Restricting mobile device usage

• US 9,800,716 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cellepathy Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cellepathy Ltd.
• Inventors: Abramson, Dan, Gigi, Shay, Lavie, Talia, Inbar, Ohad, Ir, Sean, Kashtan, Yuval, Pomerantz, Itzhak
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US14/346,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 4554221, 455418, 348 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selectively restricting a mobile device. In one implementation, a visual capture can be to identify one or more indicators within the visual capture. Based on the indicators, an implementation of a restriction at the mobile device can be adjusted. In another implementation inputs can be processed to compute a determination, determination reflecting at least one of the in-vehicle role of the user as a driver and the in-vehicle role of the user as a passenger; and, an operation state of the mobile device can be modified based on such a determination. According to another implementation, one or more outputs can be projected from a mobile device, inputs can be received, and such inputs and outputs can be processed to determine a correlation between them. A restriction can then be modified based on the correlation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a visual capture, the visual capture originating at a mobile device, the visual capture comprising an image of at least a portion of a body of a user;

processing the visual capture by one or more processors to identify one or more indicators within the visual capture, the one or more indicators reflecting a presence of a seatbelt in a passenger orientation; and

based on an identification, within the visual capture, of the one or more indicators reflecting the presence of the seatbelt in the passenger orientation, adjusting an implementation of a restriction at the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more inputs; and

processing the one or more inputs with at least one of the visual capture or the one or more indicators to determine a relationship between the one or more inputs and the at least one of the visual capture or the one or more indicators;

wherein adjusting an implementation of a restriction comprises adjusting an implementation of the restriction based on the relationship.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more inputs; and

processing the one or more inputs to determine a presence of a passenger within a vehicle;

wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the implementation of the restriction at the mobile device based on the presence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators further comprise an absence of a steering wheel in the visual capture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators further comprise at least two hands and a steering wheel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a seatbelt in the passenger orientation comprises a seatbelt that extends from an upper portion of the right side of the body of the user toward a lower portion of the left side of the body of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual capture comprises an image of at least a portion of a face of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual capture is captured while the mobile device is oriented within a range of orientations with respect to a face of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual capture is captured while the mobile device is oriented within a range of orientations with respect to the ground.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual capture is captured while the mobile device is oriented within a range of orientations with respect to a vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual capture is captured while the mobile device is positioned within a range of distances from a face of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is present within a moving vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visual capture comprises employing, at the mobile device, a restriction that configures the mobile device to receive the visual capture when the mobile device is:

(i) oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect to the ground; and

(ii) positioned within a defined range of distance from the face of the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visual capture comprises employing, at the mobile device, a restriction that configures the mobile device to receive the visual capture when the mobile device is:

(i) oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect to a vehicle; and

(ii) positioned within a defined range of distance from the face of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the visual capture comprises employing, at the mobile device, a restriction that configures the mobile device to receive the visual capture when the mobile device is:

(i) oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect a face of the user; and

(ii) positioned within a defined range of distance from the face of the user.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a visual capture of at least a portion of a face of a user;

processing, by one or more processors, the visual capture to compute a first determination that, during a capture of the visual capture, a mobile device was positioned within a defined distance from the face of the user and oriented within a defined angle from the face of the user; and

modifying at least one operation state of the mobile device based on the first determination that, upon capture of the visual capture, the mobile device was positioned within the defined distance from the face of the user and oriented within the defined angle from the face of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first determination further comprises a determination that no portion of a steering wheel of a vehicle is present in the visual capture.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

employing a restriction at the mobile device, the restriction comprising configuring the mobile device to operate in landscape mode.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

employing, at the mobile device, a restriction that configures the mobile device to receive the visual capture based on a determination that the mobile device is;

(i) at least one of (a) oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect to the ground, or (b) oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect to a face of the user; and

(ii) positioned within a defined range of distance from a face of the user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the modifying comprises at least one of employing a restriction at the mobile device, maintaining a restriction at the mobile device, or removing a restriction at the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the visual capture comprises a visual capture of at least a portion of a body of the user, and wherein the first determination further comprises a determination of a presence of a seatbelt in a passenger orientation within the visual capture.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is present within a moving vehicle.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein processing the visual capture to compute the first determination comprises processing the visual capture to determine that a gaze of the user was directed towards the mobile device for at least a defined period of time.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining that the visual capture was captured while the mobile device was oriented within a defined range of orientations with respect to the ground.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the defined range of orientations comprises an orientation of the mobile device parallel to the ground.

26. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device, one or more first inputs;

processing, by one or more processors, the one or more first inputs to compute a determination that an in-vehicle role of a user of the device is at least one of (a) a driver or (b) a passenger;

receiving, at the device, one or more second inputs;

processing the one or more second inputs to validate the determination that the in-vehicle role of the user of the device is at least one of (a) a driver or (b) a passenger independent of the one or more first inputs; and

based on a validation of the determination, adjusting an implementation of a restriction at the device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more first inputs comprise at least one of:

a visual capture, an alphanumeric input, an input provided with respect to a lock screen, an input provided with respect to an interactive puzzle, or a tactile gesture.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more second inputs are received from at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope of the device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein processing the one or more second inputs comprises processing the one or more second inputs to determine an orientation of the device.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein processing the one or more second inputs comprises processing the one or more second inputs to determine a manner in which the device is moving.