System and Method for a Vehicle Mediating Zone-Specific Control of a Communication Device

Abstract

A method and system of providing zone-specific control of one or more of features of at least one communication device by a vehicle, the system comprising: a microprocessor executable feature control module connected with at least communication device (connected device), wherein the feature control module is configured to receive input from at least one of a sensor of the communication device or specific zone/s to locate the at least one communication device with respect to the zone/s; at least one of the feature control module or device location module determining for the at least one connected device, the specific zone associated with the at least one connected device, wherein the specific zone is labeled with a rule or condition for degree of restriction of one or more features of the at least one connected device; and the feature control module limiting access or control of one or more features of the at least one connected device based on the rules or conditions assigned to the determined zone, wherein the rules or condition are defined by at least one of a group, entity, individual, manufacture, in response to a vehicle or communication device detected input or condition, or any combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of providing zone-specific control of one or more of features of at least one communication device by a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: establishing, by a microprocessor executable feature control module, a connection with the at least one communication device, wherein the feature control module is configured to receive input from at least one of a sensor of the communication device or specific zone/s to locate the at least one communication device with respect to the zone/s; determining for the at least one connected device, the specific zone associated with the at least one connected device, wherein the specific zone is at least one of high-restricted, restricted, low-restricted, or unrestricted; controlling, via the feature control module, access or control of one or more features of the at least one communication device based on rules assigned to the determined zone, wherein the rules are defined by at least one of a group, entity, individual, manufacture, in response to a vehicle or communication device detected input or condition, or any combination thereof; and ceasing or easing zone-specific control of one or more of the features of the at least one communication device by the feature control module based on a change of vehicle state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection between the communication device and feature control module is established via at least one of manually or automatically registering the communication device with the feature control module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically registering the communication device further comprises storing in a memory an identifier associated with the communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the communication device is determined to be within a specific zone by a sensor disposed within a specific zone communicating with at least one of the feature control module or communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific zone is associated with an operator or passenger area of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a specific area comprising at least one of a partial specific zone or whole specific zone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules correspond to laws associated with a geographical region, and wherein the laws are stored in a memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules correspond to one or more settings associated with the communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules correspond to determining a state of the vehicle associated with the communication device, wherein determining the vehicle state further comprises: receiving input indicating at least one of a rested state or emergency state of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle state change is determined to be a vehicle rest state or a vehicle/user emergency state, and wherein control of the communication device is ceased, allowing free or increased access to the one or more features of the communication device.

11. A method of providing zone-specific control of one or more of features of at least one communication device by a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: determining for the at least one communication device connected, the specific zone associated with the at least one connected device, wherein the specific zone is at least one of high-restricted, restricted, low-restricted, or unrestricted; and controlling, via a feature control module, access or control of one or more features of the at least one communication device based on rules assigned to the determined zone, wherein the rules are defined by at least one of a group, entity, individual, manufacture, in response to a vehicle or communication device detected input or condition, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the control module is connected with the at least communication device, wherein the feature control module is configured to receive input from at least one of a sensor of the communication device or specific zone/s to locate the at least one communication device with respect to the zone/s.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one communication device is located to its specific zone or area based on GPS geo-location of the communication device by a zone or area-specific GPS module.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication device is located to its specific zone or area based on communication or pairing between a zone or area-specific sensor and the communication device associated with the specific zone or area.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein ceasing or easing zone-specific control of one or more of the features of the at least one communication device by the feature control module is based on a change of vehicle state, wherein the state change is a consent from an operator of the vehicle.

16. A method of providing zone-specific control of one or more of features of at least one communication device by a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: establishing, by a microprocessor executable feature control module, a connection with the at least one communication device (connected device), wherein the feature control module is configured to receive input from at least one of a sensor of the communication device or specific zone/s to locate the at least one communication device with respect to the zone/s; determining for the at least one connected device, the specific zone associated with the at least one connected device, wherein the specific zone is labeled with some degree of restriction of one or more features of the at least one connected device; and controlling, via the feature control module, access or control of one or more features of the at least one connected device based on rules assigned to the determined zone, wherein the rules are defined by at least one of a group, entity, individual, manufacture, in response to a vehicle or communication device detected input or condition, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the at least one connected device is located to its specific zone or area based on GPS geo-location of the connected device by a zone or area-specific GPS module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one connected device is located to its specific zone or area based on communication or pairing between a zone or area-specific sensor and the connected device associated with the specific zone or area.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein ceasing or easing zone-specific control of one or more of the features of the at least one connected device by the feature control module is based on a change of vehicle state, wherein the state change is a consent from an operator of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the connected device is at least one of a smart phone, smart watch, tablet, or laptop.

