Patent Publication Number: US-2006003747-A1

Title: Periodic parameter control command for a wireless mobile device

Description:
BACKGROUND  
      A wireless mobile device may be brought into, and used in, different types of locations. For example, a user may bring a wireless telephone to a shopping mall or a theater. Note that a mobile device may be able to operate in a number of different modes. For example, a wireless phone might generate an audible sound if a telephone call is received when it is operating in one mode but remain silent when operating in another mode.  
      In some cases, it may be inappropriate for a mobile device to operate in a particular mode given the nature of its current location. For example, it might not be appropriate to have a wireless telephone generate an audible sound when it is in a theater or museum. Although a user might manually adjust the mode of a mobile device (e.g., by switching a wireless telephone to a “silent” mode), some users may forget or be unaware that a certain mode is not appropriate.  
      In addition, it may be appropriate for a mobile device to operate in one mode at a location under some circumstances, and yet be inappropriate for it to operate in that mode at the same location under other circumstances. For example, it might not be appropriate to have a wireless telephone generate an audible sound in a meeting room when there is currently a meeting taking place, and yet appropriate to do so when there is no meeting. As another example, it might not be appropriate for a user&#39;s laptop to generate sound when he or she is participating in a teleconference, and yet it may be appropriate to do so when he or she is not. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a mobile device controller method according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a mobile device method according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 4  is a timeline according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a mobile device controller system according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a mobile device controller method according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a mobile device system according to some embodiments.  
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart of a mobile device method according to some embodiments. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system  100  according to some embodiments. In particular, a mobile device controller  110  may transmit a wireless message  120  to a mobile device  130 . The message  120  may be, for example, transmitted using a Radio Frequency (RF) or an Infra-Red (IR) transmitter associated with the mobile device controller  110 . The message  120  may be transmitted using any wireless protocol, including third generation ( 3 G) wireless, Global System for Mobile (GSM), and/or Bluetooth communications. By way of example, the message  120  may be transmitted via a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that operates in accordance with an Ethernet protocol and/or a Code-Division Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CDMA/CA) protocol such as the one defined by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) specification number 802.11g (2003).  
      The mobile device controller  110  might be, for example, a stationary device such as a desktop Personal Computer (PC) or wired telephone. As another example, the mobile device controller  140  might be a device mounted at or located in a theater, museum, library, or meeting room.  
      The mobile device  130  may be any wireless device, such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a handheld or laptop computer, or a wireless telephone, pager, or beeper. According to some embodiments, the mobile device  130  locally stores a parameter that controls the operation of the mobile device  130 . The mobile device  130  might, for example, generate audible sounds when the parameter has one value and suppress such sounds when the parameter has another value. As other examples, the parameter might prevent the mobile device  130  from exchanging information (e.g., a wireless telephone might be prevented from placing a telephone call, transmitting text messages, or capturing an image).  
      As described with respect to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , such a system may be used to prevent a mobile device from operating in a mode that is not appropriate given the location and/or the current circumstances.  
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method that may be performed, for example, by the mobile device controller  110  described with respect to  FIG. 1 . The flow charts described herein do not necessarily imply a fixed order to the actions, and embodiments may be performed in any order that is practicable. Note that any of the methods described herein may be performed by hardware, software (including microcode), firmware, or any combination of these approaches. For example, a storage medium may store thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in performance according to any of the embodiments described herein.  
      At  202 , it is determined that a pre-determined condition is satisfied. By way of example, the mobile device controller  110  might determine that a user has joined a teleconference using his or her desktop PC or wired telephone. Similarly, the mobile device controller  110  might determine that a meeting is currently taking place in a conference room or that a play is currently being performed in a theater. According to some embodiments, a condition may be an indication that the mobile device controller  110  has been installed at a location and/or has been activated (e.g., it is turned on).  
      At  204 , a wireless mobile device parameter control command is broadcast on a periodic basis based on the pre-determined condition. For example, the mobile device controller  110  might wirelessly broadcast a parameter control command every two seconds when it determines that a user has joined a teleconference. According to some embodiments, the command includes an indication of a particular mobile device parameter and/or a value for that parameter. For example, the command might indicate that it is associated with the ability to place a telephone call and the value might indicate that such an ability should be suppressed. Note that a single command might include a number of different types of parameters and/or associated values.  
