STANDARDIZED CONTROL OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20150087294A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ying, Goangshiuan Shawn, Aspell, Stephen Michael, Edmon, Eugene Lane, Chen, Huizhen
• Granted Patent: US 9,867,033 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 constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• 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

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A wireless device management method, comprising:

detecting a wireless communication device in proximity to a venue;

wirelessly communicating, to the wireless communication device, an incentive to grant remote configuration authority to a server; and

responsive to receiving, from the wireless communication device, an acceptance of the incentive, delivering key data to the wireless communication device, wherein the key data prevents a particular remote configuration command from modifying the wireless communication device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the particular remote configuration command comprises a remote power down command that, when executed by a wireless communication device, causes wireless communication devices lacking the key data to power down.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote power down command, when executed, causes a first type of wireless communication device lacking the key data and a second type of wireless communication device, different than the first type of wireless communication device and also lacking the key data, to power down.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein detecting the wireless communication device comprises detecting the wireless communication device with a personal area network signal, associated with an access point, as the phone passes in close proximity to the access point.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the acceptance from the wireless communication device, remotely disabling a particular function of the wireless communication device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein disabling the particular function comprises disabling an audio recording function.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein disabling the particular function comprises disabling a video recording function.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein disabling the particular function comprises disabling an audio output function.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

wirelessly broadcasting the remote configuration command within the venue.

31. A management server, comprising

a processor;

and

computer readable storage, accessible to the processor, including processor-executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying a mobile device in proximity to a venue associated with an event;

providing, to a user associated with the mobile device, an incentive to permit remote configuration of the mobile device within the venue during the event;

responsive to receiving, from the mobile device, remote configuration permission;

sending a key code to the mobile device; and

remotely disabling a recording feature of the mobile device; and

broadcasting a remote power down command within the venue, wherein the remote power down command, when executed by a mobile device, is configured to power down the mobile device responsive to determining a lack of a key code in the computer readable storage of the mobile device.

32. The server of claim 31, wherein remotely disabling the recording feature comprises remotely disabling video recording functionality.

33. The server of claim 31, wherein remotely disabling the recording feature comprises remotely disabling an audio recording functionality.

34. The server of claim 31, wherein the operations include:

remotely disabling an audio output functionality.

35. The server of claim 31, wherein identifying the mobile device in proximity to the event includes triangulating a location of the mobile device to a position within the venue.

36. The server of claim 31, wherein identifying the mobile device in proximity to the event includes detecting the mobile device within a personal area network range of a venue access point.

37. A computer readable memory, including processor executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving remote configuration authority from a mobile device located in proximity to a venue;

providing a key code to the mobile device;

remotely disabling a recording feature of the mobile device; and

broadcasting a remote power down command within the venue, wherein the remote power down command is inoperative on mobile devices in which the key code is installed.

38. The computer readable memory of claim 37, wherein remotely disabling the recording feature comprises remotely disabling at least one feature selected from:

a video recording feature and an audio recording feature.

39. The computer readable memory of claim 37, wherein remotely disabling the recording feature comprises remotely disabling audio output.

40. The computer readable memory of claim 37, wherein the operations include:

identifying mobile devices connected to a WiFi network associated with the venue.

41. The computer readable memory of claim 37, wherein the operation s include:

identifying mobile devices via a personal area network associated with a point of access to the venue.