Abstract:
The mobile phone monitor and remote control system enables users to monitor the mobile phone operation status and remotely control its operation without taking out the mobile phone. It has an independent remote control and a message receiving module located in the mobile phone, to communicate with the remote control and indicate the mobile phone operation status, such as the number of an incoming call, on a display screen located on the remote control. Users may choose to take or pass the call through the remote control function, or take the call with a coupling headset and microphone.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a mobile phone monitor and remote control system, and particularly a mobile phone monitor and remote control system that allows users to obtain the mobile phone operation status while the mobile phone is not with them, thus operating the mobile phone in a remote control fashion.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    With the rapid development of the mobile phone industry and intense promotion of communication service providers, the mobile phone has achieved great popularity nowadays. Modem mobile phones not only provide the function of transmitting voice or message, as network connections for offering multimedia functions has become an essential function for the new generation of mobile phones. In addition, user-friendliness is an issue many users are keenly concerned about, and this has become a high priority goal that the mobile phone manufacturers are pursuing. For instance, most mobile phones have a headset which enables users to take incoming calls without holding the handset. The headset generally includes an earpiece linking to a microphone or a built-in speaker for users to have conversations without holding the mobile phone.  
           [0003]    Although mobile phones have the headset design and function, when put into practice, there are still some problems. For instance, most mobile phone users place the mobile phone in:  
           [0004]    1. handbags;  
           [0005]    2. pockets; and  
           [0006]    3. hanging on the waistband.  
           [0007]    When there is an incoming call , users usually take the call in one of the following ways:  
           [0008]    A. opening the handbag or pocket to fetch the mobile phone, or fetching the mobile phone from the waistband;  
           [0009]    B. check the incoming phone number to screen undesirable calls;  
           [0010]    C. choose to take or pass the call.  
           [0011]    The action A set forth above has some problems and drawbacks, notably:  
           [0012]    1. while fetching the mobile phone, the articles held in the handbag or pocket might be taken out and dropped inadvertently;  
           [0013]    2. the mobile phone could be dropped incidentally and get damaged;  
           [0014]    3. unfolding the clothes to retrieve the mobile phone from the waistband looks awkward and unsightly;  
           [0015]    4. fetching the mobile phone frequently for taking incoming calls on important occasions is embarrassing; and  
           [0016]    5. ringing will consume battery power of the mobile phone and shorten the standby time of the phone.  
           [0017]    While the action A may be avoided by using the headset, the action B of viewing the display screen to screen the incoming call has to be done by taking out the mobile phone.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0018]    The primary object of the invention is to provide a mobile phone monitor and remote control system that enables users to know the number of the incoming call without taking out the mobile phone, and to remotely control the mobile phone.  
           [0019]    Another object of the invention is to resolve the inconvenient problem of taking incoming calls that occurs with conventional mobile phones, and to provide a monitor and remote control system that enables users to decide to take or pass the incoming call.  
           [0020]    The mobile phone monitor and remote control system according to the invention includes an independent remote controller separate from the mobile phone and a wireless transmission module (such as a bluetooth module or a general wireless radio frequency module) installed in the mobile phone. The remote control provides the function of displaying the phone number and remotely controlling whether to take or pass the call. The wireless transmission module transmits the operation status and related messages of the mobile phone to the remote control. Hence, when there is an incoming call, the user may utilize the remote control to display the incoming phone number to get the caller&#39;s identity, then decide whether to take or pass the incoming call, thereby removing the inconvenience of frequently fetching the mobile phone .  
           [0021]    In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the remote control may be designed with ornamental features for matching with users&#39; clothing, as well as offering practical functions.  
           [0022]    The foregoing and additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of a first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a process flow of the invention, showing operation processes when the mobile phone receives an incoming call.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a process flow of the invention, showing the remote control operation process.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the remote control with an ornament design. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]    Referring to FIG. 1 for a first embodiment of the system of the invention, a typical mobile phone  10  is provided, which includes all the commonly used features such as a GSM communication module  11 , battery  12 , antenna  13 , CPU  14 , keypad  15 , and display screen  16 . In addition, the following elements for achieving the objects of this invention are also included:  
         [0028]    a first wireless transmission module  20  located in the mobile phone  10  for emitting the operation status of the mobile phone  10  and related messages, and receiving operation commands;  
         [0029]    a server monitor program  30  installed in the mobile phone  10  for monitoring the mobile phone operation status and controlling the CPU  14  of the mobile phone  10  to proceed with the required processes according to the received operation commands transmitted from the first wireless transmission module  20 ;  
         [0030]    a remote control  40  including a microprocessor  41 , a display screen  42 , a control interface  43  and a second wireless transmission module  44 . The second wireless transmission module  44  is for receiving the message transmitted from the first wireless transmission module  20 , decoding the message, and forwarding it to the microprocessor  41  for processing; and  
         [0031]    a request monitor program  50  installed in the remote control  40  for processing the received messages in the second wireless transmission module  44 , and sending coded operation commands from the control interface  43  to the remote control  40  for transmitting to the first wireless transmission module  20  of the mobile phone  10 .  
