Patent ID: 9729475
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04M,H04W

Claim:
1. A wireless communications device having a normal mode and a driver mode, the device operable to be paired with a vehicle, the device comprising: a memory adapted to maintain a driver mode reply message; a text-based message system adapted to receive incoming text-based messages and send outgoing text-based messages; a screen adapted to display the incoming and outgoing text-based messages; a text entry interface adapted to receive user input of the outgoing text-based messages; at least one processor coupled to the memory and the screen; and a driver mode system adapted to transition the device between the normal mode and the driver mode; wherein, the device automatically transitions from the normal mode to the driver mode responsive to pairing the device with the vehicle; wherein, responsive to incoming text-based messages from message senders when the device is in the normal mode, the text-based message system does not automatically send the driver mode reply message to the message senders; wherein, responsive to a first incoming text-based message from a message sender when the device is in the driver mode, the text-based message system automatically sends the driver mode reply message to the message sender; wherein, responsive to subsequent incoming text-based messages from the message sender during the driver mode session, the text-based message system does not resend the driver mode reply message to the message sender; and wherein, the device automatically transitions from the driver mode to the normal mode responsive to unpairing the device from the vehicle, thereby ending the driver mode session.