Covert mode communication

• US 8,190,126 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Whitney, Jason Kent, Lundy, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/060,320
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/415, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 380/229, 380/248, 380/250, 713/183, 713/184, 726/11, 726/14
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

A communication device having a secret mode enters the secret mode in response to receiving a secret mode access key. In the secret mode, the communication device receives a first instruction to handle a covert communication source in the secret mode. The communication device receives a second instruction to exit the secret mode. After exiting the secret mode, and in response to the first instruction, the communication device provides a covert communication alert for an incoming communication from the covert communication source. The communication device provides overt communication alerts for incoming communications from overt communication sources.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication device having a secret mode, the method comprising:

entering the secret mode in response to receiving a secret mode access key, wherein the secret mode access key comprises authentication data;

in the secret mode, receiving a first instruction to handle a covert communication source in the secret mode, and receiving a second instruction to exit the secret mode; and

after exiting the secret mode and in response to the first instruction, providing a covert communication alert for an incoming communication from the covert communication source and providing overt communication alerts for incoming communications from overt communication sources, wherein providing the covert communication alert comprises changing a position of a battery power icon displayed on a display of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after exiting the secret mode and in response to the first instruction, blocking communication history information for the covert communication source and providing other communication history information for the overt communication sources.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising re-entering the secret mode in response to receiving the secret mode access key, and in the secret mode, providing the communication history information for the covert communication source.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein providing the covert communication alert comprises providing the communication history information for the covert communication source while in the secret mode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the covert communication alert comprises a wireless alerting signal transmitted to a covert alerting device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the covert alerting device provides a communication indicator in response to receiving the wireless alerting signal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the covert alerting device receives a user acknowledgement of the communication indicator, and in response, transmits a wireless acknowledgement signal, and further comprising in the communication device, receiving the wireless acknowledgement signal, and in response, transmitting a communication acknowledgement signal to the covert communication source.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the covert alerting device comprises a watch.

9. A communication device having a secret mode comprising:

a network interface configured to receive incoming communications;

a processing system configured to enter the secret mode in response to receiving a secret mode access key, wherein the secret mode access key comprises authentication data, and in the secret mode, receive a first instruction to handle a covert communication source in the secret mode, and receive a second instruction to exit the secret mode;

a user interface configured to receive the secret mode access key, the first instruction, and the second instruction from a user;

the processing system further configured, after exiting the secret mode and in response to the first instruction, to generate a covert communication alert for the incoming communication from the covert communication source and generate overt communication alerts for the incoming communications from overt communication sources; and

the user interface configured to provide the covert communication alert and the overt communication alerts, wherein the user interface configured to provide the covert communication alert comprises the user interface configured to change a position of a battery power icon displayed on a display of the communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 9 wherein the processing system is configured, after exiting the secret mode and in response to the first instruction, to block communication history information for the covert communication source and to provide other communication history information for the overt communication sources, and wherein the user interface is configured to display the other communication history information for the overt communication sources.

11. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is configured to re-enter the secret mode in response to receiving the secret mode access key, and in the secret mode, provide the communication history information for the covert communication source, and wherein the user interface is configured to display the communication history information for the covert communication source.

12. The communication device of claim 11 wherein the covert communication alert comprises the display of the communication history information for the covert communication source while in the secret mode.

13. The communication device of claim 9 wherein the user interface is configured to covertly provide the covert communication alert by transmitting a wireless alerting signal to a covert alerting device.

14. The communication device of claim 13 wherein the covert alerting device provides a communication indicator in response to receiving the wireless alerting signal.

15. The communication device of claim 14 wherein the covert alerting device receives a user acknowledgement of the communication indicator, and in response, transmits a wireless acknowledgement signal, and wherein the user interface is configured to receive the wireless acknowledgement signal, the processing system is configured to convert the wireless acknowledgement signal into a communication acknowledgement signal, and the network interface is configured to transfer the communication acknowledgement signal to the covert communication source.

16. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the covert alerting device comprises a watch.