Remote control system and method for portable terminals

Abstract

Provided are a remote control system and method for controlling portable terminals. The remote control system includes a control terminal which is a portable terminal that performs a remote control operation, a target terminal which is a portable terminal that is subject to the remote control operation performed by the control terminal, and a remote control management server which determines whether the control terminal and the target terminal are heterogeneous, and if the two terminals are heterogeneous, converts messages respectively transmitted from the control terminal and the target terminal to a format conforming to corresponding receiving terminals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A communication device comprising:
 an input device;   an output device;   wireless communication circuitry to establish a communication connection between an external electronic device and the communication device via a server; and   a processor adapted to:
 transmit, via the communication connection, a request for controlling the external electronic device to the external electronic device; 
 receive, via the communication connection, a grant message with respect to the request from the external electronic device; 
 transmit, via the communication connection, a remote control command to the external electronic device based at least in part on receiving the grant message, the remote control command to control a specified operation of the external electronic device based at least in part on an input to be received via the input device of the communication device; 
 receive, via the communication connection, a response corresponding to a result of the specified operation of the external electronic device and being modified by the server to conform to a type of the communication device; and 
 present, via the output device of the communication device, the received response. 
   
     
     
         2 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 receive, when the communication device is a first type, a response modified by the server to have a first format; or   receive, when the communication device is a second type, a response modified by the server to have a second format.   
     
     
         3 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 generate the request including identification information corresponding to the external electronic device, as at least part of the transmitting of the request.   
     
     
         4 . The communication device of  claim 3 , wherein the identification information corresponding to the external electronic device includes a phone number. 
     
     
         5 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a touch sensor, and wherein the processor is adapted to:
 receive a user input via the touch sensor to control the specified operation of the external electronic device.   
     
     
         6 . The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the response comprises at least a part, which is determined based on the type of the communication device, of a plurality of output information. 
     
     
         7 . The communication device of  claim 6 , wherein the response of the first format includes audio information, and
 wherein the processor is adapted to:   output, via the output device, the audio information.   
     
     
         8 . The communication device of  claim 6 , wherein the response of the second format includes graphical information, and
 wherein the processor is adapted to:   display, via the output device, the graphical information.   
     
     
         9 . The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 transmit, via the communication connection, an authentication information received through the input device to the external electronic device when the authentication information is requested from the external electronic device.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one communication circuitry; and   a processor adapted to:
 transmit, using the at least one communication circuitry, a remote control command received from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, the remote control command to control a specified operation of the second electronic device by the first electronic device; 
 receive, using the at least one communication circuitry, a response corresponding to a result of the specified operation of the second electronic device from the second electronic device based at least in part on the remote control command; 
 modify the response to conform to a type of the first electronic device; and 
 transmit, using the at least one communication circuitry, the modified response to the first electronic device. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 modify, when the first electronic device is a first type, the response to have a first format; or   modify, when the first electronic device is a second type, the response to have a second format.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 identify, prior to the transmitting of the remote control command, the second electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices using identification information corresponding to the second electronic device received from the first electronic device.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the identification information corresponding to the second electronic device includes a phone number. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 adjust at least one portion of the remote control command to conform to a key map corresponding to the second electronic device as at least part of transmitting the remote control command.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 modify the response based on an operation system or a codec available at the first electronic device.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 modify the response to include at least a part, which is determined based on the type of the first electronic device, of a plurality of output information.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 generate the response of the first format including audio information when the first electronic device is the first type.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 generate the response of the second format including graphical information when the first electronic device is the second type.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 receive, using the at least one communication circuitry, a request for controlling the second electronic device from the first electronic device, and transmit the request to the second electronic device; and   receive, using the at least one communication circuitry, a grant message with respect to the request from the second electronic device and transmit the grant message to the first electronic device.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
 determine the type of the first electronic device based on a database (DB) included in the apparatus, or   receive the type of the first electronic device from the first electronic device.