21. A system of providing zone-specific control of one or more of features of at least one communication device by a vehicle, said system comprising: a microprocessor executable feature control module connected with at least one communication device (connected device), wherein the feature control module is configured to receive input from at least one of a sensor of the communication device or specific zone/s to locate the at least one communication device with respect to the zone/s; at least one of the feature control module or device location module determining for the at least one connected device, the specific zone associated with the at least one connected device, wherein the specific zone is labeled with a rule or condition for degree of restriction of one or more features of the at least one connected device; and the feature control module limiting access or control of one or more features of the at least one connected device based on the rules or conditions assigned to the determined zone, wherein the rules or condition are defined by at least one of a group, entity, individual, manufacture, in response to a vehicle or communication device detected input or condition, or any combination thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a feature control system in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting areas and zones associated with a vehicle in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a first feature control system method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a second feature control system method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram depicting a third feature control system method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0033] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting a fourth feature control system method in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Presented herein are embodiments of a feature control system. The feature control system can comprise one device or a compilation of devices. Furthermore, the feature control system may include one or more communications devices, such as cellular telephones, or other smart devices. This device, or devices, may be capable of communicating with other devices and/or to an individual or group of individuals. Further, this device, or these devices, can receive user input in unique ways. As described herein, the device(s) may be electrical, mechanical, electro-mechanical, software-based, and/or combinations thereof.

[0036] For purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram is shown depicting a feature control system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In general the feature control system 100 comprises a feature control module 104 in communication with one or more of a communication device 108, sensor 136, 140, user 112, memory 106, 120, 124, server 122, and communication network 116. In some embodiments, the feature control module 104 is configured to control one or more device 108 features based on rules and/or input received. It is anticipated that the input received may be from one or more device 108, sensor 136, 140, and or user 112. Moreover, rules may be stored in one or more memory 106, 120, 124 of the feature control system 100. For example, the feature control module 104 may detect the presence of a device 108 by a physical or wireless connection. Upon detecting the device 108, the feature control module 104 may determine to control features of the device 108 based on the stored rules. These stored rules may direct a course of action based on input detected at the sensors 136, 140 and/or device 108. If the sensors 136, 140 report that the device 108 and user 112 are in the driver's seat of the vehicle, the rules may determine to limit access to device 100 features.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, a vehicle comprises the feature control module 104 in its software and/or hardware implementation. However, the feature control module 104 may be located remotely from a vehicle and substantially perform all of the functions and operations as described herein. For example, the feature control module 104 may be integrated into the device 108. Additionally or alternatively, the feature control module 104 and/or its functionality could be split between the device 108 and an in-vehicle representation. For instance, the split embodiment may further control the device 108 by limiting the device's 108 ability to perform specific functions while coupled and/or decoupled from the feature control module 104 of the vehicle. Although it can be appreciated that the location of the feature control module 104 may vary, for the purposes of this disclosure, the feature control module 104 will be described as residing locally within a vehicle.

[0039] In some embodiments, the feature control module 104 may be configured to receive one or more inputs. These one or more inputs may be used to determine whether to control features associated with a device such as device 108. In general, a device in wireless and/or physical communication with the feature control module 104 may be controlled. The feature control module 104 may affect the control of a device's features via control of one or more of the device display, communications, state, applications, and/or combinations thereof. In one embodiment, a feature control module 104 may receive permission to control a device 108. This permission may be granted upon a registration of the device 108 with the feature control module 104. Furthermore, this type of registration may be achieved via the installation and/or operation of an application on the device 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the application may at least facilitate communications between the device 108 and the feature control module 104, control the state of the device 108 at the direction of the feature control module 104, and/or control a user's 112 access to one or more features of the device 108. However, it is an aspect of the present disclosure that the feature control module 104 may affect the communications ability of any device 108 within a specific area of the vehicle based on signal attenuation and/or interference techniques.

[0040] The device 108 may include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the GPS receiver may further comprise a GPS module that is capable of providing absolute location information to other components of the device 108 and/or the feature control module 104. An accelerometer(s)/gyroscope(s) may also be included. In some embodiments, the accelerometer/gyroscope may comprise at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope. For example, a signal from the accelerometer/gyroscope can be used to determine an orientation of the device 108. This orientation may be used by the feature control module to determine a state of the device 108.

