Patent Application
20180157813
This invention relates mainly to facilitate normal operation of portable computing devices, and more precisely, to providing an un-locking mechanism to operate portable computing devices which is in disabled mode that means one or more functions of the portable computing device is disabled when the driver is engaged in driving an automobile. A Quick Response code generator and a scanner in the portable computing devices has put into service to achieve the goal.
Operating phones while driving has become a major fear of road safety in the last decade with 25% of all vehicle accident is the direct result of use of cell phones while driving—That is 1.3 Million crashes every year. So an opportunity exists for portable computing device makers and service providers to put into place a disable mechanism to disable many functions including the input and, possibly, the reception of text messages while the user is driving. Many systems and applications are available in the market now to disable the ability of a portable computing device to perform certain functions, such as texting, emailing while one is driving. The portable computing devices are locked in the disabled mode as a safety measure to protect the driver from distracted driving.
However, there are situations in which restrictions cannot apply to all portable computing devices in a moving vehicle. For example, if it is determined that the portable computing device of a passenger in an automobile being driven by another person is in motion, the passenger's portable computing device cannot be disabled. Since the passenger is not involved in the operation of the vehicle, the passenger's use of the portable computing devices may not pose a safety risk, and there may be no need to disable the passenger's portable computing device or functions on the device. Similarly, it may be inappropriate to disable the portable computing device of passengers on public transportation vehicles such as buses, trains, boats, ships and airplanes.
In these specific situations, the portable computing device is needed to be unlocked. One situation is that all the driver's and passengers' portable computing devices can get disabled and cannot respond to certain functions such as texts. The need arises for the passengers' portable mobile devices to be unlocked for normal operations since they are not involved in the driving. The mechanism is designed to unlock the portable computing device which is disabled to avoid the distracted driving using the Quick Response (QR) code. The type of portable computing devices explained in this invention includes smart phones and tablets, but not limited to them. The portable computing devices can be unlocked from the disabled mode through scanning a unique Quick Response code which is generated on a separate portable computing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,811 discloses an invention of un-locking door locks with QR code provided via email or from a mobile phone application. In this disclosure, the QR code scanner is inside the door lock and un-lock through a processor that can decode the QR code. This doesn't use a second portable computing device to scan the QR code as disclosed in this invention. This invention is not an implementation for un-locking mobiles phones.
US patent application 2011/0137742 discloses only a payment methods and systems are provided to capture a unique product code, such as QR code, on a mobile device, process the information contained in the code, provide the user with options of making a purchase, including purchasing a plurality of selected products from different captured codes, and processing the payment via the user's mobile device.
US patent application 2011/0313893 discloses a control and management system for defined areas such as loading docks, fire stations, and other designated defined areas. A QR code reader provided for a cell phone with picture-taking capability, which communicates with the system to enable a person carrying the cell phone to scan QR codes at specified locations or on specified items or vehicles. This invention is to provide restricted entry to authorized personals with unique QR codes. This invention cannot be implemented for un-locking mobiles phones.
US patent application 2012/0280790 discloses a systems and methods are provided for operating a remotely operable lock. This is a method comprises authenticating, at a web service, credentials received from a portable electronic device, detecting the proximity of the portable electronic device to the lock, and issuing a command for receipt by the lock from the web service or portable electronic device. This invention relies on various elements comprising GPS coordinates, device location, a WiFi ID, a Bluetooth ID, a telephone number, SMS address, pin code, Quick Response (QR) code recognition, and a timed lock operation. This invention is inadequate to be implemented for un-locking mobiles phones.
US patent application 2013/0257590 discloses just another system and method for opening electronic locks employing an image, such as the image of a bar code or a QR code. This cannot explicitly unlock a mobile phone itself.
US patent application 2013/0317693 discloses a rental/car-share vehicle access and management system and method utilizing barcodes and QR codes and can't be used for un-locking portable computing systems.
So given the shortcoming in the prior arts mentioned above, it is apparent that a new novel system to un-lock the disabled portable computing devices is required to enable the use of normal operation of portable computing devices in a moving vehicle by the passengers who are not engaged in driving the automobile.
