System and method for preventing cell phone use while driving

摘要

A system for monitoring and controlling the use of a mobile computing device is disclosed. The system includes a data server (104) containing a model of a road network specifying traffic routes at a selected location. A mobile wireless computing device (106) is configured to wirelessly communicate with the data server (104). An embedded accelerometer (116) and a GPS receiver (114) are included in the wireless device (106). A mobile device control module in communication with the wireless device (106) and the data server (104) provides a motion data cache (118) to record data from the GPS receiver (114) and accelerometer (116), an activity mode recognition module (120) configured to determine a type of activity based on the motion data cache (118), and a use permission module (112) in communication with the data server (104) to provide timing and location information at which the wireless device (106) can be used based on the activity mode.

主权项

1. A system for monitoring and controlling the use of a mobile computing device, comprising:
a data server containing a use permission database and a model of a road network specifying traffic routes at a selected location; a mobile wireless computing device configured to wirelessly communicate with the data server and further including an embedded accelerometer and Geo Positioning System (GPS) receiver; a mobile device control module configured to operate on at least one of the mobile wireless computing device and the data server, wherein the module includes:
a motion data cache configured to record data from the GPS receiver and the accelerometer for a period of greater than one minute, wherein the motion data cache is further configured to record a location, speed, and acceleration of the mobile wireless computing device each time a call is received;an activity mode recognition module configured to determine a type of activity based on the motion data cache;a use permission module in communication with the data server, wherein the use permission module is configured to:
receive timing and location information from the use permission database detailing a time period and a location that are permissible to use the mobile wireless computing device;determine whether to provide access to functions of the mobile wireless computing device based on the timing information, the location information, and a determination made by the activity mode recognition module that the type of activity is driving; andcombine information from the motion data cache and the use permission database to determine a driver safety statistic to be calculated based on when the mobile wireless computing device was used; and a dynamic call handling module configured to communicate to a caller that the mobile wireless computing device is not available when the activity mode recognition module identifies the type of activity as driving, wherein the dynamic call handling module is further configured to place the mobile wireless computing device in a driving mode when the type of activity is identified as driving.