US 11516643

A concise summary of US Patent 11,516,643 is as follows:

Title: Connection specific selection of automated response messages

Assignee: CEDARWOOD VENTURES, INC.

Inventors: Loralee Hajdu, Oliver Hajdu

Filing Date: November 14, 2020

Issue Date: November 29, 2022

Abstract:
A system and method, implemented through software and a computer processor, for providing customized automated responses to incoming electronic messages. The invention is particularly aimed at preventing distracted driving or other distractions by utilizing an application on a smartphone or other computerized device. This device is configured to automatically connect to various other devices, such as Bluetooth peripherals in a car or Wi-Fi access points. The application triggers an auto-response mode for incoming messages when an active connection to one of these devices is detected. The system allows for different automated responses to be assigned based on the specific connected device or the originator of the incoming message. The patent also discusses various prioritization schemes, for instance, how contact-specific automated responses interact with device-specific ones and a "last active connection dominates" rule.

Overview of Independent Claims:

Claim 1: This claim describes a handheld computerized device, like a smartphone. The device is equipped with a processor, memory, and transceivers for both cellular and Bluetooth communication. It includes software that can receive a unique identification code from a connected Bluetooth peripheral. The device can analyze this code to recognize if the connected peripheral is associated with a vehicle. When connected to a vehicle-associated Bluetooth device, the software will automatically send a pre-saved reply to certain types of incoming messages from the cellular network.

Claim 17: This claim also details a handheld computerized device with similar components to Claim 1. The device can determine that an automatic reply is necessary based on the identification code of a connected Bluetooth peripheral. A key aspect of this claim is that after making this determination, the device is configured to ask for and receive user input on its touch screen before sending the automatic reply message.

Claim 18: This claim again describes a handheld computerized device. A significant feature of this claim is that the association of a Bluetooth peripheral with a vehicle is based on a previous designation made by the user of the device. The device's graphical user interface is set up to receive this user input, designating a connected Bluetooth peripheral as being vehicle-associated. Based on this designation and the peripheral's identification code, the device determines when to send an automatic reply to incoming cellular messages.