Method for remote service switching

Technical field

0001The present invention relates to a system and method to provide services of a mobile communication device selectively remote switch.

State of the art

0002Mobile devices, particularly mobile phones, are becoming more widespread. However, there are places and conditions in which the use of a mobile device is undesirable or even dangerous, for example in concert venues or aircraft. Since forgot some mobile subscriber (or refrain) off their mobile device, several systems have been known to forcibly completely disable these devices at protected locations by third parties.

0003A complete elimination of the mobile device is neither in the mobile subscribers popular, yet necessary or allowed. In some countries, for example, have at least outgoing and incoming emergency calls and emergency messages can be sent or received even in protected rooms. Language - or data connections of guests interrupting brutal is certainly not a good canvassing. Furthermore, a complete shutdown of the device is often not even necessary; in an airplane, for example, are mainly the transmit and receive functions of the transceiver potentially dangerous; Reasons to ban passengers about a game with the mobile device does not exist, however. In other places, especially the more modern mobile phones camera function are problematic, but not the mobile part.

0004Therefore already systems and methods with which the camera, or other "options" and machine parts have been described, can be remotely connected.

0005To this end, a local, proprietary lock signal is often transmitted in a protected space. The auszuschaltenden mobile devices receive the signal and disable the affected mobile device part. However, such methods only work with specially designed mobile devices that are equipped with additional hardware and software to receive the blocking signal and interpret. Unless a large number of mobile devices are adjusted accordingly, such protection measures are hardly effective and can be easily circumvented.

0006<patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US20030133573A"><text>US20030133573</text></patcit> describes a solution in which are mobile parts off in a room by a Bluetooth signal. This solution only works with devices that have a Bluetooth adapter and have enabled this part. A special Bluetooth profile must also be installed in order to understand the signal and switch the desired device part afterwards. Furthermore, can be disabled with this method, only devices that are within the scope of the Bluetooth transmitter in the protected space; location-independent closures are not possible.

0007<patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="WO9825433A"><text>WO9825433</text></patcit> describes another method by which a mobile network operator, a terminal can switch off completely depending on the location. Other termination criteria are not mentioned.

0008<patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US5778304A"><text>US5778304</text></patcit> describes a system for location-dependent limitation of mobile services; as examples, the maximum volume, the use of the mobile device for personal calls, data transfer, image transfer, etc., mentioned. Furthermore, the identified mobile operator mobile subscriber location will be used as a parameter for the decision to lock a device in this process. The method can therefore only be used by your mobile operator, or at least of a party that has this usually confidential information.

0009<patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="US2003008662A"><text>US2003008662</text></patcit> discloses a system and method to provide a mobile device in accordance with a site specific guidelines and information.

0010<patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="US2003133573A"><text>US2003133573</text></patcit> discloses a system and a method to send control messages to electronic devices.

0011<patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="EP1223772A"><text>EP1223772</text></patcit> discloses a system and a method based on location to lock a mobile device with messages.

Disclosure of the Invention

0012In summary, suffer the known systems and methods for turning off services of a mobile communication device under the following problems:<ul><li>■ Only complete units can be turned off, but not selectively certain services, and / or</li><li>■ terminal hardware adjustments are required to receive a special lock signal, or to determine the location of the device, and / or</li><li>■ The remote lock function can be disabled by the mobile user, and / or</li><li>■ Only mobile devices within a certain area can be locked and / or</li><li>■ The method can only be used by your mobile operator, and / or</li><li>■ The location of the mobile subscriber is against third parties not anonymous, and / or</li><li>■ Existing voice and data connections are dropped on rude nature.</li></ul>

0013It is an object of the present invention to propose a new method and system are solved by means of which all or some of these problems.

0014Another object is to offer a higher flexibility in the determination of the locked mobile device.

0015These objects are achieved in particular by the features of the independent claims:

0016This has the particular advantage that services of the mobile device can be selectively turned on or off from a remote device. This occurs when user-defined conditions are met. Since these switching conditions at any time (preferably via a computer program) editable and updateable, very flexible conditions can be defined in order to decide which mobile devices are remotely connected.

