Techno Safety
As a growing number of accidents are caused by cell phone distractions, a patent for a technology to restrict text messaging is receiving a lot of attention.
Hyundai Motor announced on June 23 that it was recently granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a tech to automatically block specific functions like text messaging while driving.
“The technology was made to limit or completely block the use of mobile devices that can distract drivers,” said the Korean automaker in a statement.
The technique selectively allows people to make calls or send text messages by detecting cell phone signals using an antenna.
According to the Hyundai Motor Company, it purchased the idea for this tech early this year and filed a patent application. The automaker is also preparing patent applications for related technologies.
An associate at Hyundai Motor remarked, “Once the tech is developed, it will be used to make cars.”
The automaker was also successful in getting a tech patented in the U.S. that recommends speed limits to drivers by measuring the height of speed bumps. The company is expected to use the technique in its self-driving cars, which will be commercialized in a few years.