Patent Publication Number: US-2011070866-A1

Title: System and method for remote administration of a mobile phone

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to remote administration systems and methods, and more particularly to a system and method for remote administration of a mobile phone. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Companies may forbid to have their employees have mobile phones that have a camera, a video camera, BLUETOOTH connectivity, or other recording or transmission mechanism, so as to protect company trade secrets. However, most mobile phones nowadays may have multiple functions, thus creating a problem in the workplace. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an improved method to overcome the limitations described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for remote administration of a mobile phone. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of function modules of an administrating unit included in the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of one embodiment of function modules of a command executing unit included in the system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for remote administration of a mobile phone. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be appreciated that modules may comprised connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for remote administration of a mobile phone  3 . In the embodiment, the mobile phone  3  is connected to a administrating terminal  1  via a transmitting device  2 . The administrating terminal  1  connects to the transmitting device  2  via a network, and the transmitting device  2  wirelessly communicates with the mobile phone  3 . The transmitting device  2  may be a server, or a transmitter that connects with a base station. In the embodiment, the administrating terminal  1  comprises an administrating unit  10 , which generates a control command for administration of the mobile phone  3 , and transmission of the control command to the mobile phone  3  via the transmitting device  2 . The mobile phone  3  comprises a command executing unit  30 , which executes the control command by administration of the mobile phone  3 . Administration of the mobile phone  3  may include setting various functions, such as disabling/restricting an e-mail function, closing a camera/image capturing function, closing a video camera, closing BLUETOOTH connectivity, closing a recording function, or deleting short messages of the mobile phone  3 , for example. 
     In the embodiment, the administrating terminal  10  further includes at least one processor  12 , and a storage device  14 . The at least one processor  12  is operable to execute one or more computerized operations of the administrating unit  10  that may be stored in the storage device  14 . The mobile phone  3  further includes at least one processor  32 , and a storage device  34 . The at least one processor  32  is operable to execute one or more computerized operations of the command executing unit  30  that may be stored in the storage device  34 . The storage device  14  and  34  may be a hard disk drive, a compact disc, a digital video disc, or a tape drive. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of function modules of the administrating unit  10 . The administrating unit  10  may include a plurality of instructions executable by the at least one processor  12 . In one embodiment, the administrating unit  10  may include a setting module  100 , a generating module  102 , a converting module  104 , and a receiving module  106 . 
     The setting module  100  is operable to read an identification number and a phone number of the mobile phone  3  and set functions of the mobile phone  3  to be administrated. In the embodiment, the identification number may be the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) code of the mobile phone  3 . The functions may be an e-mail function, a camera/image capturing function, BLUETOOTH connectivity, a recording function, and a short message transmitting function of the mobile phone  3 , for example. 
     The generating module  102  is operable to generate a control command for remote administration of the mobile phone  3  according to the set functions and the identification number. 
     The converting module  104  is operable to convert the control command into an executable command executable by the mobile phone  3 , and send the executable command to the transmitting device  2  via the network. For example, if the control command is saved in an extensible markup language (XML) file, the converting module  104  needs to convert the XML file into a wireless binary XML (WBXML) file, which can be executed by the mobile phone  3 . In the embodiment, the transmitting device  2  may be a wireless router. 
     The transmitting device  2  receives the executable command, and wirelessly transmits the executable command to the mobile phone  3  according the phone number of the mobile phone  3 . 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of one embodiment of function modules of the command executing unit  30 . The command executing unit  30  may include a plurality of instructions executable by the at least one processor  32 . In one embodiment, the command executing unit  30  may include a verifying module  300 , a administrating module  302 , a feedback module  304 , and a detecting module  306 . 
     The verifying module  300  is operable to receive the executable command, verify whether the identification number included in the executable command matches the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 . Each mobile phone  3  has only one IMEI code, which is an unique identifier of the mobile phone  3 . 