[0041] It is anticipated that the device 108 may include a dual-screen phone, smartpad, and/or vehicle console as described in respective U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/222,921, filed Aug. 31, 2011, entitled DESKTOP REVEAL EXPANSION, and Ser. No. 13/247,581, filed Sep. 28, 2011, entitled SMARTPAD ORIENTATION, and Ser. No. 13/420,240, filed Mar. 14, 2012, entitled REMOVABLE, CONFIGURABLE VEHICLE CONSOLE. Each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety for all that they teach and for all purposes.

[0042] The device 108 may be associated with one or more user 112. In some embodiments, a user 112 may be identified by one or more of characteristics, preferences, identification, and usage. In addition, historical data relating to the one or more user 112 may be stored by the device 108 in a memory 106, 120, 124. As can be appreciated the memory may be local 120, remote 106, 124, and/or combinations thereof.

[0043] The communication network 116 may be any type of known communication medium or collection of communication mediums and may use any type of protocols to transport messages between endpoints. The communication network 116 may include wired and/or wireless communication technologies. The Internet is an example of the communication network 116 that constitutes an IP network consisting of many computers and other communication devices located all over the world, which are connected through many telephone systems and other means. Other examples of the communication network 116 include, without limitation, a standard Plain Old Telephone System (POTS), an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a cellular communication network, a cable communication network, a satellite communication network, any type of enterprise network, and any other type of packet-switched or circuit-switched network known in the art. It can be appreciated that the communication network 116 need not be limited to any one network type, and instead may be comprised of a number of different networks and/or network types. In some embodiments, the communication network 116 may comprise a controller area network, or CANbus, associated with vehicle, automotive, and/or automation communications. Moreover, it is anticipated that communications between various components of the feature control system 100 can be carried by one or more busses.

[0044] The server 122 may comprise a general purpose programmable processor or controller for executing application programming or instructions. In accordance with at least some embodiments, the server 122 may include multiple processor cores, and/or implement multiple virtual processors. In accordance with still other embodiments, the server 122 may include multiple physical processors. As a particular example, the server may comprise a specially configured application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a controller, a hardwired electronic or logic circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array, a special purpose computer, or the like. The server 122 generally functions to run programming code or instructions implementing various functions of the feature control system 100 and/or feature control module 104.

[0045] The vehicle sensors 132 may include but are not limited to one or more of a throttle position sensor, accelerator pedal angle sensor, speed sensor, speedometer, vehicle speed sensor, wind speed, radar, brake position sensor, brake wear sensor, steering/torque sensor, transmission sensor, oxygen sensor, headlight sensor, ambient lighting sensor, vision system sensor, ranging sensor, parking sensor, heating venting and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor, turbine speed sensor, input speed sensor, water sensor, air-fuel ratio meter, blind spot monitor, crankshaft position sensor, engine temperature sensor, cabin temperature sensor, hall effect sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor, mass flow sensor, microphone, camera sensor, crash detection sensor, safety restraint sensors, weight sensor, radio frequency (RF) sensor, infrared sensor (IR), vehicle control system sensors, location and/or position sensors, Wi-Fi sensor, cellular data sensor, Bluetooth sensor, and the like. In some embodiments, the one or more vehicle sensors 132 may be located in different areas or zones of a vehicle. For instance a first sensor 136a may be located in a proximal portion of a vehicle, while a second sensor 136b may be located in a distal portion of the vehicle. As can be appreciated the number of vehicle sensors 132 may vary according to vehicle type and/or vehicle control system complexity. In an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle sensors 132 may be configured to communicate across a communication network 116 and/or directly with the feature control module 104. One example of a communication network in a typical automotive application may include utilizing the CANbus and associated protocol.

