Patent Application
20150024727
This disclosure relates generally to the technical field of mobile device regulation, and in one example embodiment, this disclosure relates to a method and system minimizing vehicular accidents through regulating a mobile device within a vehicle.
A driver of a vehicle (e.g. a privately owned vehicle, a public transit vehicle, a fleet transport truck) may choose to operate a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, a navigation device) while driving the vehicle. For example, the driver may originate and/or accept a voice message, a text message, and/or a data transfer with the mobile device while the vehicle is in motion. The owner (e.g. a large shipping corporation, a private transportation company, parental guardian) of the vehicle may wish to control one or more of the various communicative modes of the mobile device of the driver.
In an event where the driver of the vehicle is simultaneously operating the mobile device and the vehicle, a possibility of an occurrence of a vehicular accident may be heightened. Further, in some U.S. States it may be illegal to operate a mobile device while driving a vehicle. Furthermore, the fines for breaking laws that prohibit the driver from using a mobile device may be expensive.
In an event that an accident does occur while the driver may be operating the mobile device, the driver may be held to a heightened level of responsibility than if there was no use of the mobile device. The cause of the accident may be attributed to negligence on the part of the driver. The legal repercussions thereof may be severe. This may be damaging for the reputation of the driver. The driver may suffer physical injury during the accident. The driver may lose a license to operate a motor vehicle. Further, the driver may lose a job if the accident occurred in a company owned vehicle. Accidents may be cost prohibitive for a transportation service company. Therefore, an authoritative party (e.g., a transportation company management, a parental guardian, a private individual) may wish to control the usage of a mobile device by the vehicle driver.
A method, system and apparatus related to mobile device regulation through a diagnostic device of a vehicle are disclosed. In one aspect the method includes generating a local area wireless network by a diagnostic device of a vehicle. The method also includes determining, by a back-end server communicatively coupled to a machine-readable memory and the diagnostic device of the vehicle, that a mobile device located in an interior portion of the vehicle may be a controlled mobile device. The method further includes regulating the mobile device and/or the controlled mobile device based on a criteria stored in a database of the back-end server, by the local area wireless network.
According to another aspect, a system of mobile device regulation involves a diagnostic device of a vehicle to generate a local area wireless network in an interior portion of the vehicle. Also, the system involves a client module of the mobile device to control a functionality of a mobile device based on a criteria stored in a database when located in the interior portion of the vehicle. Further, the system involves an administration server to communicatively couple an access to the database with the diagnostic device of the vehicle.
In another aspect, a mobile device regulation involves a non-transitory machine-readable medium, including instructions embodied therein that are executable through a data processing device. Instructions to communicatively couple an administrative server to a diagnostic device of a vehicle may be included. Also, the non-transitory medium may include instructions to establish a local area wireless network in the vehicle through the diagnostic device of the vehicle. Further, the non-transitory medium may include instructions to control a functionality of a mobile device, through a client module of the mobile device, when paired to the diagnostic device through in the local area wireless network, wherein a criteria stored in a database of an administration server provides an extent of the control.
The methods, system, and/or apparatuses disclosed herein may be implemented in any means for achieving various aspects, and may be executed in a form of machine readable medium embodying a set of instruction that, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform any of the operation disclosed herein. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and from the detailed description that follows.
Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawing, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.
Example embodiments, as described below, relate to a method, a system, and a set of instructions on a machine-readable medium of mobile device regulation through a diagnostic device of a vehicle to prevent accidents, according to one or more embodiments.
According to one embodiment, a method includes generating a local area wireless network 104 by a diagnostic device 100 of a vehicle 102. The method also includes determining, by an administration server 114 communicatively coupled to a database 112 and the diagnostic device 100 of the vehicle 102, that a mobile device 106 located in an interior portion 108 of the vehicle may be a controlled mobile device 200. Further, the method also includes regulating, by the local area wireless network 104, a functionality 204 of the mobile device 106 and/or the controlled mobile device 200, based on a criteria 202 stored in a database 112 of the administration server 114.