      The mobile device controller  110  may subsequently determine that the pre-determined condition is no longer satisfied. In this case, it can arrange for the wireless mobile device parameter control command to no longer be broadcast. For example, the mobile device controller  110  might stop broadcasting commands when it determines that a user is no longer participating in a teleconference.  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method that may be performed, for example, by the mobile device  130  described with respect to  FIG. 1 . At  302 , the mobile device  130  receives a wireless parameter control command. For example the mobile device  130  might wirelessly receive a command that has been broadcast by the mobile device controller  110 .  
      At  304 , a parameter is adjusted from an original value to an adjusted value in response to the parameter control command. For example, the mobile device  130  might adjust a locally stored parameter such that it will no longer generate audible sounds.  
      At  306 , the parameter is re-set to the original value if another parameter control command is not received within a pre-determined time-out period. For example, if no further command is received within three seconds, the mobile device  130  might re-set a parameter such that audible sounds will again be generated. If another command is received within the pre-determined time-out period, the mobile device  130  may instead arm a timer to begin a new time-out period.  
      For example,  FIG. 4  is a timeline  400  according to some embodiments. In particular, the timeline  400  illustrates a teleconference device  410  that is broadcasting commands  420  to a wireless telephone  430  (with events toward the top of the figure occurring before events toward the bottom of the figure). Initially, the teleconference device  410  determines that a user has joined a teleconference, and a command  420  is broadcast. The teleconference device  410  also arms a timer with a two second broadcast interval value.  
      The wireless telephone  430  receives the command and adjusts itself to operate in a silent mode. The wireless telephone  430  also arms a timer with a three second time-out period value. Note that because the timer in the teleconference device  410  was armed with a lower value it will therefore expire before the timer in the wireless telephone  430 .  
      When the timer in the teleconference device  410  expires, the teleconference device  410  determines if the user is still participating in the teleconference. If so, another command  420  is broadcast and the teleconference device  410  re-arms the timer with the two second broadcast interval value.  
      When the wireless telephone  430  receives the new command, it re-arms its timer with the three second time-out period value.  
      At some point, the broadcast interval timer in the teleconference device  410  will expire, and the teleconference device  410  will determine that the user is no longer participating in a teleconference. In this case, the teleconference device  410  stops broadcasting commands  420 .  
      Because no commands  420  are being received, the timer in the wireless telephone  430  will eventually expire. The wireless telephone  430  may then adjust itself back to an original mode of operation (e.g., and again generate audible sounds).  
      Note that the command  420  may be broadcast such that it will only be received by wireless telephones  430  within a pre-determined distance from the teleconference device  410  (e.g., within three meters). As a result, when a wireless phone  430  moves away from the teleconference device  410  it will stop receiving commands  420 , and thus revert back to an original mode of operation (e.g., after three seconds).  
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a system  500  according to some embodiments. In particular, a mobile device controller  510  transmits a message  520  to a mobile device  530  via a wireless channel (e.g., using an RF or IR message).  
      In this case, the command  520  includes a message identifier  522  that indicates that the message is a parameter control command. The command  520  also includes a parameter identifier  524  and a parameter value  526  that define the parameter to be adjusted and the value to which it should be set (e.g., set “Ability to Capture Images” to “disabled”).  
      According to this embodiment, the command also includes a priority indication  528 . The priority indication  528  may be used, for example, when the mobile device  530  receives conflicting commands from different mobile device controllers  510 . The priority indication  528  might also indicate whether a user should be allowed to manually over-ride a command and/or whether or not the command will apply to all mobile devices  530  and/or users. For example, a command preventing wireless telephones from making outgoing telephone calls might not apply to a wireless telephone operated by a doctor or police officer.  
      The command  520  might contain information in addition to or other than the information illustrated in  FIG. 5 . For example, the command  520  might include a rule that should be evaluated by the mobile device  530 . As another example, the command  520  might include an indication of a time-out period value (e.g., to be used by the mobile device when arming a timer).  
