WO2018128625A1

WO2018128625A1 - Mobile computing device control system

Info

Publication number: WO2018128625A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/012669
Authority: WO
Inventors: Don E. SPRAGUE
Original assignee: Sprague Don E
Priority date: 2017-01-09
Filing date: 2017-01-09
Publication date: 2018-07-12

Abstract

A mobile computing device control system for enabling, disabling or otherwise managing cell phone or other mobile computing device use. The invention includes access security managers in all cell phones and other mobile computing devices to control device use in a span of control areas based on parameters installed on the device. The invention includes stationary beacons installed in buildings and portable beacons positioned in open land areas that establishes a span of control used to identify the exact location of mobile devices withing the span of control. The invention includes access security controllers used to modify use parameters in cell phone or other mobile devices. The invention includes databases that contain user and device information used to securely manage use parameters and other device controls. The invention includes stationary beacons installed in moving vehicles to identify the exact location of the driver and passengers.

Description

MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE CONTROL SYSTEM

1. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

2. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

3. NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

4. SEQUENCE LISTING TABLE OF COMPACT DISCS

Not applicable

5. MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable 6. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION a. Field of invention

This invention relates to the field of managing the use of cell phones and other mobile devices. More

specifically the invention comprises a system to restrict, enable or otherwise securely manage cell phones and other mobile device use is span of control areas . The system enables creation of building span of control areas where cell phone or other mobile device use is managed. Federal buildings and schools are two places where an enterprise can establish a span of control to manage cell phone or other mobile device use. This invention also defines a default parameter to disable cell phone and other mobile device functions when the devices movement exceeds a specified speed regardless of the mode of transportation. Moving

vehicles span of control areas are defined to enable passenger override of the movement disabling. A first responder override of the movement disable is provided to permit their full use of the device.

b. Description of Related Art.

There are known methods of locating computing devices. Find my phone is one example of an existing method of identifying the location and movement of a cell phone. There are existing systems that disable some cell phone functions. Detecting infrared signals is used to activate disable functions. Using the camera to

identify the driver of a car is used to disable their phone .

7. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention comprises a mobile computing device control system for enabling, disabling or otherwise managing cell phone or other mobile computing device use. The invention includes access security managers in all cell phones and other mobile computing devices to control device use in a span of control areas based on parameters installed on the device. The invention includes stationary beacons installed in buildings and portable beacons positioned in open land areas that establishes a span of control used to

identify the exact location of mobile devices withing the span of control. The invention includes access security controllers used to modify use parameters in cell phone or other mobile devices. The invention includes databases that contain user and device

information used to securely manage use parameters . The invention includes stationary beacons installed in moving vehicles to identify the exact location of the driver and passengers.

8. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Not applicable

9. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.

There are many places where business and government need to be able to restrict some or all cell phone or other mobile device use. It is easy to ask people to turn off or not use their device. Taking phones and other mobile devices from people is not always a simple viable alternative. It is easy to pass laws that require drivers to refrain from using their phone. It is not easy to enforce those laws .

Computers can very efficiently manage device use.

Business and government can use computers to restrict, enable or otherwise manage cell phone and other mobile device use in specific areas under their control.

Installation of default parameters in a phone can disable some phone functions when the phone movement exceeds some defined speed. Schools have rules that prohibit most cell phone use in class rooms. It is easy to pass a rule but hard to enforce. Computers can be used to disable or otherwise manage student cell phone use in class rooms . We want students to be able to call 911 or other country

emergence response numbers at any time. We want students to be able to use audio and video to record illegal activity when or wherever it occurs . This invention enables a school administrator to manage student phone use within the school builds.

Business and government have unlimited situations where they need to control cell phone or other mobile device use. They can use computers to securely disable, enable or otherwise manage cell phone and other mobile device use. An administrator of a federal building could be authorised to disable some or all cell phone use in the federal building. There is a need to block the capability of using a cell phone for nefarious activity such as explosive trigger device in some large public gatherings. A grocery store enterprise manager can enable a guide me function that guides customers to specific in store items. Prisons deal with cell phones smuggled in. Medical facilities request that cell phones be turned off. Private enterprise restricts cell phone use in factories and classified research areas. A texting driver is a distracted driver. Many accident investigators try to determine if a car or train driver was using their cell phone.

