Remotely receiving and communicating commands to a mobile device for execution by the mobile device

• US 8,660,530 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sharp, Christopher Brooke, McCarthy, Brendan A., Slack, Stuart, Guenther, Carsten, Lin, Jeff, Butler, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US12/434,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455418-420, 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for remotely commanding a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input identifying a mobile device, presenting to a user one or more remote commands corresponding to the mobile device, receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands, generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command, and transmitting the remote command message to a server for publication in a message topic. Further, a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account can be presented to the user, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device. Additionally, the selectable list of mobile devices can include an indication of whether an included mobile device is online.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, of remotely commanding a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving input from a user uniquely identifying a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is remotely located from the user;

presenting to a user one or more remote commands available to be performed by the mobile device, wherein the presenting includes identifying at least one of the one or more remote commands as enabled for execution by the mobile device;

receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands;

generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command; and

transmitting the remote command message to a notification server for publication in a command node included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the mobile device, where the command collection topic is one of a plurality of command collection topics hosted on the notification server and the command node is one of a plurality of command nodes included in the command collection topic, wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting to the user a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

indicating, for at least one mobile device included in the selectable list of mobile devices, whether the at least one mobile device is online.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a result message confirming execution of the selected remote command by the mobile device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the remote command comprises a locate command.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a result message including geographic coordinates corresponding to a location of the mobile device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the remote command comprises a wipe command.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a result message confirming initiation of a wipe process by the mobile device; and

identifying the mobile device as an inactive device.

9. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

presenting to a user a list of one or more mobile devices associated with a remote management account;

receiving user input selecting a mobile device included in the list of one or more mobile devices;

presenting to the user a list of one or more remote commands available to be performed by the selected mobile device, wherein presenting the list includes identifying at least one of the one or more remote commands as enabled for execution by the selected mobile device;

receiving user input selecting a remote command from the list of one or more remote commands;

generating a remote command message identifying the selected remote command; and

transmitting the remote command message to a notification server for publication in a command node included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the selected mobile device, where the command collection topic is one of a plurality of command collection topics hosted on the notification server and the command node is one of a plurality of command nodes included in the command collection topic, wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein, only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node, the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying, for one or more mobile devices included in the presented list, an indication that the mobile device is online

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

prompting the user to provide an item of information in response to the selected remote command.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the item of information comprises a message to be displayed on the mobile device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the item of information comprises confirmation of a wipe command.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

retrieving a result message generated by the mobile device in response to the remote command from a result topic identified in the remote command message.

15. A system comprising:

a server hosting a plurality of command collection topics; and

a computing system including an input interface, a display, and processor electronics configured to perform operations comprising;

presenting, on the display, a user interface listing one or more mobile devices associated with a remote management account;

receiving, through the input interface, a user selection corresponding to one of the one or more mobile devices;

presenting, in the user interface, one or more remote commands, wherein presenting the one or more remote commands includes identifying at least one of the one or more remote commands as enabled for execution by the selected mobile device;

receiving, through the input interface, a user selection corresponding to one of the one or more remote commands; and

transmitting a remote command message corresponding to the selected remote command to the server for publication in one of a plurality of command nodes included in a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the selected mobile device, wherein the server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node, and wherein, only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node, the server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the server is further configured to host a result topic.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

retrieving from the result topic a result message generated by the selected mobile device in response to the remote command message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the result message includes an execution time associated with the selected remote command.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

presenting, in the user interface, one or more disabled remote commands corresponding to the selected mobile device;

receiving, through the input interface, a user selection corresponding to one of the one or more disabled remote commands; and

transmitting a message to the selected mobile device enabling the disabled remote command for execution by the selected mobile device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the selected remote command comprises a locate command.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor electronics are further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a result message corresponding to the locate command, the result message including geographic coordinates associated with the selected mobile device; and

presenting, on the display, a map depicting a location of the selected mobile device in accordance with the associated geographic coordinates.

22. A computer-implemented method of remotely commanding a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving input uniquely identifying a mobile device;

presenting to a user one or more remote commands available to be performed by the mobile device;

receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands;

generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command;

transmitting the remote command message to a notification server for publication in a command node of a command collection topic uniquely subscribed to by the mobile device, where the command collection topic is one of a plurality of command collection topics hosted on the notification server and the command node is one of a plurality of command nodes included in the command collection topic;

wherein the notification server notifies the mobile device that the remote command message is available for retrieval in the command node; and

wherein, only in response to the mobile device accessing the command node, the notification server transmits the remote command message to the mobile device.