Patent Publication Number: US-8982076-B2

Title: Method of blocking transmission of screen information of mobile communication terminal while performing remote control using icon

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2011-0092273, filed Sep. 10, 2011 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/358,069 filed Jan. 25, 2012. The entire content of the aforementioned patent applications is incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a method (and system) of blocking transmission of screen information. More specifically, the present invention blocks transmission of screen information via simply handling a toggle icon, without the need of handling the mobile communication terminal such as inputting a command or using a menu in an activated window. 
     2. Related Art 
     With the advancement in the mobile communication technologies, communication methods limited to voice communication or short message services (SMS) have evolved into Internet access accomplished through a mobile communication networks based on a communication protocol such as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) or the like. As high functionality mobile communication terminals including input/output devices such as a high resolution touch screen and the like, as well as large-capacity control operating units and memory devices, are now being distributed together with rapid increases in data processing rates through mobile communication networks, Internet access based on TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) has begun being enabled through a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , since the high functionality mobile communication terminal, which is generally referred to as a smart phone, employs a high resolution touch screen and a control operating unit related thereto, the high functionality mobile communication terminal  10  implements a graphic user interface (GUI) comparable to those of general desktop computers  41 , as well as to a conventional keypad type terminal handling environment. However, unlike previous environments in which mobile communication services are limited to transmitting and receiving voice communications and SMS texts, patterns of using the mobile communication terminal  10  has become more complex since they have begun to i.) connect to the Internet through a wireless network  20  including a mobile communication network  21  and a wireless LAN  22 , ii.) transmit and receive large-scaled data and application programs, and iii.) execute various application programs using a large-capacity control operating unit and memory devices. Accordingly, most general users unfamiliar with the new communication environments have difficulties using high functionality mobile communication terminals  10  and suffer from malfunctions and data loss brought on by handling mistakes and excessive communication fees. 
     Therefore, communication companies attracting users of the high functionality mobile communication terminals  10  as subscribers, mobile communication terminal  10  manufacturers, wireless network  20  provides, or the like guide users who are often inexperienced in using the high functionality mobile communication terminals  10  to connect to the Internet or transmit and receive data, and remotely control the mobile communication terminals  10  to deal with operation errors and failures of the mobile communication terminals  10  from a remote site. This process is conducted by remotely controlling the mobile communication terminals  10  provided the user consents. 
     In these instances, the mobile communication terminals  10  are remotely controlled through a wireless network  20  such as a mobile communication network  21  or a wireless LAN  22 . The remote control is generally performed at the very moment when a consulting representative of the communication companies, the mobile communication terminal  10  manufacturers, or the information providers makes a voice communication/verification with a user of the mobile communication terminal  10 . This is based upon the premise that a remote control program is installed in the corresponding mobile communication terminal  10  and the control subject computer  41  in order to control communications between a corresponding mobile communication terminal  10  and a control subject computer, i.e., the computer  41  of the consulting representative. This allows for control input and output of the mobile communication terminal  10  at a remote site. As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the remote control program is executed, the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  is displayed on the screen of the control subject computer  41 . 
     If the remote control programs of the mobile communication terminal  10  and the control subject computer  41  at a remote site are executed and a communication session is established between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the computer  41 , a screen correlating to the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  is displayed on the control subject computer  41  as shown in  FIG. 1 , and commands inputted by the consulting representative, i.e., a user of the control subject computer  41 , are transmitted to the remote control program of the mobile communication terminal  10  through the communication session and inputted into the mobile communication terminal  10  by the remote control program. Therefore, the representative can directly control and view the control target mobile communication terminal  10  to more effectively fix errors or failures in the mobile communication terminal. 
     As described above, a representative remotely controls the mobile communication terminal  10  of a user unfamiliar with the communication environment based on the high functionality mobile communication terminal  10 , and thus, providing the user with a convenient way to fix issues that arise on their terminal. However, there are serious issues related to privacy of personal information on mobile communication terminal  10  since the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  is displayed on the screen of the control subject computer  41 , thus, any information that is on the screen when the representative connects can be seen by the representative. 
     Often times, errors occur while the user is trying to connect or log on to often information sensitive websites For example, log-in information or authentication information needed to connect to a specific site on the Internet may be required in the course performing these remote control sessions, such as online banking websites, credit card account websites, etc. In particular, a variety of services using the high functionality mobile communication terminals  10  are provided even in the finance, administration and health sectors where serious personal information exposure is a concern. Therefore, there is a serious concern that personal information could be leaked if a remote access session is permitted on a particular mobile communication terminal. 
