Method and apparatus for associating a received command with a control for performing actions with a mobile telecommunication device

• US 7,725,102 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, Eric G., Graham, Tyrol R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US10/477,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,937 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/420, 455/426, 455/466, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/445, 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 709/219, 725/62
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention is directed to associating a received command with a control such as a push button on a mobile telecommunication device, and enabling an action associated with the command to be performed when the control is later activated. The command may be received from another mobile device or remote computer. The actions that may be associated with the performance instruction include tuning to a broadcast such as a radio or television, browsing a web site or hyperlinked text, and tuning to a streamed broadcast over a network, such as the Internet. The command button can be a physical element such as the “*” key on a keypad or a virtual button on a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) providing, by a mobile device, a capability description of the mobile device to a command sender, responsive to a query from the command sender inquiring as to capabilities of the mobile device;

(b) receiving, by the mobile device, from the command sender, a message comprising a command, which includes data for enabling an action on the mobile device to tune to a radio station, or locally play an audio recording, wherein the radio station and the command sender are different entities;

(c) automatically associating, by the mobile device, the command with a key of the mobile device;

(d) employing, by the mobile device, the data to automatically enable the action on the mobile device;

(e) when the key is activated, causing, by the mobile device, the action to be performed; and

(f) sending, by the mobile device, the command to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more users included in an enabled list stored on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message that includes the command is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises the mobile device sending a channel selection to a television set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the command sender is a web site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the command sender is another mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) receiving another message comprising another command, the other command also including other data for enabling another action on the mobile device, wherein the another action includes at least a selected one from the group consisting of locally playing a game, locally playing an audio recording, locally playing a video, and locally playing an animation;

(b) automatically associating the other command with a key of the mobile device;

(c) employing the other data to automatically enable the other action on the mobile device; and

(d) when the key with which the another command is associated is activated, causing the another action to be performed on the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising acknowledging the activation of the key.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acknowledgement includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a sound, visual display and haptic feedback.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the acknowledgement comprises selectively illuminating light sources of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selective illumination comprises displaying a pattern with the illuminated light sources.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled list of one or more users is one of a plurality of lists of users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of lists corresponds to a type of relationship of each user in the lists to the user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises

generating another message by the mobile device comprising the command and the data, to enable the action on another mobile device, to associate the other command with a key of the other mobile device, such that when the key of the other mobile device is activated, the action will be performed on the other mobile device;

and

sending by the mobile device the other message to the other mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises prior to performing the generating and sending of the other message,

sending by the mobile device, a query to the other mobile device inquiring into one or more relevant capabilities;

receiving by the mobile device, a reply from the other mobile device to the query; and

determining whether the reply is favorable for the sending of the other message, by the mobile device, to the other mobile device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a transceiver for

(i) providing a capability description of the apparatus to a command sender, responsive to a query from the command sender inquiring as to capabilities of the apparatus;

(ii) receiving a message comprising a command which includes data for enabling an action on the apparatus to tune a broadcast of a broadcaster, or locally play an audio recording, wherein the broadcaster and the command sender are different entities;

(iii) sending the command to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more users included in an enabled list stored on the apparatus;

(b) an associator coupled to the transceiver to automatically associate the command with a key;

(c) a linker coupled to the transceiver to employ the included data to automatically enable the action on the apparatus; and

(d) a transcoder coupled to the key to cause the action to be performed on the mobile device when the key is activated.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a display equipped to display at least one selected from the group consisting of text, graphic, video and picture.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the display include a selected one from the group consisting of liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED), organic LED, fluorescent, incandescent, and plasma.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the message is an SMS message.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the action comprises sending a television channel selection to a television set.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast includes a selected one of radio, television, audio, video, and data.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast comprises an RF broadcast of a radio station, the radio station being broadcast on a selected one of AM and FM frequencies.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a haptic feedback device to provide haptic feedback when the physical key is activated.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the command sender is another mobile device.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the command sender is a remote computing device.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is a selected one from the group consisting of a wireless mobile phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-sized computing device, a laptop computer, a portable radio, a portable MPx player, and a portable CD/DVD player.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein for performing said sending, said transcoder and transceiver are further employed to

generate another message comprising the command and the data, to enable the action on another mobile device, to associate the other command with a key of the another mobile device, such that when the key of the other mobile device is activated, the other action will be performed on the other mobile device;

and

send the other message from the apparatus to the other mobile device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein prior to performing said generating and sending, said transcoder and transceiver are further employed to

send a query from the apparatus to the other mobile device inquiring into one or more relevant capabilities,

receive for the apparatus a reply from the other mobile device to the query;

and

determine for the apparatus whether the reply is favorable for the sending of the other message.

28. A mobile device comprising:

(a) means for receiving a message from a command sender comprising a command that includes data for enabling an action on the mobile device unassociated with the command sender;

(b) means for automatically associating the command with a key of the mobile device;

(c) means for employing the data to automatically enable the action on the mobile device;

(d) means for causing the action to be performed on the mobile device when the key is activated; and

(e) means for sending the command to one or more mobile devices associated with one or more users included in an enabled list stored on the mobile device.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the message is an SMS message.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the action includes at least a selected one from the group consisting of locally playing a game, locally playing an audio recording, locally playing a video, and locally playing an animation.