Controlling wireless mobile devices from a remote device

• US 7,277,726 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baudino, Daniel A., Merchant, Zaffer S., Ahya, Deepak P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khai
• Application Number:
  US10/838,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20050259618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/418, 455/420, 455/419, 455/422.1, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A method (300) of remotely controlling a wireless mobile device (105) can include the step of establishing (340) a communication channel between the wireless mobile device and a remotely located controlling device (120). At least one operation can be performed (355) using an interface (115) of the controlling device. Packetized data based upon the at least one operation can be conveyed across the communication channel. An indicator (111) can be presented (360) upon the wireless mobile device to indicate the device is being remotely controlled. A programmatic action can be performed upon the wireless mobile device responsive to the receipt to the packetized data.

Claims

1. A method of remotely controlling a wireless mobile device, comprising the steps of:

performing at least one operation using an interface of a controlling device;

conveying packetized data based upon said at least one operation across a communication channel;

enabling an indicator upon a wireless mobile device to indicate the wireless mobile device is being remotely controlled;

initiating the execution of a programmatic action upon the wireless mobile device responsive to a receipt of the packetized data, and

emulating a first user interface of the wireless mobile device on a second user interface of the controlling device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

initiating a remote control session from the wireless mobile device and

synchronizing the second user interface with the first user interface so that actions performed on the second user interface trigger behaviors within the wireless mobile device corresronding to controls of the first user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile device specifies a set of a plurality of controlling devices, said method further comprising the step of:

selecting one of the controlling devices from the specified set of controlling devices in accordance with a priority ordering.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the selected controlling device is unavailable for controlling the wireless mobile device; and

repeating said selecting step for different controlling devices included within the specified set of controlling devices until a selected controlling device is available for controlling the wireless mobile device,

wherein different levels of control are assigned to the controlling device by the controlled device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said controlling device is a wireless mobile telephone, said interface being an interface for locally operating said controlling device as a stand-alone mobile device, said method further comprising the step of:

placing the controlling device in a remote control mode, wherein selections made upon the controlling device when in the remote control mode result in actions corresponding to selections occurring upon the wireless mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling device is customer premise equipment that includes a remote link framework for communicating with the controlled device in a peer-to-peer fashion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

before the performing step, requesting configuration data from the wireless mobile device by the controlling device;

conveying the requested configuration data to the controlling device by the wireless mobile device; and

tuning the interface of the controlling device based upon the configuration data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

before conveying the packetized data, conveying an authorization key from the controlling device to the wireless mobile device; and

authorizing the remote control based at least in part upon the authorization key provided by the wireless mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

before conveying the packetized data, prompting a user of the wireless mobile device to permit the controlling device to remotely control the wireless mobile device, a granting of remote control being dependant upon a response to the prompting.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step at the wireless mobile device of:

halting remote control from the controller responsive to a user selection made upon the wireless mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps at the wireless mobile device of:

translating the packetized data from a device independent format into a specific format for the wireless mobile device, the executed programmatic action being based upon the data translated into the specific format.

12. A framework for emulating a first user interface of a wireless mobile device that is remotely controllable, comprising:

a remote data messaging component, wherein the remote data messaging component is configured to convey packetized data that emulates the first user interface and emulates input/output controls of the first user interface between said wireless mobile device and a controlling device having a second user interface

a remote link component, wherein the remote link component is configured to interpret packets of data from the remote data messaging component to perform at least one operation that emulates a control of the first user interface; and

a local device control unit that interfaces with input/output mechanisms of the wireless mobile device.

13. The framework of claim 12, wherein the remote data messaging component is disposed within a network layer of the wireless mobile device and the remote link component and the local device control unit are disposed within an application layer of the wireless mobile device and the remote link component synchronizes the second user interface with the first user interface so that actions performed on the second user interface trigger controls of the first user interface within the wireless mobile device.

14. The framework of claim 13, further comprising:

a translator disposed within the application layer of the wireless mobile device, the translator logically connecting the remote link component and the local device control unit.

15. The framework of claim 14, wherein said translator is configured to translate remote control operations between a device independent format used by the remote link component and a specific format for the wireless mobile device.

16. The framework of claim 14, wherein said translator is programmatically configurable for different wireless mobile devices, wherein applying said framework to a different type of wireless mobile device involves programmatically configuring said translator.

17. The framework of claim 14, further comprising:

an application call module configured to call application routines of the wireless mobile device responsive to remotely received messages; and

a code plug module including a programmable memory, wherein data within said programmable memory is remotely accessible, said translator logically connecting the application code module and the code plug module within the framework.

18. The framework of claim 14, further comprising:

a framework module defining a standardized software framework for mobile wireless information devices; and

a file system module providing access to a plurality of files utilized by the wireless mobile device, the translator logically connecting the framework module and the file system module within the framework.

19. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to:

perform at least one operation using an interface of a controlling device;

enable a receipt of packetized data based upon the at least one operation across a communication channel;

enable a presentation of an indicator upon a wireless mobile device to indicate the wireless mobile device is being remotely controlled; and

initiate execution of a programmatic action upon said wireless mobile device responsive to a receipt of the packetized data and

emulating a first user interface of the wireless mobile device on a second user interface of the controlling device.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 19, wherein the controlling device is a wireless mobile telephone, the interface being an interface for locally operating the controlling device as a stand-alone mobile device, the machine-readable storage further including code sections for causing the machine to:

place the controlling device in a remote control mode, wherein selections made upon the controlling device when in the remote control mode result in actions corresponding to the selections occurring upon the wireless mobile device and

synchronize the second user interface with the first user interface so that actions performed on the second user interface trigger behaviors within the wireless mobile device corresronding to controls of the first user interface.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 19, further having code sections executable by the machine for causing the machine to:

request configuration data from the wireless mobile device before the step of performing at least one operation;

receive the requested configuration data; and

tune the second user interface of the controlling device based upon the configuration data associated with a control of the first user interface.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 19, further having code sections executable by the machine for causing the machine to:

receive a request for configuration data before the step of performing at least one operation; and

transmit the requested configuration data to the controlling device.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 19, further having code sections executable by the machine for causing the machine to:

translate the packetized data from a device independent format into a specific format for the wireless mobile device, said executed programmatic action being based upon the data translated into the specific format.