Vehicle safety device for reducing driver distractions

• US 8,200,291 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allan Steinmetz
• Original Assignee: Allan Steinmetz
• Inventors: Steinmetz, Allan, Magyari, Douglas, Lipoff, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan
• Application Number:
  US12/178,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090029675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/565, 455/420, 455/67.11, 455/569.2, 455/404.1, 455/403, 455/410, 455/1, 455/414.1, 455/63.1, 455/99, 455/95, 455/152.1, 455/238.1, 455/297, 455/345, 455/456.4, 455/421, 455/411, 455/432, 455/457, 455/569.1, 455/557, 455/116, 455/117, 340/438, 340/439, 340/988, 340/466, 340/5.2, 340/447, 340/456, 340/459, 340/670, 701/1, 701/36, 701/2, 701/14, 701/65, 701/70, 701/48
• US Class Current: 455/569.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/12 for acoustic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/415 based on motion status or velocity, e.g. for disabling use of mobile phones in a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/43 characterized by the control of the jamming power, signal-to-noise ratio or geographic coverage area
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A safety device for automotive vehicles (cars, buses and trucks) or rail locomotives. The device inhibits use of cellular telephones and other communication devices that run the risk of distracting a driver/operator while the vehicle is in motion. Several techniques for inhibiting use are described which can be used individually or in a complementary combinations. In one technique, a rapidly varying signal level is created local to the communication device. The variations exceed the operational limits of the system, thereby inhibiting communications. In another technique, the safety device emits radiation that interferes with the reception of signals by the communication device only within the interior of the vehicle and will not interfere with cell phones or wireless devises outside the automotive vehicle or rail locomotive. As another alternative, masking signals also may be generated to prevent signals sent by the communication device within the vehicle from being intelligible at receiving stations outside the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of selectively limiting operation of a communication device within a vehicle, the communication device being configured to communicate information by sending or receiving information to or from a remote device using a type of signal, the method comprising:

detecting an operating condition of the vehicle; and

in response to the detected operating condition, controlling a device to limit operation of the communication device within the vehicle,

wherein controlling the device comprises controlling the device to modify a signal of the type of signal used by the communication device to vary in amplitude and at a frequency so as to exceed the operational limits of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an automotive vehicle or a rail locomotive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises motion of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises operation of an engine of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an attempted operation of the communication device within a driver area of the vehicle;

wherein controlling the device comprises focusing energy within the driver area in response to the detected operating condition and the detected attempted operation of the communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the safety device comprises controlling the device to limit operation of the communication device in only a first portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the first portion including an operator'"'"'s seat.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling the device comprises directing a signal toward the first portion of the passenger compartment such that the signal limits operation of the communication device in the first portion of the passenger compartment and does not limit operation of the communication device in a second portion of the passenger compartment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the device further comprises controlling the device to modify the radio frequency signal so as not to interfere with operation of communication devices that are outside the vehicle and of the same type as the communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the device comprises controlling the device to modify the signal of the type used by the communication device to vary in amplitude by at least 7 dB at a rate faster than 300 Hz.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein limiting operation of the communication device within the vehicle comprises blocking communication with a base station.

11. A device to selectively limit operation of a communication device within a vehicle, the communication device being configured to communicate information by sending or receiving information to or from a remote device using a type of signal, the device comprising:

a controller adapted to limit operation of the communication device within the vehicle in response to detection of an operating condition of the vehicle; and

a device,

wherein the controller is adapted to control the device to cause variations of a level of a signal of the type of signal used by the communication device, wherein the variations create a fast fading environment that limits operation of the communication device within the vehicle.

12. The safety device of claim 11, further comprising a motion detector coupled to the controller, the motion detector adapted to detect motion of the vehicle;

wherein the operating condition comprises motion of the vehicle detected by the motion detector.

13. The safety device of claim 12, wherein:

the device comprises a radio frequency transmitter coupled to the controller; and

the controller is adapted to cause the radio frequency transmitter to generate radio frequency signals sufficient to limit operation of the communication device in response to detection of the operating condition of the vehicle associated with unsafe operation of the communication device.

14. The safety device of claim 11,

wherein the controller is adapted to limit operation of the communication device in response to detection of the operating condition of the vehicle that is associated with unsafe operation of the communication device.

15. The safety device of claim 11, further comprising:

a steerable directional antenna coupled to the controller; and

a transceiver coupled to the controller and adapted to identify a direction from which a signal from the communication device is received and provide an indication of said direction to the controller; and

wherein the controller is adapted to steer the antenna toward said direction in response to the indication of said direction.

16. The safety device of claim 11, wherein:

the device comprises an amplifier;

wherein the controller is adapted to control a level of signal passing through the amplifier to cause variations of a level of a signal of the type received by the communication device from a cellular base station, wherein the variations create a fast fading environment that limits operation of the communication device within the vehicle.

17. The safety device of claim 11 in combination with a vehicle comprising:

a detector adapted to detect an operating condition of the vehicle associated with unsafe operation of a communication device.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is adapted to cause variations of a level of a signal of the type received by the communication device from a cellular base station, wherein the variations limit operation of the communication device within the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the variations are sufficiently rapid so as to disrupt a power control loop between the communication device and the cellular base station and thereby prevent or disable a connection between the communication device and the cellular base station.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein limiting operation of the communication device comprises blocking communication with a base station.

21. A device to selectively limit operation of a communication device within a vehicle, the communication device being configured to communicate information by sending or receiving to or from a remote device a type of signal, the device comprising:

a controller adapted to limit operation of the communication device within the vehicle in response to detection of an operating condition of the vehicle; and

a passive device;

wherein the controller is adapted to switch a state of the passive device to cause variations of a level of a signal of the type used by the communication device, wherein the variations comprise increases and decreases of the signal level that limit operation of the communication device within the vehicle.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein limiting operation of the communication device comprises blocking communication with a base station.