EP1653423A1

EP1653423A1 - Remote control in mobile telecommunication network

Info

Publication number: EP1653423A1
Application number: EP04105321A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emil Hansson
Original assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
Current assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB
Priority date: 2004-10-27
Filing date: 2004-10-27
Publication date: 2006-05-03

Abstract

Method for remotely controlling a device from a communication mobile terminal through a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication connection between the terminal and the device;
receiving a data message in the terminal from the device, said data message comprising an action command, to which said device is responsive for performing a certain action; and
triggering said action by transmitting said action command from the terminal to the device.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of remote control of devices in networks. In particular, the present invention is concerned with remotely controlling devices and data transmission from devices over wireless networks.

Background

During the last decades, the mobile phone industry has had an enormous development both regarding quality of service and transmission capabilities, as well as the technology for producing advanced communications terminals. A lot of effort has been made in making smaller terminals, with much help from the miniaturisation of electronic components and the development of more efficient batteries. In only a couple of decades the communication systems have gone from analogue to digital, and at the same time the dimensions of the communication terminals have gone from briefcase size to the pocket size phones of today. Today, numerous manufacturers offer pocket-sized terminals with a wide variety of capabilities and services, such as packet-oriented transmission and multiple radio band coverage. Still today, mobile phones are getting smaller and smaller and the size is generally considered to be an important factor for the end customer. The development in electronics has made it possible to miniaturise the components of the terminals, at the same time making the terminals capable of performing more advanced functions and services.
The introduction of new transmission schemes, the so-called 3^rd generation mobile system presently operative and the 4^th generation to be expected in maybe ten years, also provides the possibility to convey more advanced data to the wireless communication terminals, such as real time video. Still, the memory space in the communication terminal will be limited, as will the processor power usable for processing e.g. media data. So, even if it will be possible to access a wider range of different kinds of data, the terminal may be a limiting factor. Developers of media services or commercials are anxious to be able to provide digital information that can be accessed by the consumers through their terminals, without requiring special terminals, extensive memory space, or occupying a lot of time for downloading and presentation.
The present 3G mobile telephony systems, according to e.g. WCDMA, have made wireless video telephony possible. In a video telephone call, the communication terminal or terminal is generally used for face to face video recording and presentation between calling parties. Each user has control of the outgoing video transmission from its terminal, and can decide what to show to the remote party. However, there is no way to remotely control what is transmitted from the far end. In fact, current solutions for remote control are static, in that the terminal has to be configured for the particular system which it is intended to control. If, for instance, the user wants to control a remote surveillance system from a portable communication terminal, the terminal has to be pre-configured for the remote system services and how to access them before calling the system.

Summary of the invention

A general object of the invention is therefore to provide means for improved capabilities for remote control in video communications. Particularly, it is an object to provide means for remote video call control without requiring pre-configuration of the terminal.
According to a first aspect, this object is fulfilled by a method for remotely controlling a device from a communication mobile terminal through a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

In one embodiment, the method comprises the step of transmitting said data message from said device as a text string.
In one embodiment, said text string comprises remote menu content, comprising title data for one or more menu levels, and menu item data for one or more of said menu levels.
In one embodiment, said menu item data comprises said action command and a label for said action.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

interpreting said text string in said terminal; and
presenting said remote data content as a menu on a display.

In one embodiment, the method comprises step of:

said terminal transmitting a service request signal to said device.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the step of transmitting said service request signal as a text string.
In one embodiment, said device system is included in a remote mobile terminal.
In one embodiment, said data message is an xml message.
In one embodiment, said device system is a video system.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

transmitting first image data from the video system to the terminal in said communication connection, which first image data is associated with a picture captured with a first camera, said action command being camera switch; and
transmitting said action command to the video system, whereupon the video system is triggered to transmit second image data, associated with a picture captured with a second camera, to the terminal.

In one embodiment, the video system is devised to switch from transmitting said first image data to transmitting said second image data, upon receiving said action command.
In one embodiment, the video system is devised to transmit said second image data in addition to said first image data, upon receiving said action command.
In one embodiment, said first and second camera are comprised in a camera surveillance system.
In one embodiment, said first and second camera are comprised in one and the same mobile terminal.
In one embodiment, at least one of said first and second image data represent moving pictures.
In one embodiment, at least one of said first and second image data represent real time video.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

transmitting first video content data from the video system to the terminal in said communication connection, said action command being content switch; and
transmitting said action command to the video system, whereupon the video system is triggered to transmit second video content data to the terminal.

