One button access to network services from a remote control device

• US 7,583,959 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US10/612,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/555, 455/563, 455/466, 455517-519
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Systems and methods of accessing a network-based communication service provide for generating a dialing request at a remote control device based on user input. A dialing signal is transmitted toward a mobile communication device based on the request, where the dialing signal instructs the mobile communication device to access the network-based communication service. Communication services can enable a user to use information retrieval at a network server as well as use number dialing at the network server. In one example, the dialing signal is transmitted according to a Bluetooth standard.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a dialing request at a remote control device based on an operation of a user interface consisting of a single dedicated control of the remote control device, the dedicated control generating the dialing request to transmit a dialing signal to a mobile communication device;

transmitting the dialing signal from the remote control device toward the mobile communication device based on the dialing request, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service and a program call;

in response to receiving the program call, activating, by the mobile communication device, a software program that performs an update check of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service included in the dialing signal;

establishing communications between the mobile communication device and the network-based communication service using a telephone number returned as a result of the update check, wherein the update check is a pull operation enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device;

receiving audio input at a microphone of the remote control device; and

forwarding the audio input to the mobile communication device for transmission to the network-based communication service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialing request is initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice information service, the voice information service enabling a user to use information retrieval at a network server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice dialing service, the voice dialing service enabling a user to use number dialing at a network server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based communication service is an automated communication service that does not require voice commands.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein accessing the automated communication service results in an automatic playing of a prerecorded message.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein accessing the automated communication service results in an automatic registering of a vote.

8. The method of claim 1, further including storing the updated telephone number to the memory before generating the dialing request.

9. The method of claim 8, further including storing the updated telephone number to the memory based on input from a user of the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein storage of the updated telephone number to the memory is initiated by the provider of the network-based communication service.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein storage of the updated telephone number to the memory is initiated by a user of the remote control device.

12. The method of claim 8, further including storing the telephone number to the memory based on input from a manufacturer of the remote control device.

13. The method of claim 8, further including verifying authorization to write to the memory before storing the telephone number.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the dialing signal occurs over a wireless connection with the mobile communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless connection is a radio frequency (RF) connection.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting of the dialing signal occurs in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless connection is an infrared (IR) connection.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the dialing signal occurs over a wired connection with the mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a personal digital assistant (PDA) configured for wireless communication.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a wireless phone.

21. A method of remotely accessing a network-based communication service comprising:

receiving a dialing signal from a remote control device at a mobile communication device, the dialing signal being based on an operation of a user interface consisting of a dedicated control of the remote control device, the dedicated control dedicated to generating a dialing request to transmit the dialing signal to the mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service and a program call, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service;

in response to receiving the dialing signal, the mobile communication device activates a software program that performs an update check of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service;

establishing communications between the mobile communication device and the network-based communication service using a telephone number returned as a result of the update check, wherein the update check is a pull operation enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device;

receiving audio input at a microphone of the remote control device; and

forwarding the audio input to the mobile communication device for transmission to the network-based communication service.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a dialing request is initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice information service, the voice information service enabling a user to use information retrieval at a network server.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice dialing service, the voice dialing service enabling a user to use number dialing at a network server.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving of the dialing signal occurs over a wireless connection with the remote control device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless connection is a radio frequency (RF) connection.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving of the dialing signal occurs in accordance with a Bluetooth standard.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless connection is an infrared (IR) connection.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving of the dialing signal occurs over a wired connection with the remote control device.

25. The method of 21, wherein the network-based communication service is an automated communication service that does not require voice commands.

31. A vehicle-mounted mobile communication system for wirelessly accessing a network-based communication system, the system comprising:

a remote control device comprising;

a user interface having an access button that is dedicated to generating a dialing request to transmit a dialing signal to a mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service and a program call to activate a software program that causes the mobile communication device to perform an update check of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service;

a microphone to receive audio input at the remote control device; and

a remote communication module coupled to the user interface, the remote communication module to transmit the dialing signal, the dialing signal to instruct the mobile communication device to access a network-based communication service, and the remote communication module configured to forward the audio input for transmission to the network-based communication service; and

a mobile communication device configured to be removeably mounted in a vehicle comprising;

a phone communication module configured to receive the dialing signal from the remote communication module of the remote control device, perform an update check of a telephone number using a pull operation from the network-based communication service thereby enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device, access the network-based communication service using a telephone number returned to the mobile wireless transceiver in response to the update check and transmit the audio input to the network-based communication service.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice information service, the voice information service to enable a user to use information retrieval at a network server.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice dialing service, the voice dialing service to enable a user to use number dialing at a network server.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the network-based communication service is an automated communication service that does not require voice commands.