You can ask people to stop using their cell phone or you can order people to strop using cell phones . More effective is to restrict the devices function to prevent use. This invention provides restriction of mobile computers in various controlled situations .

The present invention mobile computing device control system enables government, business and individuals to securely manage cell phone or other mobile computing device use. The management system is comprised of:

- Access Security managers in all cell phones or other mobile devices ,

- Beacons,

- Access security controllers,

- Databases.

Mobile device span of control management is

accomplished through parameters installed in the mobile device access security manager and through beacons used to identify the exact location of the device. Default parameters are set in the device by the manufacturers. Override parameters are installed through the use of access security controllers and remote databases .

The smallest span of control is in an automobile such as a car. Trains are larger span of control areas. Buildings are larger span of control areas. Open land areas may be the largest span of control areas . a. Access Security manager

Use parameters are contained in the access security manager. Default parameters are installed by the manufacturers . Override parameters are installed by licensed technicians using access security controllers and conversational mode authorization with remote databases . h. Access security controller

The access security controller is an extension of the access security manager. Mobile computers such as cell phones and tablets are enabled to be enterprise

controllers through a direct hardwired connection or a bidirectional pair access. The use parameters in a users access security manager can only be changed through an access security controller. The controller must be in session with an enterprise database to get the authorization to modify user device parameters c . Beacons

Mobile device control beacons receive and transmit signals used by the access security manager to

determine the exact location of the device in a span of control. The placement of beacons defines a span of control .

In buildings, the primary beacon is a fixed location computer such as a desktop or a tablet enclosed in a locked container that is fixed to the building

structure. Secondary beacons may be any computer such as a cell phone or a simple signal device beacon that io in a lucked fixed container. Licensed technicians install the beacons and establish the span of control . Enterprise employees may be licensed to establish the span of control.

Vehicle manufacturers or approved licensed technicians create a span of control inside vehicles using the enterprise span of control process . One primary and two secondary beacons are installed in cars or small

vehicles. Large vehicles such as trains may require more primary and secondary beacons. Primary beacons are smart beacons that send out control parameters. Secondary beacons may just send out timing signals. If the vehicle has a computer installed, the manufacturer may enable the vehicle computer as the primary beacon. d. Enterprise span of control

An enterprise span of control is used to manage mobile computer use in buildings or open areas. Stationary beacons are installed in buildings. Stationary or mobile beacons many be installed or positioned in open areas to establish an enterprise span of control.

A licensed enterprise technician uses an access

security controller to enter control parameters in primary beacons access security manager. When a user enters the controlled area, the access security manager in their device receives the parameters and responds appropriately .

License information about the enterprise and the

administrator establishing a span of control must be preregistered in a remote database. The enterprise span of control area and authorization is maintained in a public access portion of the database. Is suggested that federal regulations or federal law be passed to address span of control limitations .

An enterprise span of control license is entered in the enterprise and national remote databases . When a licensed enterprise manager initiates a span of

control, the administrators access security controller records the request in the enterprise remote database which compares the request and the license parameters. When the request and licensed parameters match, the enterprise remote database sends an activation code to the enterprise managers electronic address specified in the remote database. The activation code is entered in the enterprise administrator device access security controller which sends acknowledgment to the remote data base. Then the remote database send an unlock to the controller which then sends the approval to the master beacon access security manager. This

conversational mode exchange of request and approval between users and devices is to inhibit unauthorized entry into the enterprise span of control . All

enterprise databases have a public viewable portion that permits users to view the controls being applied to their devices when in the enterprise span of

control .

An enterprise span of control must be requested, approved and registered in the national database prior to initiation of the enterprise span of control.

Registration may be through the Internet Services

Provider. The enterprise database cannot activate a span of control without the prior electronic approval from the national database. When an enterprise

activates or changes a span of control the change must be approved by and recorded in the national database.

Guide Me option:

Enterprise managers may enable a process to guide visitors to specific points or locations in their enterprise facilities .

