|Publication number||US7505763 B2|
|Application number||US 11/101,617|
|Publication date||17 Mar 2009|
|Filing date||7 Apr 2005|
|Priority date||7 Apr 2005|
|Also published as||US7499699, US20060229066, US20070281679|
|Publication number||101617, 11101617, US 7505763 B2, US 7505763B2, US-B2-7505763, US7505763 B2, US7505763B2|
|Inventors||Herman Rodriguez, Newton James Smith, Jr., Clifford Jay Spinac|
|Original Assignee||International Business Machines Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (21), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (12), Classifications (9), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to wireless telephone devices in a calling network and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for remotely operating and viewing a wireless telephone device by another wireless telephone device.
Developers are constantly incorporating more and more features and technology into wireless telecommunication systems. In fact, wireless based phones have advanced tremendously in recent years. For example, wireless phones use a variety of digital modulation techniques, such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Regardless of modulation technique, wireless devices have a myriad of features, such as electronic phonebooks, speed dialing, single button voicemail access, and messaging capabilities. These are only a sample of features that are capable of, or have already been implemented into wireless devices. A particularly useful feature provides messaging capability between wireless devices. The Short Message Services (SMS) feature used in CDMA, for example, allows a user of one wireless device to transmit alphanumeric messages to another wireless device. To do so, a digital processing section within the mobile phone's hardware transmits, receives, and processes the SMS messages, which are typically alphanumeric display messages. However, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,484, service providers may also use SMS messages to remotely activate or update a mobile phone's software functions, such as voicemail, caller ID, and configuration settings. The general specification for SMS in CDMA can be found in Telecommunications Industry Association and Electronic Industries Association specification TIS/EIA/IS-637, SHORT MESSAGE SERVICES FOR WIDEBAND SPREAD SPETRUM CELLULAR SYSTEMS. The general specification for the CDMA phone system can be found in TIA/EIA/IS-95, MOBILE STATION-BASE STATION COMPATIBILITY STANDARD FOR DUAL-MODE WIDEBAND SPREAD SPECTRUM CELLULAR SYSTEM. However, the implementation of SMS is not limited to CDMA.
Needless to say, given their increasing power and complexity, operating modern wireless telephones can be confusing if not difficult, especially for new, non-computer savvy, or disabled users. Some users have difficulty operating their mobile phones, even turning them on. Thus, it would be advantageous for a caregiver, such as a parent or guardian, to be able to temporarily and remotely activate, operate, configure, and view operations on a dependent's wireless telephone, using the caregiver's wireless telephone, to assist the dependent. This would be particularly useful when the caregiver is attempting to call the dependent, but the dependent has inadvertently turned off his phone or is having trouble operating it. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method whereby a user of one wireless phone may control, operate, configure, and view the operations of a second wireless phone.
Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method, system, and program product whereby a user of one wireless telephone device can remotely view or operate another wireless telephone device. The method includes a first wireless device that receives a remote control message from a second wireless device or remote computer, wherein the remote control message requests authorization for the second wireless device to operate the first wireless device. In a second embodiment, a remote viewing message requests authorization for the second wireless device to view the operations of the first wireless device.
If the first wireless device authorizes the second wireless device to operate the first wireless device, both enter a remote control mode, wherein operations entered on the second wireless device are transmitted to the first wireless device for operation by the first wireless device. Similarly, if the first wireless device authorizes the second wireless device to view the first wireless device, both enter a remote viewing mode, wherein operations entered on the first wireless device are transmitted to the second wireless device for viewing by the second wireless device.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which:
Mobile phones communicate with each other using base stations 153 on dedicated paired frequencies called channels, which are typically in the 800 MHz range and assigned by MTSO 160. Each call uses two channels, one for voice and one for control. There are four frequency paths: “forward control path” from base station to mobile for control, “reverse control path” from mobile to base station for control, “forward voice path” from base station to mobile for voice, and “reverse voice path” from mobile to base station for voice. Base stations 153 may use SMS messages to transmit identifying information or overhead on their respective forward control paths. Similarly, mobile phones may use SMS messages to communicate with each other and base stations 153 using their respective reverse control paths. Each formats the SMS messages as Data Burst Messages (defined in TIA/EIA/IS-95), which may be directed to individual wireless devices as point-to-point messages or to many units as broadcast messages.
