Owner compliance key

Owner Compliance Key (OCK) is a patent pending automotive safety key or key fob which inhibits a driver's cellular phone functions whenever the vehicle's transmission is taken out of park. The device was designed to remedy the serious problem of cell phone driver distraction, also known as inattentive blindness. According to the National Safety Council ,in 2008 cell phones were responsible for 636,000 accidents, 330,000 injuries and over 2600 deaths costing taxpayers and insurance companies more than 43 billion dollars [1]. The OCK is capable of disabling a driver's entire cellular phone or simply the text and email functions. 9-1-1 emergency calls can always be made. Under certain methods of application, the OCK can also force seat belt compliance for a driver. And under even greater measures, the OCK technology can be used in classrooms, churchs, movie theatres and prisons or generally anywhere cellular phone operation (911 excepted) is undesirable by the property owners.

Methodology

The invention described is understood to relate generally to transportation safety systems. More specifically, the invention is a safety device and system intended to prevent use of cell phones while driving; and may prevent the starting of a ca] without the car’s seat belt being buckled. The invention may comprise a cellular transceiver, an RFID tag and reader, a short range wireless network, a transmitting gearshift position sensor, Electronic Control Unit (ECU) or bluetooth capable ECU that is programmed to receive a selected signal from an RFID tag for use in association with a transportation means including motor vehicles, airplanes, ships, trains, subways, tramways, and the like. In operation the system disables and prevents non-emergency use of portable electronic devices (e.g., cell phones) and may prevent movement of the transportation means. The system is discriminating wherein triangulation may be employed to differentiate unacceptable driver phone usage from acceptable passenger usage or driver emergency phone usage from driver non-emergency phone use. Likewise anti-cheat seatbelt circuitry may be included.

History

The OCK has taken on many different variations and improvements to get where it is today. In early 2007, Mr. Fred Wenz, a UPS driver approached long time friend and businessman Mr. John Fischer with an idea to develop a device to prevent driver's from using a cell phone. Being a long time driver and safety advocate for UPS, Wenz recognized the dangers the cell phone presents when used while operating a transportation vehicle. After thorough research of the problem, Fischer agreed with Wenz and set out to develop such a device.

Fischer conceptualized a special key which parents could give their teens and employers could give to their employees. The original concept would specifically target the area in and around the driver's seat. The device would employ jamming/interfering technology to prevent signals from transmitting in and out of the driver's seat area of a vehicle.[2]

Upon conceptualization and agreement between Wenz and Fischer to develop and market such a device, Fischer contacted long time friend and business colleague Mr. Hap Nguyen to electronically engineer the concept. At this time, Wenz, Fischer and Nguyen entered into a business relationship. Nguyen engineered the original OCK concept to completely disable any cell phone in and around the driver's area.

Wenz also came up with the idea to force seat belt compliance. Nguyen took this idea and engineered a unique anti-cheat seat belt forcing a driver to buckle-up, thereby creating an even greater safety device when combined with the cellular jamming apparatus.

Upon implementation and mastering the proof of concept prototype, Nguyen immediately recognized the need to further improve the OCK to enable authorized and 9-1-1 emergency calls. During this development stage, Fischer began to realize the 1934 Communications Act (which specifically prohibits the interference of a communications signal) might prove more difficult to overcome than originally envisioned [3]. In an effort to be compliant with the law and still disable specific functions of the cell phone, Fischer conceptualized what he termed the A-Chip.

Instead of jamming or creating signal interference, upon specified conditions the A-Chip would electronically disable a driver's cell phone's internal antenna and/or other operating components.[4] Again, Nguyen engineered such a device to work. And yet again to further improve such device, Nguyen technologically advanced the device to be software driven.

About this time, Fischer believed the masses of the media were pointing more specifically to the dangers of texting [5]. Fischer believed a lighter version of the OCK which would only inhibit text messaging and email functions would be easier to gain worldwide marketability. Nguyen and Wenz agreed and Nguyen again engineered the device to what is known today as the Owner Compliance Key.

See also

• Mobile phones and driving safety