     In the remote control environment between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the computer  41 , personal information such as a password may need to be inputted by the user to allow the representative to access certain functionalities of the mobile communication terminal  10 . In this case, the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  directly inputs personal information (e.g., a password), and the input type of the personal information input window on the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  is set to a password type so that substitute letters such as asterisks or the like may be displayed as shown in  FIG. 1 . Thus, the representative cannot directly see the inputted personal information. 
     If the input type is set to, e.g., a password type and thus substitute letters are outputted, it is effective to hide input values which are inputted through a keyboard or a key pad. However, in the case of mobile communication terminals  10  since the keyboard or keypad is displayed on the screen the input itself is displayed to the representative or remote user. That is, as shown in  FIG. 1 , asterisks are displayed instead of real input values in the password input window of the screen. However, when a virtual keyboard implemented at the lower portion of the touch screen is used to input the password, the color, brightness, or shape of a touched key is temporarily changed when a user presses a particular key thus indicating which keys have been pressed by the user at the mobile communication terminal  10 . Thus, allowing the remote user/representative to see sequence of keys that were selected by the mobile communication terminal user. 
     One solution to this problem is to block transmission of screen information on the mobile communication terminal  10  by inputting a specific command by the user, or by turning on a particular setting that blocks the transmission of screen information by sequentially selecting menu items in an activated window  12  displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10 . However, in the method described above, the user himself or herself performs complex handling procedures to block transmission of screen information, and thus departs from the main object of the remote control service provided to typically to users who are unfamiliar with using a mobile communication terminal  10 . Furthermore, this solution may cause mishandling of other settings and takes a long time to execute on the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     Particularly, the object of a remote control service provided through computer  41  communications is not only for a simple one-time control proxy service, but also is for providing a learning service so that a user unfamiliar with using an information device may correctly perform the same handling procedures in the future. Therefore, it is preferable to provide all the same procedures and screen output forms used in the remote control when the user independently performs similar controls in the future, and thus implementing a separate icon in the activated window  12  and inducing a general user to handle the icon may cause confusion. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of blocking transmission of screen information with minimal control procedures while performing remote control between a computer and a mobile communication terminal, in which a user of the mobile communication terminal does not need to input a command, or an icon does not need to be separately implemented in an activated window on the screen of the mobile communication terminal. 
     That is, the present invention provides a method of blocking transmission of a screen of a mobile communication terminal while performing remote control, in which a computer connected to an Internet and a wireless network remotely controls the mobile communication terminal, i.e., a mobile station of a mobile communication network, employing a touch screen as an input/output means. More specifically, the method includes executing a remote control program installed in the mobile communication terminal; displaying a toggle icon, by the remote control program, on a screen of the mobile communication terminal; stopping transmission of screen information to the computer, by the remote control program, when a first touch of the toggle icon is sensed; and resuming transmission of screen information to the computer, by the remote control program, when a second touch of the toggle icon is sensed again. 
     According to the present invention, transmission of screen information is blocked with only simple controls while performing remote control between the computer and the mobile communication terminal, and thus it is possible to effectively prevent leakage of personal information that may occur while the mobile communication terminal is remotely controlled. Particularly, since input of a command for blocking transmission of screen information and complicated menu handling are omitted, user mistakes may be prevented, and user convenience may be maximized. Thus, the learning effect of the user in handling the mobile communication terminal  10  may be enhanced through remote control. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view showing a remote control method for a mobile communication terminal according to a conventional technique. 
         FIG. 2  is a view showing a connection state between a computer and a mobile communication terminal while a remote control is performed. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing a state of screen transmission while a mobile communication terminal is remotely controlled through an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a view showing states of a screen in the process of blocking and resuming transmission of the screen while a mobile communication terminal is remotely controlled through an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a view showing a method of handling a mobile communication terminal applying an expandable toggle icon, through an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The detailed configuration and process of the invention will be hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     First,  FIG. 2  is a view showing the connectional relationship among the constitutional components performing and executing the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the present invention is performed using a mobile communication terminal  10 , i.e., a mobile station of a mobile communication network  21 , a wireless network  20  such as the mobile communication network  21  or a wireless local area network (LAN)  22 , and a computer  41  connected to the Internet. Here, the wireless network  20  generally refers to the mobile communication network  21  based on TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) or CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or the wireless LAN  22  based on Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity) or WiBro (Wireless Broadband) which performs communications based on TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). 
