Invalidity dossier
US 8526973
Safety system to disable and activate functions in smartphone's, mobile phones and portable communication devices while driving
Current assignee: Individual
Added 9/23/2026, 4:36:57 PM
Active provider: DeepSeek · deepseek-flash
Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
Patent Overview — US 8,526,973 B2
Title: Safety system to disable and activate functions in smartphone's, mobile phones and portable communication devices while driving.
Patent number / application: US 8,526,973 B2; Application No. US 13/065,324; published as US 2012/0244849 A1.
Inventor: John Douglas Thomson.
Assignee: Listed as "Individual" (original assignee also Individual). No corporate assignee appears in the supplied text.
Key dates: Priority/filing date 2011-03-21; publication of application 2012-09-27; grant/publication 2013-09-03. Adjusted expiration listed as 2031-08-28, with legal status "Expired – Fee Related."
Purpose: To reduce traffic accidents caused by drivers using mobile phones. The text cites National Safety Council estimates (January 2011) that at least 28% of all traffic crashes—at least 1.6 million per year—involve drivers using mobile phones and texting. The stated objective is to automatically prevent drivers from receiving or making voice calls (manually dialed), texts, or Internet exchanges while in the car. The text names parents as an ideal, though not exclusive, customer.
Plain-language scope: Software runs on a smartphone (defined in the text to include any mobile phone or portable communication device that can download and run applications). An RF transmitter mounted in the automobile—e.g., in the dashboard or under the hood—is connected to the ignition switch and emits an RF signal while the car is running or the key is in the ignition. A smartphone running the downloaded application receives and decodes that signal, then disables or activates selected functions. An administrator selects functions via a user interface (FIG. 1, boxes 200–302), such as All, text, Voice, Internet, hands free, and no phone zone, and locks the selection with a code word or key. Normal settings return once the key is removed from the ignition. One application may serve several transmitters and vice versa. A hash function in the codeword is mentioned to permit operation in any vehicle equipped with a transmitter.
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8526973/en
What the excerpt does not establish: The excerpt omits the claims and most of the detailed description; it shows only classifications and partial text (FIG. 2's explanation is cut off at "12 VDC"). It does not establish claim scope, the full FIG. 3 flow chart, embodiments, or geographic coverage.
Generated 10/1/2026, 9:44:20 PM
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Litigation summary
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
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Prior art
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Obviousness
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Extensions
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Derivative works
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