Patent ID: 9609621
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: G06Q,H04M,H04W

Claim:
1. A process for preventing texting while driving, wherein the process utilizes: one or more mobile communication devices used by persons travelling in a vehicle; one or more cellular service providers supplying cellular infrastructure and services; a wide area communications network such as the Internet; and a telematics system optionally installed in the vehicle; wherein the process comprises: tracking positions of cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems in communication with at least a first service provider; determining at least a position of each tracked cell phone and GPS-enabled telematics system, utilizing at least a GPS function contained in each of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems; determining that one or more of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems are in a first envelope; if a cell phone determined to be in the first envelope has been registered by its user as a master phone and is determined to be travelling in excess of a specified threshold velocity, preventing texting for that master phone wherein texts are communicated by any of the following: a) via a cellular network of the at least a first service provider; b) via a telematics system determined to be in the first envelope; or c) via a hotspot of another phone within the first envelope; wherein texting communicated solely by voice may be optionally allowed for the registered master phone; allowing texting for passengers whose mobile communication devices are determined to be in the first envelope as long as the master phone remains registered; preventing texting for all mobile communication devices determined to be in the first envelope when it is determined that there is no registered master phone within the first envelope, and the velocity of the first envelope exceeds the specified threshold velocity; and if any of the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems determined to be in the first envelope are determined to communicate via a second cellular provider, then determining that the tracked cell phones and GPS-enabled telematics systems communicating via the second cellular provider are in the first envelope by comparing at least time-stamped position information for each of the tracked cell phones and telematics systems.