HANDS ON STEERING WHEEL VEHICLE SAFETY CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20150073619A1
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACT-IP LLC
• Original Assignee: ACT-IP LLC
• Inventors: Naboulsi, Mouhamad Ahmad
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0264 for control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a safety control system for a vehicle with controls located on the vehicle steering wheel. The controls maybe arranged in a cluster on one or both sides of the upper half of the steering wheel. The controls can be located in areas of the steering wheel including the spokes, the rim or a special flange extended from the rim or the spoke of the steering wheel and are easily recognizable and accessible by the driver while the driver is looking ahead from a normal driving position with the driver'"'"'s eyes focused on the road and maintaining the driver'"'"'s hands on the steering wheel. The controls can be further enhanced by varied coloring, shape, size, and texture to make them easily identifiable. The controls can be used to access and control vehicle systems or portable telematics devices in multi modal process in conjunction with thumb gesture interpretation or speech recognition. A further enhancement to the system is the introduction of a universal portable devices docking station to eliminate falling devices and the consequences of accident

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method of controlling vehicle operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining if a telematics device is docked in a cradle;

detecting a policy associated with the telematics device, vehicle or cradle;

determining if the policy requires that the telematics device be physically docked; and

limiting vehicle operation if the policy requires that the telematics device must be docked and it is determined that the telematics device is not docked.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein determining if a telematics device is docked is done wirelessly or physically.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of verifying connectivity by calling the telematics device and verifying that it is receiving the call at the same telematics device by going directly to voice mail or by detecting a caller ID from its own calling source.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of issuing at least one of an audible signal, visual signal or data signal when the policy requires that the telematics device be docked and it is determined that the telematics device is not docked.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the signals is detectable at least one of inside or outside the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising charging the telematics device through the cradle and communicating with the telematics device through a physical bus on the cradle and detecting if the telematics device charging is the same telematics device that it is communicating with wirelessly by detecting charging start stop cycle.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising charging and communicating through a physical bus with the telematic device and determining that the device ID wirelessly in communication with the cradles is the same device it is communicating and docked to physically.

29. A safety control system for vehicles having at least one vehicle controller with at least one program and memory to store the at least one program and operation parameters and a hand free communication system, the safety control system comprising:

a sensor to detect a portable multifunctional telematics devices;

a sensor to physically detect whether the portable multifunctional telematics device is physically docked in a cradle; and

a communication controller in communication with the at least one vehicle controller wherein upon detecting a starting operation of the vehicle, the communication control will determine if the portable multifunctional telematics device is not physically docked in the cradle and will issue a signal limiting the drivability of the vehicle and the operation of the portable multifunctional telematics device if the portable multifunctional telematics device is not docked in the cradle.

30. The safety control system of claim 29 wherein the signal is detectable inside and outside the vehicle.

31. The safety control system of claim 29 wherein the cradle contains a CPU, memory and software.

32. The safety control system of claim 29 wherein the cradle is supplied with at least one microphone and at least one speaker that will provide audible feedback for text based messages.

33. The physical docking of claim 29 further comprise the cradle charging and communicating through physical bus with the telematic device and detecting if the device charging is the same device it is communicating with wirelessly by detecting charging start stop cycle

34. The physical docking of claim 29 further comprise the cradle charging and communicating through physical bus with the telematic device and determine that the device ID wirelessly in communication with the cradles is the same device it is communicating and docked to physically.

35. A method for controlling a vehicle having at least one vehicle controller with at least one program and memory to store the at least one program and operation parameters and a hand free communication system, the method comprising:

detecting a portable multifunctional telematics devices;

physically detecting whether the portable multifunctional telematics device is physically docked in a cradle; and

upon detecting a starting operation of the vehicle, determining if the portable multifunctional telematics device is physically docked in the cradle and issuing a signal limiting the drivability of the vehicle and the operation of the portable multifunctional telematics device if it is determined that the portable telematics device is not in the cradle.

36. A safety control system for vehicles having at least one vehicle controller with at least one program and memory to store the at least one program and operation parameters and a hand free communication system, the safety control system comprising:

a sensor to detect a portable multifunctional telematics devices;

a sensor to physically detect whether the portable multifunctional telematics device is physically docked in a cradle; and

a communication controller in communication with the at least one vehicle controller

wherein upon detecting a starting operation of the vehicle, the communication control will determine if

1) the portable multifunctional telematics device is physically docked in the cradle as required by the parameters and

2) the portable multifunctional telematics device physically docked in the cradle is a functioning device and is the device associated by the parameters

and failing either determination, will issue at least one signal limiting the drivability of the vehicle and the operation of the portable multifunctional telematics device.

37. The safety control system for vehicles of claim 36 wherein the signal is detectable inside and outside the vehicle.

38. The safety control system for vehicles of claim 36 wherein the cradle has a mechanism to retain the portable multifunctional telematics device and will issue a signal detectable inside and outside the vehicle if the driver changed the policy.