Method and apparatus to remotely set alarms on a mobile device

• US 8,432,267 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael, Gregg, Justin, Seguin, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US12/339,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.7, 340/5.6, 340/7.1, 340/12.5, 340/13.24, 340/539.1, 340/517
• US Class Current: 340/309.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a mobile device to set an alarm based on an external request is described. In one embodiment of the invention, the mobile device receives the external request which includes a set of one or more parameters at least partially defining the alarm and a set of one or more actions to take upon the alarm triggering. Upon determining that the external request is trusted, the mobile device automatically sets the alarm on the mobile device according to the set of parameters included in the request. Upon the alarm triggering, the mobile device performs the set of actions included in the external request. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A method for a mobile phone to set an alarm based on an external request, comprising:

receiving the external request to create the alarm on the mobile phone, the external request including a set of one or more parameters at least partially defining the alarm and a set of one or more actions to take upon the alarm triggering;

upon determining that the external request is trusted, automatically setting the alarm on the mobile phone according to the set of parameters included in the request, wherein the alarm cannot be modified by the mobile phone after the setting unless in response to another external request; and

upon the alarm triggering, performing the set of actions included in the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm cannot be modified, with an exception of the entity requesting the alarm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the set of actions includes automatically putting the mobile phone in an alarm triggered state until a set of one or more conditions are met.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm triggered state includes disabling at least certain features of the mobile phone based on the set of actions included in the request.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing the mobile phone from the alarm triggered state upon the mobile phone being located in a predefined area.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing the mobile phone from the alarm triggered state upon a user of the mobile phone calling a predefined telephone number.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising disabling entertainment features of the mobile phone until the set of conditions is met.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the alarm triggered state further includes preventing the mobile phone from being powered off until the set of conditions is met.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the external request is received from another mobile phone.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the external request is received from a remote alarm server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of parameters defines a location area, and further comprising monitoring the mobile phone'"'"'s location and triggering the alarm if the mobile phone is in the defined location area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of parameters define a maximum amount of operating time for the mobile phone for a certain time period, and triggering the alarm if the mobile phone exceeds the maximum amount of operating time for that time period.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification message to a mobile phone based on the set of actions.

14. A mobile phone to set an alarm based on an external request, comprising:

a messaging module to receive the external request, the external request to include a set of one or more parameters at least partially defining the alarm and a set of one or more actions to take upon the alarm triggering;

a security module coupled with the messaging module, the security module to authenticate the external request; and

an alarm module coupled with the messaging module, the alarm module including, an alarm creation module to create the alarm in accordance with the external request, an alarm trigger detection and action module to detect whether to trigger the alarm, and to perform the set of actions upon determining to trigger the alarm, and a clear alarm module to detect whether to clear the alarm and to clear the alarm, wherein the alarm cannot be modified by the mobile phone after the creating.

15. The mobile phone of claim 14, wherein the alarm cannot be modified, with an exception of a source of the external request, and wherein the mobile phone cannot be powered off by a user upon the alarm trigger detection and action module determining to trigger the alarm.

16. The mobile phone of claim 14, wherein the alarm trigger detection and action module further is to disable one or more features of the mobile phone based on the set of actions included in the external request, and wherein those features are disabled until the clear alarm module clears the alarm.

17. The mobile phone of claim 16, wherein the clear alarm module is to clear the alarm upon the mobile phone being in a predefined location.

18. The mobile phone of claim 16, wherein the clear alarm module is to clear the alarm upon the mobile phone calling a predefined telephone number.

19. The mobile phone of claim 14, wherein at least one of the set of parameters defines a location area, wherein the alarm trigger detection and action module further is to monitor a location of the mobile phone and trigger the alarm if the mobile phone is in the defined location area.

20. The mobile phone of claim 14, wherein the alarm trigger detection and action module further is to transmit a notification to an entity upon determining to trigger the alarm.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, if executed by a processor, will cause said processor to perform operations for a mobile phone to set an alarm based on an external request, comprising:

receiving the external request to create the alarm on the mobile phone, the external request including a set of one or more parameters at least partially defining the alarm and a set of one or more actions to take upon the alarm triggering;

upon determining that the external request is trusted, automatically setting the alarm on the mobile phone according to the set of parameters included in the request, wherein the alarm cannot be modified by the mobile phone after the setting unless in response to another external request; and