In one embodiment, said first video content data is video data for a first television station, and said second video content data is video data for a second television station.
In one embodiment, said device is a software supplier means in said telecommunication network, said data message includes information on a downloadable software item, and the step of triggering said action initiates download of said software item from the software supplier means to the terminal through said telecommunication network.
In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

establishing said communication connection on a first channel in said telecommunication network; and
receiving said data message and transmitting said action command on a second channel in said telecommunication network, different from said first channel.

In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of:

receiving said data message and transmitting said action command as text messages using the UserInputIndication in the H.245 protocol.

According to a second aspect, the object of the invention is fulfilled by a mobile communications terminal, comprising radio signal transmitting and receiving means for mobile communication with a device, and a user control input, and comprising means for remotely controlling said device, including means for receiving a data message, comprising an action command to which said device system is responsive for performing a certain action, and means for triggering said action in the device by transmitting said action command to the device.
In one embodiment, said means for receiving a data message is devised to receive data messages in the form of text strings.
In one embodiment, said text string comprises remote menu content, comprising title data for one or more menu levels, menu item data for one or more of said menu levels, and an action command with an associated label, for at least one menu item, wherein said terminal comprises text interpreting means devised to interpret said text string, and means for presenting said remote data content as a menu on a display.

Brief description of the drawings

The features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, on which

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates signal and content communication between a terminal and a video system according to an embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates different system embodiment in which the communication of Fig. 1 may be carried out;
Figs 3-8 illustrate an embodiment of the invention carried out on a mobile phone during a video call;
Fig. 9 illustrates method steps of a general embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 10 illustrates more detailed method steps of an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The present description relates to the field of radio communication terminals. The term radio terminal or communication terminal, also denoted terminal in short in this disclosure, includes all mobile equipment devised for radio communication with a radio station, which radio station also may be mobile terminal or e.g. a stationary base station. Consequently, the term radio terminal includes mobile telephones, pagers, communicators, electronic organisers, smartphones, PDA:s (Personal Digital Assistants), laptop computers, and DECT terminals (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephony). Further, the present invention is equally applicable to stationary devices, and for radio transmission to and from stationary devices. Such stationary devices include e.g. desktop computers. Furthermore, it should be emphasised that the term comprising or comprises, when used in this description and in the appended claims to indicate included features, elements or steps, is in no way to be interpreted as excluding the presence of other features elements or steps than those expressly stated.
Exemplary embodiments will now be described with references made to the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 illustrates in a schematic way how signals are transmitted between a radio terminal 100 and a video system 110, according to an embodiment of the invention. Terminal 100 includes a display for presenting still and moving pictures to a terminal user. For using the invention, connection has to be established between terminal 100 and video system 110. For an embodiment in mobile telephony, terminal 110 is typically a mobile phone, whereas video system 200 may e.g. be another mobile phone, or a video service provider connected to a mobile telephony network, which terminal 110 is devised to access. Once connection is established, video system 110 may transmit video content 120 to terminal 100. The video content may be live video data, or a video recording. The video content 120 is received in terminal 100, for presentation on its display.
According to the invention, the user of terminal 100 may control the video system 110, e.g. for making adjustments or settings in the video system, or for controlling the video content 120 transmitted to terminal 100. In order for this to be possible, terminal 100 preferably transmits a service request signal 130 to video system 110. Upon receipt of service request signal 130, video system 110 transmits a data message 140 to terminal 100. Alternatively, data message 140 may be transmitted together with video content 120, in which case the service request signal is not needed. In yet another alternative, the communication starts with the transmission of the service request signal 140, before any video content is transmitted from video system 110 to terminal 100. The received data message 140 comprises menu items for remote control of video system 110, which menu items are usable for building a menu structure in terminal 100. The terminal user may see which type of services and possibilities that are available for remotely controlling the video system 110, by presenting them in the menu system on the terminal display. With this method, the user and his terminal 100 do not need to know anything about what is at the far end, nor how to access and control the services, and it can be presented in a way generic for that client.