[0046] In some embodiments, the feature control module 104 may employ the use of one or more non-vehicle sensors 140. The non-vehicle sensors 140 may include one or more type of vehicle sensor 132 described herein. However, the non-vehicle sensors 140 may be separated from the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the non-vehicle sensors 140 may comprise sensors associated with one or more other devices. For instance, the non-vehicle sensors 140 may be associated with at least one device 108. These sensors may include but are not limited to one or more of an accelerometer/gyroscope, GPS, compass, camera, microphone, audio input/output, temperature sensor, health monitoring sensors, and the like.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting areas and zones associated with a vehicle 204 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In general, a vehicle 204 may comprise one or more areas 208, 216, 220. The areas 208, 216, 220 may in fact be a volume of space and/or a point location (e.g., a docking location, holder, power port, signal port, and so on). These one or more areas 208, 216, 220 may be located inside (208) or outside (216, 220) of a vehicle 204. It is an aspect of the present disclosure that the one or more areas 208, 216, 220 of a vehicle 204 may occupy different, overlapping, or substantially similar physical positions in and/or about the vehicle 204. For instance, the inside of a vehicle 204 may comprise a first area 208a and a second area 208b. As depicted, the first area 208a may occupy a different physical location of the vehicle 204 than the second area 208b. In some embodiments, the areas 208 may be subdivided into one or more zones 212. The one or more zones 212 may completely occupy an area 208 of the vehicle 204. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more zones 212 may occupy a portion of an area 208 of the vehicle 204. It is anticipated that the one or more areas 208 of a vehicle 204 may comprise different zone 212 to area 208 ratios. For example, a vehicle 204 may comprise a first area 208a including a first zone 212a and a second zone 212b. This first area 208a may correspond to the proximal portion of a vehicle 204. The first zone 212a may represent a driver/operator seat of a vehicle 204, while the second zone 212b may represent a proximal passenger seat of a vehicle 204. Continuing the example above, a second area 208b may include a third zone 212c, a fourth zone 212d, and a fifth zone 212e. This second area 208b may represent a passenger area of a vehicle 204. The third zone 212c, fourth zone 212d, and fifth zone 212e may represent individual passenger seats, and/or areas, in the passenger area of the vehicle 204.

[0048] In some embodiments, each area 208, 216, 220 and/or zone 212 associated with a vehicle 204 may comprise one or more sensors to determine a presence in and/or adjacent to each area 208, 216, 220 and/or zone 212. The sensors may include vehicle sensors 132 and/or non-vehicle sensors 140 as described herein. It is anticipated that the sensors may be configured to communicate with a vehicle controls system and/or the feature control module 104. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors may communicate with a device 108. The communication of sensors with the vehicle 204 may initiate and/or terminate the control of device 108 features. For example, a vehicle operator may be located in a second outside area 220 associated with a vehicle 204. As the operator approaches the first outside area 216 associated with the vehicle 204, the feature control module 104 may determine to control features associated with one or more device 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the feature control module 104 may determine to control features associated with the device 108 of the vehicle operator. In this scenario, the feature control module 104 may determine to control a vehicle status application on the device 108. Once the vehicle operator enters the vehicle 204, the sensors 132, 140 may determine that the vehicle operator is in an area 208 and/or zone 212. As is further described herein, the feature control module 104 may utilize the device 108, and/or user 112, location information to control features of the device 108 based on rules.

[0049] FIGS. 3-6 depict multiple methods of the feature control system 100 operation. In some embodiments, the feature control system 100 methods may be controlled manually via user input and/or automatically via a processor.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a first feature control system method 300 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 300 begins at step 304 by detecting one or more devices 108 associated with the vehicle 204. Detection may include a voluntary registration and/or communication between a vehicle 204 and a device 108. Among other things, this type of registration and/or communication may be facilitated via the installation of an application on the device 108. In some embodiments, the application may provide one or more of a communication protocol, use permissions, and access to the feature control module 104. For example, a user may turn on a newly presented device 108 inside a vehicle 204, and as a result may be prompted to register the device 108 with the vehicle 204. This registration prompt process may be effected automatically and/or manually. In some embodiments, the feature control module 104, utilizing one or more sensors 132, 140, may detect the presence of a device 108 and send a signal to the device 108 in the form of an installation prompt.

[0051] In other embodiments, the feature control module 104 may communicate with a device 108 via a physical electrical connection. For instance, the feature control module 104 may include an electrical interconnection configured to facilitate communications between the feature control module 104 and at least one device 108. In one embodiment of the present disclosure the electrical interconnection may provide power to the device 108 via this electrical interconnection.

[0052] In yet another embodiment, the feature control module 104 may communicate with a device 108 via one or more wireless protocol. It is anticipated that the wireless protocol may include, but is not limited to, one or more existing communications protocols and/or equivalents thereof. Common device 108 communications protocols may include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 standards), RF, IR, and variations thereof. In some instances, a device 108 may be paired with one or more sensors used by the feature control module 104 to allow persistent and/or reestablishing communications between the device 108 and the feature control module 104.