35. The system of claim 31, further including a memory, the memory to store a telephone number associated with the network-based communication service.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the remote communication module includes a Bluetooth module, the Bluetooth module to transmit the dialing signal according to a Bluetooth standard.

37. A mobile communication device comprising:

a phone communication module, the phone communication module to receive, from a remote control device, a dialing signal that is based on an operation of a user interface having a dedicated control of the remote control device, the dedicated control dedicated to generating a dialing request to transmit the dialing signal to the mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service and a program call to activate a software program, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service and the phone communication module to receive audio input to a microphone at the remote control device;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the phone communication module, the wireless transceiver to access the network-based communication service in response to the dialing signal, and the wireless transceiver to forward the audio input to a microphone at the remote control device to the network-based communication service; and

a processor configured to execute the activated software program, the software program functioning cause the processor to;

perform an update check, which is a pull operation enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device, of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service by causing the wireless transceiver to access the network-based communication service to pull a telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, wherein the pulled telephone number is used to access the network-based communication service.

38. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the dialing request is initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

39. The mobile communication device of claim 37, further including a memory to store a telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, the wireless transceiver to use the telephone number to access the network-based communication service in response to the dialing signal when performing the update check of the telephone number.

40. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice information service, the voice information service to enable a user to use information retrieval at a network server.

41. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the network-based communication service is a voice dialing service, the voice dialing service to enable a user to use number dialing at a network server.

42. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the network-based communication service is an automated communication service that does not require voice commands.

43. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the mobile communication device is a personal digital assistant (PDA) configured for wireless communication.

44. The mobile communication device of claim 37, wherein the mobile communication device is a wireless phone.

45. A machine readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising a set of stored instructions capable of being executed by a processor to:

generate a dialing request at a remote control device based on an operation of a user interface having a dedicated control of the remote control device, the dedicated control dedicated to generating the dialing request to transmit a dialing signal to a mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service;

transmit the dialing signal from the remote control device toward a mobile communication device based on the request;

in response to receiving the dialing signal, the mobile communication device activates a software program that performs an update check of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, wherein the update check is a pull operation enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device;

establishing communications between the mobile communication device and the network-based communication service using a telephone number returned as abased on the result of the update check;

receive audio input at a microphone of the remote control device; and

forward the audio input to the mobile communication device for transmission to the network-based communication service.

46. The machine readable medium of claim 45, wherein the dialing request is to be initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

47. A machine readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising a set of stored instructions capable of being executed by a processor to:

receive a dialing signal from a remote control device at a mobile communication device, the dialing signal being based on an operation of a user interface consisting of a single dedicated control of the remote control device, the dedicated control dedicated to generating a dialing request to transmit the dialing signal to the mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with a network-based communication service, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service;

in response to receiving the dialing signal, the mobile communication device activates a software program that performs an update check of the telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, wherein the update check is a pull operation enabling use of pre-existing security features of the mobile communication device;

establishing communications between the mobile communication device and the network-based communication service using a telephone number returned as abased on the result of the update check;

receive audio input at a microphone of the remote control device; and

forward the audio input to the mobile communication device for transmission to the network-based communication service.

48. The machine readable medium of claim 47, wherein the dialing request is to be initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

49. A method of providing a network-based communication service comprising:

receiving a call from a mobile communication device, the call being initiated by an operation of a user interface consisting of a single dedicated control of a remote control device, the dedicated control dedicated to generating a dialing request to transmit a binary-valued dialing signal to the mobile communication device, wherein the dialing signal includes a telephone number associated with the network-based communication service, wherein the telephone number is stored to a memory of the remote control device based on input from a provider of the network-based communication service;

in response to the call from the mobile communication device, returning from an update check that performs a pull operation enabling user of pre-existing security of the mobile communication device from the network-based communication service to the mobile communication device an updated telephone number associated with the network-based communication service;

accessing, by the mobile communication device, the network-based communication service using the updated telephone number associated with the network-based communication service;

receiving audio transmitted from the mobile communication device, the audio being input at a microphone of the remote control device; and

forwarded to the mobile communication device for transmission to the network-based communication service; and

generating a network-based communication service during the call.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the dialing request is initiated by a user manipulation of an access button of the remote control device.

51. The method of claim 49, further including generating a voice information service, the voice information service enabling a user to use information retrieval at a network server by speaking into the mobile communication device.

52. The method of claim 49, further including generating a voice dialing service, the voice dialing service enabling a user to use number dialing at a network server by speaking into the mobile communication device.

53. The method of claim 49, further including generating an automated communication service in response to receiving the call.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the network-based communication service is an automated communication service that does not require voice commands.

55. The method of claim 54, further including automatically playing a prerecorded message in response to receiving the call.

56. The method of claim 54, further including automatically registering a vote in response to receiving the call.