Enhancing/ limiting use of mobile electronic devices

• US 20030134627A1
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atreus Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr., Himmel, Maria Azua
• Granted Patent: US 6,961,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for a central control computer, located within a given environment, to wirelessly communicate with, control and enhance the use of various mobile electronic devices entering the given environment. These devices each possess a wireless transceiver. The central control computer transmits a discovery signal and control message to these mobile electronic devices within the range of the wireless transmissions. This allows discovery of the central control computer by the mobile electronic device and, after setting up a communication, the mobile electronic device disables one or more of its features as instructed by the central control computer. Furthermore, enhancements are provided by making available substitute features for the features of the mobile electronic device that were limited or disabled and by making available features not contained within the mobile electronic device itself.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and enhancing the use of wireless electronic devices within a given environment, comprising:

transmitting a wireless control message within the given environment from a central control computer;

establishing a wireless communication link between the control computer and a mobile electronic device upon the mobile electronic device entering the environment and receiving the control message;

communicating instructions from the central control computer to the wireless electronic device to disable one or more of features within the wireless electronic device; and

communicating instructions from the central control computer to the wireless electronic device to provide the mobile electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are selected from a wireless transceiver, a global positioning system, antenna, speaker, microphone, printer, display screen, keyboard, voice response, databases, spreadsheets, computer games, video games, processing power, word processing, maps, directions or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are substitutes for the one or more disabled features within the wireless electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are enhancements to the mobile electronic device, wherein the enhancements provide one or more features not possessed by the mobile electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the features within the mobile electronic device are selected from keypad, keyboard, display, speaker, microphone, transceiver, joystick, memory, transmitter, receiver, electronic flash, drivers for peripheral devices, printer, scanner or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the features within the mobile electronic device are selected from user input devices, user output devices, transmitter, receiver, memory, transceiver, I/O controller, drivers for peripheral devices or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device is selected from a mobile telephone, a handheld personal computer, a personal organizer, a palmtop computer, a computerized notepad, a global positioning system (GPS), an electronic video game player, a video player, an MP3 audio player, a personal digital assistant, digital camera, video recorders, audio recorders or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic device system has a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless signals selected from radio frequency and infrared.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the given environment is selected from aircraft, hospital, automobile, museum, library, movie theater, concert hall, stage theater, amusement park, taxi, train, restaurant, sports arena, shopping mall and office building.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the given environment is defined as the area in which the wireless control message transmission can be received by the mobile electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless control message contains requests consisting of a request for information describing the mobile electronic device, a request to provide addresses for the features of the mobile electronic device, a request to provide an address for the mobile electronic device and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the address for the mobile electronic device is selected from a pre-assigned address or an address randomly generated by the mobile electronic device at the time the wireless control message is received by the mobile electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a wireless communication link further comprises:

receiving the wireless control message by the mobile electronic device;

interpreting the control message to be an identification request from the central control computer; and

transmitting a wireless identification message to the central control computer, wherein the wireless identification message contains information describing the mobile electronic device, an address for the mobile electronic device, and an address for each of the features within the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of establishing a wireless communication link further comprises:

storing the address for the mobile electronic device, and the address for each of the features within the mobile electronic device;

monitoring by the mobile electronic device for messages to the assigned address for the mobile electronic device; and

monitoring by the central control computer for messages from the assigned address for the mobile electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the messages to and from the assigned address for the mobile electronic device comprises the address for the mobile electronic device, the address for the one or more features of the mobile electronic device, and instructions for the one or more features of the mobile electronic device to perform.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing the wireless electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer further comprises:

receiving a message from the mobile electronic device;

comparing the address for the feature of the mobile electronic device contained in the message with the list of addresses for the features of the mobile electronic device included in the wireless identification message; and

instructing a substitute feature of the central control computer to perform the instruction contained in the message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing the wireless electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer further comprises:

displaying a menu of available features to the user;

receiving a request to make available the feature to the user; and

providing the requested feature to the user.

18. A computer program product including instructions embodied on a computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

transmitting instructions for transmitting a wireless control message within the given environment from a central control computer;

establishing instructions for establishing a wireless communication link between the control computer and a mobile electronic device upon the mobile electronic device entering the environment and receiving the control message;

communicating instructions for communicating instructions from the central control computer to the wireless electronic device to disable one or more of features within the wireless electronic device; and

communicating instructions for communicating instructions from the central control computer to the wireless electronic device to provide the mobile electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are selected from a wireless transceiver, a global positioning system, antenna, speaker, microphone, printer, display screen, keyboard, voice response, databases, spreadsheets, computer games, video games, processing power, word processing, maps, directions or combinations thereof.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are substitutes for the one or more disabled features within the wireless electronic device.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the one or more features associated with the central control computer are enhancements to the mobile electronic device, wherein the enhancements provide one or more features not possessed by the mobile electronic device.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the features within the mobile electronic device are selected from keypad, keyboard, display, speaker, microphone, transceiver, joystick, memory, transmitter, receiver, electronic flash, drivers for peripheral devices, printer, scanner or combinations thereof.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the features within the mobile electronic device are selected from user input devices, user output devices, transmitter, receiver, memory, transceiver, I/O controller, drivers for peripheral devices or combinations thereof.

receiving instructions for receiving the wireless control message by the mobile electronic device;

interpreting instructions for interpreting the control message to be an identification request from the central control computer; and

transmitting instructions for transmitting a wireless identification message to the central control computer, wherein the wireless identification message contains information describing the mobile electronic device, an address for the mobile electronic device, and an address for each of the features within the electronic device.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the step of establishing a wireless communication link further comprises:

storing instructions for storing the address for the mobile electronic device, and the address for each of the features within the mobile electronic device;

monitoring instructions for monitoring by the mobile electronic device for messages to the assigned address for the mobile electronic device, and

monitoring instructions for monitoring by the central control computer for messages from the assigned address for the mobile electronic device.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein each of the messages to and from the assigned address for the mobile electronic device comprises the address for the mobile electronic device, the address for the one or more features of the mobile electronic device, and instructions for the one or more features of the mobile electronic device to perform.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the step of providing instructions for providing the wireless electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer further comprises:

receiving instructions for receiving a message from the mobile electronic device;

comparing instructions for comparing the address for the feature of the mobile electronic device contained in the message with the list of addresses for the features of the mobile electronic device included in the wireless identification message; and

instructing instructions for instructing a substitute feature of the central control computer to perform the instruction contained in the message.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the step of providing instructions for providing the wireless electronic device with access to one or more features associated with the central control computer further comprises:

displaying instructions for displaying a menu of available features to the user;

receiving instructions for receiving a request to make available the feature to the user; and

providing instructions for providing the requested feature to the user.