In-Vehicle Device Location Determination and Enforcement of Usage Thereof

• US 20140287738A1
• Filed: 06/08/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellepathy Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cellepathy Ltd.
• Inventors: Abramson, Dan, Pomerantz, Itzhak, Kashtan, Yuval, Kolin, Andrei, Soffer, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for computing various determinations at one or more mobile devices and/or central machines. In part, such determinations are computed based on analysis of one or more inputs originating at one or more sensors of one or more devices. Such determinations include determining an in-vehicle role, an in-vehicle location, a handheld state, and a vehicle class. Various transformations, modifications, and outputs can result from such determinations. Also disclosed are systems and methods for restricting operation of a mobile device, including restrictions that impede operation by a driver moreso than operation by a passenger. Also disclosed are systems and methods for orienting a coordinate system of a mobile device.

Claims

1-84. -84. (canceled)

85. A method comprising:

receiving a first input;

processing, by a processor, the first input to determine an in-vehicle location of a first device; and

based on the in-vehicle location of the first device, employing a restriction with respect to the first device.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input is received from a second device.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein processing the first input comprises comparing the first input with a second input to determine the in-vehicle location of the first device.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein the second input is received from the first device.

89. The method of claim 86, wherein the first input comprises at least one of a tone, a signal, or a transmission emitted by the second device.

90. The method of claim 89, wherein processing the first input comprises measuring at least one of the timing or the signature of the at least one of the tone, the signal, or the transmission to determine the in-vehicle location of the first device.

91. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input comprises at least one of a tone, a signal, or a transmission emitted by the first device.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein processing the first input comprises measuring at least one of the timing or the signature of the at least one of a tone, a signal, or a transmission to determine the in-vehicle location of the first device.

93. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input is received from a vehicle data system.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the vehicle data system comprises at least one of:

an on board diagnostic (OBD) device, an engine control unit (ECU), a roll system, an airbag system, a seat-weight sensor system, a seat-belt sensor system, or an anti-lock braking system (ABS).

95. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input comprises a user interaction with the first device.

96. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input comprises a user interaction with a user interface of the first device.

97. The method of claim 85, wherein processing the first input comprises measuring a variation between the first input and a second input to determine the in-vehicle location of the first device.

98. The method of claim 85, wherein processing the first input comprises comparing a lateral acceleration input with a forward acceleration input to determine the in-vehicle location of the first device.

99. The method of claim 85, wherein processing the first input comprises tracking the in-vehicle location of a first device.

100. The method of claim 85, wherein processing the first input to determine an in-vehicle location of a first device comprises processing the first input to determine that the first device is located on at least one of the left side of the vehicle, the right side of the vehicle, the front of the vehicle, or the rear of the vehicle.

101. The method of claim 85, wherein processing the first input to determine an in-vehicle location of a first device comprises processing the first input to determine that the first device is not definitively located on at least one of the left side of the vehicle, the right side of the vehicle, the front of the vehicle, or the rear of the vehicle.

102. The method of claim 85, wherein the first input is received via a communications interface, the communications interface comprising at least of:

a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a Bluetooth transmitter, a Bluetooth receiver, a cellular transmitter, a cellular receiver, a near field communications (NFC) transmitter, an NFC receiver, a satellite communication transmitter, a satellite communication receiver, or a data port.

103. The method of claim 85, wherein the in-vehicle location of the first device comprises a relative in-vehicle location of the first device.

104. The method of claim 85, wherein employing a restriction with respect to a first device comprises modifying an employment of a restriction with respect to the first device.

105. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, to;

receive a first input;

process the first input to determine an aspect of an in-vehicle location of a first device; and

transform, based on the aspect of the in-vehicle location of the first device, at least one operation state of the first device.

106. The system of claim 105, wherein to transform at least one operation state of the first device is to at least one of:

disable at least a first feature of the first device, provide a notification, transmit a notification, provide an instruction, or disable an application on the first device.

107. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first input;

processing, by the processor, the first input in relation to a second input to determine an in-vehicle location of a first device; and

based on the in-vehicle location of the first device, transforming an operation state of the first device.