         [0032]    The first wireless transmission module  20  and second wireless transmission module  44  may use the bluetooth technique or a general wireless radio frequency module. Through the server monitor program  30  and request monitor program  50 , a client/server-like structure and relationship is established, thereby controlling message transmission between the first wireless transmission module  20  and the second wireless transmission module  44 .  
         [0033]    The main function of the server monitor program  30  and first wireless transmission module  20  is to control the mobile phone  10  in order to perform the desired operation when the preset events are taking place. The preset events include sending the related messages (particularly the incoming phone number) to the remote control  40  when the mobile phone  10  receives an incoming call, notifying the user when a call is incoming, displaying the identity of the caller by the incoming phone number on the display screen  42  of the remote control  40 , and executing the conversation function, disconnecting, or performing other desired processes upon receiving the user&#39;s commands through the remote control  40  or direct operation of the mobile phone  10 . Of course, the server monitor program  30  may further convert the caller&#39;s phone number to the caller&#39;s name by searching through the stored electronic telephone directory built in the mobile phone  10 , and displaying the name on the display screen of the remote control  40 . Users thus can have full knowledge of the caller&#39;s identity before deciding whether to use the control interface  43  of the remote control  40  to command the mobile phone  10  to take the incoming call.  
         [0034]    Of course, there are other preferable embodiments, such as one in which the server monitor program  30  executes an alert operation according to a preset process, and through the remote control  40  alerts the user by displaying an alert message or by ringing a bell.  
         [0035]    Monitoring the conversation status of the mobile phone  10  through the server monitor program  30  and first wireless transmission module  20 , processing the incoming call and other main functions are illustrated in FIG. 2. The process includes:  
         [0036]    1. waiting for an incoming call while the mobile phone  10  is in an ordinary standby state for monitoring and receiving phone calls;  
         [0037]    2. packetting the received message: the mobile phone  10  receives incoming phone call messages, captures the phone number or caller&#39;s identity data, and forms a “receiving highlight message” packet;  
         [0038]    3. sending the “receiving highlight message” to the second wireless transmission module  44 ;  
         [0039]    4. waiting for operation commands: this is a standby state, and the mobile phone  10  is ready to receive commands from the remote control  40  or keypad  15  of the mobile phone  10  to take the incoming call, disconnect, or perform other desired processes; and  
         [0040]    5. executing operation commands after receiving the commands from the remote control  40  or directly from the mobile phone  10 , such as taking the call, disconecting , or transferring the call, and then returning to the first step of “waiting for the incoming call”. If the mobile phone  10  is linked to a headset (such as an earpiece and microphone), the user may take the incoming call directly without fetching the mobile phone. This may further improve convenience.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3 illustrates the major functions and operation contents of the request monitor program  50  and remote controller  40 , which includes:  
         [0042]    1. monitoring the incoming call status of the mobile phone  10 ;  
         [0043]    2. displaying the incoming call message: when there is an incoming call, the second wireless transmission module  44  will receive the “receiving highlight message” sent out from the first wireless transmission module  20  of the mobile phone  10 , and the caller&#39;s phone number or identity information contained in the packet will be displayed on the display screen  42  of the remote control  40 ; and  
         [0044]    3. sending out operation commands: when the user decides to take the incoming call or disconnect through the control interface  43  of the remote controller  40 , by pressing the take call button  430  or the cutoff button  431 , the second wireless transmission module  44  transmits to the mobile phone  10  and finally returns to the first stage of “monitoring the incoming call status of the mobile phone  10 ”.  
         [0045]    In the preferred embodiments, the remote control  40  may be designed to have an ornamental appearance, so that it may serve as an ornament for hanging on the user&#39;s clothing or personal articles (such as a backpack or handbag ) thereby offering a decoration effect in addition to its practical function.  
         [0046]    By means of the remote control  40  described above, and through the display screen  42  on the remote control  40 , users may see the displayed information without fetching the mobile phone  10 , and decide whether to take or disconnect the incoming call by using the remote control  40 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 4 illustrates the remote control  40  with an ornamental exterior design for hanging on the user&#39;s clothing or personal articles (such as a backpack or handbag ) to double as a decorative article in addition to its practical function.  
         [0048]    While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for purposes of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.