Method and apparatus for accessing devices and services

• US 10,212,207 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albisu, Luis Francisco
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Esther B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmud, Golam
• Application Number:
  US13/972,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1086 session scope modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data

Abstract

A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example receiving an audio command from a mobile communication device via a first communication network for performing audio control of a remote device, converting the audio command to a text command, comparing the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library to at least approximately match the text command to a first script command of the plurality of script commands, retrieving a first script from the script library according to the first script command, and transmitting a control message relating to the control message to an application programming interface service of a computing device via a second communication network, where the application programming interface service is configured to direct the remote device to perform a function according to the control message. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server device comprising a processing system including a processor, a request from a mobile communication device to control a remote device, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the mobile communication device;

determining, by the server device, a subscriber according to the identifier associated with the mobile communication device;

transmitting, by the server device, audible instructions to the mobile communication device to request authentication information;

receiving, by the server device, from the mobile communication device, the authentication information including a first facial image captured at the mobile communication device;

determining, by the server device, whether the first facial image that is received substantially matches a stored facial image of the subscriber to authenticate the subscriber;

responsive to authentication of the subscriber, determining, by the server device, if an account associated with the subscriber is configured to support audio control of the remote device;

receiving, by the server device, an audio command from the mobile communication device via a first communication network responsive to the determining that the account is configured to support the audio control of the remote device;

converting, by the server device, the audio command to a text command;

transmitting, by the server device, the text command back to the mobile communication device that originates the audio command;

identifying, by the server device, a variable part of the text command and a non-variable part of the text command;

comparing, by the server device, the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library to at least approximately match the non-variable part of the text command to a first script command of the plurality of script commands, wherein the non-variable part of the text command comprises a logical statement, and wherein the comparing of the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library further comprises converting the logical statement to a script language code;

retrieving, by the server device, a first script from the script library according to the first script command;

identifying, by the server device, a variable value based on the variable part of the text command;

comparing, by the server device, the variable value to a range that is associated with the first script to determine whether the variable value is within the range;

generating, by the server device, a control message according to the first script responsive to determining that the variable value is within the range, wherein the control message includes the variable value;

transmitting, by the server device, the control message to an application programming interface service of a computing device via a second communication network, wherein the application programming interface service directs the remote device to perform a function according to the control message, and wherein the control message further comprises identification data that is used by the application programming interface service to authenticate the control message to the subscriber that is associated with the remote device; and

receiving, by the server device, a response message from the application programming interface service via the second communication network indicating a status associated with performance of the function by the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication further comprises:

determining, by the server device, whether to accept the first facial image based on a timestamp associated with the first facial image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the authentication further comprises identifying, by the server device, a base station used for the request from the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting, by the server device, the text command into a machine-generated audio command; and

transmitting, by the server device, the machine-generated audio command to the mobile communication device, wherein the mobile communication device reproduces the machine-generated audio command for the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving, by the server device, an acknowledgement of the machine-generated audio command from the mobile communication device, wherein the comparing of the text command is responsive to receiving the acknowledgement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting, by the server device, the variable value to a value that is within the range responsive to determining that the variable value is not within the range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the server device, results information to the mobile communication device according to the response message that is received from the application programming interface service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the results information comprises one of an electronic mail message or a short message service message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the server device, a call from the mobile communication device, wherein the call indicates a request for performing the audio control.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication further comprises:

receiving, by the server device, a voice sample from the mobile communication device via the first communication network, wherein the voice sample is captured by the mobile communication device as directed by the server device;

comparing, by the server device, the voice sample to a known voice sample associated with the subscriber to at least approximately match the voice sample to the known voice sample; and

enabling, by the server device, performing of the audio control by the mobile communication device according to the known voice sample that is matched.

