Establishing special relationships between mobile devices

• US 20060046700A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,242,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and system for establishing special relationships between mobile devices has been disclosed. The method and system configures a plurality of contact classes for a mobile device, where each contact class comprises associated properties, and assigning at least one contact to one of the contact classes. The communication between the mobile device and the contact is based on the associated properties for the assigned contact class. The associated properties can include messaging type, parameters for data access, parameters for access to sensitive information, and image access by quality level. Contact and access control information can then be directly exchanged between the mobile device and the contact. The contact can obtain an account with the mobile and its associated devices without needing to visit each associated device. The contact and access control information thus only needs to be entered once for each user.

Claims

1. A method for establishing special relationships between mobile devices, comprising:

configuring a plurality of contact classes for a mobile device, wherein each contact class comprises associated properties;

assigning at least one contact to one of the contact classes, wherein communication between the mobile device and the contact is based on the associated properties for the assigned contact class; and

directly exchanging contact and access control information with the contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated properties comprise a message type for a message sent to or received by the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated properties comprise parameters for data access.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the parameters for data access allow destructive operations by the contact that require commitment by a user of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the destructive operations are displayed to the contact as completed, wherein the destructive operations are not actually completed until commitment by the user of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated properties comprise parameters for access to sensitive information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated properties comprise an image access quality level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is directly between the mobile device and the contact.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is between the contact and a home server for the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the home server comprises a server for the mobile device'"'"'s service provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is secure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically modifying the assignment of the contact by a user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control information comprises information for associated devices for the contact.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining an account with the mobile device and its associated devices by the contact.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the account is obtained without the contact accessing the associated devices.

16. A computer readable medium with program instructions for establishing special relationships between mobile devices, comprising the instructions for:

configuring a plurality of contact classes for a mobile device, wherein each contact class comprises associated properties;

assigning at least one contact to one of the contact classes, wherein communication between the mobile device and the contact is based on the associated properties for the assigned contact class;

directly exchanging contact and access control information with the contact.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the associated properties comprise a message type for a message sent to or received by the mobile device.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the associated properties comprise parameters for data access.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the parameters for data access allow destructive operations by the contact that require commitment by a user of the mobile device.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the destructive operations are displayed to the contact as completed, wherein the destructive operations are not actually completed until commitment by the user of the mobile device.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein the associated properties comprise parameters for access to sensitive information.

22. The medium of claim 16, wherein the associated properties comprise an image access quality level.

23. The medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is directly between the mobile device and the contact.

24. The medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is between the contact and a home server for the mobile device.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the home server comprises a server for the mobile device'"'"'s service provider.

26. The medium of claim 16, wherein the communication is secure.

27. The medium of claim 16, further comprising:

dynamically modifying the assignment of the contact by a user of the mobile device.

28. The medium of claim 16, wherein the access control information comprises information for associated devices for the contact.

29. The medium of claim 28, further comprising:

obtaining an account with the mobile device and its associated devices by the contact.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the account is obtained without the contact accessing the associated devices.

31. A system, comprising:

a mobile device, comprising a plurality of contact classes, wherein each contact class comprises associated properties, wherein each contact on the list of contacts is assigned to one of the contact classes, wherein communication between the mobile device and the contact is based on the associated properties for the assigned contact class, wherein contact and access control information is directly exchanged between the mobile device and the contact; and

a server associated with the mobile device, comprising a table, wherein the table comprises the associated properties for each contact class.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the associated properties comprise a message type for a message sent to or received by the mobile device.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the associated properties comprises parameters for data access.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the parameters for data access allow destructive operations by the contact that require commitment by a user of the mobile device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the destructive operations are displayed to the contact as completed, wherein the destructive operations are not actually completed until commitment by the user of the mobile device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the associated properties comprises parameters for access to sensitive information.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the associated properties comprise an image access quality level.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the communication is directly between the mobile device and the contact.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the communication is between the contact and the server.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the server comprises a server for the mobile device'"'"'s service provider.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the communication is secure.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the access control information comprises information for associated devices for the contact.

43. The system of claim 43, wherein the contact obtains an account with the mobile device and its associated devices by the contact.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the account is obtained without the contact accessing the associated devices.