Speed-based disabling of functionality for automotive applications

• US 6,266,589 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boies, Stephen J., Kelley, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/443,388
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/211
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling

Abstract

A motor vehicle safety system determines the state of automotive electronic devices as a function of speed to minimize potential distractions to the driver. Vehicle speed data is supplied to a rules based system which applies rules to determine what functions, at a given speed, within the respective electronic devices are available.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system for determining the state of functionality of electronic devices as a function of speed comprising:

means for applying a set of speed-based rules to control a representation of a state of functionality of vehicle electronic devices responsive to an input signal that indicates speed of a vehicle and in accordance with a speed indicated by said input signal; and

means for communicating said representation of the state of functionality to or from the electronic devices.

2. The vehicle safety system recited in claim 1, wherein the state of an electronic device corresponds to being either enabled or disabled.

3. The vehicle safety system recited in claim 2, wherein the control of a state of an electronic device further includes enabling all of the functionality of respective electronic devices or only a portion thereof, as determined by the speed-based rules.

4. The vehicle safety system recited in claim 1, wherein said means for communicating comprises a communication bus to which the electronic devices are connected.

5. The vehicle safety system recited in claim 4, wherein the electronic devices poll said means for applying over the communication bus to determine the state of the electronic devices.

6. The vehicle safety system recited in 1, wherein the means for applying is a gating module.

7. The vehicle safety system recited in claim 6, wherein the gating module uses a set of functionality flags to determine the state of the electronic devices.