Method and apparatus to facilitate alternative modes of operation for a portable communication device

• US 20060189304A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Messerges, Thomas S., Puhl, Larry C., Dabbish, Ezzat, Li, Yi Q.
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communications device (300) enabled to support both external voice communications functionality (301) (or other external communications of interest and choice) and other functionality (302) has at least a first and second mode of operation (304 and 305). The first mode of operation permits essentially all functionality while the second mode of operation precludes at least much of the other functionality in favor of preserving the viability of at least some of the external communications functionality. A selector (306) can select a given mode of operation based, at least in part, on a trigger 307 comprising, for example, a user input and/or detection of a condition of concern.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a portable communication device having both external communications functionality and non-external communications functionality;

providing a first mode of operation wherein use of the external and non-external communications functionality is not precluded;

providing a second mode of operation wherein at least some use of the external communications functionality is not precluded and at least some use of the non-external communications functionality is precluded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the external communications functionality comprises, at least in part, functionality as corresponds to compatible interaction with a wide area network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wide area network comprises a cellular telephony network.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein providing a second mode of operation wherein at least some use of the external communications functionality is not precluded further comprises not precluding use of external communications functionality as is required to effect compatible interaction with the wide area network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-external communications functionality comprises, at least in part, functionality as corresponds to at least one of:

personal digital assistant functionality;

Java-based application functionality;

location aware functionality;

informational resource functionality;

text-based entertainment functionality;

financial services functionality;

visual entertainment functionality;

audio entertainment functionality;

multi-media entertainment functionality;

image capture functionality.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining when to use the second mode of operation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining when to use the second mode of operation comprises detecting an instruction from a user indicating that the second mode of operation is to be used.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein determining when to use the second mode of operation comprises automatically determining to use the second mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically determining to use the second mode of operation further comprises detecting at least one of:

detection of an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

detection of at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

detection of a memory abnormality;

detection of abnormal execution behavior;

detection of diminished power capacity;

10. A portable wireless communications platform having both external voice communications functionality and other functionality, comprising:

at least one at least logically partitioned component that enables the external voice communications functionality;

at least one at least logically partitioned component that enables the other functionality;

a trigger;

a first mode of operation that enables use of both the component that enables the external voice communication functionality and the component that enables the other functionality;

a second mode of operation that enables use of the component that enables the external voice communication functionality while precluding use of the component that enables the other functionality;

a selector that is responsive to the trigger and that provides an output signal comprising a selection of one of at least the first and second modes of operation;

such that when the second mode of operation is selected, the portable wireless communications platform will provide at least rudimentary communications service but will not provide at least some non-communications related functionality.

11. The portable wireless communications platform of claim 10 wherein the external voice communications functionality comprises a wide area network communications functionality.

12. The portable wireless communications platform of claim 10 wherein the trigger comprises a user-assertable input.

13. The portable wireless communications platform of claim 10 wherein the trigger comprises means for detecting a condition of concern with respect to the operating integrity of the portable wireless communications platform.

14. The portable wireless communications platform of claim 13 wherein the condition of concern comprises at least one of:

detection of an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

detection of at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

detection of a memory abnormality;

detection of abnormal execution behavior;

detection of diminished power capacity.

15. A method for use with a portable wireless communications device, comprising:

providing a first mode of operation wherein use of a first quantity of native functionality is not precluded;

providing a second mode of operation that precludes using at least some of the native functionality while continuing to not preclude use of native functionality as is substantially essential to effecting wireless communications.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless communications comprise wireless voice telephony services.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

detecting a condition of concern with respect to the operating integrity of the portable wireless communications device;

in response to detecting the condition of concern, automatically selecting the second mode of operation.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the condition of concern comprises at least one of:

detection of an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

detection of at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

detection of a memory abnormality;

detection of abnormal execution behavior;

detection of diminished power capacity.