Systems and methods for remotely controlling mobile stations

Abstract

Methods for remotely controlling a mobile station being a monitoring device by a controller are provided. An embodiment of a method performed by the mobile station includes the following steps. An action request including a remote control instruction issued by the controller is received. The remote control instruction is acquired from the received action request. The remote control instruction is executed to perform a monitor-related function resident on the mobile station. The mobile station focuses on a subject and records the focused subject in video images. The action request is received through a wireless network.

1 . A method for remotely controlling a mobile station operating as a monitoring device utilizing a controller, the method performed by the mobile station and comprising:
 receiving an action request comprising a remote control instruction issued by the controller;   acquiring the remote control instruction from the received action request; and   executing the remote control instruction to perform a monitor-related function resident on the mobile station,   wherein the mobile station focuses on a subject and records the focused subject in video images, and the action request is received through a wireless network.   
   
   
       2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the action request is carried by a call control (CC) setup message initiating a mobile originating call establishment. 
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the action request is carried by a short message, an enhanced message or a multimedia message. 
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the action request is carried by a text message or a file attachment of an e-mail. 
   
   
       5 . The method claimed in  claim 1  wherein the action request is carried by a data file. 
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mobile station storing a permission list comprising a plurality of caller identifiers permitted to control the mobile station, further comprising:
 receiving a remote control request indicating initiation of a remote control procedure by the controller, the remote control request comprising a caller identifier; and   determining whether the received caller identifier is present in the permission list.   
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6  further comprising:
 transmitting an authentication request indicating that an authentication procedure is initiated for the remote control procedure to the controller when the received caller identifier is present in the permission list;   receiving an authentication response corresponding to the authentication request and comprising authentication data from the controller;   determining whether the remote control procedure is authenticated by verifying the authentication data; and   transmitting a remote control acknowledgement indicating that the remote control procedure is authenticated to the controller upon determining that the remote control procedure is authentication;   wherein the remote control acknowledgement is transmitted before receiving the action request corresponding to the remote control acknowledgement, the remote control request and the authentication response are received through the wireless network, and the authentication request and the remote control acknowledgement are transmitted via the wireless network.   
   
   
       8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the authentication request further comprises voice signals to notify a user of information that authentication data is required, and the remote control acknowledgement further comprises voice signals to notify a user of information that the remote control request has been authenticated and the mobile station waits for the remote control instruction. 
   
   
       9 . The method claimed in  claim 7  further comprising:
 after the remote control procedure is authenticated, transmitting image data corresponding to a man-machine interface (MMI) displayed on a screen of the mobile station to the controller,   wherein the controller displays an MMI on a screen of the controller according to the received image data, and receives the remote control instruction input by a user through interacting with the MMI displayed on the screen of the controller.   
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the MMI comprises a menu comprising at least one menu item for user selection. 
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising transmitting a plurality of instantly generated video images to the controller via the wireless network when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the instantly generated video images are a series of raw bitmap images, compressed still images, or compressed video frames conform to the MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, or H.264 standard. 
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising acquiring a plurality of video images previously stored during a specific time period from a non-volatile storage device and transmitting the acquired stored video images to the controller via the wireless network when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the stored video images are a series of raw bitmap images, compressed still images, or compressed video frames conform to the MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, or H.264 standard. 
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising rotating a camera lens module of the mobile station upwardly, downwardly, leftward or rightward by an angle when executing the monitor-related function, thereby enabling the camera lens module to focus on another subject. 
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising cyclically and vertically or horizontally rotating a camera lens module of the mobile station within an angle range while executing the monitor-related function, thereby enabling the camera lens module to focus on another subject. 
   
   
       17 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising starting or terminating video image recording while executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising enabling or disabling storing the recorded video image in a non-volatile storage device of the mobile station when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the remote control instruction is represented by at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal corresponding to a combination of key strokes on a keypad of the controller, and the remote control instruction is acquired by detecting the DTMF signal. 
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the remote control instruction is contained in digital voice data, the remote control instruction is recognized by comparing the digital voice data with a plurality of predefined voice patterns stored in the mobile station, and one of the predefined voice patterns corresponds to the remote control instruction. 
   
   
       21 . An electronic device for monitoring a subject, embedded in a mobile phone been controlled by a controller, comprising:
 a monitoring unit focusing on the subject and recording the focused subject in video images; and   a processor connected to the monitoring unit, receiving an action request comprising a remote control instruction issued by the controller, acquiring the remote control instruction from the received action request, and directing the monitoring unit to perform a monitor-related function,   wherein the action request is received through a wireless network.   
   
   
       22 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  further comprising a non-volatile storage device or memory storing a permission list comprising a plurality of caller identifiers permitted to control the mobile phone, wherein the processor receives a remote control request indicating that a remote control procedure is initiated by the controller, and comprising a caller identifier, and determines whether the received caller identifier is present in the permission list. 
   
   
       23 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the processor transmits an authentication request indicating that an authentication procedure is initiated for the remote control procedure to the controller when the received caller identifier is present in the permission list, receives an authentication response corresponding to the authentication request and comprising authentication data from the controller, determines whether the remote control procedure is authenticated by verifying the authentication data, and transmits a remote control acknowledgement indicating that the remote control procedure is authenticated to the controller upon determining that the remote control procedure is authentication, the remote control acknowledgement is transmitted before receiving the action request corresponding to the remote control acknowledgement, the remote control request and the authentication response are received through the wireless network, and the authentication request and the remote control acknowledgement are transmitted via the wireless network. 
   
   
       24 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the authentication request further comprises voice signals to notify a user of information that authentication data is required, and the remote control acknowledgement further comprises voice signals to notify a user of information that the remote control request has been authenticated and the mobile phone waits for the remote control instruction. 
   
   
       25 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 23  further comprising a screen, wherein the processor transmits image data corresponding to a man-machine interface (MMI) displayed on the screen to the controller after the remote control procedure is authenticated, and the controller displays an MMI on a screen of the controller according to the received image data, and receives the remote control instruction input by a user through interacting with the MMI displayed on the screen of the controller. 
   
   
       26 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the processor transmits a plurality of instantly generated video images by the monitoring unit to the controller via the wireless network when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       27 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  further comprising a non-volatile storage device, wherein the processor acquires a plurality of video images previously stored during a specific time period from the non-volatile storage device and transmits the acquired stored video images to the controller via the wireless network when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       28 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the monitoring unit comprises a camera lens module, and the processor rotates the camera lens module upwardly, downwardly, leftward or rightward, by a angle when executing the monitor-related function, thereby enabling the camera lens module to focus on another subject. 
   
   
       29 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the monitoring unit comprises a camera lens module, and the processor directs the camera lens module to cyclically and vertically or horizontally rotate within an angle range when executing the monitor-related function, thereby enabling the camera lens module to focus on another subject. 
   
   
       30 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the processor directs the monitoring unit to start or terminate video image recording when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       31 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  further comprising a non-volatile storage device, wherein the processor enables or disables storing the recorded video image in the non-volatile storage device when executing the monitor-related function. 
   
   
       32 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the remote control instruction is represented by at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal corresponding to a combination of key strokes on a keypad of the controller, and the remote control instruction is acquired by detecting the DTMF signal. 
   
   
       33 . The electronic device as claimed in  claim 21  further comprising a non-volatile storage device, wherein the remote control instruction is contained in digital voice data, the remote control instruction is recognized by comparing the digital voice data with a plurality of predefined voice patterns stored in the non-volatile storage device, and one of the predefined voice patterns corresponds to the remote control instruction.