification and Location with Emergency Number Selectivity Enforcement (CILENSE)

• US 20110165861A1
• Filed: 01/23/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edward A. Wilson, Kelce S. Wilson, Kristine A. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Edward A. Wilson, Kelce S. Wilson, Kristine A. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Edward A., Wilson, Kristine A., Wilson, Kelce S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/84 related to preventing electromagnetic interference in petrol station, hospital, plane or cinema
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for restricting operation of wireless devices, for example cell phones, comprises a controller and a plurality of sensors. The system restricts device usage, while permitting emergency phone calls, for example 911 calls. The sensors receive transmissions from devices, and use the transmissions for identification and determining whether a device is within a restricted zone. One disclosed method is triangulation, using time of arrival of transmissions at the sensors. If the device is within the zone, the controller sends device identification, and possibly a customized restriction request, to a remote node, for example a control node of a cell phone network operator. The operator then uses its network resources to implement the requested restrictions. Communication between the controller and the remote node is secure, possibly encrypted, to minimize malicious interference. A wireless control can define vertices of the zone and exempt certain devices from restrictions. Jamming is not required.

Claims

1. A system for restricting the operation of a radio communication device, the system comprising:

a controller comprising

a communication module;

a security module; and

a memory;

at least three sensors, configured to be communicatively coupled to the controller and to operate within a moving vehicle, remotely from a cellular base station site; and

a wireless user control, configured to be communicatively coupled to the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to

determine an identity of a device, using a radio transmission from the device that is received by at least one of the sensors;

determine whether the identified device is within a predefined usage restriction zone, using zone boundary data stored within the controller memory and a radio transmission from the device that is received by at least two of the sensors;

receive a security code from a serving cellular base station; and

communicate the identity of the identified device to a remote node, across a public computer network, using the received security code as an authentication credential.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to identify a cellular base station that is capable of serving cellular devices within at least a portion of the usage restriction zone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to securely communicate usage restrictions for the identified device, responsive to determining that the identified device is within the predefined usage restriction zone.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the usage restrictions comprise at least one selected from the list consisting of:

whether incoming voice calls are permitted, whether outgoing voice calls are permitted, whether incoming non-voice communication is permitted, whether outgoing non-voice communication is permitted, whether non-communication functionality is to be restricted, whether emergency calls are permitted, whether pre-approved phone calls are permitted, and whether urgent calls are permitted.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to securely communicate relaxation of usage restrictions, responsive to determining that the identified device is outside of the predefined usage restriction zone.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a time of arrival for a radio transmission from the device that is received by at least two of the sensors that are operating within a moving vehicle, and

compensate for a communication delay between the controller and each of the sensors that received the radio transmission.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the identified device is within a predefined usage restriction zone, that is moving within a vehicle, by triangulating a position of the identified device, using compensated time of arrival information from three or more sensors.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the identified device is within the predefined usage restriction zone by calculating the position of the identified device, using compensated time of arrival information from two or more of the sensors, along with an assigned transmission time slot for the device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the identified device is within the predefined usage restriction zone by calculating the position of the identified device, using direction of arrival information from at least one of the sensors.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to communicate an identification code, associated with the controller, to the identified device.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to separately request suspension of cellular voice calls and suspension of peer-to-peer network participation.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is integrated with the controller.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is communicatively coupled to the controller wirelessly.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a calibration transmitter.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless user control comprises:

a radio frequency receiver;

a wireless transmitter, and

at least one user input control.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless user control and the controller are jointly configured to calibrate a location of at least one of the receivers, by actuating at least one of the user input controls when the wireless user control is in close proximity with the receiver.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless user control and the controller are jointly configured to define at least a portion of the usage restriction zone, by actuating at least one of the user input controls when the wireless user control is at a vertex of the usage restriction zone.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless user control and the controller are jointly configured to identify a device for restriction exceptions when the wireless user control is in close proximity with the device.

19. A method of restricting the operation of a radio communication device, the method comprising:

determining an identity of a device, using a radio transmission from the device;

determining whether the identified device is within a predefined usage restriction zone, using time of arrival information from a plurality of sensors, for a radio transmission from the device; and

securely communicating the identity of the identified device to a remote node, across a public computer network.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

repeatedly communicating the identity of the identified device to the remote node, while the identified device remains within the usage restriction zone.