Method and apparatus to facilitate alternative modes of operation for a portable communication device

• US 7,522,915 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Puhl, Larry C., Dabbish, Ezzat, Li, Yi Q., Messerges, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/062,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20060189304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 4555561- 2, 455/456.4, 455418-420, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/553.1, 455/572
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A communications device (300) enabled to support both external voice communications functionality (301) (or other external communications of interest and choice) and other functionality (302) has at least a first and second mode of operation (304 and 305). The first mode of operation permits essentially all functionality while the second mode of operation precludes at least much of the other functionality in favor of preserving the viability of at least some of the external communications functionality. A selector (306) can select a given mode of operation based, at least in part, on a trigger 307 comprising, for example, a user input and/or detection of a condition of concern.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a portable communication device that includes a communications platform having wireless communications functionality and additional functionality other than wireless communications functionality;

providing a first mode of operation wherein use of the wireless communications functionality and the additional functionality is not precluded;

providing a second mode of operation wherein at least some use of the wireless communications functionality is not precluded and at least some use of the additional functionality is precluded;

automatically determining to use the second mode of operation upon detecting a condition of concern with respect to an operating integrity of the communications platform while using the first mode of operation, wherein detecting a condition of concern and automatically determining to use the second mode of operation are done internal to the portable communication device;

wherein detecting a condition of concern further comprises detecting at least one of;

an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

a memory abnormality; and

abnormal execution behavior inducible by at least one of a virus and a virus-like program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications functionality comprises, at least in part, functionality as corresponds to compatible interaction with a wide area network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wide area network comprises a cellular telephony network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing a second mode of operation further comprises not precluding use of wireless communications functionality as is required to effect compatible interaction with the wide area network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional functionality comprises, at least in part, functionality as corresponds to at least one of:

personal digital assistant functionality;

Java-based application functionality;

location aware functionality;

informational resource functionality;

text-based entertainment functionality;

financial services functionality;

visual entertainment functionality;

audio entertainment functionality;

multi-media entertainment functionality; and

image capture functionality.

6. A portable wireless communications platform having voice communications functionality and other functionality, the portable wireless communications platform comprising:

at least one at least logically partitioned component that enables the voice communications functionality;

at least one at least logically partitioned component that enables the other functionality;

a faulty operation trigger, wherein the faulty operation trigger is internal to the portable wireless communications platform and is operable to automatically detect a condition of concern with respect to an operating integrity of the wireless communications platform;

a first mode of operation that enables use of both the component that enables the voice communication functionality and the component that enables the other functionality;

a second mode of operation that enables use of the component that enables the voice communication functionality while precluding use of the component that enables the other functionality; and

a selector that is responsive to the faulty operation trigger and that provides an output signal comprising a selection of the second mode modes of operation when the faulty operation trigger detects a condition of concern during operation of the first mode of operation, wherein the selection is done internal to the portable wireless communications platform;

wherein the faulty operation trigger detects at least one of;

an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

a memory abnormality; and

abnormal execution behavior inducible by at least one of a virus and a virus-like program.

7. The portable wireless communications platform of claim 6, wherein the voice communications functionality comprises a wide area network communications functionality.

8. A method for use in a portable wireless communications device, the method comprising:

providing a first mode of operation wherein use of a first quantity of native functionality is not precluded;

providing a second mode of operation that precludes using at least some of the native functionality while continuing to not preclude use of native functionality as is substantially essential to effecting wireless communications;

automatically detecting a condition of concern with respect to at an operating integrity of a communications platform of the portable wireless communications device when using the first mode of operation; and

in response to detecting a condition of concern, automatically selecting the second mode of operation, wherein automatically selecting the second mode of operation is done internal to the portable wireless communications device;

wherein detecting a condition of concern further comprises detecting at least one of;

an occurrence of at least one operational fault;

at least a predetermined number of faulty boot sessions;

a memory abnormality; and

abnormal execution behavior inducible by at least one of a virus and a virus-like program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless communications comprise wireless voice telephony services.