For controlling video system 110, the user enters the menu built up from the received data message 140. The menu comprises one or more menu labels, and for each one or more labels there is an associated action command. A certain action in the remote video system is triggered by selecting the appropriate menu label in the displayed menu. The selection of a menu label in the remote control menu causes terminal 100 to transmit the associated action command 150 to video system 110. In video system 110, action command signal 150 is received, responsive to which the action to which the command 150 is associated is carried out. In a preferred embodiment, the desired action is to affect or change the video content sent to terminal 100. In such an embodiment, video system 110 is therefore forced to send new or amended video content 160 to terminal 100, for presentation on the terminal display.
Fig. 2 illustrates schematically different ways of carrying out the invention. In the drawing, a terminal 100 in the form of a mobile phone is used. Mobile phone 100 is connectable by means of radio transmission to a base station 210 of a mobile telephony network 200. One way of using the invention is to communicate with another mobile phone 230, through a base station 220 of network 200. Terminal 230 then constitutes the video system, i.e. a device capable of providing video services to terminal 100, and which can be remotely controlled by terminal 100 to a certain extent, according to the invention. As is well known to the skilled person, mobile phones 100 and 230 may just as well be connected through different mobile networks, which networks are in turn communicatively connected to each other.
One example of such an embodiment comprises two Sony Ericsson z1010 radio terminals; terminal 100 and terminal 230. The z1010 follows the 3G324m standard and supports the UserInputIndication in H.245. The UserInputIndication protocol can be used for transmitting text between the clients of the terminals, through an information channel. This is e.g. used for handshaking in video calls, but may also be used for transmitting e.g. DTMF tones. This information channel is parallel to the data channel on which e.g. video data is transmitted during a video call.
According to an aspect of the invention, a remote menu may be distributed by using this protocol, preferably using the information channel. The calling phone 100 is devised to send a service request signal, see 130 in Fig. 1, comprising a text string asking for what services the remote party offers and how to control them. The text string may e.g. simply be a transmitted string "GetService". Upon receiving the service request signal 130, phone 130 is devised to return an xml-styled response in a data message, see 140 of Fig. 1. When the data message is received by phone 100, the xml text string thereof is interpreted by the client of the phone, and is further devised to build a menu for controlling phone 230 at the far end.
The following example of a text string of a response data message illustrates how a menu is built:
As mentioned with reference to Fig. 1, the service-providing phone 230 may transmit the data message with its text string without a preceding request from the service-receiving phone 100. From the received text the client of phone 100 can tell that the other party, i.e. phone 230, supports a Remote Menu Service. Since the client of phone 100 knows that type of service, it can continue to read the text in order to build the menu. The title of the menu is extracted with the help of the title tags.
The title can preferably be used as an entry in the actual menu structure to the remote menu. An example of this is schematically illustrated in Figs 3-8.
Fig. 3 illustrates shows a display 300 of phone 100. A picture 301 of a person operating the far end phone 230 is presented on display 300. Typically, picture 301 is a video signal captured by a built-in camera in far end phone 230, and picture data for picture 301 is transmitted to phone 100 in a video call between the user of phone 100 and the user of phone 230. User control means are included in phone 100, including buttons and/or a touch-sensitive display screen. In one embodiment, so called soft keys 302 are used, which indicate a function on display 300 and are selected by means of an associated key, joystick, or the like. A centre soft key 303 is used to display a menu. In the illustrated embodiment of Figs 3-8, a data message comprising a text string with menu items has already been received in phone 100 from the remote phone 230. The menu is built by the received menu items, where an item comprises a label and an action command. The label is presented in the menu, whereas the action command is sent back as a text string to the remote end phone 230 to perform the action described by the label.
In Fig. 4, menu key 303 has been activated, whereupon a main menu 400 is presented on display 300. Main menu 400 includes a number of titles for menu items, of which 402 and 403 are related to operation of phone 100. Furthermore a menu item title 401 for remote controlling is displayed, which may be selected to control remote phone 230. The user of phone 100 uses a display control device, such as arrow keys or a jog ball, to move a selection indicator 404 to menu title 401, and e.g. a soft key 302 to select and trigger remote control.
Fig. 5 illustrates an example of a how a menu 500 under the main menu 400 may be built up and presented when menu title 401 is selected. According to the invention, the received text string from phone 230 has been interpreted and used to control operating software of phone 100 to implement menu labels 501-503, which relate to remote control of far end phone 230. By placing selection indicator 404 on e.g. menu label 501, and selecting that label, transmission of the associated action command "doCameraSwitch" is made to phone 230.