[0053] The method 300 continues at step 312 by determining the location of the one or more detected devices 108. In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, the location of a device 108 may be found using vehicle sensors 132 and/or non-vehicle sensors 140. For example, a device 108 may be detected using sensors 132, 140 found inside a vehicle 204. The location of the device 108 inside the vehicle 204 may be obtained via the use of triangulation, sensing, and/or ranging techniques (e.g., measuring signal strength from different points, ping and response, and/or similar position detecting procedures). The procedure of determining a location associated with a device 108 becomes more streamlined upon the physical connection to a known port/electrical connection of the vehicle 204. Moreover, if the device 108 is registered to a particular user 112, the location of the device 108 may be interpreted using stored preferences and/or settings. It is an aspect of the present disclosure that the device 108 itself may report a position/location. This location may be provided via typical device 108 location services such as GPS, Wi-Fi data, and/or cellular data.

[0054] In some embodiments, different locations of a device 108 may provide different responses from the feature control module 104. For example, a device 108 may be determined to be in a location where use of a device 108 is considered to be highly-restricted. The driver's seat and/or pilot area may be an example of such a highly-restricted use location. As such, the feature control module 104 may limit access to the device 108 and/or features of the device 108 based on rules assigned to this zone 212 and/or area 208. In accordance with the present disclosure, another location of the vehicle 204 may be classified as a restricted location. In such locations, the feature control module 104 may determine to control access to the device 108 and/or features of the device 108 based on less restrictive rules than those used for the highly-restricted location. In some embodiments, a device 108 may be used in an unrestricted location. This unrestricted location may allow a user 112 complete access to a device 108 based on rules defined for the unrestricted location. As can be appreciated, different areas 208 and/or zones 212 of a vehicle 204 may be classified as various levels of restricted use. Although the highly-restricted, restricted, and unrestricted locations have be presented herein, it is an aspect of the present disclosure that may levels of restricted and/or unrestricted use may be utilized by the feature control module 104.

[0055] In some embodiments, the method 300 continues by determining one or more vehicle-device use laws (step 312). These vehicle-device use laws may be provided by an organization, governmental entity, group, individual, and/or combinations thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the laws may be created in response to detected input and/or conditions monitored by the feature control module 104, device 108, and/or sensors 132, 140. The laws may be stored in local memory 106 by the feature control module 104, or the laws may be retrieved from another stored data memory 120, 124. In some cases, the feature control module may refer to a remote memory 120, 124 to determine laws and/or rules associated with a specific locality, region, user 112, and/or device 108.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the laws may be statutes and/or regulations that are enforced by a government entity. These laws may define vehicle, traffic, transportation, and/or safety rules associated with a given geographical region. Moreover, these laws may be stored locally and/or remotely as described herein. Furthermore, the laws may be updated from time to time to, among other things, account for changes in the laws. For example, the State of Idaho may ban the use of texting (i.e., sending a text message via some device 108) while driving, but may allow the use of a handheld mobile phone (e.g., device). In contrast, the State of Oregon may completely ban the use of handheld devices. While the user 112 is traveling in Idaho, the feature control module 104 may refer to the laws of Idaho and determine to control the device 108 in accordance with Idaho law. However, once the user 112 is detected as being in Oregon, the feature control module 104 may control the device 108 based, at least in part, on the laws of Oregon. This procedure will be described further herein, however, it should be noted that the vehicle sensors 132 and/or other sensors 140 may determine at least one location of the device 108, and refer to laws associated with that at least one location to control the device 108 accordingly.

[0057] The method continues at step 316 by determining settings of the one or more associated devices 108. These settings may include data relating to the feature control module 104, communications, permissions, device 108 control, methods, user preferences, historical data, and the like. As can be appreciated, a device 108 may have multiple power states associated with its operation. Most devices, including smartphones, tablets, handheld computers, and the like, do not have simple On/Off states. To differentiate between these power states, the following terminology will be used to better define the multiple power states of a device 108. Device Off is used to indicate that the device 108 is completely turned off; in other words, virtually no power is being used by the communication device 108 in this state. When Device Off the device 108 cannot receive or transmit typical communications, signals, alerts, and the like. Device On is used to indicate that the device 108 is turned on, capable of receiving and transmitting communications, signals, and alerts, and power is directed to the device 108 display and all recruited components. In some embodiments, Device On may indicate that the device 108 display is fully powered. In another embodiment, a fully powered display may indicate that the device 108 is in a condition to detect input received at all areas of the display (e.g., touch-screen). Device Lock is used to indicate that power to the communication device 108 display is limited, but the device 108 is capable of receiving and transmitting communications, signals, alerts, and the like. Device Lock saves battery power by reducing power supplied to the display while allowing applications to present an alert to the display or other indicator upon direction of the feature control module 104 and/or an application. In an embodiment where the display may comprise a touch-screen, a Device Lock state may cause reduced power to be directed to the display (e.g., in a limited area or section of the display). In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, the feature control module 104 and/or application may transition the device 108 from a Device On state to a Device Lock state and vice versa.

