Device and method for disabling communication and/or other application functions on a mobile communication device

• US 9,204,258 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Apps LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Demele
• Inventors: Chen, Theodore C., Demele, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US14/166,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20140342717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/420, 455/565, 455/569.2, 455/456.4, 455/575.9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

An application, embedded in a computer readable medium, that is configured to disable certain communication and/or other application functions on a mobile communication device. The application is configured to (i) receive one or more sample signals, which are indicative of ambient motion of the mobile communication device in the vehicle, from an accelerometer (ii) ascertain when the mobile communication device is in an undesirable motion state from the patterns of ambient motion, and (iii) disable one or more communication and/or other application functions when the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state. By using the accelerometer to generate the one or more sample signals, patterns of motion of the mobile communication device relative to the vehicle can be ascertained. When the motion patterns indicate that the vehicle is in motion, then the one or more communication and/or other application functions are disabled.

Claims

1. An application embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended for execution on a mobile communication device, the application configured to:

receive a plurality of sample g-force signals from an accelerometer, the plurality of sample g-force signals indicative of ambient motion of the mobile communication device;

generate an ambient motion pattern from the plurality of sample g-force signals, the ambient motion pattern indicative of the ambient motion of the mobile communication device;

ascertain if the mobile communication device is in an undesirable motion state from the ambient motion pattern generated from the plurality of sample g-force signals received from the accelerometer, the undesirable motion state determined by a percentage of the plurality of sample g-force signals, over a predetermined period of time, falling within a g-force reading range that is indicative of the ambient motion of the mobile communication device in relation to a vehicle when traveling on a road surface; and

prevent the use of one or more communication and/or other application functions on the mobile communication device when it is ascertained that the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state.

2. The application of claim 1, wherein the g-force reading range comprises:

(a) a positive g-force reading range;

(b) a negative g-force reading range;

(c) both (a) and (b).

3. The application of claim 1, further comprising not preventing the use of the one or more communication and/or other application functions on the mobile communication device when it is ascertained that the mobile communication device is in an acceptable motion state.

4. The application of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sample g-force signals from the accelerometer are indicative of acceleration of the mobile communication device in the following directions:

(i) X;

(ii) Y;

(iii) Z;

or

(iv) any combination of (i), (ii) or (iii).

5. The application of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sample g-force signals from the accelerometer are continually generated at a periodic sampling interval when the application is executed on the mobile communication device.

6. The application of claim 1, wherein ascertaining if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state or an acceptable motion state further comprises:

(i) counting the plurality of sample g-force signals that are either inside or outside the g-force reading range during the predefined period of time; and

(ii) determining if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state or the acceptable motion state based on the percentage of the counted plurality of sample g-force signals that are either inside or outside of the g-force reading range during the predefined period of time.

7. The application of claim 6, further configured to perform (i) and (ii) when the application is executed on the mobile communication device.

8. The application of claim 7, further configured to switch between preventing or not preventing the use of the one or more communication functions and/or communication applications on the mobile communication device depending on if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable or the acceptable motion states while (i) and (ii) are continually performed.

9. The application of claim 1, further configured to learn if the vehicle is in the undesirable motion state when evaluating among multiple sets of remembered g-force signal samples that are measured over successive periods of time and that are within substantially similar g-force reading ranges.

10. The application of claim 1, further configured to:

receive a vehicle speed signal via an interface between the mobile communication device and the vehicle; and

determining from the plurality of sample g-force signals received from the accelerometer and the vehicle speed signal if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state.

11. The application of claim 10, wherein the application receives the vehicle speed signal from an onboard diagnostic system on the vehicle.

12. The application of claim 1, further configured to:

receive a GPS signal from a GPS source; and

determining from both the plurality of sample g-force signals received from the accelerometer and the GPS signal if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state.

13. The application of claim 12, further configured to selectively receive or not receive the GPS signal so that the GPS signal is selectively either used or not used in determining if the mobile communication device is in the undesirable motion state.

14. The application of claim 13, further configured to selectively turn on the GPS source in accordance with one or more of the following:

(i) when the plurality of sample g-force signals received from the accelerometer are indicative that the vehicle is driving on the road surface;

(ii) automatically at a pre-designated time;

(iii) in response to an input command to activate the GPS source;

or

(iii) any combination of (i) and (iii).

15. The application of claim 1, wherein preventing the use of the one or more communication and/or other application functions on the mobile communication device further comprises disabling one or more of the following communication and/or other application functions:

(i) a screen display on the mobile communication device;

(ii) a keyboard on the mobile communication device;

(iii) audio notifications;

(iv) visual notifications;

(v) text application;

(vi) email;

(vii) messaging application;

or

(vii) any combination of (i) through (vii).

16. The application of claim 1, wherein preventing the use of the one or more communication and/or other application functions further comprises not disabling one or more of the following:

(i) inbound telephone calls;

(ii) GPS functionality;

(iii) maps and/or navigation functionality;

or

(iv) any combination of (i) through (iii).

17. The application of claim 1, further configured to provide an override function for overriding the prevention of using the one or more communication and/or other application functions on the mobile communication device.

18. The application of claim 17, wherein the override function is operable in one or more of the following situations:

(i) when a user of the mobile communication device is a passenger in the vehicle and not the operator of the vehicle;

(ii) in an emergency situation;

or

(iv) any combination of (i) through (ii).

19. The application of claim 1, further configured to generate a notification when an attempt is made to override the application from preventing the use of the one or more communication and/or other application functions on the mobile communication device.

20. The application of claim 19, wherein the notification is a message automatically sent to one or more designated persons or entities located on a communication network.

21. The application of claim 20, wherein the message is one or more of the following:

(i) an email message;

(ii) a text message;

(iii) a voice message; and

/or

(iv) an SMS message.

22. The application of claim 1, providing a parental/guardian control setting that enables a parent or guardian to control the operation of the application on the mobile communication device on behalf of a user of the mobile communication device.

23. The application of claim 22, wherein the control settings are accessed and controlled by a password application lock accessible by the parent or guardian.

24. The application of claim 22, wherein the control settings are configured to control one or more of the following functions on the mobile communication device:

(i) a predetermined time the mobile communication device may be used;

(ii) a time duration the mobile communication device can be used;

(iii) enable/an override feature;

(iv) set up a notification feature;

(v) create an incentive/rewards program;

or

(vi) any combination of (i) through (v).

25. The application of claim 1, further configured to measure an accumulated safety usage time indicative of the accumulated time the application is executed on the mobile communication device.

26. The application of claim 25, further configured to generate a rewards message when the accumulated safety usage time exceeds a threshold, where in the rewards message enables a user of the mobile communication device to qualify for an award in an awards program.

27. The application of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device configured to execute the application comprises one of the following:

(i) a mobile phone;

(ii) a “

smart”

phone;

(iii) a wireless phone or radio;

(iv) a tablet computer;

(v) a laptop computer;

(vi) a wearable computer;

(vii) a smartwatch;

or

(viii) Internet-connected eye-glasses.

28. The application of claim 1, wherein the g-force reading range is one of the following:

(a) 0.1 to 0.3 g'"'"'s;

(b) −

0.1 to −

0.3 g'"'"'s;

or

(c) both (a) and (b).

29. The application of claim 1, wherein the percentage of the plurality of sample g-force signals, over the predetermined period of time, falling within the g-force reading range that is indicative of motion of the mobile communication device in relation to a vehicle when traveling on a road surface ranges from 18 to 25 percent.