REMOTE MESSAGING FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND ACCESSORY

• US 20100227631A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rathi, Shailesh, Bolton, Lawrence G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Message notifications to an accessory from a mobile communication device are provided according to some embodiments of the invention. When a message such as a text message, email, and/or voicemail is received at a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device can notify an attached accessory that a message has been received. In response, the accessory can request the full message, media associated with the message, an attachment to the message, and/or an audio/video stream of the message for presentation to a user.

Claims

1. A method for use in an accessory, the method comprising:

receiving a notification from a mobile communication device coupled with the accessory that indicates the mobile communication device has received a message through a mobile communication network;

in response to receiving the notification, providing a message indication to the user indicating that a message has been received; and

in response to providing the text message indication, receiving a user request to access the message; and

in response to the user indication, presenting the message to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes a message selected from the group consisting of a text message, an MMS message, an SMS message, a voicemail and/or an email.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification includes a portion of the message.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising in response to the user indication, sending a command to the MCD requesting the full message.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the providing a message indication to the user further includes displaying a portion of the message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification includes contact information associated with the message.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the providing a message indication to the user further includes displaying contact information associated with the message.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification indicates that the message includes multimedia, and wherein the displaying the message further comprises providing the multimedia to a user.

9. An accessory for use with a mobile communication device, the accessory comprising:

an accessory controller;

an input/output interface coupled with the accessory controller and including a control signal path, wherein the input/output interface is configured to send a message to the mobile communication device indicating that the accessory is configured to receive message notification, and wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive a message notification from the mobile communication device; and

a user interface coupled with the accessory controller, the user interface being configured to indicate to a user receipt of a text message at the mobile communication device in response to receiving the message notification.

10. The accessory according to claim 9 wherein the message notification includes a portion of the message, and the user interface is configured to display a portion of the message in response to receiving the message notification.

11. The accessory according to claim 9 wherein the message notification includes the message, and the user interface is configured to display a portion of the message in response to receiving the text message notification.

12. The accessory according to claim 9 wherein the message notification includes the text message and the user interface is configured to display the message in response to receiving the message notification.

13. The accessory according to claim 9 wherein the message notification includes a message identifier, and wherein the accessory controller is configured to send a request to the mobile communication device for the message in response to receiving an indication from the user to view the message.

14. A method for use in a mobile communication device having a telephone interface, the method comprising:

determining that an accessory connected to the mobile communication device supports text message notifications;

receiving a text message through the telephone interface; and

sending a text message notification to the accessory indicating that the mobile communication device has received the text message.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the text message notification includes an identifier associated with the text message and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request from the accessory to send the text message, wherein the request includes the identifier; and

sending the text message to the accessory in response to receiving the request.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the text message includes multimedia and the text message notification includes an indication that the text message includes a multimedia object and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request from the accessory to send the multimedia object; and

sending the multimedia object to the accessory in response to receiving the request.

17. A method for use in an accessory, the method comprising:

receiving a notification from a mobile communication device coupled with the accessory indicating that the mobile communication device has received a voicemail;

providing a received voicemail indication to the user indicating that a voicemail has been received;

receiving an indication from the user to play the voicemail at the accessory; and

in response to receiving the indication from the user, sending a command to the mobile communication device to stream the voicemail to the accessory;

receiving an audio stream from the mobile communication device; and

playing the audio stream through a speaker at the accessory.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the notification includes a listing of received voicemails, each voicemail associated with an identifier, and the method further comprises displaying the listing of received voicemails.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the receiving an indication from the user includes receiving a voicemail identifier, and the sending a command to the mobile computing device includes sending the voicemail identifier.

20. The method according to claim 18 further comprising displaying the listing of received voicemails to a user.

21. An accessory for use with a mobile communication device, the accessory comprising:

an accessory controller;

an input/output interface coupled with the accessory controller including a control signal path configured to receive a voicemail notification from the mobile communication device and configured to receive audio signals from the mobile communication device; and

a user interface coupled with the accessory controller and configured to indicate to a user receipt of at least one voicemail at the mobile communication device in response to receiving the voicemail notification, wherein the user interface includes a speaker; and

wherein the input/output interface is configured to send a request to the mobile communication device in response to receiving an indication from the user to hear a voicemail, wherein the input/output interface is configured to receive an audio stream from the mobile communication device, and the speaker is configured to play the audio stream received from the input/output interface.

22. The accessory according to claim 21 wherein the voicemail notification includes a listing of voicemails, and wherein the user interface displays the listing of voicemails.

23. The accessory according to claim 22 wherein the receiving an indication from the user to hear a voicemail includes receiving an indication specifying a voicemail in the listing of voicemails.

24. The accessory according to claim 22 wherein the voicemail notification includes an identifier associated with each of the voicemails in the listing of voicemails and the request sent to the mobile communication device includes an identifier associated with the voicemail selected by the user.

25. The accessory according to claim 21 wherein the user interface is configured to receive an indication from the user to delete a voicemail, and wherein in response to receiving the indication from the user to delete a voicemail, sending a command to the mobile communication device through the input/output interface to delete the voicemail.

26. The accessory according to claim 21 wherein the user interface is configured to receive an indication from the user to callback a telephone number associated with a voicemail, and wherein in response to receiving the indication from the user to callback a telephone number associated with a voicemail, sending a command to the mobile communication device through the input/output interface to callback the telephone number associated with a voicemail.

27. A method for use in a mobile communication device having a telephone interface, the method comprising:

determining that an accessory connected to the mobile communication device supports voicemail notifications;

receiving one or more voicemails through the telephone interface, and storing the one or more voicemails at the mobile communication device; and

sending a voicemail notification to the accessory indicating that the mobile communication device has received the voicemail message.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprising:

receiving a request from the accessory for the voicemail; and

streaming the voicemail to the accessory through an audio output port of the mobile communication device.

29. The method according to claim 28 further comprising:

receiving a request from the accessory that includes a playback control indication; and

streaming the voicemail according to the playback control indication.