[0058] The settings of a device 108 may be configured to lock the device 108, or operate the device 108 in a Device Lock state, when controlled by the feature control module 104. For instance, a parent/guardian may configure a child's device 108 to be controlled in accordance with strict settings and/or preferences. In this instance, the parent/guardian may determine that a device 108 may be a distraction to a child, while driving, in any state other than the Device Lock state. As such, the parent/guardian can set the device 108 to respond to feature control module 104 controls by operating the device in a Device Lock state. In contrast, a parent/guardian may wish to configure the settings of a device 108 to be less strict and allow access to other features of the device 108. In this case, a parent/guardian may configure a device 108 to only lock specific features associated with the device 108. In any event, the device 108 may be controlled at higher levels of strictness than provided by the vehicle-device laws determined in step 312. These higher levels of strictness may be provided by user preferences and/or device 108 settings. In some cases, the device 108 state may override settings, laws, and/or preferences.

[0059] The method continues by determining the state of the device 108 (step 320). States of the device 108 may include one or more power state (on, off, and/or locked), orientation (vertical, horizontal, angle, etc.), operation (e.g., input type, running and/or background applications), sensor states, and the like. Among other things, specific device 108 states may indicate one or more conditions related to the user 112, vehicle 204, and/or the device 108 itself. For example, a device 108 may be in an unpowered, or Device Off, state and as such the condition may preclude control by the feature control module 104. On the other hand, the state information of the device 108 may indicate that the device 108 is operating in a Device On state and may be subject to control via the feature control module 104. It is an aspect that sensor information received from a device 108 may determine control via the feature control module 104. For instance, one or more sensors on a device 108 may detect an impact, shock, and/or other tactile input and may correlate the data (in some instances in combination with other data) to determine a response by the feature control module 104.

[0060] The vehicle state is determined at step 324. This vehicle state may include but is not limited to vehicle motion (driving, stopped, etc.), position (geographically), speed, acceleration, deceleration, transmission state (in-park, engaged drive, engaged reverse, in-gear, neutral), component status (parking brake, airbag, safety restraint system, engine control unit (ECU) output, CANbus activity), occupants (number, position, weight, and the like), sensor information (temperatures, pressures, etc.), and combinations thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, a user 112 may be driving a vehicle 204 while attempting to simultaneously operate an associated device 108. Upon detecting that the vehicle 204 is moving, the feature control module 104 may control the device 108 and/or features of the device 108 accordingly. Additionally or alternatively, when the vehicle 204 is determined to be in a stationary state (i.e., not moving), and even in-park, the feature control module 104 may determine to cease controlling the device 108.

[0061] In some embodiments, the vehicle 204 state may indicate an emergency condition. For example, the vehicle 204, via one or more sensors 132, 140 may indicate that the vehicle 204 has been subjected to substantial amounts of impact force, the airbag deployed, the anti-lock braking system engaged, the vehicle 204 instantaneously moved in a direction contrary to historical data collected over time, the speed of the vehicle reduced dramatically, and more. These exemplary sensor responses may be indicative of an accident. In any event, the feature control module 104 may be configured to address emergency scenarios, especially with respect to the control of one or more devices 108. In one embodiment, an emergency state may cause the feature control module 104 to provide unfettered access to the device 108 and/or its features. In another embodiment, an emergency state may cause the feature control module 104 to present an emergency message to the one or more devices 108. This emergency message may be sent to emergency services personnel and/or a third party. Furthermore, the emergency message may include details regarding the emergency, the state of the vehicle 204, the state of a user 112, and/or the state of the device 108.

[0062] The feature control module 104 is configured to control one or more devices 108 based at least in part on rules (step 328). In general, the feature control module may utilize any one or more of the steps presented herein in determining control of the one or more devices 108. In some embodiments, the rules may direct that all of the steps disclosed herein be considered before the specific control of a device 108 is initiated. These rules may include at least one algorithm to provide a controlling action response from the feature control module 104. The rules may use sensor information collected, settings, laws, and more in determining a control action.

[0063] Control of a device 108 may take a number of forms. In some embodiments, control of a device 108 may include restricting access to specific applications, programs, and/or features of the device 108. For example, a user 112 whose device is being controlled by a feature control module 104 may be allowed to access the home screen of a device 108 to check the time and/or date. However, this user 112 may be restricted, by the feature control module 104, from accessing a communications interface (e.g., telephone, texting, SMS, MMS, email, web browsers, and the like). Additionally or alternatively, the user may be restricted from accessing programs that require physical input at the device 108. For instance, a user 112 may be allowed to use the device 108 to send some form of communication and/or interface with the device 108 using voice commands and/or visual input.