According to another embodiment, a system of a mobile device 106 regulation includes a diagnostic device 100 of a vehicle 102 to generate a local area wireless network 104 in an interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102. The system also includes a client module of the mobile device 106 to control a functionality 204 of a mobile device 106 based on a criteria 202 stored in a database 112 when located in the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102. Further, the system includes an administration server 114 to communicatively couple an access to the database 112 with the diagnostic device 100 of the vehicle 102.
In to another embodiment, a non-transitory machine-readable medium, includes instructions that are executable through a data processing device to communicatively couple an administration server 114 to a diagnostic device 100 of a vehicle 102. Further, instructions to establish a local area wireless network 104 in the vehicle 102 through the diagnostic device 100 of the vehicle 102 may be included. The non-transitory medium also includes instructions to regulate a functionality 204 of a mobile device 106, through a client module of the mobile device 106, when paired to the diagnostic device 100 through in the local area wireless network 104, wherein a criteria 202 stored in a database 112 of an administration server 114 provides an extent of the regulation.
In one embodiment, the diagnostic device 100 may generate a local area wireless network (WLAN) 104 within the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102. The mobile device 106 of the user 120 may enter the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102 and may automatically connect to the WLAN 104, according to one embodiment. The diagnostic device 100 may connect to an administration server 114 via an antenna module 130 and a wide area wireless network (WAN) 118. The administration server 114 may be communicatively coupled to a database 112 (e.g., hard drive, data center, cloud-based repository) and may push mobile device regulation instructions to the mobile device 106 when a pairing session has been initiated between the mobile device 106 and the diagnostic device 100 via WLAN 104.
The WLAN 104 may be generated and/or regulated so as to communicate solely with mobile devices within the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102. For example, a pairing module 128 of the diagnostic device 100 may generate a wireless signal over a short distance (e.g. 1-5 feet). Also, a signal strength may be configurable, according to an optional embodiment. Further, the diagnostic device 100 may include a logic (e.g., control module 134, regulation algorithm) to determine that a present device may not need pairing (e.g., devices located in surrounding vehicles at a stoplight, devices of outside persons near vehicle). The WLAN 104 may use an industry standard communication protocols 110 (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, etc.) to connect with the mobile device 106, according to one embodiment. The mobile device 106 becomes subject to a functional mode regulation through the diagnostic device 100 upon entering the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102.
In one embodiment of
Further, a vehicle manufacturer may offer the diagnostic device 100 as an optional feature of a vehicle. For example, the diagnostic device may be a built-in feature, according to one embodiment. Also, the vehicle may include a console computer to initiate a pairing session between the console and the mobile device 106, wherein the console computer may be communicatively coupled to the diagnostic device 100 and/or an engine control unit 138.
According to another embodiment of
In another embodiment of
In another embodiment, the vehicle 102 may be regulated by the authority 122. The authority 122 may choose to include restrictions on the vehicle 102 through the configuration data 124. The diagnostic device 100 may communicate with the engine control unit 138 through an electrical adapter 136 and thus may control an operative mode of the vehicle 102 (e.g., ignition event, RPM limit, top speed limit, transmission). Further, the diagnostic device 100 may include an electrical pinout 132 to connect with the electrical adapter 136 and/or to interface with a plurality of auxiliary devices (e.g., digital engine diagnostics tool, troubleshooting tool, programming tool, override tool). Furthermore, the authority 122 may essentially have access to regulate a plurality of vehicle 102 functions (e.g., engine timing, ignition, RPM, speed, transmission, cabin functions, A/C, airbags, etc.) and/or critical systems by way of the diagnostic device 100 being in communication with the engine control unit 138. The engine control unit 138 may be a central computer that may regulate all functions of all systems (e.g., drivetrain, powertrain, electrical systems, cabin systems, etc.).
Further, a user 120 may occupy the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102 and may associate with the mobile device 106. The user 120 may be a driver or a passenger of the vehicle and the extent of the control applied to the mobile device 106 may depend on the administration server 114 being able to determine a distinction between whether a given user 120 may be the driver or a passenger. For example, the driver may be subject to stricter controls than the passenger may be.
