Configuring a mobile telephone

• US 20070142041A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wood, Karl
• Application Number:
  US10/598,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142041A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for controlling the communication functionality of a mobile phone in which configuration data is provided (104) and received (108). Voice calls using the mobile phone are controlled (110) by impeding or limiting the ability to conduct such calls to encourage use of alternative communication such as SMS text messaging.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the communication functionality of a mobile phone comprising:

providing (104) configuration data;

receiving (108) configuration data; and

controlling (110) of voice transmission functionality of the mobile phone according to the configuration data.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration data is received via the user interface of the mobile phone.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration data is received via a network serving the mobile phone.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the availability of the voice transmission functionality is controlled by impeding access to said functionality.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein impeding comprises prompting the use of an alternative transmission functionality.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein impeding comprises delaying access to the voice transmission functionality.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the availability of the voice transmission functionality is controlled in accordance with a pre-determined budget.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the budget is the time duration of voice calls using the mobile phone.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the budget is based on the time duration of voice transmission from the mobile phone.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the time duration is measured over a pre-determined time interval.

15. A record carrier comprising software operable to carry out the method of claim 1.

16. A software utility configured for carrying out the method steps as claimed in claim 1.

11. A system for controlling the communication functionality of a mobile phone comprising:

an interface (202, 204) arranged to enable a controller to input configuration data;

a data terminal (208) operable to receive the configuration data from the interface and to communicate the configuration data to a network;

a network (210) comprising a base station (212) operable to receive the configuration data and to communicate with a mobile phone; and

a mobile phone (214) operable to communicate with the base station and to control the availability of its voice transmission functionality according to the configuration data.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the interface is a Web form running on a Web browser, the input configuration data comprises data within the Web form, and the data terminal is further operable to extract the data within the Web form and to compose a data message comprising corresponding configuration data for the network.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the interface is a telephone (204), the input configuration data comprises a verbal command, and the data terminal is further operable to transcode the verbal command to a data message comprising corresponding configuration data for the network.

17. A mobile phone for use in a system as claimed in claim 11 and operating under control of a software utility configured for carrying out the steps of:

providing (104) configuration data;

receiving (108) configuration data; and

controlling (110) availability of voice transmission functionality of the mobile phone according to the configuration data.

14. A mobile phone comprising:

a user interface arranged to enable a controller to input configuration data; and

a processor operable to receive the configuration data from the user interface and to control availability of voice transmission functionality of the mobile phone according to the configuration data.