0017This also has the advantage that the activation or deactivation of functions of the mobile device by switching on or off of services takes place. Services are permanent programs or program components that need to be enabled, the operating system and applications on the mobile device has access to the appropriate hardware or software resources. In modern operating systems, there are a large number of services installed, with which the behavior of the mobile device can be finely adjusted. Certain services may include, for example, device drivers, so that a piece of hardware is unattainable, if the service is disabled. Other services can control user applications or parts of the operating system, such as the Internet or mobile network access.

0018The active or inactive state of a service is often given with a simple flag, whose state can be changed with a small software overhead.

0019The invention also has the advantage that the conditions specified by what, when a mobile device service must be remotely connected, are freely definable. The control is not only from the mobile subscriber location dependent, but by any other parameters that are determined within and / or outside of the infrastructure of the mobile network. In a company, for example, be chosen, the camera function of all mobile devices to a group of employees or customers are simultaneously turned on or off (regardless of location).

0020In a preferred embodiment the mono- or auszuschaltende service is selected from the remote device among several options and specify the shift command. This has the advantage that the remote unit can determine precisely which parts of the mobile device may be turned on or off. Depending on different conditions, different equipment services of different sets of mobile devices thus can be switched off. Parents can, for example, allow your children to access games or fee-based services only during predetermined periods.

0021In a preferred embodiment, the switching conditions by a third party (and not from the mobile network operators) are defined. Thus, any third party to determine the conditions under which certain mobile services of other mobile devices should be restricted. Before a service is turned off, is preferably checked by the mobile network operator, of a regulatory body and / or the mobile subscriber concerned whether the blocking of a particular service is permitted.

0022In a preferred embodiment, the switching conditions of parameters are dependent, which are determined within and outside the infrastructure of the mobile network. In this way complex switching conditions can be used, for example to all mobile devices to lock in a place completely, except those of employees, with game applications and the camera of certain employees is also switched off. Also commercial models for activation of existing services by a third party for a fee are made possible thereby.

0023In a preferred variant, at least certain switching commands are anonymous to the administrator of the remote-controlled remote device. In this way a third party can certain services of a group of mobile devices (which fulfill certain conditions) on or off, without knowing the identity of the affected mobile subscriber. This privacy problems are solved, which would occur if every third person would find all required parameters of a large number of mobile subscribers.

Brief Description of Drawings

0024The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> is a block diagram of the software architecture of a mobile device.

0025The <figref idrefs="f0002">figure 2</figref> is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system of the invention.

0026The <figref idrefs="f0003">figure 3</figref> is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system of the invention.

0027The <figref idrefs="f0004">figure 4</figref> is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the system of the invention.

0028The <figref idrefs="f0005">figure 5</figref> shows a screen of the input screen, which can be used in remote device to enter switching conditions.

0029The <figref idrefs="f0006">figure 6</figref> is a flow diagram of the method of an embodiment of the invention.

definitions

0030, Is in the description and claims when talking about services, a program part of the program or applet meant running permanently or temporarily in the background and edited periodic visits by other programs. Most of the components and resources of a computer system (including mobile devices and mobile phones) are controlled by a service that allows the operating system and user applications access to the appropriate resources. In Unix-based operating systems, some services are called daemons. Some services are also called device drivers, or use device drivers. In some simple software architectures some services are also available as functions, modules, or other parts of programs of the operating system or applications, which thus have direct access to the corresponding components.

0031Other services exist as permanently available interfaces to forward queries to other programs. WEB server for example, have an HTTP service that continually waits for queries from web users and forwards.

0032When we talk about mobile, we believe mobile phones, PDAs, cameras, videos and computer systems, which can be carried by a mobile subscriber and provide an interface to a wireless communication system. Popular mobile devices include GSM and UMTS mobile phones.

0033When we talk about mobile networks, we mean public networks, especially cellular telephone mobile networks.

0034When we talk about a remote device, we mean a device, system or group of devices, devices, systems and / or software agents that are located outside of the mobile device and can communicate over a telecommunications backbone network with this mobile device.

Embodiments of the invention

0035The <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> is a block diagram of the typical software architecture of a mobile device 1. The schematically illustrated architecture, for example, with some differences, used in Symbian ™, Windows CE ™ and pure JAVA ™ mobile devices.