Important of
In one possible embodiment, the authority 122 may decide to implement regulations regardless of whether or not the mobile device 106 determines to be a controlled mobile device 200. Additionally, the user interface 116 may also choose to implement regulations of the vehicle 102 regardless of whether or not the mobile device 106 determines to be the controlled mobile device 200.
It may be noted that a plurality of functional modes of the vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106 may be subject to regulation through the administration server 114 and diagnostic device 100. Since the diagnostic device 100 may be communicatively coupled to the engine control unit 138, engine functions may be subject to regulation (e.g., ignition event, RPM, etc.). The authority 122 may choose a level of risk mitigation to achieve with the system of mobile device regulations.
According to one embodiment, the administration server 114 determines that the mobile device 106 pertains to a controlled mobile device 200. The regulation process proceeds to check a set of criteria 202 of the vehicle 102, according to one embodiment. A present state of the vehicle 102 may be determined based on the criteria 202 in order to base the level of functionality 204 controls on. In one embodiment, a speed criterion 202A may be determined by the user interface 116 and may be used to qualify a speed of the vehicle 102 in order to determine whether certain functionality 204 and/or certain vehicle controls may be applied. For example, if the driver of vehicle 102 stops the vehicle 102 on the side of the road in order to use the mobile device 106, the speed criterion 202A may be set to allow full functionality 204 of the mobile device 106 when the vehicle 102 becomes stationary and/or while the engine is idling (e.g., truck drivers often leave engine on in idle for long periods of time). In another example, the speed criteria 202A may be set to allow a certain functionality 204 until the vehicle 102 surpasses a rate of “20 miles per hour”. The criteria 202 may vary according to a desired level of risk mitigation that the authority 122 may be trying to achieve.
In one embodiment, an operational state criteria 202B may be determined by the authority 122 and used to determine whether an operational state of the vehicle qualifies for certain vehicle 102 controls or certain mobile device 106 controls. For example, the authority 122 may select to have all functionality 204 disabled whenever the engine of vehicle 102 exists in a running state. According to another embodiment, the authority 122 may select to have all functionality 204 disabled except Bluetooth pairing, emergency voice calls, and GPS application data whenever the engine of the vehicle 102 exists in a running state. In may be recalled that the authority 122 may determine a plurality of regulation configurations pertaining to the vehicle 102 and/or the mobile device 106, according to a desired level of risk mitigation.
According to another embodiment, the functionality 204 of mobile device 106 may be configured by the authority 122. The functionality 204 may comprise various communicative modes such as, a voice mode 204A, a text mode 204B, and/or a data mode 204C. Any one and/or combination of the functionality 204 may be enabled and/or disabled based on the criteria 202 at discretion of the authority 122.
Additionally, the authority 122 may use the criteria 202 to determine whether or not to control the vehicle 102 according to a parameter 206. Wherein, the parameter 206 may include a speed parameter 206A and/or a state parameter 206B. The parameter 206 may be set by the authority 122 to enforce a level of control on the vehicle 102. For example, the authority 122 may select to restrict the speed of vehicle 102 according to the speed parameter 206A based on the speed criteria 202A based on the present state of the mobile device 106. In another example, the authority 122 may choose to have the diagnostic device 100 actively prohibit an ignition of the engine of the vehicle 102 until the mobile device 106 may be disabled.
In another embodiment of
In an embodiment such as the one of
In another embodiment, implicit in a previously disclosed embodiment, the diagnostic device 100 may not allow the vehicle 102 to proceed with engine ignition. For example, each user 120 may choose not to identify as the driver 306 of the vehicle 102. The actual driver may attempt to mislead the administration server 114 about an intention to operate the vehicle 102 as the driver 306 and/or may refuse to respond to the message 300. Consequently, the vehicle 102 may be prohibited from proceeding with a further state of operation by the administration server 114 through the diagnostic device 100, until the truthful driver 306 complies with the driver id question 302 of message 300. Or, the authority 122 may instead choose to allow all functionality 204 and all vehicle capabilities to remain enabled, wherein the administration server 114 delivers a report to the authority 122 to inform of a violation by the driver 306 (i.e., parents may determine whether a teenage driver may be lying about mobile device usage while driving). The extent of operational functions of the vehicle 102 and the mobile device 106 are subject to the risk mitigation of the authority 122. Further, the system reaction to a violation by the user 120 (e.g., lying, breaking set rules of mobile device usage while driving) may be configurable by the authority. A wide range of configurations (e.g., configuration data 124) may be possible.
