Not too much of a surprise, it's not really a telephone as much as it's a computer, and suitable software should be able to accomplish almost anything.JJVP wrote:http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/384874/2 ... FhtBmt5mSO" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Apparatus and methods for changing one or more functional or operational aspects of a wireless device, such as upon the occurrence of a certain event. In one embodiment, the event comprises detecting that the wireless device is within range of one or more other devices. In another variant, the event comprises the wireless device associating with a certain access point. In this manner, various aspects of device functionality may be enabled or restricted (device "policies"). This policy enforcement capability is useful for a variety of reasons, including for example to disable noise and/or light emanating from wireless devices (such as at a movie theater), for preventing wireless devices from communicating with other wireless devices (such as in academic settings), and for forcing certain electronic devices to enter "sleep mode" when entering a sensitive area.
A lot of years ago (60s) I was going to attempt to obtain a patent for an "Early Warning System" that would sound off inside a motor vehicle if emergency apparatus was approaching, including blanking the radio or music. For a variety of reasons the patent application never went beyond the exploration stage, including that the state of the art was not advanced enough, that the system would be too expensive for auto manufacturers to include it without significant cost, and possible false alarms or at least alarms for vehicles that were on different blocks.
I'll bet with all of the computerization in vehicles these days, that it would not be a problem to do it now, just a little sub-routine dropped into the software somewhere. Seems to me that it's a very old idea, just being implemented now.
The initial impetus for this was riding down the street in my fire truck on the way to a house fire and coming up behind someone who later told the police that their radio was turned up and our siren was not loud enough and that was why they did not give way.