Motion-based disabling of messaging on a wireless communications device by differentiating a driver from a passenger
AssigneeResearch In Motion Limited
InventorsRaymond Vander Veen, Gerhard Dietrich Klassen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When a wireless communications device is traveling at a speed exceeding a lower threshold but less than an upper threshold, the device is presumed to be traveling in a motor vehicle. In order to inhibit operation of the wireless communication device by a driver without restricting operation by a passenger, access to certain device functions or applications such as e-mail, text messaging, etc. are limited by challenging the user of the device to respond to an ergonomic challenge that requires two-handed user input. Only if two-handed input is received will the wireless communications device grant access to e-mail or instant messaging.
Claims20
A method of restricting access to one or more applications on a handheld wireless communications device, the method comprising:
- determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device;
- where the current speed of the handheld wireless communications device is greater than a lower threshold
- requesting two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device;
- and
- restricting access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a handheld wireless communications device, is adapted to restrict access to one or more applications by:
- determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device;
- where the current speed of the handheld wireless communications device is greater than a lower threshold
- requesting two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device;
- and
- restricting access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.
A handheld wireless communications device comprising:
- a radiofrequency transceiver for transmitting and receiving text-based communications;
- a positioning subsystem for determining a current speed of the handheld wireless communications device;
- and
- a processor operatively coupled to a memory and to the positioning subsystem for receiving the current speed from the positioning subsystem and for determining whether the current speed is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the processor and memory being further configured to, where the current speed is greater than a lower threshold, request two-handed user input on a user input device of the handheld wireless communications device and restrict access to at least one application on the handheld wireless communications device until the two-handed user input is received.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.