Method and apparatus for remote activation of wireless device features using short message services (SMS)

• US 6,301,484 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lekven, Eric J., Rogers, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/387,615
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/418, 455/419, 455/414, 455/186.1, 455/550, 455/556, 455/44
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remote control of software and hardware features of a wireless communication device using Short Message Services (SMS). A wireless communication device with SMS capabilities can be remotely configured by sending specifically configured SMS messages. A manufacturer can configure a wireless device to have control over certain features accessible through SMS messages. A configuring SMS message is constructed using a specific format to inform the wireless device of the presence of a feature control message. Predetermined combinations of characters unlikely to occur in normal messages are used as message start and stop delimiters. A series of fields are defined in the SMS message with the fields separated by delimiters distinct from the message start and stop delimiters. Commands may be sent to the wireless device using point-to-point as well as broadcast SMS messages. The wireless device receives the SMS message and identifies it as a feature control command by noting the presence of a message start delimiter. The message is then parsed according to the field delimiters within the message. The wireless device then configures software and hardware features according to the contents of the SMS message fields.

Claims

1. A method for controlling feature availability in a wireless device using SMS comprising:

sending a predetermined SMS feature control message to the wireless device;

receiving at the wireless device the predetermined SMS feature control message;

parsing the predetermined SMS feature control message to separate contents of data fields within the SMS feature control message; and

controlling the feature availability according to the contents of the data fields;

wherein the predetermined SMS feature control message comprises a minimum software version which identifies the lowest version of software able to use the feature code included in the SMS feature control message; and

an exact software version data field.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling step is performed only if the exact software data field is set to true and the minimum software version is exactly the same as a corresponding software version of the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling step is performed only if the exact software data field is set to false and the minimum software version is the same or lower than a corresponding software version of the wireless device.

4. An apparatus within an SMS capable wireless device for controlling feature availability using SMS feature control messages comprising:

a digital processor;

a memory device containing at least one predetermined feature code space having at least one feature mode location; and

a minimum of one hardware feature which utilizes the contents of at least one predetermined feature code space to determine the availability of each hardware feature;

wherein the digital processor determines the presence of the SMS feature control message, parses the SMS feature control message to recover a plurality of data fields, and writes the contents of the data fields to corresponding feature mode locations; and

wherein the plurality of data fields comprise;

a model ID field identifying the model of wireless device the SMS feature control message is directed towards;

a feature control field identifying the specific feature code space in memory addressed;

a minimum of one feature mode fields identifying the value to be written in the corresponding feature mode locations;

a minimum software version field identifying the lowest version of software able to use the feature mode values; and

an exact version field.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 where the digital processor writes the contents of the data fields to corresponding feature mode locations in memory only if the exact software data field is set to true and the minimum software version is exactly the same as a corresponding software version of the wireless device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the digital processor writes the contents of the data fields to corresponding feature mode locations in memory only if the exact software data field is set to false and the minimum software version is the same or lower than a corresponding software version of the wireless device.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the memory device is a non-volatile memory device.

8. Apparatus for controlling feature availability in a wireless device using SMS comprising:

(a) means for receiving, at the wireless device, a previously sent, predetermined SMS feature control message;

(b) means for parsing the predetermined SMS feature control message to separate contents of data fields within the SMS feature control message; and

(c) means for controlling the feature availability according to the contents of the data fields;

wherein the predetermined SMS feature control message comprises;

(d) a minimum software version which identifies the lowest version of software able to use the feature code included in the SMS feature control message; and

(e) an exact software version data field.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controlling means is structured to function only if the exact software data field is set to true and the minimum software version is exactly the same as a corresponding software version of the wireless device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controlling means is structured to function only if the exact software data field is set to false and the minimum software version is the same or lower than a corresponding software version of the wireless device.