REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PORTABLE TERMINALS

• US 20140009690A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JEON, Yeong-Hyo, Sung, Jong-Hi
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/40 Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

Provided are a remote control system and method for controlling portable terminals. The remote control system includes a control terminal which is a portable terminal that performs a remote control operation, a target terminal which is a portable terminal that is subject to the remote control operation performed by the control terminal, and a remote control management server which determines whether the control terminal and the target terminal are heterogeneous, and if the two terminals are heterogeneous, converts messages respectively transmitted from the control terminal and the target terminal to a format conforming to corresponding receiving terminals.

Claims

1. A method to remotely control a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

generating, upon detecting a remote control event, a remote control request message including information on a target terminal and transmitting the remote control request message to the target terminal via a remote control management server;

checking, upon receiving a remote control grant message from the target terminal via the remote control management server, whether a remote control response message is received; and

outputting, upon receiving the remote control response message, video data or audio data included in the remote control response message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting the remote control request message, receiving a password for authentication at the request of the target terminal and transmitting the password to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the remote control grant message, upon detecting a remote control command for controlling the target terminal, generating a remote control command message including the remote control command and transmitting the remote control command message to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon detecting a remote control end event, generating a remote control end message and transmitting the remote control end message to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, upon receiving the remote control end message from the target terminal, outputting a message indicating completion of remote control and ending the remote control.

6. A remote control method in a portable electronic device, comprising:

determining, upon receiving a remote control request message, validity of a remote control request by performing an authentication process;

generating, if the remote control request is valid, a remote control grant message and transmitting the remote control grant message to a control terminal via a remote control management server;

generating a remote control response message including video data or audio data to be output; and

transmitting the remote control response message to the control terminal via the remote control management server.

7. The remote control method of claim 6, wherein, when determining the validity of the remote control request, if the authentication process is based on a password, the authentication is achieved by sending a password request to the control terminal via the remote control management server, and upon receiving the password, the authentication is determined by comparing the received password with a password stored in a memory, and

wherein, if the authentication process is based on registered terminal information, the authentication is achieved by checking whether a control terminal information to be authenticated is included in a control grant list stored in the memory, and if the authentication process is based on a user, the authentication is achieved by a user of the target terminal.

8. The remote control method of claim 6, further comprising, after transmitting the remote control message and upon receiving a remote control command message from the control terminal via the remote control management server, executing a remote control command included in the remote control command message.

9. The remote control method of claim 6, wherein, the remote control response message includes the video data or audio data to be output, and the video data or audio data is periodically output.

10. The remote control method of claim 6, wherein, the remote control response message includes the video data or audio data to be output, and the remote control response message includes video data or audio data generated upon detecting modification of the video data or the output of the audio data.

11. The remote control method of claim 6, further comprising, upon detecting a remote control end event, generating a remote control end message and transmitting the remote control end message to the control terminal via the remote control management server.

12. The remote control method of claim 11, further comprising, upon receiving the remote control end message from the control terminal, outputting a message indicating completion of remote control and ending the remote control.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

a controller; and

a communication unit,

wherein the controller is configured to generate, upon detecting a remote control event, a remote control request message including information on a target terminal and transmitting the remote control request message to the target terminal via a remote control management server, to check, upon receiving a remote control grant message from the target terminal via the remote control management server, whether a remote control response message is received, and to output, upon receiving the remote control response message, video data or audio data included in the remote control response message, and

wherein the communication unit is configured to, under the control of the controller, communicate with a target portable electronic device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, after transmitting the remote control request message, receive a password for authentication at a request of the target terminal and to transmit the password to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, after receiving the remote control grant message, upon detecting a remote control command for controlling the target terminal, generate a remote control command message including the remote control command and to transmit the remote control command message to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon detecting a remote control end event, generate a remote control end message and transmit the remote control end message to the target terminal via the remote control management server.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon receiving the remote control end message from the target terminal, output a message indicating completion of remote control and ending the remote control.

18. A target portable electronic device comprising:

a controller; and

a communication unit,

wherein the controller is configured to determine, upon receiving a remote control request message, whether the remote control request is valid by performing an authentication process, to generate, if the remote control request is valid, a remote control grant message and transmit the message to a control terminal via a remote control management server, to generate a remote control response message including video data or audio data to be output, and to transmit the remote control response message to the control terminal via the remote control management server, and

wherein the communication unit configured to, under the control of the controller, communicate with a control portable electronic device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein, when determining the validity of the remote control request, if the authentication process is based on a password, the authentication is achieved by sending a password request to the control terminal via the remote control management server, and upon receiving the password, the authentication is determined by comparing the received password with a password stored in a memory, and, if the authentication process is based on registered terminal information, the authentication is achieved by checking whether a control terminal information is included in a control grant list stored in the memory, and if the authentication process is based on a user, the authentication is achieved by a user of the target portable device.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to, after transmitting the remote control message and upon receiving a remote control command message from the control terminal via the remote control management server, execute a remote control command included in the remote control command message.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to output periodically the video or audio data within a time interval when generating the remote control response message including the video or audio data to be output.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the remote control response message including the video data or the audio data upon detecting modification of the video data or the output of the audio data when generating the remote control response message including the video or audio data to be output.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon detecting a remote control end event, generate a remote control end message and transmitting the remote control end message to the control terminal via the remote control management server.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to, upon receiving the remote control end message from the control terminal, output a message indicating completion of remote control and ending the remote control.