Un-locking mechanism for disabled portable computing devices using Quick Response code is disclosed. Since the un-locking mechanism uses the existing functions already available in the portable computing devices such as camera and finger print scanner, it doesn't require any hardware or other add-on in the device. The disabling of the portable computing devices can happen when the speed in which the device travels exceeds the set threshold and the device is within the range of locating signal. The un-locking mechanism will enable all the disabled functions of the portable computing devices which are disabled in the driving mode to perform as normal devices. With the un-locking mechanism explained here, the devices can be unlocked even if the subject devices are still meeting the requirements of disablement which can be in the range of location detecting signals or above the speed threshold set by disable systems. This location detecting signal can be a built-in blue tooth signal in an automobile or an add-on gigahertz beacon signal.
In one embodiment, a portable computing device can generate and provide a unique and real time QR code with the specific information such as the time line, displayed device information, for the other portable computing devices in the same range of location detecting signals which is one element to trigger the disable mode. Another element to trigger the disable mode is the real-time speed. In this embodiment, the portable computing devices can comprise a motion analyzer, a signal receiver and a camera. The other portable computing devices can scan the QR code using the camera and unlock themselves from the disable mode if the time line is right and falls under the same location detecting signal range.
In another embodiment, the portable computing devices can comprise a motion analyzer, a signal receiver, finger print scanner and a camera. One portable computing device can generate and provide a unique and real time QR code with the specific information such as the time line, displayed device information, after detecting and matching the finger print successfully for the other portable computing devices in the same range of location detecting signals which are disabled as well. In this embodiment, the motion analyzer can detect whether the portable computing device is in motion beyond a predetermined threshold level. The signal receiver can determine whether a holder of portable computing device is located within the range of location detecting signal and un-safe operating area of a vehicle. The finger print scanner will distinguish the person who generates the QR code and who scans the QR code to unlock the portable computing device are under the same location detecting signal range in the vehicle. The other portable computing devices can scan the QR code using the camera after distinguishing successfully using the finger print scanner and unlock themselves from the disable mode.
In the following description of preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings where it is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention can be accomplished. It should be understood at the outset that although illustrative implementations of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure are provided below, the disclosed systems and/or methods may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or in existence. The disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary designs and implementations illustrated and described herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.
Embodiments of the invention relate to un-locking mechanism using Quick Response code for disabled portable computing devices which are prohibited to perform certain functions, such as texting, emailing while one is driving. Although some embodiments of this invention may be described and illustrated herein in terms of an un-locking mechanism, it should be understood that embodiments of this invention are not so limited, but are generally applicable to un-locking any function of a portable computing device that may be in disabled mode because it interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle by a driver. Further, although some embodiments of this invention may be described and illustrated herein in the context of an automobile, it should be understood that embodiments of this invention are not so limited, but are generally applicable to drivers of any vehicle in motion, such as construction vehicle, trucks, trains, boats, ships or airplanes, for example.
During the disabled mode, the portable computing device's radio functions including transmitting and/or receiving capabilities will remain in effect to make sure not to lose any telecommunication messages during the disablement; all the voice and data delivery will be done as per the normal task. Only the device's user interface to enter certain inputs and capability of the device to respond to certain inputs might be disabled, or other restrictions might be placed on one or more of the device's functions where operator's attention and input is required for extended period of time. This facilitates triggering of certain functions upon pressing certain buttons when conditions are met for un-locking the disabled devices.
In all embodiments, the user himself is not given a choice or an opportunity to override the portable computing device's disablement feature since that will undermine the purpose of the invention in preventing distraction of drivers. Embodiments of the invention relate to un-locking mechanism using Quick Response code need at least one other portable devices to unlock a disabled device so that a driver engaged in driving cannot unlock his phone by himself. Since the un-locking mechanism validates for real time QR code for the time line, displayed device information and the same range of location detecting signals, it is not possible for the disabled phone to unlock by scanning any predetermined QR code. This makes the system flawless.
If the finger print scanner 19 validation of the scanned finger print fails against portable computing device owner's finger print which is stored in the memory of the device, then assumption is made that authorization to generate the QR code 8 is not granted by the owner of the device. In this case the finger print identification procedure is considered to be failed and the device will return to its original state of disabled driving mode 6.
If the finger print scanner 19 validation of the scanned finger print fails against portable computing device owner's finger print which is stored in the memory of the device, then assumption is made that authorization to scan the QR code 13 is not granted by the owner of the device. In this case the finger print identification procedure is considered to be failed and the device will return to its original state of disabled driving mode 6.
The present application claims the benefit of provisional application 62/291,544 filed on Feb. 5, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
