# US 10,375,230 B2 · Hardware setting restriction of electronic devices within transit vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,230 B2 - Document ID: US10375230B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/117,075 - Filed: 2018-08-30 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31 - Assignees: Cubic Corporation - Applicants: Cubic Corporation - Inventors: Mark Dyne - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375230B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04M 1/72463: to restrict the functionality of the device - H04M 1/724098: {Interfacing with an on-board device of a vehicle (for hands-free speaking in vehicles H04M1/6075)} - H04M 1/72412: using two-way short-range wireless interfaces - H04M 1/72457: according to geographic location - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract Systems and methods for restricting electronic devices to maximum hardware settings within a transit vehicle. A method may include receiving positioning data for each of a plurality of portable electronic devices. The method may also include determining a location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices within the transit vehicle based on the positioning data. The method may further include establishing at least one zone within the transit vehicle, assigning one or more maximum hardware settings to each of the at least one zone, and ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices. The method may include transmitting, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals each indicating a transmitting position sensor of the plurality of position sensors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of restricting electronic devices to maximum hardware settings within a transit vehicle, the method comprising: receiving positioning data for each of a plurality of portable electronic devices; determining a location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices within the transit vehicle based on the positioning data; receiving, from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices, a user preference indicating a desired maximum hardware setting; establishing a plurality of zones within the transit vehicle; assigning one or more maximum hardware settings to each of the plurality of zones based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices and the desired maximum hardware setting indicated by the user preference received from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices; and ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals each indicating a transmitting position sensor of the plurality of position sensors, wherein the wireless beacon signals are received by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated and transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the plurality of zones within the transit vehicle includes using a predetermined set of zones. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more maximum hardware settings includes one or more of: a maximum volume setting; a maximum vibration setting; a maximum brightness setting; and a microphone setting. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices includes: for each device of the plurality of portable electronic devices that is not in compliance with the one or more maximum hardware settings, sending an instruction to the device to cause the device to comply with the one or more maximum hardware settings. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory computer-readable medium for restricting electronic devices to maximum hardware settings within a transit vehicle, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving positioning data for each of a plurality of portable electronic devices; determining a location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices within the transit vehicle based on the positioning data; receiving, from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices, a user preference indicating a desired maximum hardware setting; establishing a plurality of zones within the transit vehicle; assigning one or more maximum hardware settings to each of the plurality of zones based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices and the desired maximum hardware setting indicated by the user preference received from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices; and ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals each indicating a transmitting position sensor of the plurality of position sensors, wherein the wireless beacon signals are received by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated and transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein establishing the plurality of zones within the transit vehicle includes using a predetermined set of zones. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the one or more maximum hardware settings includes one or more of: a maximum volume setting; a maximum vibration setting; a maximum brightness setting; and a microphone setting. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices includes: for each device of the plurality of portable electronic devices that is not in compliance with the one or more maximum hardware settings, sending an instruction to the device to cause the device to comply with the one or more maximum hardware settings. ### Claim 13 A system for restricting electronic devices to maximum hardware settings within a transit vehicle, the system comprising: one or more processors; a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving positioning data for each of a plurality of portable electronic devices; determining a location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices within the transit vehicle based on the positioning data; receiving, from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices, a user preference indicating a desired maximum hardware setting; establishing a plurality of zones within the transit vehicle; assigning one or more maximum hardware settings to each of the plurality of zones based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices and the desired maximum hardware setting indicated by the user preference received from each of the plurality of portable electronic devices; and ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals each indicating a transmitting position sensor of the plurality of position sensors, wherein the wireless beacon signals are received by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated and transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, by a plurality of position sensors located throughout the transit vehicle, wireless beacon signals transmitted by the plurality of portable electronic devices, and wherein the positioning data is generated based on the received wireless beacon signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein ensuring compliance of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices with the one or more maximum hardware settings based on the location of each of the plurality of portable electronic devices includes: for each device of the plurality of portable electronic devices that is not in compliance with the one or more maximum hardware settings, sending an instruction to the device to cause the device to comply with the one or more maximum hardware settings.