This invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, this invention relates to improved safety features for wireless communication systems.
Cellular phones are becoming ubiquitous throughout the United States and many other nations. With the advent of low cost base stations, mobile switching centers and cellular phones, an integrated wireless communications infrastructure is easily implemented, even in poorer third world countries. There has been a recent spate of accidents, however, attributed to cellular phone users who are talking on a cellular phone while driving a motor vehicle at the same time. Unless laws are passed that make driving and talking on the cellular phone at the same time a crime, it will be difficult to stop cellular phone users from talking on their phones and driving at the same time. Also, even if any laws were passed that banned simultaneous driving and talking on a cellular phone, it would be difficult to enforce the law. Law enforcement personnel would be required to maintain a steady watch for drivers that are talking on their cellular phones. This has made it necessary for a feature to be developed that reduces these accidents. Advantageously, it would increase safety by enabling the driver an option of choosing beforehand whether or not to receive an incoming call while he/she is driving. Turning on this feature allows the driver to not receive any incoming calls while driving a motor vehicle such that the driver does not succumb to the impulse to pick up a ringing phone to answer a call. Also, the service should be able to prevent a call if laws are passed without any option by the driver, a mobile unit operator, or owner.
The present invention is advantageous and increases safety by switching a call to a voice message indicating that a mobile unit operator is traveling and not receiving any calls. This option is preferably responsive to a call from a calling party to the mobile unit when a calculated velocity or speed of the mobile unit is above a threshold. For example, if a driver is only driving in slow traffic, then the call can go through because the driver is not above the velocity threshold. It would be safe to receive a call. If the driver is above the velocity threshold, such as driving on a highway, then the call will automatically be switched by either one of the mobile switching center or base station into a voice message, a voice indicating that the mobile unit operator is traveling and not receiving any calls.
In one aspect of the present invention, the wireless communication system includes at least one base station in communication with the mobile unit. A mobile switching center is responsive to the base station and operative for switching calls with the calling party and the mobile unit via the base station. One of at least the mobile switching center or base station includes a processor that is operator for determining the speed, i.e., velocity, of the mobile unit. In response to a call from a calling party to the mobile unit, when the calculated speed is above a threshold, the call is switched to a voice message indicating that a mobile unit operator is traveling and not receiving any calls.
In one aspect of the present invention, the mobile switching center includes a processor and an associated voice unit, such as a voice response unit, having a database of recordings containing at least one voice message indicating that the operator of the mobile unit is traveling and not receiving any calls.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the call is switched to the voice message only when a service for switching the call to the voice message is selected by a mobile unit operator. The mobile unit operator can select a service for switching the call to the voice messages based upon keypad actuation within a handset of the mobile unit.
The mobile switching center and base station can be operative to forward a call from a calling party to the mobile unit after a predetermined number of calls and after initially playing the voice message indicating that the mobile unit operator is traveling and not receiving any calls. The predetermined number of calls can be one call and could be made after a predetermined time period has elapsed, such as five seconds.
At least the mobile switching center or base station can be operative for recording a voice message from a mobile unit operator in the voice of the mobile unit operator. The processor in one of at least a mobile switching center or base station can be operative for calculating the speed of the mobile unit by measurements of the rate of change of the timing advance, hand over measurements between a plurality of base stations, Time Difference of Arrival measurements, or Doppler frequency measurements.
In a method aspect of the invention, calls are prevented to a mobile unit when traveling for safety and comprises the steps of determining the speed of a mobile unit, and when the calculated speed is above a threshold, switching a call from a calling party and to a voice message indicating that the mobile unit operator is traveling and not receiving any calls. These calls are switched only after the mobile unit operator selects a service for switching the call to the voice message. A location register, such as a home location register, can maintain a record within the register of whether a mobile unit operator has selected this service for switching the call to the voice message. The mobile unit operator can select the service by keypad actuation.