0036The software includes an operating system 100 with a central kernel 102, which is responsible inter alia for the management of files and the memory. An optional upper protocol layer 101 of the operating system 100 is responsible for the administration of visual or graphical user interface. A lower layer 103 includes device drivers and other special services, with which the operating system 102 and other applications can access different hardware components 107 of the mobile device. These components 107 include, for example:<ul><li>■ The keyboard</li><li>■ Other input means, such as joystick, additional buttons, rolling, etc.</li><li>■ One or more ads</li><li>■ A speaker and a microphone</li><li>■ A vibrating alert </li><li>■ At least one transceiver (transmitter part and receiver part) for access to one or more mobile networks</li><li>■ Make a smart card reader for the SIM card and / or external smart card</li><li>■ A static- or video camera</li><li>■ A flash</li><li>■ A peripheral interface</li><li>■ An infrared interface</li><li>■ A Bluetooth interface</li><li>■ A WLAN interface</li><li>■ Rington</li><li>■ alarm</li><li>■ music or video playback</li><li>■ etc.</li></ul>

0037The software architecture includes system processes 104, other services 105 (for example, permanent programs, including JAVA programs) and user applications 106th

0038The <figref idrefs="f0002">figure 2</figref> is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system of the invention with a mobile device 1 (ME), which comprises components and resources that are controlled by services. The mobile device 1 is registered in a cellular network 2 (for example a GSM or UMTS network). The mobile network comprises (or is linked to a) plurality of base stations 20, a home location register (HLR, not shown), and a message handler (for example, an SMS handler (SMSC)), a USSD handler and / or a TCP IP server or SMS short messages, USSD (unstructured Supplementary service Data) and / or Internet to forward packets. The components 20 and 21 may be konventional.

0039The inventive mobile network 2 also includes a remote device 22 can be (for example, a server or more networked computer systems) to which switching conditions determined adapted and tested, and which automatically initiates a command and sends to the mobile device 1 when certain enabling conditions are fulfilled. In this variant, this remote unit is operated by the operator of the cellular network 2 (or a network with a roaming agreement) and is therefore part of the infrastructure of the network. The server 22 preferably includes a non-illustrated database of enabling conditions that are on the network operator and / or more third parties 5 via a telecommunications network 4 set (for example, Internet), and a program with which checked continuously or periodically whether some or all participants of the cellular network 2 meet these shifting conditions. To this end, the device 22 receives continuously updated parameters of systems 23 within the infrastructure of the mobile network and / or from external systems 30. These parameters can be tested by the remote unit 22 and solve the remote switching a service from a mobile device 1 when predetermined the satisfy switching conditions.

0040The parameters determined within the infrastructure of the mobile network include, for example:<ul><li>■ The determined by a location determination module location of the mobile subscriber, which can be determined with a satellite location determination module in the mobile device 1 and / or on the basis of the signals received in the base stations, for example, by way of triangulation.</li><li>■ The time, day of week and / or the date.</li><li>■ The time available for each mobile subscriber and / or for each base station bandwidth for data transmission.</li><li>■ The identity of the home network operator.</li><li>■ The power load (for example, the number mobile subscriber in an area).</li><li>■ The presence of priority mobile subscribers in an area.</li><li>■ The condition (for example, on or off) of another mobile device and / or service in another mobile device.</li><li>■ The identity of the cellular network in which a mobile subscriber currently logged in is (home network or visited network).</li><li>■ The available balance on a prepaid account of the mobile subscriber from the network operator and / or a third party, the account with the IMSI and / or MSISDN of the SIM card can be connected.</li><li>■ The solvency of the mobile subscriber.</li><li>■ Main features of the mobile device (brand, model, type, technical characteristics, operating system version, available memory, etc.) </li><li>■ features of the SIM card within the mobile device (type, available memory, technical features, etc.)</li><li>■ The profile of the mobile subscriber.</li><li>■ receiving a remote control instruction from another mobile device.</li><li>■ etc.</li></ul>

0041The parameters are outside of the infrastructure of the mobile network identified include, for example:<ul><li>■ The time, day of week and / or the date.</li><li>■ The presence of the mobile subscriber to a predetermined list.</li><li>■ The presence of certain mobile devices in the vicinity of another specific mobile user, this being determined by a contactless interaction at close range (eg via Bluetooth).</li><li>■ parameters, which are determined in remotely connected mobile device 1 and are received on the basis of an additional program to the remote unit 22, including instructions of the mobile subscriber or receiving signals from the Bluetooth, IrdA, WLAN, etc. interface.</li><li>■ conditions, which depend on good manners and other habits (for example by phasing to photograph in certain areas).</li><li>■ etc.</li></ul>

