Driving Detection Circuit for Automatic Call Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current portable wireless communication devices do not adequately address the need for automatic call management while driving, as users often face distractions and safety concerns with incoming calls, and existing solutions do not provide sufficient flexibility or peace of mind regarding emergency calls.

Innovation Solution

A control circuit in portable electronic devices determines if the user is driving and automatically answers incoming calls, offering options such as speaking with the user or recording a voice message, allowing for flexible detection methods and integration with existing call-answering options.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the device automatically answers incoming calls while driving, then the user's cognitive load is reduced and safety is improved, but the user may miss important calls or receive unwanted calls automatically

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall management easeVSAvoidcall connection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting driving conditions before the call is answered, and by providing advance notification to the calling party about the automatic answer behavior. This allows the system to prepare appropriate call handling strategies in advance, such as offering callback options or voice message recording, thereby reducing the risk of missing important calls while maintaining safety during driving.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by notifying the calling party of the automatic answer status and providing options for follow-up action. This feedback loop allows the called user to review automatically answered calls and take appropriate actions, ensuring that important calls are not missed while maintaining the automatic answer functionality for safety during driving.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the device provides multiple contact options to the caller, then the flexibility and adaptability of call handling is improved, but the device complexity and interface complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall handling flexibilityVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by providing different contact options based on the specific context of each call and the detected driving conditions. Rather than offering all possible options uniformly, the system tailors the available options to the current situation, such as offering callback options for non-urgent calls during driving while providing full interaction options when the user is not driving. This contextual adaptation maintains flexibility while avoiding unnecessary complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the device detects driving status to manage calls automatically, then the safety and appropriateness of call handling is improved, but the measurement precision and detection complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall management appropriatenessVSAvoiddriving status detection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs universal driving detection methods that can be integrated into existing mobile devices without requiring specialized hardware. By using multi-functional approaches such as analyzing accelerometer data, GPS movement patterns, and user interaction patterns, the system can detect driving status using existing device capabilities. This universal detection approach improves call management appropriateness while avoiding the complexity of specialized detection systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2632128B1Method and apparatus pertaining to the dynamic handling of incoming calls
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2632128B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2632128B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2632128B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A control circuit determines when a user of a corresponding portable communication device is presently driving a vehicle and then, in response to detecting this use state, automatically answer incoming calls and provide at least two contact options to the caller. One of these contact options can comprise the option to speak with the user during this call. Another of these contact options can comprise recording a voice message for the user and discontinuing the incoming call without the caller speaking with the user. The control circuit can determine whether the user is presently driving a vehicle by relying upon a direct acknowledgement of the user and/or by indirect means.