- A grocery store may use the tool to guide people to specific items in their store. Such as: a consumer may walk into the store and ask their device to guide them to the pickles. The Guide Me function shows a list of pickle items and their location. The consumer picks the appropriate item then the location is displayed and an arrow shows the direction of travel to get to the selected item,

- A concert hall may guide people to their seat.

- A hospital may guide people to a room.

- An airport may guide people to passenger pickup or to the closest open parking space nearest to the passenger pickup area. To guide to open parking space requires monitoring of parking spaces. e. Modes of transportation span of control

For all cell phones and other mobile devices, the default parameter is to disable keyboard and display, except for navigation display, when device movement exceeds some speed greater than average walking speed of 3.5 MFH. The exact disable speed and use parameters should be defined by federal law or regulation. If the primary disable default parameters are established as a legal requirement by federal law, there should be no charge to any mobile device owner for installation and activation of those default movement disable

parameters. The access security manager in all cell phones use a combination of cell phone location and motion detection methods . The decades old method of triangulation is incorporated to uses cell tower signal to determine the movement speed of the device.

Regardless of the mode of transportation, device motion is examined and once the device motion is determined to be above the default parameters installed on the phone, use is restricted as defined in the parameters. Trains or other modes of transportation that move outside the range of cell towers use the vehicle onboard computer data to engage the default movement disable function in the phones . f . Enable passengers to use moving cell phones

Passenger override of the motion disable function is through use of the access security manager and beacons installed in vehicles. The exact location of passenger device position in the vehicle is determined which permits the access security manager override of the motion disable. g. First responders enabled to use moving cell phones

To enable first responder or other approved user cell phones or mobile devices to retain full function, a licensed technician using a direct connected or paired access security controller may perform the override activity. The first responders or other approved users devices must have the access security manager

installed. Information about the first responders or other approved users and their devices must be

preregistered in a state and/or a federal enterprise database and the registration is propagated up to the interne4t service providers and to a national database and an international database. License information about the technician performing the override activity must be prerecorded in the databases. The controller must be registered in the database.

The technician and the first responder use a secure logon to access their device. Once they are securely known to the devices, they either physically

interconnect the devices or they pair the devices in a logical system/network connection. The technician enters the override specifications and initiates the request. The controller connects through the network to the enterprise database. The enterprise database verifies that the first responder has been

preregistered with permitted override specifications . Then the enterprise databases sends an override code to the technicians electronic address listed in the

database. The technician enters the code in the

controller access security manager. The controller alters the users device parameters to enable full function or other approved changes to the devices parameters . h. Law Enforcement enterprise span of control Law enforcement enterprise span of control of open areas is similar to enterprise span of control. A span of control area is established with a complex of mobile beacons with access security manager installed. Beacons may be in a law enforcement vehicle or a law

enforcement officer cell phone or body camera. One or more law enforcement officer makes a verbal request for approval to establish a mobile device control area. The request goes through an authorized administrator who has the request entered into a federal law enforcement approved enterprise span of control database. A

requesting officer enters a request in their mobile device access security manager. The access security manager sends a request through the network to the federal database. The database verifies the request matches the prior entered registration and

authorization then sends an enable command back to the requesting officer device access security manager.

Once established, other officers may use the access security manager in their mobile deices to become additional beacons in the span of control area. The span of control area remains active until the

requesting officers or their authorized administrator terminate the span of control.

The law enforcement span of control typically has the beacon vehicles parked. If the beacons are moving, the calculations are more complex.

The span of control permits tagging all cell phones or other mobile devices in the span of control area.

Tagged phone are tracked until the authorized

administrator terminates tagging. If an authorized administrator requests and receives a court order, the tagged device may have all court approved communication monitored and recorded.

The span of control may enable law enforcement to take driver control of a vehicle with a primary beacon in the vehicle onboard computer and onboard wireless communication. A requesting officer may establish communication with a remote control center with

capability to take driver control of a tagged vehicle. To establish the remote driver, the law enforcement officer or other appropriate individual is within the enterprise span of control of the target vehicle and has a conversational mode exchanges of vehicle

identification information with the remote driver. The remote driver may operate the vehicle just as the actual person in the driver seat. Once the remote driver is established, the remote driver control remains even if the vehicle moves outside the span of control . All law enforcement remote driver takeover incidents are recorded in the federal database.