0042Preferably, at least any two of these parameters be combined based on user-defined switching conditions to determine within the remote device 22 whether certain services of certain mobile devices are to be blocked 1 or exempted. In a preferred embodiment, three, or preferably more, combines these parameters for greater flexibility in the determination of the remote circuit conditions. Preferably, both parameters that are determined within the infrastructure of the mobile network, as well as external parameters, such as parameters, which are determined or indicated by a third party 5 and / or several different third parties, are combined. It can (for example, its location) and mobile device-independent parameters are combined preferably also at the same parameters that affect specific mobile device. Parameters, which are determined in the mobile device 1 itself, also can be combined with other parameters of the network 2 and / or external parameters.

0043Once a switching condition is fulfilled, a switching command is sent 7 and sent over the wireless network and the message handler 21 to the mobile device 1, in which one or a service must be turned off. The switching command typically includes a header 70 with the address of the mobile device, an on or off switch command 71 and the words 72 on the or to be switched services. It can, for example, SMS (SMS, for example, the instructions following the method of<patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="EP689368A"><text>EP689368</text></patcit> included), USSD, emails with executable content, Java applets, HTML or WML content or by the operating system of the mobile device 1 or the mobile subscriber identifying SIM card in the mobile device 1 executable files are sent.

0044The specified in the instruction portion 72 service may also depend on the type, model and technical features of the mobile device 1, if these characteristics are known from the third party 5 and / or the mobile network. Also the emitted command can be the mobile device depends to account for differences in the hardware and the operating system. It can, for example, JAVA applet on a Java-compatible mobile device and SMS commands to mobile devices of which is not certain whether they can interpret Java, are sent.

0045The command is carried out, by the single- or auszuschaltende service, JAVA program or device driver software control switched on or off.

0046The mobile device 1 sends an acknowledgment to the remote unit 22 when the designated command is performed.

0047The <figref idrefs="f0005">figure 5</figref> shows a screen of the input screen, which can be used in remote device 22 and / or in the terminal 5 of a third party to enter switching conditions. This mask is, for example, generated as a Web page in the remote unit 22, reproduced and edited example based ASP, .NET, JAVA, JavaScript, PERL, etc. -Programmierungstechnik and a web browser with the third party. 5 An electronic form that is not based on Internet-based or a fax or paper form is also conceivable. In addition to the required information via SMS, WAP, USSD or other Bearers that can be sent from mobile devices, be prepared with a mobile device of the third party. 5

0048The example on the <figref idrefs="f0005">figure 5</figref> Input mask shown, allows a third party more parameters to be combined to a switching condition to determine or subsequently adapt. The third party may preferably anytime adapt existing conditions, delete, or prepare new switching conditions. Access to this entry mask is preferably protected with a password or another authentication mechanism. This access is preferably charged by the operator of the cellular network; possible, it is also that each triggered switching command or shift will be charged.

0049The input mask of <figref idrefs="f0005">figure 5</figref> contains a field in which a location can be specified, in this case, "Bern, Schwarztorstrasse 61". Too blocking site could also be specified as variant graphically on a map with geographic coordinates relative to the location of a mobile device, etc.. The site could also be implicit. A list of several to be blocked geographical areas is also conceivable. Preferably also abstract entities can be specified (for example, "Komische Oper Berlin", "all swimming pools" or "public transport") in this case, the correspondence between the specified abstract unit and the locked area is preferably performed in the remote device.

0050The field 501 contains a time period between 08:00 and 17:00, during which mobile services on or to be turned off. More complicated times that are, for example, the date, day, or periodically repeatable periods depends, are also conceivable. The time can be specified with a beginning and an end (as in the example shown) or with a period (about the duration of the spectacle are prohibited during which photos). It may for certain applications even very short periods are specified, including periods less than one minute or even one second, or Zeitperioden- or a duration that depend on external events.