     If the identification number included in the executable command matches the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 , the administrating module  302  executes the executable command by administration of the mobile phone  3  according to the executable command, such as disabling/restricting the e-mail function, closing the camera/image capturing function, closing the video camera, closing the BLUETOOTH connectivity, closing the recording function, or deleting short messages of the mobile phone  3 , for example. The feedback module  304  returns an acknowledgement to the administrating terminal  1  via the transmitting device  2  to indicate that the control command is valid, for example, the acknowledgement may be described as “the identification number is valid.” 
     If the identification number of the executable command does not match the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 , the feedback module  304  is further operable to return a acknowledgement to the administrating terminal  1  to indicate that the control command is invalid, for example, the acknowledgement is described as “the identification number is invalid.” 
     In the embodiment, the receiving module  106  receives the acknowledgement from the mobile phone  3 . If no acknowledgement is received from the mobile phone  3  with a predetermined time period, the receiving module  106  is further operable to display a dialog box indicating that the administrating terminal  1  administrates the mobile phone  3  unsuccessfully. In one embodiment, the predetermined time period may be thirty seconds, or one minute, for example. 
     The detecting module  306  is operable to detect whether the mobile phone  3  uses a new phone number when the mobile phone  3  is started, and updates the new phone number to the administrating terminal  1  upon a condition that a new phone number is used. For example, the mobile phone  3  uses a phone number “a” before, and uses a phone number “b” at this point. The phone number “b” is different from the phone number “a.” In the embodiment, the phone number is stored in the storage device  34  and the storage device  14 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a method for remote administration of the mobile phone  3  by utilizing the administrating unit  10  and the command executing unit  30 . 
     In block S 400 , the setting module  100  reads an identification number and a phone number of the mobile phone  3 , and sets functions of the mobile phone  3  to be administrated. In the embodiment, the phone number stored in the storage device  34 . 
     In block S 402 , the generating module  102  generates a control command for disabling/restricting the functions of the mobile phone  3  according to the set functions and the identification number. 
     In block S 404 , the converting module  104  converts the control command into an executable command executable by the mobile phone  3 . For example, if the control command is saved in an XML file, the converting module  104  needs to convert the XML file into a WBXML file, which can be executed by the mobile phone  3 . 
     In block S 406 , the converting module  104  transmits the executable command to the mobile phone  3  according to the phone number via the transmitting device  2 . In the embodiment, the transmitting device  2  may be a server, or a transmitter that connects with a base station, and wirelessly transmits the executable command to the mobile phone  3 . 
     In block S 408 , the verifying module  300  verifies whether the identification number of the executable command matches the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 . If the identification number matches the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 , the flow enters into block S 410 . Otherwise, if the identification number does not match the IMEI code, i.e., the control terminal  1  sends a invalid command to the mobile phone  3 , the flow enters into block S 412 . 
     In block S 410 , the administrating module  302  executes the executable command by administration of the mobile phone  3 , such as disabling/restricting the e-mail function, closing the camera/image capturing function, closing the video camera, closing the BLUETOOTH connectivity, closing the recording function, or deleting short messages of the mobile phone  3 , for example. Through above process, the administrating terminal  1  can remotely administrate the mobile phone  3 . 
     In block S 412 , the receiving module  106  receives a acknowledgement returned from the feedback module  304 . In the embodiment, the acknowledgement is used for indicating whether the control command is valid. For example, if the identification number matches the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 , the acknowledgement indicates that the control command is valid. For another example, if the identification number does not match the IMEI code of the mobile phone  3 , the acknowledgement indicates that the control command is invalid. 
     In one embodiment, if no acknowledgement is received from the mobile phone  3  in a predetermined time period, the receiving module  106  displays a dialog box indicating that the administrating terminal  1  administrates the mobile phone  3  unsuccessfully. When the mobile phone  3  is started, the detecting module  306  may detect whether a new phone number is used by the mobile phone  3 . If a new phone number is used by the mobile phone  3 , the detecting module  306  updates the phone number to the administrating terminal  1  and the storage device  304 . 
     According to above method, the administrating terminal  1  can administrate one or more mobile phones simultaneously and remotely. 
     Although certain inventive embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. 
     Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.