Mobile Phone, State Switching Method for Use in Mobile Phone, and Transmitter

• US 20080161034A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Akiyama, Koji
• Application Number:
  US11/814,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20080161034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad

Abstract

A state switching method includes the steps of: receiving a state switching instruction signal for instructing a local terminal to switch to at least one of two or more states; determining whether to switch the local terminal to the state specified by the above-mentioned state switching instruction signal on the basis of a user setting stored in a memory of the local terminal; and carrying out a control operation of switching the local terminal to the state specified by the above-mentioned state switching instruction signal when, in the above-mentioned determining step, it is determined that the switching of the local terminal to the state specified by the above-mentioned state switching instruction signal will be carried out.

Claims

1. A state switching method for use in a mobile phone which switches between two or more states including at least a state in which a ringer tone is switched on and a state in which a ringer tone is switched off, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a state switching instruction signal for instructing the local terminal to switch to at least one of said two or more states;

determining whether to switch the local terminal to a state specified by said state switching instruction signal on a basis of a user setting stored in a memory of the local terminal; and

carrying out a control operation of switching the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal when, in said determining step, it is determined that the switching of the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal will be carried out.

2. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of carrying out the control operation is the step of, when it is determined that the switching of the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal will not be carried out, carrying out a control operation of switching the local terminal to a state different from the state specified by said state switching instruction signal on a basis of said user setting.

3. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of carrying out the control operation is the step of, when it is determined that the switching of the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal will not be carried out, not switching the local terminal to any other state.

4. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said state switching instruction signal includes an identifier which corresponds to a location where the mobile phone is responsible to switch to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal and said user setting can be set up for every said identifier, and said determining step is the step of determining whether to switch the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal on a basis of a user setting which corresponds to said identifier included in said received state switching instruction signal.

5. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said state switching instruction signal includes an identifier which corresponds to a category of a location where the mobile phone is responsible to switch to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal and said user setting can be set up for every said identifier, and said determining step is the step of determining whether to switch the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal on a basis of a user setting which corresponds to said identifier included in said received state switching instruction signal.

6. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said determining step includes the step of judging whether or not said user setting is stored in a memory of the local terminal, the step of urging a user to input said user setting when, in said judging step, it is judged that said user setting is not stored in the memory, and the step of storing the user setting inputted from the user in said memory.

7. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 5, characterized in that said method includes the steps of, when, in said receiving step, said state switching instruction signal is received, judging whether or not a user setting which corresponds to said identifier included in the received state switching instruction signal is stored in a memory of the local terminal, urging a user to input a user setting which corresponds to said identifier when, in said judging step, it is judged that the user setting is not stored in the memory, and storing the user setting inputted from the user and corresponding to said identifier in said memory.

8. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 6, characterized in that said method includes the steps of, when, in said receiving step, said state switching instruction signal is received, judging whether or not a user setting which corresponds to said identifier included in the received state switching instruction signal is stored in a memory of the local terminal, urging a user to input a user setting which corresponds to said identifier when, in said judging step, it is judged that the user setting is not stored in the memory, and storing the user setting inputted from the user and corresponding to said identifier in said memory.

9. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 4, characterized in that the step of urging the user to input said user setting includes the step of urging the user to input a password for confirming an identity of the user.

10. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 5, characterized in that said method further includes the step of acquiring said identifier included in said state switching instruction signal from a predetermined server, the step of urging the user to input a user setting for said identifier, and the step of storing the user setting inputted from the user, which corresponds to said identifier, in a memory of the local terminal.

11. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 6, characterized in that said method further includes the step of acquiring said identifier included in said state switching instruction signal from a predetermined server, the step of urging the user to input a user setting for said identifier, and the step of storing the user setting inputted from the user, which corresponds to said identifier, in a memory of the local terminal.

12. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 5, characterized in that said method further includes the step of urging the user to input a user setting common to two or more identifiers.

13. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 6, characterized in that said method further includes the step of urging the user to input a user setting common to two or more identifiers.

14. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 9, characterized in that said confirmation of the identity of the user using said password is carried out by transmitting the password inputted by the user to an authentication server.

15. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiving step is the step of receiving said state switching instruction signal via a perch channel.

16. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiving step is the step of receiving said state switching instruction signal via a channel transmitted from a base station.

17. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said receiving step is the step of receiving said state switching instruction signal via a CPICH, a P-CCPCH, S-CCPCH, or a DPCH transmitted from a base station.

18. The state switching method for use in the mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that said method further includes the step of detecting whether said state switching instruction signal is not received after the state switching is carried out in said control step, and the step of returning the local terminal to the state in which it was placed before the state switching is carried out when said state switching instruction signal is not received.

19. A mobile phone which switches between two or more states including at least a state in which a ringer tone is switched on and a state in which a ringer tone is switched off, said mobile phone comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a state switching instruction signal for instructing the local terminal to switch to at least one of said two or more states;

a determining means for determining whether to switch the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal on a basis of a user setting stored in a memory of the local terminal; and

a control means for switching the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal when said determining means determines to carry out the switching of the local terminal to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal.

20. A transmitter which transmits a state switching instruction signal to a mobile phone which switches between two or more states including at least a state in which a ringer tone is switched on and a state in which a ringer tone is switched off, the state switching instruction signal indicating an instruction to switch to at least one of said two or more states, said transmitter comprising:

a state identifier storage means for storing an identifier of a state specified by said state switching instruction signal;

a first storage means for storing an identifier which corresponds to a location which the mobile phone is responsible to switch to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal;

a second storage means for storing an identifier which corresponds to a category of the location which the mobile phone is responsible to switch to the state specified by said state switching instruction signal;

a state switching instruction signal generating means for generating said state switching instruction signal containing the identifiers respectively outputted from said state identifier storage means, said first storage means, and said second storage means; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the state switching instruction signal outputted by said state switching instruction signal generating means.