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of system  600  that includes a mobile device controller  610  with a detection device  612 , a transmitter  614 , and a timer  616 . The detection device  612  may be, for example, hardware and/or software that determines if a pre-determined condition is satisfied (e.g., based on information local to the mobile device controller  610  or received from another device). The transmitter  614  may periodically transmit commands  620  when appropriate, including when the timer  616  expires. The system also includes an antenna  650 , such as a uni-directional or multi-directional antenna, that may be used by the transmitter  614  to broadcast commands  620 .  
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method that may be associated with the system  600  illustrated in  FIG. 6  according to some embodiments. When it is determined that a pre-determined condition is satisfied at  702 , a parameter control command is transmitted at  704 . For example, transmitter  614  might broadcast a command  620  when the detection device  612  determines that a user has joined a teleconference.  
      The timer  616  is then armed with a time-out period value at  706 . When the timer  616  expires at  708 , the detection device  612  determines if the pre-determined condition still exists. If not, no additional commands will be transmitted (e.g., until the condition again exists at  702 ). If the pre-determined condition does still exist at  710 , another command  620  is transmitted at  704  and the timer  616  is re-armed with the broadcast interval value at  706 .  
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of system  800  that includes a mobile device  830  with a receiver  812 , a parameter adjuster  814 , and a timer  616 . The receiver  812  may periodically receive wireless commands  820  via an antenna  850  (e.g., a uni-directional or multi-directional antenna). When a command  820  is received, the parameter adjuster  814  stores an original parameter value  860  (e.g., a value associated with the mode of the mobile device  830  when the first command  820  was received) and creates an adjusted parameter value  862 . A timer  816  is also armed with a time-out period value. If another command  820  is received before the timer  816  expires, the timer  816  is re-armed with the time-out period value. If the timer  816  eventually expires, the parameter adjuster  814  retrieves the original parameter value  860  and the mobile device  830  will revert to an original mode of operation.  
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart of a method that may be associated with the system  800  illustrated in  FIG. 8  according to some embodiments. When a parameter control command  820  is received by the receiver  812  at  902 , the original parameter value  860  is stored and the mobile device  830  begins to operate in a mode associated with the adjusted parameter value  862  at  904 . The timer  816  is also armed with a time-out period value at  906 . When another command  820  is received by the receiver  812  at  908 , the timer  816  is re-armed with the time-out period value.  
      When no other commands  820  are received and the timer  816  expires at  910 , the original parameter value  860  is retrieved and the mobile device  830  reverts to an original mode of operation at  912  (e.g., the mode it was operating in before receiving commands  820 ).  
      The following illustrates various additional embodiments. These do not constitute a definition of all possible embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand that many other embodiments are possible. Further, although the following embodiments are briefly described for clarity, those skilled in the art will understand how to make any changes, if necessary, to the above description to accommodate these and other embodiments and applications.  
      Although embodiments have been described with respect to a single mobile device controller and a single mobile device, note that a mobile device controller might broadcast a command that can be understood by different types of devices (e.g., wireless camera phones and laptop computers). In other cases, different commands may be broadcast for different devices. Also note that different types of commands may be received by a mobile device (e.g., one command preventing incoming telephone calls and separate command allowing outgoing telephone calls only to “911”). In this case, a mobile device may arm multiple timers.  
      According to some other embodiments, a mobile device might transmit a response confirming that a parameter has been adjusted or indicating that the parameter will not be adjusted.  
      Although some embodiments have been described with respect to a stationary mobile device controller sending commands to a mobile device, according to some embodiments a first mobile device may broadcast commands that are received by a second mobile device (e.g., one wireless telephone might prevent another wireless telephone from ringing). As still another example, a mobile device may transmit commands that are received by a stationary device (e.g., a wireless telephone might mute a desktop PC).  
      Moreover, although certain situations have been described herein as examples, the ability to externally set parameters for a wireless mobile device as described herein may be used in any other circumstances. For example, a mobile device controller might prevent telephone calls from being made in an airplane during take-off and landing.  
      The several embodiments described herein are solely for the purpose of illustration. Persons skilled in the art will recognize from this description other embodiments may be practiced with modifications and alterations limited only by the claims.