This disclosure generally relates to reconfiguration of a mobile electronic device based on the location of the device and, more particularly, to reconfiguration of a mobile electronic device from a first manner of operation when the device is distal of a location to a second manner of operation when the device is proximate the location.
Mobile electronic devices, such as phones, smartphones, tablets, etc., have a wide variety of features enabling a wide variety of operations. Certain features and operations of mobile electronic devices are desired or appropriate in one location or venue, but are not desired or appropriate in another location. Many locations exist where certain features and operations of the mobile electronic device are desired or appropriate.
One such example includes a bedroom. A user may desire the mobile electronic device to be in a silent mode or a power off mode because the user does not want to be disturbed when sleeping.
Another exemplary location where some features and operations are desirable and other features and operations are not desirable includes a vehicle. Some of the mobile electronic device operations require significant attention from a user and/or require a user to manipulate of the devices with his/her hands. While a user's attention and use of hands are acceptable in most situations, such attention and hand use are not desirable when the user is in a vehicle such as, for example, an automobile. Many states and countries have laws prohibiting users from performing certain operations on their mobile electronic devices while inside a vehicle. Even in states and countries without such laws, performing certain operations of a mobile electronic device can be dangerous. Thus, in order for a user to abide by certain laws and/or for safety purposes, the user may manually change the operation of his/her mobile electronic device when the user gets into a vehicle. The user manually manipulates the various buttons and menus in the mobile electronic device to reconfigure operation of the mobile electronic device to a desirable or appropriate manner of operation for the circumstances. This manual manipulation is time consuming and may not result in a desired or proper reconfiguration of the device if the user makes an error.
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are needed to overcome one or more issues of one or more of the prior systems and methods.
In one aspect, a system is provided and includes a vehicle, a mobile electronic device including a first manner of operation and a second manner of operation different than the first manner of operation, and a wireless charging system positioned in the vehicle and adapted to wirelessly charge the mobile electronic device. The mobile electronic device operates in the first manner of operation outside of the vehicle, and the wireless charging system identifies the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is inside the vehicle and operation of the mobile electronic device changes from the first manner of operation to the second manner of operation with the mobile electronic device inside the vehicle.
In another aspect, a system is provided and includes a mobile electronic device including a first manner of operation and a second manner of operation different than the first manner of operation, and a wireless charging system positioned at a location. The wireless charging system is adapted to wirelessly charge the mobile electronic device and communicate with the mobile electronic device with the mobile electronic device in proximity of the location. The mobile electronic device operates in the first manner of operation distal from the location. The wireless charging system identifies and communicates with the mobile electronic device with the mobile electronic device in proximity to the location. The mobile electronic device changes from the first manner of operation to the second manner of operation as a result of the communication from the wireless charging system.
In a further aspect, a method of operating a mobile electronic device is provided and includes operating a mobile electronic device in a first manner of operation externally of a vehicle, introducing the mobile electronic device into the vehicle, positioning the mobile electronic device in proximity to a wireless charging system positioned in the vehicle, establishing communication between the mobile electronic device and the wireless charging system, and altering operation of the mobile electronic device to a second manner of operation different than the first manner of operation as a result of communication between the mobile electronic device and the wireless charging system.
The scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by the appended claims and is not affected by the statements within this summary.
The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure.
With reference to
The following description and associated figures identify a vehicle as the location in which operation of a mobile electronic device will be automatically reconfigured. The recitation of a vehicle is not intended to be limiting upon the present disclosure and, instead, is presented to demonstrate the principles of the invention.
In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the system 20 is adapted to automatically reconfigure operation of the mobile electronic device 24 from a first manner of operation when the device 24 is located externally of the vehicle 22 to a second manner of operation when the device 24 is located internally of the vehicle 22. The system 20 is also adapted to automatically reconfigure any type of mobile electronic device 24. Exemplary mobile electronic devices include, but are not limited to: cellular phones; wireless phones; smartphones such as iPhones®, Blackberry® smartphones, Android® enabled smartphones; tablets; other mobile electronic communication devices; laptop computers; portable audio players; etc. Description and illustrations herein of any particular type of mobile electronic device is merely to demonstrate the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to be limiting.
With continued reference to
In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the wireless charging system 32 includes a surface 36 upon which a mobile electronic device 24 may be placed or supported. Once the device 24 is brought sufficiently close in proximity to the wireless charging system 32 or when the device 24 is placed on the surface 36 of the wireless charging system 32, the wireless charging system 32 begins to charge the mobile electronic device 24.
The system 20 is adapted to automatically reconfigure operation of the mobile electronic device 24 when the device 24 is brought into proximity with or is placed on the surface 36 of the wireless charging system 32. Mobile electronic devices 24 may be operated in a wide variety of manners as a result of the many features and capabilities of the devices 24. The mobile electronic device 24 may be operated in one manner when a user is walking around, working, or otherwise not occupying or operating a vehicle 22, and may be operated in a different manner when the user is occupying or operating a vehicle 22. For example, a user may place cellular calls directly with the mobile electronic device 24 while holding onto the device 24 with his/her hands when the user is outside of a vehicle 22, and alternatively the user may place cellular calls with the mobile electronic device 24 in a hands-free mode via Bluetooth® communication between the device 24 and a vehicle phone system. This exemplary change in device operation is only one of many possible operation changes that may occur, is presented to demonstrate the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to be limiting. Rather, operation of the mobile electronic device 24 may be altered in many different manners and all of such possibilities are intended to be part of this disclosure.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The mobile electronic device 24 and the wireless charging system 32 may be enabled to communicate and reconfigure with each other without alterations or additional elements to either the device 24 or the wireless charging system 32. That is, all of the principles of the disclosure can be achieved by the device 24 and the wireless charging system 32 as they were manufactured. Alternatively, one or both of the mobile electronic device 24 and the wireless charging system 32 may require an application (e.g., software), a tie-in, or some other additional element that allows communication and reconfiguration between the device 24 and the wireless charging system 32. For example, an application may be downloaded to the mobile electronic device 24 to enable the device 24 to receive communications from the wireless charging system 32.
One or more embodiments of the disclosure may reduce one or more issues experienced by one or more current systems or methods by providing automatic reconfiguration of mobile electronic devices based on location of the mobile electronic devices. One or more embodiments of the disclosure may also have additional benefits over one or more other existing systems and methods.
The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be restricted except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents.