Patent Application
20060046706
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication devices having non-communication functionality, and more particularly to monitoring and controlling accessories in wireless communication devices, for example, accessories and other functionality in cellular subscriber devices, from another wireless communication device, and methods.
Wireless communication devices are commonly used or integrated with a variety of accessories and applications unrelated to the wireless communications capabilities. Cellular telephones and wireless enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs) now include, for example, data intensive applications like web browsers, AM/FM radio receivers, suites of interactive video games, and video playback capability, among other features. These accessories are presently disabled automatically upon receipt of an incoming call or message because there is limited processing power and memory capacity in existing portable wireless communication devices. Additional features, accessories and functionality will likely continue to be implemented in these and other portable electronic devices.
The various aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description thereof with the accompanying drawings described below.
The wireless communication network could be a 2nd or 2.5 Generation Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) network or a 3rd Generation (3G) Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) cellular communication network, or some other wireless or cellular communication network. Alternatively, the wireless communication network may be embodied as a wireless local area network (WLAN), for example, an IEEE 802.xx protocol network, or some other protocol enabling wireless communications on licensed or unlicensed spectrum. Other network infrastructure architectures may not include the same entities illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of
In
In one embodiment, the accessory is a television accessory, which may be implemented as a television signal receiver and a corresponding application with a user interface that enables users to view and control television functionality on the wireless communication device. In another embodiment, the accessory is an audio accessory, for example, a devices that plays of audio files, which may be formatted according to an open or proprietary audio file format, including but not limited to the MP3 audio file compression format, or the iPOD audio file format promulgated by the APPLE computer company, among others. The audio accessory may also include a corresponding application with a user interface enabling users to listen to and control audio functionality on the wireless communication device, though at least some of this functionality may be alternatively implemented in hardware. The audio accessory also may be embodied as an audio mixer or a wireless audio receiver, for example, an AM and/or FM and/or satellite, e.g., XM, receiver device. The audio receiver may also include a corresponding application with a user interface enabling users to listen to and control audio functionality on the wireless communication device, although at least some of this functionality may be implemented alternatively in hardware.
In other embodiments, the accessory may be embodied as a user interactive video game application, or as a video player application, for example, an MPEG or other video protocol. Such a device may play video from files stored on the device or it may play content streamed over a wire-line or wireless network. The accessory may also be some other video-based application, for example, a location technology based application including a route finder, a navigator, or and/or a location based commerce application, etc. The accessory may also be embodied as a short-range communication device, for example, a Bluetooth enabled device. The accessory may also be embodied as a still and/or video camera with a camera engine and corresponding application, etc. In still other embodiments, the accessory may be a productivity tool, for example, a calendar or email, a web browser or some other software application. More generally, the accessory may be any external and/or internally integrated hardware and/or software implementation used with the wireless communications device. Examples of externally coupled accessories include an automobile and other machines connected to the wireless communication network.
In one embodiment, the accessory and/or its associated functionality, other than the wireless communication functionality, is controlled by control information received from a remote device. In one embodiment, for example, the control information is embedded in an outgoing message, an outgoing call, or it is merely the payload of a signal.
In one embodiment, a controlling subscriber device sends the control information to a controlled subscriber device over the wireless communication network. This concept is not limited to wireless subscriber devices, as it may have applicability to wireless subscriber devices as well. The control information may be sent generally with any signal, including call set up messaging signals, among other signals and messages. In the network architecture of
In one embodiment, the accessory or at least some of its functionality is disabled or suspended temporarily upon the occurrence of a specified event, for example, upon receipt of an incoming call or an incoming message having control information that controls the accessory. In one embodiment, the control information controls access to the operation of an accessory. For example, the user may be granted or denied access to a video-based accessory during specified time periods. In another embodiment, the control information controls the accessory upon the occurrence of a scheduled event, for example, an appointment reminder programmed in a calendar application. In the process 300 of
In the exemplary embodiment where the control event is an incoming call, for example, a voice call or a message, having control information, the control information may invoke temporary suspension or disablement of the accessory. In one embodiment, the accessory suspension or termination feature may be a user option that is selectable from a setup menu. The user setup option may also be selectable on an accessory basis, whereby the user may choose which accessories are susceptible to remote control using control information sent from a remote device. For example, a parent may program a child's handset to permit remote disabling of video-based features or other accessories. Thus a parent of guardian may disable, suspend or block access to certain accessories when attempting to place a voice call to a child or merely upon sending a control command to the wireless communication device. In another embodiment, the disablement or suspension may occur during certain events specified by someone other than the end-user, for example, cellular network operators may program cell phones to disable or suspend accessories upon receipt of control information during emergency, e.g., E-911, calls, or when pushing a software patch or a software update to the device or during other events where the users attention is required or desired, by sending a control command to the device.
In some embodiments, the wireless communication device monitors the usage of one or more accessories coupled thereto.
In one embodiment, the accessory usage information is reported to a network infrastructure entity, for example, to a base station controller via a base transceiver station. In one embodiment, the information is forwarded to a database, for example, network server 122 illustrated in
In
In one exemplary accessory control application, the control information received by the controlled device, for example, device 102 in
While the present disclosure and what are presently considered to be the best modes thereof have been described in a manner establishing possession by the inventors and enabling those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the same, it will be understood and appreciated that there are many equivalents to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein and that modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventions, which are to be limited not by the exemplary embodiments but by the appended claims.