Also, in an embodiment where only one occupant enters the vehicle 102, the diagnostic device 100 may assume that the occupant intends to drive the vehicle 102. For example, the message 300 may contain a request of compliance 304 on the part of the driver 306. Or, the message 300 may inform of an automated disabling of the functionality 204 of the mobile device 106. The operation of the vehicle 102 by the user 120, as the driver 306, may be prohibited until the user 120 agrees to comply with the diagnostic device 100 in the regulation of the functionality 204 of the mobile device 106 of the user 120, through the message 300, according to one embodiment. Or, the operation of the vehicle 102 may be uninterrupted due to the automated disabling of the functionality 204 of the mobile device 106, according to one embodiment.
Pairing data table 400 comprises a column of present devices 404. The present devices 404 may include any of the devices within the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102 that may be detected by the diagnostic device 100. In the example of
According one embodiment, the pairing data table 400 reveals a registered vehicle identification number 408 of a vehicle that may be communicatively coupled to the administration server 114 through the diagnostic device 100. The registered vehicle identification number 408 may be a plurality of different identification means (e.g., vehicle identification number (VIN), SIM card of a diagnostic device, license plate, original identification number generated by administration server 114, customer number). The administration server 114 may use the identification number 408 in a determination of which regulations apply to a given vehicle of the database 112 and identified in the pairing data table 400.
Additionally, the pairing data table 400 of
In
The functional mode configuration column 504 includes individual combinations of restrictions corresponding to each registered device 502. The functional mode configuration 504 may embody the functionality 204 of
The user configuration table 500 further comprises an enforced parameter 506. Each registered device 502 may possess a specific enforced parameter 506. For example, the diagnostic device 100 of the vehicle 102 of mobile device A may be set to only restrict the speed of the vehicle in an event where the mobile device 106 may refuse to comply with the restrictions. The user 120 of mobile device A may choose to retain functionality 204 at the cost of the enforced parameter 506. In another example of the enforced parameters 506, mobile device C may have restriction placed on an ignition event of the vehicle that the user 120 may be attempting to drive. Enforced parameters 506 and functional mode configuration 504 may be set by the authority 122, according to the desired level of risk mitigation
Primarily, the diagnostic device 100 sends a report of the paired mobile devices of the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102 to the administration server 114. The report may be in the form of the pairing data table 400 of
The regulatory process 600 uses the pairing data table 400 to check the various criteria 202 through a criteria check 602. For example, each registered vehicle may be associated with a criteria configuration to base the necessity of mobile device regulation on. In one such embodiment, the state criteria 204B may be checked for the registered vehicle of
In another exemplary embodiment of the criteria check 602 of the regulatory process 600, the speed criteria may be used. For example, the administration server 114 may request the diagnostic device 100 to check the current speed of the vehicle 102. The administration server 114 may then determine if the current speed of the vehicle 102 constitutes mobile device regulations according to the level of regulation set by an user interface 116, according to one embodiment. The control module 134 of
According to another embodiment of the regulatory process 600, device regulations 604 may be enforced on either the vehicle 102 or the mobile device 106 of the user 120, wherein mobile device 106 may be mobile device B of the pairing data table. From regulation 604 of
In a further embodiment of the present system of mobile device regulation, the diagnostic device 100 may server as an intermediary between the administration server 114 and the mobile device 106 and/or the vehicle 102. The diagnostic device 100 may generate the message 300 to the mobile device 106. The diagnostic device 100 may also pairing data table 400, gathered from the interior portion 108 of the vehicle 102, to the administration server 114 for processing. Further, the diagnostic device 100 may enforce the determined regulations 604 of the regulatory process 600 by disabling the mobile device 106 of the driver 306 through the application of the mobile device 106.
