Modification of portable communications device operation in vehicles

#The present application is related to the following concurrently filed non-provisional applications filed of even date herewith by the present inventor: (i) Modification of Portable Communications Device Operation in Identified Geographic Locations, and (ii) Use of Mobile Terminals to Monitor Vehicular Traffic, which non-provisional applications are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and which non-provisional applications are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application as if set forth in their entirety herein.

#The present invention relates to use of portable communications devices in vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to automatic modification of use of such portable communications devices in vehicles. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to modification of use under external control, including such controls as may be applied by a user, vehicle owner, or governmental or other authority.

#Recent years have witnessed explosive growth in the use of portable electronic devices, many of which include one or more types of voice and/or data communications capabilities. Perhaps the most visible examples of such devices are the virtually omnipresent cellular wireless telephones and personal communications devices. In the U.S. alone, approximately 100 million such devices are commonly in use. In addition, many pocket- or palm-sized devices originally directed to and used primarily for note-taking, personal information management, scheduling and similar activities have been augmented with wireless communications facilities for exchanging information including exchanges over networks such as the Internet. In other aspects, portable communications devices now include laptop and other portable computers adapted to provide wireless voice and data communications access equivalent in most ways to computers having wired or optical network connections.

#The present invention will be more completely understood when read in conjunction with the attached drawing, wherein:

#FIG. 1 shows an illustrative system arrangement for control of cellular telephone use in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 illustrates one mode of operation of a link between automobile traffic on a roadway and a local-restrictions database (LRDB).

#FIG. 1 shows an illustrative system architecture for control of cellular telephone use within an operating space (illustratively, a cell) in accordance with aspects of the present invention. There, a representative wireless cell 100 is shown as including within its boundaries a plurality of cellular phones (cell phones), identified as 110-1 through 110-n. These cell phones communicate via antenna 120 in well-known fashion with cellular base station 125 or mobile telephone switching office (MTSO). While standard analog or digital cellular signals and protocols, or any of a variety of other mobile communications devices, signals and protocols may be used to communicate between cell phones 110-i and base station 125, the present description will illustratively proceed in terms of well-known TDMA or CDMA practice and procedures when any such election of formats and protocol may be necessary or appropriate.

#Cell phones 110-i in FIG. 1 are advantageously augmented in accordance with an aspect of the present invention with global positioning system (GPS) receiving functionality for receiving one or a plurality of position-indicating signals from external sources, typically satellite sources well known in the art. Though standard GPS satellite signals, such as those employed in the widely used NAVSTAR system, are well adapted for use at a GPS receiver included in cell phones 110-i, local or regional terrestrial signals may be used in some applications of the present inventive techniques. Such terrestrial signals provide location information transmitted from fixed or identified locations to cell phone-based receivers.

#Messages received at base station 125 from one or more cell phones are advantageously forwarded to a legal restrictions server (LRS) 150. LRS 150 is arranged to store information relating to restrictions on cellular telephone usage in cell 100 and/or other designated geographical area(s). Further, LRS 150 includes standard message handling facilities for delivering relevant information about such local restrictions to cell phones within respective designated geographic areas.