Inbound phone control

• US 8,160,567 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Opaluch, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US11/745,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20080280591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/411, 455/410, 455/556.1, 455/419, 455/418, 340/4.3, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A method, including receiving at a network element, from a first telecommunications enabled device, a control connection request directed to a second telecommunications enabled device, connecting a control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device wherein the control connection is connected without requiring user input at the second telecommunications enabled device to answer the control connection request, and providing access to one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device to the first telecommunications enabled device through the control connection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a network element, from a first telecommunications enabled device, a first control connection request directed to a second telecommunications enabled device and a second control connection request directed to a third telecommunications enabled device, wherein the first control connection request comprises a request for access to one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device and wherein the second control connection request comprises a request for access to one or more functionalities of the third telecommunications enabled device;

verifying that the second telecommunications enabled device supports the first control connection request by transmitting a first verification query to a connection request database;

verifying that the third telecommunications enabled device supports the second control connection request by transmitting a second verification query to the connection request database, wherein the connection request database comprises data identifying one or more authorized users and further comprises one or more programmed routines to authorize one or more control connection requests;

verifying that the first telecommunications enabled device is authorized to obtain a first control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device at least based on an identification of a user of the first telecommunications enabled device;

verifying that the first telecommunications enabled device is authorized to obtain a second control connection to the third telecommunications enabled device at least based on the identification of the user of the first telecommunications enabled device;

connecting the first control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device wherein the first control connection is connected without requiring user input at the second telecommunications enabled device to answer the first control connection request;

connecting the second control connection to the third telecommunications enabled device wherein the second control connection is connected without requiring user input at the third telecommunications enabled device to answer the second control connection request; and

providing concurrent access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device and the one or more functionalities of the third telecommunications enabled device to the first telecommunications enabled device through the first control connection and the second control connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second telecommunications enabled device comprises a cell phone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device include at least one of:

playing audio via a speaker, receiving audio via a microphone, capturing imagery via a camera, receiving Global Positioning System data via a Global Positioning System receiver, and transmitting and receiving multi-media via a multi-media messaging client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control connection enables the first telecommunications enabled device to perform at least one of:

turning on the second telecommunications enabled device;

receiving audio signals received by a microphone of the second telecommunications enabled device;

transmitting audio signals through a speaker of the second telecommunications enabled device;

receiving images taken by the second telecommunications enabled device;

receiving video taken by a camera operatively connected to the second telecommunications enabled device;

receiving data stored on the second telecommunications enabled device; and

disabling the second telecommunications enabled device.

5. The method of claim of claim 4 wherein the stored data comprises at least one of a:

video file, image, text file, call history and audio file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second telecommunications enabled device comprises one of a:

wireline phone, cell phone, satellite phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, and a computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device further comprises enabling the first telecommunications enabled device to perform multimedia recording on the second telecommunications enabled device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device further comprises at least one of

detonating the second telecommunications enabled device;

emitting a marking substance from the second telecommunications enabled device; and

transmitting an electric shock from a body of the second telecommunications enabled device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

controlling, using commands from the first telecommunications enabled device via the first control connection, one or more wheels and one or more electric motors of the second telecommunications enabled device; and

causing the second telecommunications enabled device to move in response to the commands received from the first telecommunications enabled device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control connection request and the second control connection request operate in a secret mode.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control connection request and the second control connection request provide an indicator of the first control connection request to a user of the second telecommunications enabled device and an indicator of the second control connection request to a user of the third telecommunications enabled device.

12. A non-transitory computer readable media comprising code to perform the acts of the method of claim 1.

13. A system comprising:

a network element communicatively coupled to a network and configured to;

receive a first control connection request directed to a second telecommunications enabled device and a second control connection request directed to a third telecommunications enabled device from a first telecommunications enabled device, wherein the first control connection request comprises a request for access to one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device and wherein the second control connection request comprises a request for access to one or more functionalities of the third telecommunications enabled device;

verify that the second telecommunications enabled device supports the first control connection request by transmitting a first verification query to a connection request database;

verify that the third telecommunications enabled device supports the second control connection request by transmitting a second verification query to the connection request database , wherein the connection request database comprises data identifying one or more authorized users and further comprises one or more programmed routines to authorize one or more control connection requests;

verify that the first telecommunications enabled device is authorized to obtain a first control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device at least based on an identification of a user of the first telecommunications enabled device;

verify that the first telecommunications enabled device is authorized to obtain a second control connection to the third telecommunications enabled device at least based on the identification of the user of the first telecommunications enabled device; and

establish the first control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device and the second control connection to the third telecommunications enabled device wherein the first control connection is established without requiring the second telecommunications enabled device to answer the first control connection request and the second control connection is established without requiring the third telecommunications enabled device to answer the second control connection request and further wherein the first control connection and the second control connection provide concurrent access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device and the one or more functionalities of the third telecommunications enabled device to the first telecommunications enabled device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first control connection enables the first telecommunications enabled device to receive video taken from a camera operatively connected to the second telecommunications enabled device in real time.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the first control connection enables the first telecommunications enabled device to receive audio in real time from the second telecommunications enabled device.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the second telecommunications enabled device comprises one of a:

wireline phone, cell phone, satellite phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, or a computer.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the network element comprises a SIP based network element.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving a first control connection request directed to a second telecommunications enabled device at a network element from a first telecommunications enabled device, wherein the first control connection request comprises a request for access to one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device;

verifying that the second telecommunications enabled device supports the first control connection request by transmitting a verification query to a connection request database, wherein the connection request database comprises data identifying one or more authorized users and further comprises one or more programmed routines to authorize one or more control connection requests;

verifying that the first telecommunications enabled device is authorized to obtain a control connection to the second telecommunications enabled device at least based on an identification of a user of the first telecommunications enabled device;

connecting the first control connection request to the second telecommunications enabled device wherein the first control connection request is connected without requiring the second telecommunications enabled device to answer the first control connection request;

providing access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device to the first telecommunications enabled device through a first control connection;

receiving a second control connection request directed to the second telecommunications enabled device at the network element from a third telecommunications enabled device;

connecting the second control connection request to the second telecommunications enabled device wherein the second control connection request is connected without requiring the second telecommunications enabled device to answer the second control connection request; and

providing access to the one or more functionalities of the second telecommunications enabled device to the third telecommunications enabled device through a second control connection.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second control connections provide concurrent access to the second telecommunications enabled device.