METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISABLING THE RF FUNCTIONALITY OF A MULTI-FUNCTION WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WHILE MAINTAINING ACCESS TO LOCAL FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20110300860A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Switch IP, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Durham Logistics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shah, Nitin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for disabling the communication functionality (i.e., disabling the transmission and/or reception of RF signals) of an integrated device, while still providing access to the local functionality of such device. A control and select function, such as a switch that is implemented by hardware or software or a combination thereof, is provided in an integrated device to allow the end user of the device to access the local data processing functionality of the device, even while the wireless communication functionality of such device is disabled.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

communication device adapted to transmit and receive information over a radio frequency communication link; and

one or more base stations adapted to transmit voice communications between said communication device and a public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein said communication device comprises;

a first power supply;

a computing unit, coupled to the first power supply;

a second power supply;

a radio communication unit coupled to the second power supply; and

a switch adapted to selectively couple the radio communication unit to the second power supply, to provide first and second modes of operation, wherein the first mode of operation enables the computing unit and the radio communication unit, and the second mode of operation disables the radio communication unit and enables the computing unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more base stations are adapted to provide cellular communication between mobile devices and said PSTN.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing unit further comprises:

a data storage area to store information; and

a processor, coupled to the data storage area, to retrieve the information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the information includes random access information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more base stations comprise an adaptive array base station.

6. A method comprising:

transmitting voice communications between a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and portable communication device over a radio frequency communication link;

providing a subscriber with access to user-operated computing functionality of said portable communication device and access to transmitting signals to and receiving signals from one or more base stations through said radio frequency communication link; and

subsequently disabling said access to transmitting said signals while maintaining said access to the user-operated computing functionality and the access to receiving signals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said disabling the access to transmitting said signals comprises disabling at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) unit of said portable communication device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling said at least a portion of the RF unit comprises disabling the portion of the RF unit with a switch.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein disabling said at least a portion of the RF unit comprises disabling a local oscillator of the RF unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said disabling the local oscillator of the RF unit comprises sending a software command to a local oscillator control circuit to cause the local oscillator to cease operation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said disabling the local oscillator of the RF unit comprises triggering a hardware selection mechanism to cause the local oscillator to cease operation.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said disabling the access to said transmitting signals comprises disabling an operation of an antenna.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein disabling the operation of the antenna further comprises disconnecting the antenna from a power supply.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said disabling the operation of the antenna further comprises increasing electromagnetic shielding of the antenna.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein increasing the electromagnetic shielding of the antenna comprises surrounding the antenna with a metal coil.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein said disabling said access to said transmitting signals comprises disabling the access to said transmitting in response to selection of a soft key on the communication device.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein said disabling said access to said transmitting said signals comprises disabling said access to said transmitting in response to receiving a disable command from an external entity.

18. A method comprising:

transmitting voice communications between a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and portable communication device over a radio frequency communication link, said portable communication device having interactive data processing functionality and a wireless signal communication functionality;

simultaneously enabling access to the interactive data processing functionality and the wireless signal communication functionality; and

in response to detecting an event, providing notification to disable the wireless signal communication functionality while simultaneously maintaining the access to the interactive data processing functionality by use of a selection mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein disabling said wireless signal communication functionality comprises disabling a wireless signal reception functionality.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein disabling said wireless signal communication functionality disabling a functionality to place calls to said PSTN.