Method and apparatus for controlling integrated receiver operation in a communications terminal

• US 20040204010A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Haakana, Prijo, Rysa, Erkki, Tassberg, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling integrated receiver operation in a communications terminal includes using an electronic device having a broadcast receiving module and a two-way communications module. The device may use the configuration of the receiving module to form a message to be sent to a peer device. The electronic device can use an incoming message to change a configuration of the receiving module. The incoming message may be sent from a notification node that is remotely configurable by a user. The receiving module can be controlled from an application program on the electronic device. In one aspect, the receiving module can be controlled from a Java™ 2 Micro Edition MIDlet.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a broadcast receiving module on a communications device, comprising:

retrieving an operational configuration of the receiving module to determine a state of the receiving module;

applying the retrieved operational configuration of the receiving module as input to an application program running in a virtual machine on the communications device;

applying a user input to the application program to create a changed configuration of the receiving module; and

applying the changed configuration to the receiving module to change a state of the receiving module.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a message from the retrieved operational configuration of the receiving module; and

sending the message over a communications link of the communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message containing a modified configuration of the receiving module from a communications link of the communications device; and

applying the modified configuration as input to the application program to change the state of the receiving module.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a decoded message from the broadcast as input to the application program.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the decoded message in a display of the communications device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing the decoded message in a data storage module of the communications device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual machine comprises a Java virtual machine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the application program comprises a J2ME MIDlet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein changing a state of the receiving module comprises changing at least one of a frequency, a modulation format, and an on-off state.

10. A method for controlling a broadcast receiving module on a communications device, comprising:

receiving a message containing a configuration of the receiving module from a communications link of the communications device;

retrieving the configuration from the message to form a changed configuration of the receiving module; and

applying the changed configuration to the receiving module to change a state of the receiving module.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving an operational parameter of the receiving module to determine a state of the receiving module;

creating a message from the retrieved operational parameter of the receiving module; and

sending the message over the communications link of the communications device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising alerting a user of the communications device to confirm the changed configuration before changing the state of the receiving module.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein changing the state of the receiving module comprises changing at least one of a frequency, a modulation format, and an on-off state.

14. A system of providing a broadcast notification service, comprising:

at least one electronic device comprising;

a receiving module for receiving a broadcast signal; and

a communications module providing two-way communications;

a notification node comprising;

a server module for allowing the selection of a predetermined notification event; and

a communications module to send the notification event to the communication module of the electronic device; and

wherein the electronic device is configured to change a configuration of the receiving module in response to the predetermined notification event.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is configured to access the server module of the notification node to select the notification event.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is configured to send out a message comprising a configuration of the receiving module in response to a user request.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a wireline computing device, a wireless computing device, and a wireless communication device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving module comprises a radio receiver.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving module comprises a television receiver.

22. A system of providing a broadcast notification service, comprising:

a first and second electronic device, each comprising;

a receiving module for receiving a broadcast signal; and

a communications module providing two-way communications;

wherein the first electronic device is configured to;

retrieve a configuration of the receiving module of the first electronic device in response a user input; and

send a message comprising the configuration from the communications module of the first electronic device; and

wherein the second electronic device is configured to;

receive the message sent from the first electronic device at the communications module of the second device;

retrieve the configuration from the message to form a changed configuration; and

apply the changed configuration to change a state of the receiving module of the second electronic device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first and second electronic devices each comprise at least one of a wireline computing device, a wireless computing device, and a wireless communication device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving modules of the first and second electronic devices each comprise a radio receiver.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving modules of the first and second electronic devices each comprise a television receiver.

28. An electronic apparatus for communication over a network, comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a broadcast signal;

a memory arranged to store an application program;

a processor coupled to the memory to execute the application program and coupled to the receiver to change a configuration of the receiving module;

a user interface arranged to receive a user input; and

wherein the application program is arranged to change a configuration of the receiving module in response to the user input.

29. The electronic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the application program comprises pseudocode interpretable instructions and the processor is configured to interpret the pseudocode interpretable instructions in a virtual machine.

30. The electronic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the virtual machine, comprises a Java virtual machine.

31. The electronic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the application program comprises a J2ME MIDlet.

32. The electronic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the application program is configured to receive a message over the network, extract a changed configuration from the message and apply the changed configuration to the receiving module.

33. The electronic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the application program is configured to send a message over the network, the message containing a current configuration of the receiving module.

34. The electronic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to extract an encoded data stream of the broadcast signal from the receiving module and the application program is configured to display the data stream on the user interface.

35. The electronic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to extract an encoded data stream of the broadcast signal from the receiving module and the application program is configured to store the data stream in the memory.