Fig. 6 illustrates the effect of selection of menu label 501. Phone 230 includes, or is connected to, at least two cameras, and receipt of the transmitted action command causes phone 230 to send picture data from another camera than the camera sending the previous pictures. Optionally, a similar label and command may be used, where picture data from both the first and the second camera are transmitted, and subsequently presented in a split screen on display 300 of phone 100. Typically, in the example of two z1010 phones, the camera switch command forces phone 230 to switch from transmitting pictures taken by a first camera towards the phone user, to transmitting pictures taken from a second camera on an opposite side of phone 230, aimed away from the user of phone 230, or vice versa. Fig. 6 illustrates such a scenario, where the camera switch cause a picture 600 of a landscape, captured by a second camera of phone 230, is received in phone 100 and presented on display 300.
Fig. 7 illustrates again remote controlling menu 500, where instead menu label 502, zoom in, is selected.
Fig. 8, finally, illustrates how the selection of menu label 502 triggers transmission of a zoom in command to phone 230, where receipt of that command triggers the camera capturing picture 600 to zoom in.
By means of the invention, a higher freedom of control is given to the user receiving picture data in a video call. The user of phone 100 may communicate more freely with the far end user controlling phone 230, by selecting to see the other user or to see what that other user sees. This kind of communication is more natural, as it is normal to choose for yourself what to look at.
Another example of how to use the invention is also illustrated in Fig. 2, where a surveillance system 240 includes one or more cameras 241-243. By using labels identical or similar to those of Figs 3-8, it is possible to control surveillance system 240 from a phone 100. Such control may e.g. include camera switching, zooming in and out, panning, activation of night vision systems, etc. In such an embodiment, surveillance system 240 is the video system, even though it does always have to capture and transmit moving pictures.
Yet another example shown in Fig. 2 is a video system 250, comprising a more complex entertainment service. Video system 250 may be a switching system, taking in picture signals from a plurality of sources 251-253, such as online television stations, recorded movies, music videos, live cameras, chat rooms, and so on. A menu can also comprise several sub-menus. An example of a text string usable for building up such a menu, with submenus, is presented below. As will be clear from that text, a menu is provided where, in a first level, TV channels or movies are selectable labels, under which separate menus including different TV channels and different movies, respectively, are selectable.
In one way, such an embodiment is similar to a portal, from which a multitude of different video services may be reached. However, by transmitting the menu covering the possible selections to the users phone 100, wherein it is interpreted and presented in the normal menu system of the phone, the video system becomes very easy to handle, since a menu type which the phone user is familiar with is used. Furthermore, it should be noted that the remote controlling does not necessarily have to relate to the picture sent back, such that it is perceivable by the user of phone 100. Instead, the action command transmitted may e.g. be "record", whereby a certain live television show or a surveillance camera is set to record captured pictures to a recording medium in the video system, for instance for subsequent download to phone 100.
The actual meaning of the menu labels is not known to phone 100, it merely reacts upon selection of a certain label by transmitting the associated command to the video system. Generally, that video system is also the video system from which the data message containing the text string with the menu items originally came from. In an alternative embodiment, the data message containing the text string with the menu items is transmitted from one device, but are associated with address data to another device, to which action commands are sent upon selection of associated menu labels in the remote controlling menu.
One example of this embodiment is surveillance of your own property, and for this example reference is again made to Fig. 2. A surveillance company is contracted to install surveillance equipment, typically cameras 241-243, but potentially also microphones, IR detectors, and so on, to monitor a certain object or area (not shown). The surveillance company may also provide a service for remote control of the surveillance equipment, by transmitting a text message from a central communications device 250 to a communication terminal 100 of the user wanting to take part of surveillance data, typically the owner or caretaker of the object or area. From the received text message, a menu for remote control is automatically incorporated in the standard menu of terminal 100. For reasons of secrecy, the user may however want to have exclusive rights to see the data output from the surveillance equipment, or to control the equipment. In such a case, a local surveillance control box 244 is preferably installed on site at the object or area, connected to the surveillance equipment 241-243. The action commands received in the text message from central communications device 250 are therefore associated with address data, preferably included in the received text message, to the local control bow 244. Selection of an action command therefore initiates transmission of the action command to the associated address, i.e. to the local control box 244, even though the text message was originally received from the central communications device, e.g. a server system as indicated by 250. As such, transmission of the action command may e.g. be devised to initiate transmission of surveillance data to the terminal 100, either live or recorded, or for instance to make adjustments in a surveillance setup. Such adjustments may e.g. include turning a camera by activating a motor, regulating sensitivity parameters of a detector, or even to make settings in a related system such as on and off parameters for a timer controlling lamps in the area. An advantage with this system, including address data for each action command in the text message, other than the address of the sender of the text message, is ease of use since communication will be made directly to the system to control, at the same time as it offers complete privacy for the user.
