Method and apparatus for associating a received command with a control for performing actions with a mobile telecommunication device

• US 20040171376A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, Eric G, Graham, Tyrol R
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention is directed to associating a received command with a control such as a push button on a mobile telecommunication device, and enabling an action associated with the command to be performed when the control is later activated. The command may be received from another mobile device or remote computer. The actions that may be associated with the performance instruction include tuning to a broadcast such as a radio or television, browsing a web site or hyperlinked text, and tuning to a streamed broadcast over a network, such as the Internet. The command button can be a physical element such as the “*” key on a keypad or a virtual button on a display.

Claims

1. In a mobile device, a method of operation, comprising:

(a) receiving a message comprising a command, which includes data for enabling an action on the mobile device;

(b) automatically associating the command with a control;

(c) employing the data to automatically enable the action on the mobile device; and

(d) when the control is activated, causing the action to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message that includes the command is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes at least a selected one of tuning to a radio station, completing a telephone call, playing a game, playing an audio recording, playing a video, displaying a picture, playing an animation, enabling a screensaver and browsing to a web site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises sending a channel selection to a television set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is received from a selected one of a radio station, a satellite, a wireless network, a pager, a television station and a web site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is received from another mobile device that enables telecommunication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) receiving another message comprising another command, the other command also including other data for enabling another action on the mobile device;

(b) automatically associating the other command with the control;

(c) employing the other data to automatically enable the other action on the mobile device; and

(d) when the control is activated, causing the other action to be performed on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising acknowledging the activation of the control.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the acknowledgement includes at least one of a sound, visual display and haptic feedback.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the acknowledgement comprises selectively illuminating light sources of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selective illumination comprises displaying a pattern with the illuminated light sources.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a list of other users, wherein each user included in the list is linked by a relationship to the user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing a separate list for each type of relationship to the user of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising when a list is enabled, sending the command to each mobile device associated with each user included in the list.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing a capability description of the mobile device to a potential command sender, responsive to a query from the potential command sender inquiry on the capability of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

generating another message comprising another command and another data to enable another action on another mobile device and associate the other command with a control of the other mobile device, such that when the control of the other mobile device is activated, the other action will be performed on the other mobile device;

and

sending the other message to the other mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises prior to performing the generating and sending of the other message,

sending a query to the other mobile device inquiring into one or more relevant capabilities;

receiving a reply from the other mobile device to the query; and

determining if the reply is favorable for the sending of the other message.

18. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a transceiver for receiving a message comprising a command which includes data for enabling an action on the apparatus;

(b) an associator coupled to the transceiver to automatically associate the command with a control;

(c) a linker coupled to the transceiver to employ the included data to automatically enable the action on the apparatus; and

(d) a transcoder coupled to the control to cause the action to be performed on the mobile device when the control is activated.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the control includes at least one of a keypad, hot key, soft key, touch pad, wheel, slide button, push button, pointing device, and similar physical devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a display equipped to display at least one of text, graphic, video and picture.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the display include a selected one of liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED), organic LED, fluorescent, incandescent, and plasma.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message is an SMS message.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the action comprises sending a television channel selection to a television set.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the action comprises tuning to a broadcast, wherein the broadcast includes a selected one of radio, television, audio, video, and data.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the action comprises tuning to an RF broadcast of a radio station, the radio station being broadcast on a selected one of AM and FM frequencies.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a haptic feedback device to provide haptic feedback when the control is activated.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message is received from another mobile device.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the message is received from a remote computing device.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein

the transceiver is further used to receive a query from a potential command sender inquiring in the capability of the apparatus;

and

the transcoder is further coupled to the transceiver to respond to the query with a reply.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-sized computing device, a laptop computer, a portable radio, a portable MPx player, and a portable CD/DVD player.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said transcoder and transceiver are further employed to

generate another message comprising another command and another data to enable another action on another mobile device and associate the other command with a control of the other mobile device, such that when the control of the other mobile device is activated, the other action will be performed on the other mobile device;

and

send the other message to the other mobile device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said transcoder and transceiver are further employed to

send a query to the other mobile device inquiring into one or more relevant capabilities,

receive a reply from the other mobile device to the query;

and

determine if the reply is favorable for the sending of the other message,

prior to performing the generating and sending of the other message.

33. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) means for receiving a message comprising the command that includes data for enabling an action on the mobile device;

(b) means for automatically associating the command with a control;

(c) means for employing the data to automatically enable the action on the mobile device; and

(d) means for causing the action to be performed on the mobile device when the control is activated.