Additionally, system 200 may include other servers, clients, and devices not shown. For example, other computers may communicate with communications network 220. In the depicted example, system 200 may be implemented within the Internet with communications network 220 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers, consisting of thousands of commercial, government, educational and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, system 200 may also be implemented using a number of different types of networks, such as for example, an intranet, a local area network, or a wide area network.
At 410, the controlling device determines if its user would like to enter another telephone number into its graphical user interface (GUI). The user does this by checking box 518 and OK box 520 using the controlling device's scroll buttons (not shown). However, one skilled in the art readily recognizes that user selections and input may be made using one or more of keypad buttons 316, function buttons 308, call and receive buttons 310, and scroll buttons (not shown). If checked, the user enters the telephone number using keypad 316 into a displayed menu (not shown), wherein processor 352 saves the number in memory 354 and adds it to menu 504 at 412. At 414, the controlling device determines if its user has selected a displayed telephone number in menu 504. The user does this by checking box 506, 508, or 510, for example. Then, the user may attempt to remotely operate the wireless device associated with the selected number by selecting OK box 512, cancel his selection by selecting “cancel” 514, or delete the number by selecting “delete” 516. If the user selects a telephone number and OK box 512, at 416, the controlling device enters a “remote control mode” and, at 418, processing moves to A in
After the controlling device transmits the initial SMS remote control message on its reverse control path to the controlled device, at 604, the controlling device determines if it has received an SMS rejection message on its forward control path at receiver 360 from the controlled device (via cellular telecommunications system 200) before a predetermined amount of time has elapsed. The controlling device identifies a message as being a rejection message by noting the presence of a predetermined delimiter, followed by a telephone number of the controlled device. For example, the rejection message may be $$56$5121234567$$, where $$56 indicates a rejection, $ is the separation delimiter between the data fields, 5121234567 is the telephone number of the controlled device, and the final $$ indicates the end of the last data field. The controlling device's processor 352 parses the message according to the field delimiters within the message. If the controlling device receives a rejection message, at 606, the controlling device terminates the remote control process because it does not have authorization from the controlled device to remotely operate it. This may be because, for example, the controlled device does not have suitable software to support remote control, the handsets are incompatible, and/or the controlling device simply does not have permission. If the controlling device does not receive a rejection message, at 608, in one embodiment, the controlling device determines if it has received a busy message from the controlled device. For example, the busy message may be $$23$5121234567$$, where $$23 indicates the controlled device is busy, $ is the separation delimiter between the data fields, 5121234567 indicates the telephone number of the controlled device, and the final $$ indicates the end of the last data field. If the controlled device is busy, at 612, the controlling device determines if its user wants to override the conversation of the controlled device. The controlling device's user does so by selecting an override box in a menu (not shown) displayed by the controlling device on display 306 in response to receiving the busy message. If selected, control moves to 614, where the controlling device waits for its user to enter operations on its keypad 316 and other buttons to be sent to the controlled device (in turn, the controlled device will override and terminate its local conversation if it receives an operation from the controlling device). If not selected, at 610, the controlling device's processor 352 sets a timer and control returns to 602 after expiration of the timer, where it sends another initial SMS remote control message to the selected “controlled” device.