A non-law enforcement enterprise manager may have a limited range takeover of specific vehicles they have legal control over. A car dealer or manufacturers may use the remote driver capability to park or retrieve vehicles . A parking lot owner may use the remote driver capability within their legal span of control. To takeover driver control of a vehicle requires verification of authorization through access security conversational approval with the enterprise and

national database. All enterprise remote driver takeover incidents are recorded in the federal

database .

i. Enterprise database

The enterprise database contains all enterprise mobile device computing control system management data

including but not limited to registered and established spans of control areas and parameters, device, and licensed controller technicians .

Government and private company databases operate basically the same but they have different levels of authority to change different levels of use parameters . A government database may be able to approve disabling all device use in a specific area while a private company database may not be able to turn off voice command to dial 911 or other country emergency number. j . National and international directory security

services databases

The data in the international database is shadowed and fed from the national databases. The information in the national databases is shadowed and fed from the enterprise and Internet services providers databases . The national and international databases have a public viewable portion that permits users to view the

controls being applied to their devices when in an enterprise span of control.

All cell phone and other mobile device users and

enterprises are know to the national and international databases . The pubic can access the public portion of the databases to find general information about uses. The public information includes but is not limited to Name, phone number, electronic address bit address, physical address and the unique table entry identification number . k. Conversational mode authorization

Conversational mode authorization among components and users requires separated human input into separated components . Then it requires the conversation between the separate computer components with additional human interaction and the remote database. This separation of users and authorization control components prevents a lone user from attacking a computer. It makes a coordinated attack difficult to complete.

1. Bidirectional access code in a logical private system/network

In a closed system, a secure logon to any system

component may enable a user to access any other system component. Ά network is essentially an extended system.

There are two main areas of logon access approval

A User to local device,

^A Local device to other local or remote system/network device .

Once a user has approved access to their system/network entry point, agreements between system/network components may enable the user to access all approved system/network components without additional legacy Ids and password.

Bidirectional registration between a local user device and the remote target site or application is through the access security managers . As part of the

registration, a bidirectional access code is recorded at both ends for future access or logical private network connection.

Although the proceeding description contains significant detail, it should not be construed to be limiting the scope of the invention. It provides illustrations of the preferred embodiment of the

invention. The control systems features could take many forms that do not materially alter the nature of the invention. The scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims rather than any specific examples .

Claims

Having described my invention, I claim;

1. A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE CONTROL SYSTEM which

disables, enables or otherwise manages mobile device use comprised of:

a. Access Security manager functions

b Beacons

c. Access security controllers

d. Mobile device use databases

2. An access security manager as recited in claim 1 to disable, enable or otherwise manage cell phone or other mobile device use.

a. Access security manager that manages default parameters .

b. An access security manager that manages

parameter override.

3. A default parameter in cell phones and other mobile device that disables keyboard and other device use when device movement exceeds average walking speed of 3.5 MPH regardless of mode of transportation.

4. An access security controller as recited in claim 1 that is used to manage changes to access security managers in computers, cell phones and other mobile devices .

a. Controllers that are connected between user devices and remote databases to manage device parameters .

Beacons in building or open land areas as recited in claim 1 that communicate with the Access

Security Manager to identify cell phone and other mobile device location and enable, disable or otherwise manage mobile device use in span of control areas .

Beacons installed in moving vehicles such as cars, buses and air planes as recited in claim 1 that communicate with the Access Security Manager to identify driver and passenger device exact location in vehicles and enable, disable or otherwise manage mobile driver and passenger device use in the moving vehicles span of control.

Enterprise database as recited in claim 1 that contain all enterprise mobile device computing control system management data.

Span of control areas in buildings, open land areas and moving vehicles delimited by beacons as part of the mobile computing device control system as recited in claim 1.

a. Law enforcement span of control that permit

tagging of vehicles and remote driver takeover.

9. A guide me function as part of the mobile device

control system as recited in claim 1 that is used to guide people to specific places in a span of control .

10. Databases as recited in claim 1 that have a public viewable portion that permits the users to view the controls being applied to their devices when in the enterprise span of control