REMOTE CONTROL OF COMPUTING DEVICES VIA TWO DISPARATE NETWORKS

• US 20090083763A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Narayanan, Toyama, Kentaro, Sareen, Bhrighu
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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; and

employing a first communications network using a first data communications protocol to send the command in a first message 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 second data communications protocol that is different from the first data communications protocol so that the remote computing device can perform an action indicated by the command.

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

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the command is formatted as an SMS message, the first data communications network is a cellular telephone network, and the second data communications network is a network that employs the TCP/IP data communications protocol.

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

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

6. A computer-readable medium 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 first message 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 second message format that is different from the first message format; and

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.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises receiving the message in an SMS format and sending the converted message in a TCP/IP format.

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

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the receiving includes receiving the message in an SMS format.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the sending includes sending the converted message in a TCP/IP format.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises authenticating the received message by determining whether the received message contains an authentication token.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 6 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.

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

an agent component configured for use with a target computing device that receives commands from a mobile device, determines an action based on the command received from the mobile device, and causes an 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 a mobile device, wherein the target computing device receives commands from the mobile device and sends notifications to the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a memory storing a relationship between the received command and components that can perform an action corresponding to the received command.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising an application that can perform the action corresponding to the received command.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the mobile device sends and receives SMS messages and the communicator component sends and receives TCP/IP messages.

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

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the agent component includes an application program interface.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein an application employs the application program interface to register itself with the system, receive a message, or send a message.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein when the agent receives a command, it identifies one of multiple components and directs the identified component to take an action corresponding to the command.