Method and apparatus for remotely performing tasks in a wireless personal digital assistant

• US 20030157946A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chong, Yih Yeong
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely performing tasks in a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA) by a user is provided. A user can perform tasks, such as, retrieving information and locking the PDA, by sending a controlling or special SMS message to the PDA. The special SMS message has a predetermined format which describes at least a task required and a user-input password. According to the needs of the task, the special SMS message may also include a source or an identifier from which the information is to be retrieved, and a destination to which the retrieved information is to be sent. The retrieved information may be sent as an SMS message or an electronic mail message or both.

Claims

1. A method of performing a task in a wireless device having a wireless module and a computing module, comprising the steps of:

receiving an SMS message by the wireless module;

passing the SMS message to the computing module;

ascertaining a presence or absence of a predetermined header in the SMS message;

validating a user-input password parameter in the SMS message; and

performing the task by the computing module according to contents in the predetermined header.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing the task includes password-locking the computing module.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein validating a user-input password parameter further comprises validating a user-input source parameter.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein performing the task includes retrieving information from a source indicated by the user-input source parameter.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein performing the task includes sending the retrieved information by SMS to a sender of the SMS message or to a destination predefined in the SMS message or to both.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein performing the task includes sending the retrieved information by electronic mail to a destination predefined in the SMS message.

7. A device having wireless and computing capabilities comprising:

a wireless module that receives an SMS message; and

a computing module that receives the SMS message from the wireless module, ascertains a presence or absence of a predetermined header in the SMS message, validates a user-input password parameter in the SMS message, and performs a task according to contents in the predetermined header.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the task includes password-locking the computing module.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the computing module further validates a user-input source parameter.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the computing module performs a task which includes retrieving information from a source indicated by the user-input source parameter.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the computing module sends the retrieved information by SMS to a sender of the SMS message or a destination predefined in the SMS message or to both.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the computing module sends the retrieved information by electronic mail to a destination predefined in the SMS message.