Standardized control of wireless devices

• US 8,934,889 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ying, Goangshiuan Shawn, Aspell, Stephen Michael, Edmon, Eugene Lane, Chen, Huizhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/963,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A disclosed service for managing mobile and wireless communication devices (MWCDs) includes enabling a server to generate a standard remote configuration command (RCC) and enabling a transmitter coupled to the server to transmit the RCC wirelessly. The RCC configures a feature on a first MWCD of a first supplier and a second MWCD of a second supplier. The RCC may disable one or more of a set of selected MWCD peripheral devices. For example, the RCC may disable an MWCD camera, an MWCD microphone, and/or an MWCD speaker. In some embodiments, the RCC transitions the MWCD to a restricted state in which the MWCD is unable to record multimedia content including audio and video content. In these embodiments, the RCC may configure one or more of the features on each of a set of MWCDs within a defined geographic region.

Claims

1. A method for managing wireless communication devices, comprising:

sending an invitation to each of a plurality of wireless communication devices to grant remote configuration authority to a server; and

responsive to detecting a lack of an affirmative response to the invitation from a first subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wirelessly and remotely powering down each of the first subset of wireless communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein powering down the first subset of wireless communication devices includes transmitting a standard power down command to each of the first subset of wireless communication devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first subset of wireless communication devices includes at least two different types of wireless communication devices and wherein each of the at least two different types of wireless communication devices responds to the standard power down command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises wireless communication devices located within a predetermined region and wherein the method includes:

identifying the wireless communication devices located within the predetermined region.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting an affirmative response to the invitation from a second subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, disabling a predetermined feature on each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein disabling the predetermined feature includes wirelessly transmitting a remote configuration command to each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein wirelessly transmitting the remote configuration command includes wirelessly transmitting the remote configuration command on a frequency in an open portion of the frequency spectrum.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined feature is a recording feature selected from an image recording feature, an audio recording feature, and an audio-video recording feature.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined feature is an audio output feature of the wireless communication device.

10. A management server, comprising

a processor;

a computer memory, accessible to the processor, including processor-executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

sending an invitation to each of a plurality of wireless communication devices to grant remote configuration authority to a server; and

responsive to detecting a lack of an affirmative response from a first subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wirelessly and remotely powering down each of the first subset of wireless communication devices.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein powering down the first subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices includes transmitting a standard power down command to each of the first subset of wireless communication devices, wherein the first subset of wireless communication devices includes at least two different types of wireless communication devices, including a first type associated with a first vendor and a second type associated with a second vendor.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises wireless communication devices located within a predetermined region and wherein the operations include:

identifying the wireless communication devices located within the predetermined region.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein the operations include:

responsive to detecting an affirmative response to the invitation from a second subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, disabling a predetermined feature on each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein disabling the predetermined feature includes wirelessly transmitting a remote configuration command to each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

15. The server of claim 10, wherein the predetermined feature is a recording feature selected from an image recording feature, an audio recording feature, an audio-video recording feature, and an audio output feature.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the operations include:

responsive to detecting an affirmative response to the invitation from a second subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, disabling a predetermined feature on each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 19, wherein disabling the predetermined feature includes wirelessly transmitting a remote configuration command to each of the second subset of wireless communication devices.

16. A computer readable memory, including processor executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

requesting each of a plurality of wireless communication devices to grant remote configuration authority to a server; and

broadcasting a remote power down command to power down a first subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the first subset of wireless communication devices includes;

wireless communication devices that did not grant remote configuration authority to the server.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein powering down the first subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices includes transmitting a standard power down command to each of the first subset of wireless communication devices, wherein the first subset of wireless communication devices includes at least two different types of wireless communication devices, including a first type associated with a first vendor and a second type associated with a second vendor.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises wireless communication devices located within a predetermined region and wherein the method includes:

identifying the wireless communication devices located within the predetermined region.