     The wireless LAN  22  and the mobile communication network  21  constructing the wireless network  20  of the exemplary embodiment are respectively connected to the Internet through a gateway server  31  and a communication company&#39;s server  32 , which can be referred to as a kind of gateway server  31 . In addition, the computer  41  which remotely controls the mobile communication terminal  10  in the exemplary embodiment is also connected to the Internet. 
     In performing remote control through the present invention, a remote control program may be installed on the computer  41  and the mobile communication terminal  10 . The remote control program may perform communication between the mobile communication terminal  10 , which may be a control object, and the computer  41 , which may be a control subject. This remote control program controls the mobile communication terminal  10  according to a control command of the computer  41 , and transmits screen information of the mobile communication terminal  10  to the computer  41 . 
     Furthermore, although the remote control programs respectively installed on the control target mobile communication terminal  10  and the control subject computer  41  communicate provide remote control services, the remote control programs installed on each do not need to be the same program since their operating environments and specific works are different from each other. 
       FIG. 3  is a view showing the process of performing the present invention through the constitutional components shown in  FIG. 2 , and specific steps of performing the present invention are described below. First, the exemplary embodiment starts by executing the remote control program of the mobile communication terminal  10 . The remote control program is an application program mounted on the mobile communication terminal  10 , which transmits screen information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , i.e., a control target, to the control subject computer  41  at a remote site through the wireless network  20  and the Internet and inputs a command transmitted from the control subject computer  41  into the operating system of the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     Next, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the remote control program displays a toggle icon  11  on a screen of the mobile communication terminal  10 . Here, the toggle icon  11  does not involve execution of a specific application program unlike the other icons displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10 . The toggle icon  11  is connected to the remote control program being executed and enables and disables transmission of screen information to the control subject computer  41 . 
     After the toggle icon  11  is displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10 , the remote control program normally performs a certain remote control process. Once a touch of the toggle icon  11  is sensed while performing the remote control, the remote control program stops transmission of screen information to the computer  41 . At this point, stopping transmission of screen information does not mean that the data transmitted and received between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the computer  41  through a communication session are entirely blocked, but rather means that transmission of screen output images is blocked. Accordingly, a user of the control subject computer  41  such as a consulting representative is not able to visually see the screen of the control target mobile communication terminal  10 , while at the same time the transmission and reception of the data may be communicated normally between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the computer  41 . 
     While the transmission of screen information is stopped, the screen of the control subject computer  41  is blind processed to display a substitute image as shown in  FIG. 4  or continues to output a screen displayed just before the transmission of screen information is stopped, and thus the user of the control subject computer  41  such as a consulting representative cannot see the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  during this time period. As described above, while transmission of screen information is blocked through the touch of the toggle icon  11 , the user may safely input personal information such as log-in information or the like. 
     Meanwhile,  FIG. 5  is a view showing a state of inputting personal information while a mobile communication terminal  10  is remotely controlled, through an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5 , once the toggle icon  11  is touched immediately before the personal information is inputted, a user of the control subject computer  41  may not see the input screen. In addition, after input of the personal information is completed, it needs to allow the user of the control subject computer  41  to see the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  by releasing the state of blocking transmission of screen information. This is also performed through the touch of the toggle icon  11 , and as shown in  FIG. 5 , the shape of the toggle icon  11  is changed depending on the blocking state of the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  so that the user may recognize whether or not the screen information is transmitted. 
       FIG. 6  is a view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention applying an expandable toggle icon  11 . The entire steps of blocking and resuming transmission of screen information are sequentially arranged, and the steps are performed while a user of the mobile communication terminal  10  accepts remote control and the mobile communication terminal  10  is remotely controlled. In  FIG. 6 , once the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  accepts remote control of the remote control subject computer  41  by touching an icon in the activated window connected to the remote control program, the toggle icon  11  is displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10 . If the user touches and expands the toggle icon  11 , messages inquiring whether or not to block transmission of screen information are displayed, and transmission of screen information of the mobile communication terminal  10  is blocked as a corresponding message is touched. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , for example, brightness of the screen of the mobile communication terminal  10  may be adjusted while transmission of screen information is blocked so that the user may recognize blocking of transmission of screen information, and transmission of screen information is resumed in the same manner as blocking transmission of screen information, and thus convenience of the user may be maximized. 
     Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention may be embodied as non-transitory computer readable media on a computer readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller or the like. Examples of the computer readable mediums include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards and optical data storage devices. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed in network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable media is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     As described above, while performing remote control, transmission of screen information is effectively controlled by simply handling the toggle icon  11 , and thus it is possible to effectively prevent leakage of personal information that may occur while the mobile communication terminal  10  is remotely controlled. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.