[0064] In some embodiments, the control of a device 108 may include transitioning the device 108 from one state to another. Among other things, various device 108 states may include Device On, Device Off, and Device Lock. In accordance with the present disclosure, and as previously stated, the rules may refer to location of the device 108 to activate and/or deactivate a control action. Additionally or alternatively, a control message may be presented to an interface associated with the device 108 to indicate that the device 108 is controlled or released from control.

[0065] In other embodiments, the control of a device 108 may include blocking communications to and/or from the device 108. This type of communications control may be activated in one or more of an area 208, a zone 212, and a device 108. For instance, if one or more devices 108 are detected in a given area 208, the feature control module 104 may determine to control all of the devices 108 together. This control may include interfering with the devices' 108 communication abilities.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a second feature control system method 400 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, the method 400 is directed to detecting a device 108 and any associated settings for the control of the device 108. The method begins at step 404 and proceeds by detecting one or more device 108 (step 408). As disclosed above, detection may be achieved through physical and/or wireless techniques. Moreover, the disclosed detection techniques may be automatically performed and/or manually initiated. If no device 108 is detected, the method ends (step 442).

[0067] Upon detecting a device, however, the method 400 continues by determining whether any settings are associated with the device 108 (step 412). These settings may include data associated with a user, device, application, and/or feature control module 104. Typical settings may be stored in device data 120, at the feature control module 104 system data 106, and/or remotely in stored data 124. If no settings are detected, the user 112 may be prompted to enter settings, and/or configure the device 108 (step 416).

[0068] At this point, the user 112 may enter settings as prompted (step 420). In other words, the user 112 may enter settings information at one or more of the device 108, interface to the feature control module 104, and/or at a server 122. The settings may be prompted via at least one application running on the device, a server, and/or running as part of the feature control module 104. If the user fails to enter settings as prompted, the method 400 may continue by optionally controlling the device 108 based on default settings (step 424) and/or end the method (step 442).

[0069] If settings are available, or if the user 112 enters settings as prompted, the method 400 may continue by controlling the device 108 based at least in part on the settings and on rules stored in memory (step 428). In an exemplary embodiment, the feature control module 104 may control one or more behavior of the device 108. For example, rules may dictate that while a vehicle 204 is in motion, the device 108 should be controlled for all communications applications. Additionally or alternatively, a user 112 may enter settings directing that, when controlled by a feature control module 104, the device 104 should be transitioned to a Device Lock state. Moreover, the user 112 may wish to have an alert/notification pushed to the device 108 interface to indicate that the device 108 is being controlled. This alert/notification may be provided in the form of a message. It is anticipated that vehicle 204 and/or device 108 conditions may be continually monitored by the feature control module 104 to modify the control method 400. Once a device 108 is controlled, the method may return to detecting any available devices 108 (step 408). If no device 108 is found, the method ends (step 442).

[0070] Referring to FIG. 5, a flow diagram is shown depicting a third feature control system method 500 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Among other things, the method 500 discloses a feature control module 104 utilizing device 108 and/or vehicle 204 location to determine at least one control action. The method begins at step 504 and proceeds by detecting one or more device 108 (step 508). If no device is found, the method ends (step 520).

[0071] Upon detecting a device 108, the method 500 continues by determining the location of the device 108 (and/or vehicle 204)(step 512). The location of the device 108 may refer to physical location of the device 108 inside or outside of a vehicle 204. In the event that a device 108 is determined to be located inside a vehicle 204, a specific location of the device 108 may be determined. Additionally or alternatively, the device 108 may be determined to be in a general location inside the vehicle 204. Depending on the rules and/or state of the vehicle 204, the specific location of the device 108 may be important to the feature control module 104 in determining to control the device 108 or its features. For example, a device 108 detected in the driver's seat of a vehicle 204 may be controlled differently than a device 108 detected in the rear passenger seat of a vehicle 204. As one example, a device 108 in the driver's seat may be controlled to more strict conditions. On the other hand, a device 108 found in the rear passenger location may be unrestricted or minimally restricted.

[0072] In some embodiments, the location of the device 108 may include a location of the vehicle 204. In other words, a location of the device 108 detected inside a vehicle 204, may be provided by a GPS or other location service of the vehicle and/or the device 108 itself. This geographical location of the vehicle 204 may be used by the feature control module 104 in initiating a control action. In particular, the feature control module 104 may refer to laws associated with the geographical location of the vehicle 204 in controlling the device 108. In some instances, these laws may be related to traffic and/or vehicle-device use statutes created by a government or third party.