upon the alarm triggering, performing the set of actions included in the request.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the alarm cannot be modified, with an exception of the entity requesting the alarm.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein performing the set of actions includes automatically putting the mobile phone in an alarm triggered state until a set of one or more conditions are met.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the alarm triggered state includes disabling at least certain features of the mobile phone based on the set of actions included in the request.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising removing the mobile phone from the alarm triggered state upon the mobile phone being located in a predefined area.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising removing the mobile phone from the alarm triggered state upon a user of the mobile phone calling a predefined telephone number.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising disabling entertainment features of the mobile phone until the set of conditions is met.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the alarm triggered state further includes preventing the mobile phone from being powered off until the set of conditions is met.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the external request is received from another mobile phone.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the external request is received from a remote alarm server.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein at least one of the set of parameters defines a location area, and further comprising monitoring the mobile phone'"'"'s location and triggering the alarm if the mobile phone is in the defined location area.

32. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein at least one of the set of parameters define a maximum amount of operating time for the mobile phone for a certain time period, and triggering the alarm if the mobile phone exceeds the maximum amount of operating time for that time period.

33. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising sending a notification message to a mobile phone based on the set of actions.

34. A method for a computing device to remotely set an alarm on a mobile phone, comprising:

selecting one or more alarms to set on the mobile phone;

defining one or more actions for the mobile phone to perform upon at least some of the one or more alarms triggering;

configuring an alarm request message to include the selected alarms and defined actions, wherein the selected alarms included in the alarm request message cannot be modified by the mobile phone;

adding security information to the alarm request message; and

transmitting the alarm request message to the mobile phone.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a notification from the mobile phone that indicates whether the mobile phone successfully set the one or more alarms.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a notification from the mobile phone indicating that at least one of the alarms has triggered.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the defined actions included in the alarm request message cannot be modified by the mobile phone.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein at least one of the defined actions includes disabling certain features of the mobile phone until a set of one or more conditions is met.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the set of one or more conditions includes the mobile phone being located in a predefined area.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the set of one or more conditions includes the mobile phone calling a predefined telephone number.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one of the defined actions includes preventing the mobile phone from being powered off until the set of conditions is met.

42. A computing device to remotely set an alarm on a mobile phone, comprising:

a user interface to allow a user of the computing device to select the alarm to set on the mobile phone and to select one or more actions the mobile phone is to take upon the alarm triggering;

a remote alarm module coupled with the user interface, the remote alarm module to create an alarm request message including the alarm and actions, wherein the alarm included in the alarm request message cannot be modified by the mobile phone;

a security module to add security data to the alarm request message; and

a messaging module coupled with the security module, the messaging module to transmit the alarm request message to the mobile phone.

43. The computing device of claim 42, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface to display possible alarms that the mobile phone supports and possible actions that the mobile phone supports, and to allow a user of the computing device to select from those possible alarms and possible actions.

44. The computing device of claim 43, further comprising one or more application modules coupled with the user interface, wherein the one or more application modules assist the user of the computing device in selecting the alarm and actions.

45. The computing device of claim 44, wherein the one or more application modules includes a map application to assist the user of the computing device in selecting a location based alarm or a location based action.

46. The computing device of claim 42, wherein the security data added to the alarm request message includes encrypted authentication information.

47. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, if executed by a processor, will cause said processor to perform operations for a computing device to remotely set an alarm on a mobile phone, comprising:

selecting one or more alarms to set on the mobile phone;

defining one or more actions for the mobile phone to perform upon at least some of the one or more alarms triggering;

configuring an alarm request message to include the selected alarms and defined actions, wherein the selected alarms included in the alarm request message cannot be modified by the mobile phone;

adding security information to the alarm request message; and

transmitting the alarm request message to the mobile phone.

48. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 47, further comprising:

receiving a notification from the mobile phone that indicates whether the mobile phone successfully set the one or more alarms.

49. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 47, further comprising:

receiving a notification from the mobile phone indicating that at least one of the alarms has triggered.

50. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 47, wherein the defined actions included in the alarm request message cannot be modified by the mobile phone.

51. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 47, wherein at least one of the defined actions includes disabling certain features of the mobile phone until a set of one or more conditions is met.

52. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 51, wherein the set of one or more conditions includes the mobile phone being located in a predefined area.

53. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 51, wherein the set of one or more conditions includes the mobile phone calling a predefined telephone number.

54. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 51, wherein at least one of the defined actions includes preventing the mobile phone from being powered off until the set of conditions is met.