System for preventing text messaging while driving

• US 8,295,854 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US12/711,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and method are described to disable texting while driving a moving vehicle. The position and speed of a user'"'"'s cell phone are compared with that of a registered master phone. If the position and speed track that of the master phone, it is assumed that the user is a passenger and not a driver, and texting is enabled for that user. Texting at speed is disabled for a master phone user who may be an ordinary citizen or may be a professional driver of a mass transit vehicle. The user of a master phone may utilize a different service provider than a passenger. Information parameter measurements such as cell phone position, velocity, and direction of travel are time stamped and then passed between service providers or alternately made available to other service providers by way of a central database.

Claims

1. A method for providing cellular phone service wherein a plurality of service providers disable text messaging for individual cell phones within a vehicle comprising:

receiving a request to register a first cell phone as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the first cell phone and being receivable by a first service provider;

temporarily registering the first cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register;

wherein the master phone is presumed to belong to a driver of the vehicle;

determining the position and velocity of the master phone;

disabling texting for the master phone when the velocity of the master phone exceeds a disable threshold;

establishing an envelope relative to the master phone that encompasses other cell phones within the vehicle;

providing time stamped information parameters for the master phone envelope to a second service provider;

determining at the second service provider that a second cell phone is contained within the envelope, the second cell phone being in communication with the second service provider; and

permitting text messaging for the second cell phone when the first cell phone is registered as the master phone, wherein permitting text messaging occurs without requiring an action by the second cell phone.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

after a the first cell phone has been thus disabled for text messaging, re-enabling the first cell phone for text messaging after the velocity of sai4 the first cell phone has been less than the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein time-stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided to the second service provider include at least a first position of the master phone envelope, and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone envelope was at the first position;

and

wherein to permit texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, the second service provider determines that the position of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the position of the master phone envelope at the time of the first time marker.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the time stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided to the second service provider include at least a first velocity measurement for the master phone and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone was at the first velocity;

and

wherein to enable texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, the second service provider determines that the velocity of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the velocity of the master phone at the time of the first time marker.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the time stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided to the second service provider include at least a first direction of travel for the master phone and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone was moving in the first direction of travel;

and

wherein to enable texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, the second service provider determines that the direction of travel of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the direction of travel of the master phone at the time of the first time marker.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the time stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided by the first service provider and said to the third party include at least a first velocity measurement for the master phone and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone was at the first velocity;

and

wherein to enable texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, it is determined that the velocity of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the velocity of the master phone at the time of the first time marker.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to register the first cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined phone number, calling a pre-determined phone number, and accessing a website location.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is not registered as the master phone; and

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is registered as the master phone subsequent to detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising automatically re-enabling, if disabled, text messaging for the second cell phone when the velocity of the second cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a predetermined length of time.

6. A method for providing cellular phone service wherein a plurality of service providers disable text messaging for individual cell phones within a vehicle comprising:

receiving a request to register a first cell phone as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the first cell phone and being receivable by the first service provider;

temporarily registering the first cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register;

wherein the master phone is presumed to belong to a driver of the vehicle;

determining the position and velocity of the master phone;

disabling texting for the master phone when the velocity of the master phone exceeds a disable threshold;

establishing an envelope relative to the master phone that encompasses other cell phones within the vehicle;

providing time-stamped information parameters for the master phone envelope to a third party;

comparing time stamped position and velocity information for a second cell phone with the time-stamped information parameters for the master phone envelope to determine if the second cell phone is contained within the master phone envelope, wherein the second cell phone is in communication with a second service provider and wherein the second service provider is in communication with the third party; and

permitting text messaging for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is determined to be contained within the master phone envelope, and when the first cell phone is registered as the master phone, wherein permitting text messaging occurs without requiring an action by the second cell phone.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the third party includes a database of time-stamped cell phone envelope parameters supplied to the third party by a plurality of service providers.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the third party database is maintained by a government agency responsible for transportation safety.

9. The method of claim 6, further including the step of:

if text messaging has been disabled for the first cell phone, re-enabling text messaging for the first cell phone after the velocity of the first cell phone has been less than the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein time-stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided to the third party include at least a first position of the master phone envelope and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone envelope was at the first position;

and

wherein to permit texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, it is determined that the position of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the position of the master phone envelope at the time of the first time marker.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the time stamped master phone envelope information parameters provided by the first service provider to the third party include at least a first direction of travel for the master phone and a first time marker recording the time at which the master phone was moving in the first direction of travel;

and

wherein to enable texting for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is traveling at a velocity in excess of the disable threshold, it is determined that the direction of travel of the second cell phone at the time of the first time marker is within a predetermined deviation threshold value when compared with the direction of travel of the master phone at the time of the first time marker.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the request to register the first cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined phone number, calling a pre-determined phone number, and accessing a website location.

23. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is not registered as the master phone; and

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is registered as the master phone subsequent to detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising automatically re-enabling, if disabled, text messaging for the second cell phone when the velocity of the second cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a predetermined length of time.

13. A method for providing cellular phone service wherein a plurality of service providers disable text messaging for individual cell phones within a vehicle comprising:

receiving a request to registering a first cell phone as a master phone, the request being voluntarily initiated by a user of the first cell phone and being receivable by the first service provider;

temporarily registering the first cell phone as the master phone in response to the request to register;

wherein the master phone is presumed to belong to a driver of the vehicle;

determining the position and velocity of the master phone;

disabling texting for the master phone when the velocity of the master phone exceeds a disable threshold;

establishing an envelope relative to the master phone that encompasses other cell phones within the vehicle;

providing time-stamped information parameters for the master phone envelope to be used for comparison with at least the position and velocity of the second cell phone;

comparing time stamped position and velocity information for the second cell phone with the time-stamped information parameters for the master phone envelope to determine if the second cell phone is contained within the master phone envelope, wherein the second cell phone is in communication with a second service provider;

permitting text messaging for the second cell phone when the second cell phone is determined by the second service provider to be contained within the master phone envelope and when the first cell phone is registered as the master phone, wherein permitting text messaging occurs without requiring an action by the second cell phone.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of:

after a the first cell phone has been thus disabled for text messaging, re-enabling the first cell phone for text messaging after the velocity of the first cell phone has been less than the disable threshold for a pre-determined period of time.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein comparing time stamped parameter data includes comparing the position of at least one master phone envelope with the position of at least one cell phone that has not been registered as a master phone.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein comparing time stamped parameter data includes comparing the velocity of at least one master phone with the velocity of at least one cell phone that has not been registered as a master phone.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein comparing time stamped parameter data includes comparing the direction of travel of at least one master phone with the direction of travel of at least one cell phone that has not been registered as a master phone.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to register the initial cell phone as the master phone is initiated by way of one or more of text messaging a pre-determined phone number, calling a pre-determined phone number, and accessing a website location.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold;

disabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is not registered as the master phone; and

automatically re-enabling text messaging for the second cell phone if the first cell phone is registered as the master phone subsequent to detecting that the second cell phone has a velocity that is greater than the disable threshold.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising automatically re-enabling, if disabled, text messaging for the second cell phone when the velocity of the second cell phone drops below the disable threshold for a predetermined length of time.