Method of remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device

• US 20050287994A1
• Filed: 05/08/2002
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Serafat, Reza, Imam, Amir, Sohner, Jens-Uwe, Glatzer, Hans-Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device selected for signaling an incoming message or cal to a user. To allow signaling an urgent incoming message or call to a user even if the device to be called is in a mute state, the method comprises the steps of: transmitting control data from a calling device (MS1) to a device (MS2) to called; changing a group of operating characteristics of the device (MS2) to be called in accordance with the transmitted control data; and signaling an incoming message or call in accordance with the operating characteristics set up in the previous step.

Claims

1. A method of remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device selected for signaling an incoming message or call to a user;

comprising the steps of;

a device (MS2) to be called, receiving control data;

changing a group of operating characteristics of the device (MS2) to be called in accordance with the transmitted control data; and

signaling an incoming message or call in accordance with the operating characteristics set up in the previous step.

2. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the control data is transmitted via a signaling channel as a message including at least a header and a data portion.

3. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the control data comprises an indication of which application can interpret the included command information.

4. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the control data comprises identification data indicating that the calling party is authorized to remotely change operating characteristics of the device (MS2) to be called.

5. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the operating characteristics of the device (MS2) to be called includes remote switching enable/disable data comprising positioning data and/or time data indicating locations and/or time periods where and/or when remote changing of a profile or a group of operating characteristics has to be allowed or not, and changing the group of operating characteristics of the device (MS2) to be called according to the transmitted control data is performed only if remote switching is enabled with regard to position and/or time.

6. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the active group of operating characteristics is changed to a standard group of operating characteristics.

7. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the active group of operating characteristics is changed to a group specified in the received control data if available otherwise to a default group.

8. The method according to claim 7 characterized in that the control data includes loudness setting data;

and the loudness value of a ringing tone is set to desired value.

9. The method according to claim 13 characterized in that an acknowledging message is sent back from the device (MS2) called to the calling device (MS1).

10. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the active group of operating characteristics is changed back automatically after completing the call or after signaling an incoming call or message to that group of operating characteristics that was active prior to the change of operating characteristics remotely initiated.

11. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the active group of operating characteristics is changed back to said group of operating characteristics that was active prior to the change of operating characteristics remotely initiated upon receiving reset data by the device (MS2) to be called.

13. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the control data is received via an air interface and in particular from a calling device (MS1).

14. A computer program product for remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device selected for signaling an incoming message or call to a user, comprising program code sections for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program is run on a processor-based devices communications device, a mobile phone, mobile station, or a subscriber terminal of a radio communications network.

15. A computer program product for remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device selected for signaling an incoming message or call to a user, comprising program code sections stored on a machine-readable medium for carrying out the steps of claim 1, when said program product is run on a processor-based device, communications device, a mobile phone, mobile station, or a subscriber terminal of a radio communications network.

16. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the steps of claim 1 to be carried out.

12. A method of remotely changing operating characteristics of a communications device, comprising the steps of

a device (MS2) to be called receiving control data;

and

switching off the device (MS2) to be called in accordance with switch off data included in the received control data after checking whether or not switching off has to be allowed by means of checking a password.

17. A communications device enabled for remotely changing operating characteristics of the communications device selected for signaling an incoming message or call to a user, comprising:

a RF-portion (11) for receiving control data via an air interface;

output means (14, 17 18) adjustable in accordance with operating characteristics; and

a central processing unit (12) operable with a profile switching application, which is adapted to read the control data to change a group of operating characteristics of the communications device (MS2) in accordance with the transmitted control data;

and to signal an incoming message or call in accordance with the operating characteristics set up in accordance with the transmitted control data.

18. A communications device enabled for remotely changing operating characteristics of the communications device, comprising:

a RF-portion (11) for receiving control data via an air interface; and

a central processing unit (12) operable with a profile switching application, which is adapted to read the control data to switch off the communications device (MS2) in accordance with switch off data included in the received control data after checking whether or not switching off has to be allowed by means of checking a password.