STANDARDIZED CONTROL OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20090111452A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edmon, Eugene Lane, Aspell, Stephen Michael, Chen, Huizhen, Ying, Goangshiuan Shawn
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A disclosed service for managing mobile and wireless communication devices (MWCDs) includes enabling a server to generate a standard remote configuration command (RCC) and enabling a transmitter coupled to the server to transmit the RCC wirelessly. The RCC configures a feature on a first MWCD of a first supplier and a second MWCD of a second supplier. The RCC may disable one or more of a set of selected MWCD peripheral devices. For example, the RCC may disable an MWCD camera, an MWCD microphone, and/or an MWCD speaker. In some embodiments, the RCC transitions the MWCD to a restricted state in which the MWCD is unable to record multimedia content including audio and video content. In these embodiments, the RCC may configure one or more of the features on each of a set of MWCDs within a defined geographic region.

Claims

1. A service for managing mobile and wireless communication devices (MWCDs), comprising:

enabling a server to generate a standard remote configuration command (RCC); and

enabling a transmitter operably coupled to the server to transmit wirelessly the RCC,

wherein the RCC configures a feature on at least a first MWCD of a first supplier and a second MWCD of a second supplier.

2. The service of claim 1, wherein the RCC disables at least one of a set of MWCD functions.

3. The service of claim 2, wherein the MWCD includes a camera to record still and moving video images and the RCC disables video recording functionality.

4. The service of claim 2, wherein the MWCD includes a microphone to record audio content and wherein the RCC disables an audio recording functionality.

5. The service of claim 1, wherein the RCC disables an MWCD speaker.

6. The service of claim 1, wherein the RCC transitions the MWCD to a restricted state in which the MWCD is unable to record audio and record video.

7. The service of claim 6, wherein the RCC configures the feature on each of a set of MWCDs within a defined geographic region.

8. The service of claim 6, wherein the RCC configures the feature on each of a set of MWCDs within a defined geographic region that have accepted an invitation from the server.

9. The service of claim 8, wherein the server is further enabled to generate a second RCC to power down MWCDs that have not accepted the invitation.

10. The service of claim 1, wherein enabling the transmitter comprises enabling the transmitter to transmit the RCC using a personal area network (PAN) protocol.

11. The service of claim 1, wherein enabling the transmitter comprises enabling the transmitter to transmit the RCC using a local area network (LAN) protocol.

12. A mobile and wireless communication device (MWCD) comprising:

a processor operably coupled to a storage resource;

a wireless module coupled to the processor;

a peripheral device coupled to the processor, the peripheral device selected from a group of peripheral devices consisting of a microphone and a camera;

a storage resource; and

a remote configuration module comprising instructions, stored in the storage resource, for responding to a set of remote configuration commands (RCCs) received via the wireless module wherein at least one of the RCCs comprises a restricted state command that transitions the MWCD to a restricted state in which content recording functionality supported by the peripheral device is disabled.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the MWCD is inoperable to output an audibly detectable signal in the restricted state.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the remote configuration module includes an authorization module enabling the MWCD to permit or prevent execution of the restricted state command.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the authorization module enables the MWCD to respond to a power down RCC when the MWCD prevents execution of the restricted state command.

16. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the wireless module is operable to receive an RCC transmitted via a personal area network protocol.

17. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the RF module is operable to receive an RCC transmitted via a wireless local area network protocol.

18. A server operable to manage a set of mobile wireless communication devices (MWCDs), comprising:

a processor; and

a storage resource accessible to the processor, wherein the storage resource includes instructions embedded in the storage resource and executable by the processor, the instructions including instructions to;

generate a remote configuration command (RCC) operable when received by a MWCD to configure a feature of the MWCD; and

transmit the RCC wirelessly to at least a first MWCD and a second MWCD to configure the feature of the first and second MWCDs.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the RCC configures a first MWCD by transitioning the MWCD to a restricted state in which the MWCD is prevented from recording audio and video content.

20. A service comprising:

enabling a mobile wireless communication device (MWCD) to receive a multicast signal; and

enabling the MWCD to respond to reception of the multicast signal by transitioning the MWCD to an operational state wherein the MWCD is unable to record a multimedia performance and unable to generate audibly detectable sounds.

21. A service comprising:

enabling a server to transmit a multicast signal to a plurality of telephony-based mobile wireless communication devices (MWCD); and

enabling at least one of the MWCDs to respond to reception of the multicast signal by transitioning the MWCD to an operational state for use in a multimedia performance environment, wherein the MWCD is prevented from recording the performance in the operational state.