In operation 706, the diagnostic device 100 transmits the request of compliance 304 from the administration server 114 to the mobile device 106. In the previously disclosed event where more than one mobile device 106 may be present, operation 706 may include sending the driver identification question 302. In operation 708, the user 120 may agree to comply with the diagnostic device 100 in the regulation of the mobile device 106. Or, in operation 708, the user 120 may not agree with the regulations of the diagnostic device 100. In an event of user incompliance, operation 714 may proceed wherein the mobile device 106 may retain all functional modes. In operation 716, the vehicle 102 may remain in the disabled state of operation 704.
In an event of user compliance in operation 708, wherein the user 120 generates the compliance, operation 710 may proceed to disable the mobile device 106. In operation 712, the vehicle may become enabled as the disabling of operation 704 may be thereby rescinded, according to embodiment.
An example will now be described in which the various embodiments will be explained in a hypothetical scenario. A hypothetical mobile device regulation service, “XYZ Regulators”, may be enlisted by a hypothetical fleet truck company “ABC Trucking”. ABC Trucking wishes to ensure a high level of safety on the roadways by requiring that all drivers of the company fleet trucks are not using a mobile device (e.g., smart phone, tablet, cellular phone, laptop).
In many of the United States, driving a vehicle and operating mobile devices simultaneously may be illegal. ABC Trucking may implement company rules to prohibit company drivers from using devices but may find it difficult to enforce the rules on the individual drivers (e.g., drivers are frequently out of out of the view of company management, mobile device usage can be easily hidden). As a result, ABC Trucking may feel that the possibility of company drivers using mobile devices may largely increase the risk of an accident, the degree of company liability, and the possibility of legal fines. XYZ Regulators may therefore be contracted by ABC Trucking.
XYZ Device Regulation may require that all diagnostic devices of the company vehicles be retrofitted through a variety of possibilities (e.g., software module installation, hardware add-on to provide wireless capability). Additionally, XYZ Regulators may request ABC Trucking to provide a desired level of regulation to be enforced on the vehicles and/or the mobile devices of the drivers. As an option, XYZ Regulators may allow ABC Trucking to set different levels of regulation for different mobile devices. For example, company managers may have higher privileges, newly hired drivers may have stricter regulations, problem drivers may be uniquely targeted, data and/or GPS restrictions may vary, device type may vary. All of the specifications provided by ABC Trucking may be stored in a database of an administration server of XYZ Regulators.
When the driver of a vehicle owned by ABC Trucking enters the interior portion of the vehicle, the diagnostic device of the vehicle may generate a message to the mobile phone of the driver. The message may be a request of a compliance with a regulation to be imposed and/or an inquiry of an intent to operate the vehicle as the driver. In one embodiment, the driver may then agree to comply with the diagnostic device and may offer a functionality of the mobile device in return for a permission to operate the vehicle as the driver.
In another embodiment, the driver may not comply and/or may specify that there may not be an intent to drive the vehicle (e.g., resting and/or recreating in the cabin, waiting in line at a weigh station, waiting at a shipping yard). The system of XYZ Regulators effectively enforces the mobile device usage rules of ABC Trucking. Further, the system of XYZ Regulators allows the drivers of the vehicles to use mobile devices at appropriate times when safety may not be a concern.
Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to a specific example embodiment, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments. For example, the various devices and modules described herein may be enabled and operated using hardware circuitry (e.g., CMOS based logic circuitry), firmware, software or any combination of hardware, firmware, and software (e.g., embodied in a machine readable medium). For example, the various electrical structure and methods may be embodied using transistors, logic gates, and electrical circuits (e.g., application specific integrated (ASIC) circuitry and/or Digital Signal Processor (DSP) circuitry).
In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations, processes, and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in a machine-readable medium and/or a machine accessible medium compatible with a data processing system (e.g., a computer device). Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative in rather than a restrictive sense.