11. A device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processing system including a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processing system, responsive to executing the executable instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving subscriber information for a subscriber at a web portal;

authenticating the subscriber information according to a subscriber database to enable modification of a script library;

receiving a selection of a script entry mode for a first script in a script library at the web portal;

receiving entry of the first script at the web portal according to the script entry mode; and

storing the first script in the script library for subsequent executing of the first script,

wherein a control message according to the first script is transmitted to an application programming interface service to perform a function at a remote device responsive to;

receiving, a request from a mobile communication device to control the remote device, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the mobile communication device;

identifying the subscriber according to the identifier associated with the mobile communication device;

transmitting text instructions to the mobile communication device to request authentication information;

receiving the authentication information including a first facial image captured at the mobile communication device;

determining whether the first facial image that is received substantially matches a stored facial image of the subscriber to authenticate the subscriber;

responsive to authentication of the subscriber, determining if an account associated with the subscriber is configured to support audio control of the remote device;

receiving an audio command from the mobile communication device responsive to the determining that the account is configured to support the audio control of the remote device;

converting the audio command to a text command;

providing the text command to the mobile communication device that originates the audio command;

identifying a variable part of the text command and a non-variable part of the text command;

comparing the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with the script library to at least approximately match the non-variable part of the text command to a first script command of the plurality of script commands, wherein the non-variable part of the text command comprises a logical statement, and wherein the comparing of the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library further comprises converting the logical statement to a script language code;

retrieving the first script from the script library according to the first script command;

identifying a variable value based on the variable part of the text command;

comparing the variable value to a range that is associated with the first script to determine whether the variable value is within the range; and

generating the control message according to the first script responsive to determining that the variable value is within the range, wherein the control message includes the variable value and identification data useable by the application programming interface service to authenticate the control message that is associated with the remote device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the script entry mode is entry of a script programming language code without assistance.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the script entry mode is assisted entry of conditional statements.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the first script corrects the variable value to a value within the range responsive to determining that the variable value is not within the range.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the application programming interface service is configured to direct the remote device to perform a function according to the control message.

16. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing system comprising a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile communication device to control a remote device, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the mobile communication device;

determining a subscriber according to the identifier;

transmitting audible instructions to the mobile communication device to request authentication information;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, the authentication information including a first facial image captured at the mobile communication device;

determining whether the first facial image that is received substantially matches a stored facial image of the subscriber to authenticate the subscriber;

responsive to authentication of the subscriber, determining if an account associated with a subscriber is configured to support audio control of the remote device;

receiving an audio command from the mobile communication device via a first communication network for performing the audio control of the remote device;

converting the audio command to a text command responsive to determining that the account is configured to support the audio control of the remote device;

transmitting the text command that is generated to the mobile communication device;

identifying a variable part of the text command and a non-variable part of the text command, wherein the non-variable part of the text command comprises a logical statement;

comparing the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library to at least approximately match the non-variable part of the text command to a first script command of the plurality of script commands, wherein the comparing of the non-variable part of the text command to a plurality of script commands associated with a script library further comprises converting the logical statement to a script language code;

retrieving a first script from the script library according to the first script command;

detecting a variable value based on the variable part of the text command;

comparing the variable value that is detected to a range that is associated with the first script to determine whether the variable value is within the range;

generating a control message according to the first script responsive to determining that the variable value is within the range, wherein the control message includes the variable value; and

transmitting a control message relating to the first script to an application programming interface service of a computing device via a second communication network, wherein the application programming interface service directs the remote device to perform a function according to the control message.

17. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising executable instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first voice sample from the mobile communication device via the first communication network, wherein the first voice sample is captured by the mobile communication device;

comparing the first voice sample to a known voice sample associated with the subscriber to at least approximately match the first voice sample to the known voice sample; and

enabling the audio control of the remote device by the mobile communication device according to the known voice sample that are matched.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising executable instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising connecting to the computing device according to one of a secure shell protocol or a web service protocol.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, receiving a call from the mobile communication device, wherein the call indicates the request for performing the audio control of the remote device.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the control message further comprises identification data that is used by the application programming interface service to authenticate the control message that is associated with the remote device.