Returning to 614, the controlling device is in the remote control mode (see step 416 in
REMOTE CONTROL MODE
“Menu” Function; Display “Messages”; Send results
“Messages” Function; Display “Write messages”,
“Add Entry” Function; Set entry to next field
“Dial Number” Function; Dial number in next field
Turn on mobile phone; set “on” bit to 1;
set “lock out” bit to 1;
Indicates Remote Control Message
Indicates a Rejection Message
Indicates a Busy Message
Indicates a Confirmation Message
Indicates end of message
Indicates end of remote control mode
At 906, the viewing device determines if its user would like to enter another telephone number. The user does so by checking box 1018 using scroll buttons (not shown) and left function button 308, and then selecting OK 1020. The user may also cancel his selection by selecting cancel 1022. One skilled in the art readily recognizes that user selections and input may be made using one or more of keypad buttons 316, function buttons 308, call and receive buttons 310, and scroll buttons (not shown). If so, the user enters the telephone number using keypad 316 into a displayed menu (not shown), wherein the viewing device saves the number in memory 354 and adds it to menu 1004 at 908. At 910, the viewing device determines if its user would like to select a displayed telephone number in menu 1004. To do so, the user selects box 1006, 1008, or 1010, for example. Then, the user may attempt to view the operation of the wireless device associated with the selected number by selecting OK button 1012, cancel his selection by selecting “cancel” 1014, or delete the number by selecting “delete” 1016. If the user selects a telephone number and OK button 1012, at 912, the viewing device attempts to place itself in a “remote viewing mode” and processing moves to E in
After the viewing device transmits the above initial SMS remote viewing message on its reverse control path, at 1104, it determines if it has received an SMS rejection message on its forward control path from the viewed device before a predetermined amount of time has elasped. The rejection message may contain a predetermined delimiter indicating that it is a rejection message, followed by the telephone number of the viewed device. For example, the rejection message may be $$56$5121234567$$, where $$56 indicates a rejection, $ is the separation delimiter between the data fields, 5121234567 is the telephone number of the viewed device, and the final $$ indicates the end of the message. Optionally, the viewing device may determine if it has received an SMS confirmation message from the viewed device, which may contain a predetermined delimiter indicating that it is a confirmation message (e.g., $$99), followed by the viewed device's telephone number. If the viewing device receives a rejection message, at 1106, it terminates remote viewing processing because it does not have authorization from the viewed device to remotely view. This may be because, for example, the handsets are incompatible, the viewed device does not have software to support remote viewing, or the viewing device is simply not authorized to perform such operations. If the viewing device does not receive a rejection message (or optionally receives a confirmation message from the viewed device), it enters a remote viewing mode (along with the viewed device), whereby the viewing device will display (or play) the operations entered on the viewed device. Accordingly, at 1108, for purposes of remote viewing, the viewing device determines if an SMS remote viewing message has been received from the viewed device (it determines if a message is a SMS remote viewing message by examining the first and second fields, which will be the start delimiter ($$AB) and viewed device's telephone number, respectively). If not, the user of the viewing device may exit the remote viewing mode at 1109 by inputting the remote viewing command. If so, at 1110, the viewing device parses the next field of the message. At 1112, the viewing device determines if the next field is a set feature code, which is used to change, select, or view standard mobile telephone features like one touch dialing, telephone book entries, and call log. As an example, when the user of the viewed device selects the “menu” button on his phone (e.g., left function button 308), the viewed device transmits on its reverse control path an SMS remote viewing message including code 100 to the viewing device (see Table 2 below). In response, at 1114, the viewing device looks up the code in a database located in memory 354 (see database shown in Table 2) to determine the corresponding function or operation (e.g., Menu) and displays (or alternatively audibly plays on its speaker 370) that function or operation on its display 306. In an embodiment, if the viewing device is currently busy handling a local operation when it receives the SMS remote viewing message, it terminates that local operation (not shown) and displays the remote operation. Control returns to 1110, where the viewing device parses the next field of the SMS remote viewing message.
