Remote control of computing devices via two disparate networks

• US 8,312,475 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sareen, Bhrighu, Parthasarathy, Narayanan, Toyama, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/861,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/315, 719/317, 719/202, 719/246
• US Class Current: 719/317
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

An inter-network remote control system is described that enables remote control of computing devices via two or more disparate data communications networks. In various embodiments, the inter-network remote control system receives a message from a mobile device via a first network, transforms the received message so that it can be relayed via a second network, and forwards the transformed message via the second network to a target computing device to cause that device to be controlled remotely.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing system for remotely controlling a computing device via two disparate networks, comprising:

receiving a command to send to a remote computing device;

employing a cellular telephone network using a first data communications protocol to send the command in a Short Message Service (SMS) format to an intermediate computing device that converts the command into a second message format that the intermediate computing device sends to the remote computing device via a second data communications network using a TCP/IP protocol that is different from the first data communications protocol so that the remote computing device can perform an action indicated by the command;

receiving a parameter for the command; and

causing the remote computing device to identify software associated with the command and transferring the command to the identified software to process the command,

wherein the software is an operating system and the command causes the operating system to invoke an operating system function.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acknowledgment indicating that the action was performed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an authentication token.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the authentication token is a personal identification number.

5. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing system to perform a method for remotely controlling a computing device via two data communications networks, the method comprising:

receiving a message in a Short Message Service (SMS) format via a first data communications network, the message containing a command and identifying a mobile device that sent the message;

identifying a target computing device based on the identification of the mobile device from which the message was received;

converting the received message into a TCP/IP format that is different from the SMS format;

sending the converted message to the identified target computing device via a second data communications network that is different from the first data communications network so that the target computing device can perform an action based on the command;

receiving a parameter for the command; and

causing the target computing device to identify software associated with the command and transferring the command to the identified software to process the command,

wherein the software is an operating system and the command causes the operating system to invoke an operating system function.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises receiving an acknowledgment from the target computing device indicating a status relating to the action.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises authenticating the received message by determining whether the received message contains an authentication token.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 5 wherein the identifying includes selecting a target computing device from multiple target computing devices and wherein the target computing device is previously associated with the mobile device.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 5, wherein the software is an application executing on the target computing device and the command causes the application to respond with an indication that the command could not be completed successfully.

10. A system for remotely controlling a computing device via two data communications networks, comprising:

a processor and one or more memories;

an agent component configured for use with a target computing device that receives commands in a Short Message Service (SMS) format from a mobile device, determines an action based on the command received from the mobile device, and causes the action to be performed corresponding to the received command; and

a communicator component that is configured for use with the agent component to exchange messages via a first network with a server computing device so that the server computing device can exchange corresponding messages via a second network with the mobile device, wherein the target computing device receives in a TCP/IP format commands from the mobile device originally sent in the SMS format and sends notifications to the mobile device,

wherein when the agent receives a parameter for command, the agent identifies one of multiple components associated with the command and directs the identified component to take an action corresponding to the command, and

wherein the identified component is an operating system and the command causes the operating system to invoke an operating system function.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a memory storing a relationship between the received command and components that can perform an action corresponding to the received command.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising an application that can perform the action corresponding to the received command.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the agent component is an operating system service.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the agent component includes an application program interface.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein an application employs the application program interface to register itself with the system, receive a message, or send a message.