Method for safe operation of mobile phone in a car environment

• US 7,697,917 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, William O. Jr., Bloebaum, L. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irace; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/468,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 455/345, 455/26.2, 455/67.1, 701 1- 8
• US Class Current: 455/345
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/333 Key lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/342 Hasp-carried
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/35 Keeper-encasing

Abstract

A method of operating electronic equipment, wherein said electronic equipment utilizes a wireless signal to communicate, includes determining if the electronic equipment is operated within a moving vehicle based on a characteristic of the wireless signal and inhibiting operation of the electronic equipment if the electronic equipment is in a moving vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of operating electronic equipment, wherein said electronic equipment utilizes a wireless signal to communicate, comprising:

determining if the electronic equipment is operated within a moving vehicle based on a characteristic of the wireless signal;

determining if a user of the electronic equipment is an operator or non-operator of the moving vehicle, wherein it is concluded that the user is a non-operator of the moving vehicle when

a plurality of electronic equipment within a predefined area have wireless signals exhibiting substantially the same characteristics,

and inhibiting operation of the electronic equipment if the electronic equipment is in a moving vehicle and the user of the electronic equipment is an operator of the moving vehicle, and enabling operation of the electronic equipment if the user is a non-operator of the moving vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the wireless signal is a timing advance or a Doppler shift of the wireless signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a user of the electronic equipment is an operator or a non-operator includes using a near field device located at non-operator seating locations to enable operation of the electronic equipment while the vehicle is moving.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising overriding the inhibiting step by user operation of at least one user signal device at a periodic time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user signal device is at least one of a keypad of the electronic equipment or at least one button located near non-operator seating locations.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein operation of the user signal device is in response to a prompt generated in on or in the electronic equipment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the prompt comprises a code periodically displayed on a display device of the electronic equipment, and operation of the user signal device comprises re-entry of the code on a keypad of the electronic equipment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling all emergency communications.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing a differential charge for use of the electronic equipment, said differential charge including a first rate and a second rate greater than the first rate, and wherein inhibiting operation includes allowing use of the electronic equipment only at the second rate if said user is an operator of the moving vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the electronic equipment is operated in a moving vehicle includes using the electronic equipment to determine a Doppler shift in the wireless signal and to inhibit operation of the electronic equipment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the electronic equipment is operated in a moving vehicle includes using a wireless network to determine a Doppler shift in the wireless signal and to inhibit operation of the electronic equipment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile phone.

8. A method of operating electronic equipment, wherein said electronic equipment utilizes a wireless signal to communicate, comprising:

determining if the electronic equipment is operated within a moving vehicle based on a characteristic of the wireless signal;

determining if a user of the electronic equipment is an operator or a non-operator of the moving vehicle, wherein determining if the user is an operator or non-operator includes

detecting Doppler shifts for a plurality of electronic equipment within a predefined area;

determining that said user is a non-operator of the moving vehicle when a plurality of electronic equipment in the same predefined area have substantially the same Doppler shift; and

inhibiting operation of the electronic equipment if the electronic equipment is in a moving vehicle and the user of the electronic equipment is an operator of the moving vehicle.

14. An electronic equipment, comprising:

a motion processing circuit operable to

a) determine a velocity of the electronic equipment based on a characteristic of a wireless signal used by the electronic equipment, and

b) determine if a user of the electronic equipment is an operator or non- operator of the moving vehicle, wherein it is concluded that the user is a non- operator of the moving vehicle when

a plurality of electronic equipment within a predefined area have wireless signals exhibiting substantially the same characteristics,

and a control circuit configured to interrupt operation of the electronic equipment when said velocity corresponds to operation of the mobile phone in a moving vehicle and the user of the electronic equipment is an operator of the moving vehicle, and enable operation of the electronic equipment if the user is a non-operator of the moving vehicle.

15. The electronic equipment of claim 14, wherein the characteristic of the wireless signal is a timing advance or a Doppler shift of the wireless signal.