MOBILE DEVICE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

• US 20110215900A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patil, Sandeep R., Musial, John G., Corradino, Francois-Romain, Nagpal, Abhinay R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Implementation of mobile device communications (MCD) management is provided. A method includes intercepting an input command received on an MCD, the command intercepted in response to detecting a presence of a fixed communications device (FCD), which is embedded in a vehicle within range of the MCD. The method also includes acquiring biometric data from a user of the MCD. The method includes determining an activity status of the vehicle. If the activity status reflects the vehicle is active, the method includes acquiring biometric data for an operator of the vehicle via a biometric scanner of the vehicle and comparing the biometric data from the vehicle with the biometric data for the user of the MCD. If the biometric data from the vehicle matches the biometric data from the MCD, the method includes retrieving an account record for the user and implementing an action specified in the account record. If the activity status reflects the vehicle is inactive, the method includes executing the command.

Claims

1. A method for providing mobile device communications management, comprising:

intercepting an input command received on a mobile communications device, the input command intercepted in response to detecting a presence of a fixed communications device, the fixed communications device embedded in a vehicle within range of the mobile communications device;

acquiring biometric data from a user of the mobile communications device via an input component of the mobile communications device, the biometric data identifying the user;

determining an activity status of the vehicle;

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is active;

acquiring biometric data for an operator of the vehicle via a biometric scanner on a vehicle instrument of the vehicle;

comparing the biometric data from the vehicle instrument with the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device; and

upon determining that the biometric data from the vehicle instrument matches the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device, retrieving an account record associated with the user and implementing an action specified in the account record; and

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is inactive, executing the input command received on the mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input command is an instruction to access an application, and the action implemented includes at least one of:

generating and transmitting a notification to an entity specified in the account record;

generating and transmitting a warning to the user;

disabling a component of the mobile communications device that controls the application; and

modifying operation of at least one vehicle operation components of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring biometric data from the mobile communications device is by a fingerprint scanner communicatively coupled to the input component of the mobile communications device, and the biometric data is a fingerprint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity status is determined by the presence of biometric data captured from the biometric scanner on the vehicle instrument over a pre-defined sustained time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein vehicle instrument includes at least one of an operation handle and a steering wheel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a permissions value of the user of the mobile communications device, wherein determining the activity status is performed in response to identification of the user as one with less than maximum permission to operate the vehicle while using the mobile communications device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the permissions value is associated with the user via the account record, the user identified by one of a telephone number of the mobile communications device, a user identification stored for the account, and biometric data stored for the account that matches biometric data scanned via the input component.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating the account record for each user in the account, and assigning at least one of a fixed communications device to the account and a vehicle to the account.

9. An apparatus for providing mobile device communications management, comprising:

a computer processor; and

logic executing on the computer processor, the logic implementing a method, comprising;

intercepting an input command received on a mobile communications device, the input command intercepted in response to detecting a presence of a fixed communications device, the fixed communications device embedded in a vehicle within range of the mobile communications device;

acquiring biometric data from a user of the mobile communications device via an input component of the mobile communications device, the biometric data identifying the user;

determining an activity status of the vehicle;

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is active;

acquiring biometric data for an operator of the vehicle via a biometric scanner on a vehicle instrument of the vehicle;

comparing the biometric data from the vehicle instrument with the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device; and

upon determining that the biometric data from the vehicle instrument matches the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device, retrieving an account record associated with the user and implementing an action specified in the account record; and

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is inactive, executing the input command received on the mobile communications device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the input command is an instruction to access an application, and the action implemented includes at least one of:

generating and transmitting a notification to an entity specified in the account record;

generating and transmitting a warning to the user;

disabling a component of the mobile communications device that controls the application; and

modifying operation of at least one vehicle operation components of the vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein acquiring biometric data from the mobile communications device is by a fingerprint scanner communicatively coupled to the input component of the mobile communications device, and the biometric data is a fingerprint.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the activity status is determined by the presence of biometric data captured from the biometric scanner on the vehicle instrument over a pre-defined sustained time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein vehicle instrument includes at least one of an operation handle and a steering wheel.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the logic further implements:

identifying a permissions value of the user of the mobile communications device, wherein determining the activity status is performed in response to identification of the user as one with less than maximum permission to operate the vehicle while using the mobile communications device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the permissions value is associated with the user via the account record, the user identified by one of a telephone number of the mobile communications device, a user identification stored for the account, and biometric data stored for the account that matches biometric data scanned via the input component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the logic further implements:

generating the account record for each user in the account, and assigning at least one of a fixed communications device to the account and a vehicle to the account.

17. A computer program product for providing mobile device communications management, the computer program product comprising a storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

intercepting an input command received on a mobile communications device, the input command intercepted in response to detecting a presence of a fixed communications device, the fixed communications device embedded in a vehicle within range of the mobile communications device;

acquiring biometric data from a user of the mobile communications device via an input component of the mobile communications device, the biometric data identifying the user;

determining an activity status of the vehicle;

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is active;

acquiring biometric data for an operator of the vehicle via a biometric scanner on a vehicle instrument of the vehicle;

comparing the biometric data from the vehicle instrument with the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device; and

upon determining that the biometric data from the vehicle instrument matches the biometric data for the user of the mobile communications device, retrieving an account record associated with the user and implementing an action specified in the account record; and

upon determining that the activity status reflects the vehicle is inactive, executing the input command received on the mobile communications device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the input command is an instruction to access an application, and the action implemented includes at least one of:

generating and transmitting a notification to an entity specified in the account record;

generating and transmitting a warning to the user;

disabling a component of the mobile communications device that controls the application; and

modifying operation of at least one vehicle operation components of the vehicle.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein acquiring biometric data from the mobile communications device is by a fingerprint scanner communicatively coupled to the input component of the mobile communications device, and the biometric data is a fingerprint.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the activity status is determined by the presence of biometric data captured from the biometric scanner on the vehicle instrument over a pre-defined sustained time period.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein vehicle instrument includes at least one of an operation handle and a steering wheel.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program code further implements:

identifying a permissions value of the user of the mobile communications device, wherein determining the activity status is performed in response to identification of the user as one with less than maximum permission to operate the vehicle while using the mobile communications device.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the permissions value is associated with the user via the account record, the user identified by one of a telephone number of the mobile communications device, a user identification stored for the account, and biometric data stored for the account that matches biometric data scanned via the input component.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the program code further implements:

generating the account record for each user in the account, and assigning at least one of a fixed communications device to the account and a vehicle to the account.