Apparatus and method for remotely changing a function of a mobile communcation terminal

• US 20040248562A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Sik
• Application Number:
  US10/861,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20040248562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for remotely changing a specific function of a mobile communication terminal are disclosed. Function Change information having a specific format is generated in response to a function change request and the function change information is inserted in a control message sent to a terminal. The terminal receives the control message, extracts the function change information and changes an indicated specific function according to the function change information. Remotely changing a specific function of a terminal with little inconvenience to a user is facilitated.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for remote control of a terminal in a mobile communication system, the system comprising:

a control unit adapted to receive a function change request to change a specific function of at least one terminal and generate function change information in a specific format;

a message unit adapted to receive the function change information from the control unit and transmit the function change information to the at least one terminal as part of a control message; and

at least one terminal adapted to receive the control message and change the specific function according to the function change information included in the control message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the message unit is an LMS (Long Message Service) server and the control message is part of an LMS message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is a control server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the function change request is received from the Internet.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control unit is connected to a personal computer (PC).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the function change request is received from a terminal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the function change request is received from a base station network that is a part of the mobile communication system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the function change information causes the at least one terminal to change an entire specific function.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the function change information causes the at least one terminal to change a portion of the specific function.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific format is an SMI format.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the message unit transmits the function change information to a plurality of terminals, each terminal adapted change a specific function according to the function change information.

12. An apparatus for remote control of a terminal in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a control server adapted to receive a function change request to change a specific function of at least one terminal and generate function change information in a specific format; and

an LMS (Long Message Service) server adapted to receive the function change information from the control server and transmit the function change information to the at least one terminal as part of an LMS message.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the function change request is received from the Internet.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control server is connected to a personal computer (PC).

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the function change request is received from a terminal through a control channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the function change request is received from a base station network that is part of the mobile communication system.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the function change information indicates changing an entire specific function.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the function change information indicates changing a portion of a specific function.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the specific function is one of a language, a color and a font.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the specific format comprises an index and a change variable, the index indicating a portion of a specific function and the change variable indicating a manner in which to change the portion of the specific function.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the specific function is a language displayed by the display unit, the index indicates a displayed word and the change variable indicates a new language.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the specific format is an SMI format.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the LMS server transmits the function change information to a plurality of terminals.

24. A terminal for remote control of a function in a mobile communication system, the terminal comprising:

a transmitting unit adapted to communicate with a network system;

a display unit adapted to convey information to a user;

a storage unit adapted to store information;

a receiving unit adapted to receive a control message containing function change information in a specific format; and

a processing unit adapted to extract the function change information from the control message and change a specific function according to the function change information.

25. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the transmitting unit is further adapted to transmit, over a control channel, a function change request to change a specific function of the terminal.

26. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the control message is part of an LMS (Long Message Service) message.

27. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the processing unit changes an entire specific function according to the function change information.

28. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the processing unit changes a portion of a specific function according to the function change information.

29. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the specific format is an SMI format.

30. The terminal of claim 24, wherein the specific function is one of a language displayed by the display unit, a language stored in the storage unit, a color displayed by the display unit and a font displayed by the display unit.

31. The terminal of claim 30, the specific format including an index and a change variable and wherein the processing unit is adapted to change a portion of the specific function corresponding to the index in a manner based on the change variable.

32. The terminal of claim 31, wherein the specific function is the language displayed by the display unit, the index is a start position and the change variable is a new language, and the processing unit is adapted to change the language of specific words corresponding to the start position to the new language.

33. A method for remote control of a terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a function change request to change a specific function of at least one terminal;

forming function change information in a specific format;

generating a control message containing the function change information; and

transmitting the control message to the at least one terminal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the control message is part of an LMS (Long Message Service) message.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the function change request is received from the Internet.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the function change request is received from a terminal over a control channel.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the function change request is received from a base station network that is part of the mobile communication system.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the function change information indicates changing an entire specific function.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the function change information indicates changing a portion of a specific function.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the specific function is one of a language, a color and a font

41. The method of claim 40, wherein forming function change information comprises adding an index and a change variable, the index indicating a portion of a specific function and the change variable indicating a manner in which to change the portion of the specific function.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the specific function is the language displayed by the display unit, the index indicates a displayed word and the change variable indicates a new language.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the specific format is an SMI format.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the control message is transmitted to a plurality of terminals.

45. A method for remote control of a terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that a received message is a specific type;

determining that the received message contains function change information;

extracting function change information from the received message; and

changing a specific function of a terminal according to the function change information.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the specific type is an LMS (Long Message Service) message.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein changing a specific function of a terminal comprises changing an entire specific function.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein changing a specific function of a terminal comprises changing a portion of a specific function.

49. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a function change request over a control channel to change a specific function of a terminal.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the specific function is one of a displayed language, a stored language, a displayed color and a displayed font.

51. The method of claim 50, the function change information comprising an index and a change variable and wherein changing a specific function of a terminal comprises the steps of:

identifying a portion of a specific function corresponding to the index; and

changing the portion of the specific function in a manner based on the change variable.

52. The method of claim 50, the specific function is the displayed language, the index is a start position and the change variable is a new language, and wherein changing a specific function of a terminal comprises changing the language of displayed words corresponding to the start position to the new language.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein determining that the received message contains function change information comprises checking for an SMI format.