[0073] When the device 108 is location is determined, the method 500 continues by controlling the device 108 based at least partially on the location of the device 108 and stored rules (step 516). As provided in an example above, a device 108 may be controlled in accordance with laws based on the location of the device 108 in the vehicle 204. The method 500 may continue by returning to the step of detecting devices (step 508). If no device is found, the method ends (step 520).

[0074] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram depicting a fourth feature control system method 600 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, the method 600 is directed to determining a state of a vehicle 204 to provide control action guidance for the feature control module 104. In some embodiments, the feature control module 104 may be configured to cease control of a device and/or its applications based on a number of states associated with a vehicle 204. One of these overriding control states is an emergency detected by the feature control module 104.

[0075] The method 600 begins at step 604 and proceeds by determining whether one or more devices 108 have been detected (step 608). If no device is found, the method ends (step 628). However, upon detecting a device 108, the method 600 continues by determining a state of the vehicle 204 (step 612). A vehicle state may be determined by one or more inputs provided via the vehicle sensors 132, non-vehicle sensors 140, device 108, and a user 112.

[0076] In some embodiments, the method 600 may interpret the nature of the vehicle state determined in step 612. In particular, the feature control module 104 may determine whether the vehicle is in a state of emergency or not (step 616). As described above, an emergency state may be determined from a number of vehicle 204 inputs. For example, various vehicle sensors 132 may indicate that an oil line associated with the vehicle 204 is losing pressure, the engine is reaching an unusually high predetermined temperature, and the safety restraint sensors detect impact at the front of the vehicle 204. This combination of sensor inputs may be enough to qualify as an emergency. In some embodiments, the user 112 may input an override command to indicate an emergency state. This override command may be in the form of video, voice, tactile, or other input.

[0077] Upon detecting an emergency state of the vehicle 204, the feature control module 104 may be directed to override specific controlled features of the device 108 (step 620). In other words, the feature control module 104 may allow access to all, or less than all, of the features of the device 108. For example, in the event of an emergency, a user's 112 access to the communications applications of a device 108 may be considered important if not critical. Therefore, a detected emergency state may prevent the restricted control of the device's communication hardware and/or software.

[0078] In the event that the vehicle state is not determined to be an emergency, the method 600 continues by controlling the device 108 based at least partially on the vehicle state and stored rules (step 624). For example, one or more sensors 132, 140 may indicate that a vehicle 204 has reduced speed in a short amount of time. However, the feature control module 104 may determine that this type of scenario is not an emergency. As such, the device 108 may be controlled in accordance with the current vehicle state and rules. For instance, the vehicle state may indicate that the vehicle 204 is stopped and in-park. In this case, the feature control module 104 may allow access to features of the device 108. Upon detecting a state change of the vehicle 204, the feature control module 104 may control the device 108 differently (e.g., restricting access to features of the device 108). The method 600 may continue by returning to the step of detecting devices (step 608). If no device is found the method ends (step 628).

[0079] The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have been described in relation to a feature control module 104 and associated devices 108. As suggested by this disclosure, features may be shared between a feature control module 104 and a device 108. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scopes of the claims. Specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It should however be appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.

[0080] Furthermore, while the exemplary aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations illustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated, certain components of the system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a distributed network, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, or within a dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the components of the system can be combined in to one or more devices, such as a Personal Computer (PC), laptop, netbook, smart phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), tablet, etc., or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and/or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switch network, or a circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from the preceding description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system. For example, the various components can be located in a switch such as a PBX and media server, gateway, in one or more communications devices, at one or more users' premises, or some combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functional portions of the system could be distributed between a telecommunications device(s) and an associated computing device.

[0081] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof, or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable of supplying and/or communicating data to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and may take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.

[0082] Also, while the flowcharts have been discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changes, additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and aspects.

[0083] A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosure without providing others.

[0084] In some embodiments, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the disclosed embodiments, configurations and aspects includes computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein.

[0085] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function, and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized.

[0086] In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet, JAVA or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into a software and/or hardware system.

[0087] Although the present disclosure describes components and functions implemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations with reference to particular standards and protocols, the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations are not limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present disclosure.

[0088] The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various aspects, embodiments, configurations embodiments, subcombinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the disclosed aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and\or reducing cost of implementation.

[0089] The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0090] Moreover, though the description has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.