In another example, if the user of the viewed device selects “Messages” on his phone (e.g., left function button 308), the viewed device transmits an SMS remote viewing message that includes code 110 to the viewing device (e.g., $$AB$5121234567$110$$, where 5121234567 is the telephone number of the viewed device). In response, the viewing device looks up code 110 in Table 2, determines that the corresponding function is “Messages”, and displays (or alternatively plays via audio processor 368 and speaker 370) “Messages” on its display 366. If the user of the viewed device selects “Add Entry”, it transmits an SMS remote viewing message containing code 120 in one field, followed by the value (e.g., name) of the entry in the next field, to the viewing device (e.g., $$AB$5121234567$120$JaneDoe$$). In response, the viewing device recognizes code 120 as an “Add Entry” function by examining Table 2, displays it, and then displays (or plays) the value found in the next field (e.g., Jane Doe). Using this process, the viewing device displays or plays the operation of the viewed device.
REMOTE VIEWING MODE
“Menu” Function; Display “Menu”
“Messages” Function; Display “Messages”
“Add Entry” Function; Display “Add Entry”;
Display value in next field
“Dial Number” Function; Display value in next field
Turn on mobile phone; set “on” bit to 1
Indicates Remote Viewing Message
Indicates a Rejection Message
Indicates a Confirmation Message
Indicates end of message
Indicates end of remote viewing mode
If the next field was not a set feature code, at 1116, the viewing device determines if the next field is a dialed number. For example, if the user of the viewed device enters a number and selects call button 310, in addition to dialing the number, the viewed device transmits an SMS remote viewing message containing code 130 in one field, followed by the dialed number in the next field, to the viewing device (e.g., $$AB$5121234567$130$5124441234$$). In response, the viewing device determines that code 130 is a “dial number” function by examining Table 2 and, at 1118, displays (or plays) the number in the next field (e.g., 5124441234). Again, if the viewing device is busy with a local operation when it receives the SMS remote viewing message, it terminates that local operation and displays the remote feature. Control returns to 1110, where the viewing device parses the next field. On the other hand, returning to 1116, if the next field was not a dialed number, at 1120, the viewing device determines if the next field is an end-of-message delimiter (e.g., $$) and, if so, control returns to 1108, where the viewing device waits for another SMS remote viewing message. If the next field is not an end-of message delimiter, control returns to 1110, where the viewing device parses the next field of the message.
ROM 1216 connects to CPU 1210 via bus 1212 and includes the basic input/output system (BIOS) that controls the basic computer functions. RAM 1214, I/O adapter 1218, and communications adapter 1234 are also interconnected to system bus 1212. I/O adapter 1218 communicates with the disk storage device 1220, which may be used to store database information (e.g., database storage). Communications adapter 1234 interconnects bus 1212 with an outside network enabling the data processing system to communicate as respectively described above through the Web, Internet, Telco wireless network, or intranet. I/O devices also connect to system bus 1212 via user interface adapter 1222 and display adapter 1236. Keyboard 1224 and mouse 1226 connect to bus 1212 through user interface adapter 1222. It is through such input devices that the vendor may interactively receive or control E-Mail messages or other information. Display adapter 1236 includes a frame buffer 1239, which is a storage device that holds a representation of each pixel on display 1238. Images may be stored in frame buffer 1239 for display on monitor 1238 through various components, such as a digital to analog converter (not shown) and the like. By using the aforementioned I/O devices, the user is capable of inputting information to the system through keyboard 1224 or mouse 1226 and receiving output information from the system via display 1238.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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|Cooperative Classification||H04W8/245, H04M1/72525, H04M1/72552, H04M1/72533|
|European Classification||H04M1/725F1A, H04W8/24N, H04M1/725F1B2|
|16 Jun 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, NEW Y
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:RODRIGUEZ, HERMAN;SMITH, NEWTON JAMES JR.;SPINAC, CLIFFORD JAY;REEL/FRAME:016344/0995;SIGNING DATES FROM 20050330 TO 20050331
|29 Oct 2012||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|17 Mar 2013||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|7 May 2013||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20130317