0051The field 502 contains a list of mobile devices that can be remotely connected. Mobile device, etc. can be specified, for example, with the phone number (MSISDN), with the unique name of the mobile subscriber, with a reference to a known group (for example, every mobile subscriber of a mobile network operator). The list can be either open - in this case, the third-party remote control 5 services every other mobile device - or closed -said the third party only can remotely control certain mobile devices, such as mobile devices of mobile subscribers who have such a remote control explicitly allowed or mobile devices affilierten or related mobile subscribers.

0052The field 503 allows the third party to provide additional conditions, such as a SQL or pseudo-SQL conditions.

0053With the cross-field 504 indicates the third party, whether an authorization of the mobile subscriber in question is to be asked before a service of his mobile device off or is turned on.

0054With the cross-field 505 indicates the third party if the affected mobile subscriber is notified when a service off or is turned on.

0055The field 506 contains a list of multiple services that need to be turned off in the illustrated example, if the other conditions are met.

0056In the illustrated example is thus daily 8:00 to 17:00, the camera, the video function and the WLAN interface of the mobile devices of all mobile subscribers that are specified in the field 502 and are located at the given address on and off, the affected mobile subscribers are informed, and where their approval is to be requested. This set of conditions can be used, for example, to prohibit employees of a company during working photos at the work site to make and to connect to the wireless network of the company.

0057Other conditions may be set to prohibit such non-employee to take pictures in a company.

0058The <figref idrefs="f0003">figure 3</figref> shows an embodiment of the invention, in which the remote unit 5, in which the switching conditions are checked, is outside of the infrastructure of the mobile network. 2 The remote unit 5 can for example be directly operated by a third party, such as a value-added service provider. The switching conditions of use parameters that are determined within the remote device 5, external parameters that are obtained, for example via the Internet 4 from a plurality of external devices, and possibly parameters that are determined within the mobile radio network 2 and will be communicated by your mobile operator.

0059If a predetermined set of switching conditions are met, the remote unit sends a command, such as a text message, a USSD, a TCP-IP command, etc. over the wireless network 2 to the affected mobile devices that run this command then.

0060Since it is unlikely in practice that the mobile subscriber sends many possibly sensitive parameters to a third party, this variant is particularly suitable for remote control of mobile devices by the third party known mobile subscribers.

0061The <figref idrefs="f0004">figure 4</figref> shows an embodiment of the invention, in which the remote unit 5, in which the switching conditions are checked, is also outside the infrastructure of the mobile network. 2 In this case, however, receives this remote device anonymiserte internal parameters of the cellular network 2, which are determined at various locations 23 within the network 2, and are made anonymous through a proxy anonymizing server 8 so that the operator of the remote device can not find out which parameters correspond to which mobile subscriber , This has the advantage that a third party can send anonymous commands thus, about services of the mobile device, the one located approximately at a specific site or off, without knowing the identity of the affected mobile subscriber. The anonymous commands entanonymisiert the proxy server by an alias to be replaced by the proper identity and forwarded to the concerned mobile devices. 1

0062The <figref idrefs="f0006">figure 6</figref> is a flow diagram of the invention method. The reference numeral 100 shows the beginning of the process. At step 101, a set of enabling conditions is initially determined, for example, at the first access of third party 5 on the remote unit. The initial set of conditions can be empty by no condition is set initially. The third party then has the option 5, as often adapt this set of conditions at step 102 and supplement.

0063The compounds set are then checked during step 103 from the remote device 22nd This test is repeated continuously or periodically, as long as the set conditions are not met (Lozenge 104).

0064If a condition for at least one service of a mobile device fulfilled, a corresponding switching command is triggered at step 105 and during the step 106 via the mobile network 2 and transmits the message handler 21 to one or the affected mobile device.

0065In a preferred variant will be asked to confirm a mobile subscriber (or can be requested) before the switching command is sent. The switching command is in this case will only be executed when the mobile subscriber has approved this. In another variant, or may be transmitted to the mobile device 1 is a simple message before or after a service on or off. The message can also be generated by the mobile device; it can also indicate that a service 105, 107 switched on after a predetermined period of time or is turned off. The message and / or the request for an acknowledgment may be reproduced in multimodal mode during a voice call.

0066This switching command may entanonymisiert during step 107 by the proxy. 8 The command is then received during the step 108, the mobile device 1 and carried out at step 109, the activation or deactivation of the service may be carried out only after a period of time after the end of a connection or after the explicit authorization of the mobile operator concerned.