Another example of an embodiment of use of the present invention, is software download and setting of parameters in a mobile phone. Reference is again made to Fig. 2, in which 250 now is intended to indicate a telecommunication network operator system or other media supplier system connected to the telecommunication network. In such, a data message, preferably a text message, is transmitted from system 250 through said telecommunication network to the terminal 100. The data message includes information on a downloadable software item, and an associated action command for initiating download of that item by transmission of that action command to an associated address included in the data message. Upon reception of this data message, a menu is automatically built up in terminal 100. Selecting the action command related to download of the software means transmission of the action command to system 250, upon which download to terminal 100 of the associated software item is initiated through said telecommunication network.
The software item may e.g. be freeware from commercial enterprises, such as movie clips, in which case a menu item may have a title reflecting the name of a new movie, with different labels for downloading movie clips and for ordering the movie.
Another example is software items provided by the network operator, such as patches or new applications for installation in the terminal, e.g. for optimizing the performance of the terminal in the network or simply adapting the terminal to adjustments made in the network.
Fig. 9 describes the overall features of an embodiment of the present invention. Starting from step 900, communicative connection is established between a first mobile terminal 100 and a device 110 in step 910. In step 920, terminal 100 receives a data message including a text string, preferably from device 110, comprising an action command for triggering an action in the device or elsewhere. In step 930 that action command is transmitted to an address associated with the action command, e.g. device 110, in which an action corresponding to the command is taken.
Fig. 10 illustrates a more detailed embodiment of a method according to the invention, starting from step 1000, related to remote control of a video system. At step 1001, connection is established, for instance by simple dialing by phone 100 to a video system 110. At step 1002, video content is received in phone 100 over the established connection, which video content is displayed on phone 100. Desiring to control the video service, the user of phone 100 transmits a service request signal to video system 110 in step 1003, preferably using a channel parallel to a data channel over which the video content was sent. In response thereto, video system 110 sends back a data message comprising a text string in step 1004, preferably also over the channel parallel to the data channel. In step 1005, the text string is interpreted in terminal 100 by its operation software to extract menu items, including menu labels and related action commands, and in step 1006 a menu is built up from the extracted menu items, in phone 100. When the user wants to make use of his or her remote control functionality, the user browses the menu in step 1007 of phone 100, in which the remote control menu built up has now been included. In step 1008 a certain menu label is selected in phone 100, upon which the associated action command is automatically transmitted in step 1009. Preferably, transmission addresses relevant for the particular action commands were included in the received data message. Possibly, different addresses may be included for different action commands, alternatively only one address is transmitted in the data message, valid for all action commands of the data message. Unless specified in the received data message, the communication address of the sender of the data message is also used as the address data to which the action command is transmitted. Transmission is in this case made back to video system 1110. When video system 110 has received the action command, it performs the associated action, such as changing video content to be transmitted to phone 100 over the data channel, and in step 1010 the changed or added video content is received in phone 100 from video system 110, and shown on a display of phone 100, whereby the method ends at step 1011.
The basic problem behind the invention is that today, mobile phone clients have to be pre-configured for different services in order to control or access them on the remote side. By using remote video call control, the client just builds the menu structure transmitted in the xml-form, it does not need to know anything about the services. The information of different services and how to control them are sent to the client as xml formatted text. The text can e.g. be transferred between the parties by using a simple text protocol, e.g. T.140 or the Userlnputlndication in H.245 which is supported by all H.324 video conferencing clients. Consequently, an important feature of the invention is that the video system transmits a complete menu system with a label and a corresponding action command to the client. The client can then easily integrate the information in its own menu structure and it does not need to know what type of services the other party serves. With the present invention, the video system can for instance easily tell the client how to control its camera. A comparison can be the case where clients control cameras by using the H.281 Far end camera control protocol. Then both the client and server has to support H.281. By supporting remote video call control, this and other services can be enabled in both directions.
In an embodiment of the invention in the 2^nd generation of mobile communication systems, such as the GSM, an ordinary communication channel may be used for communication purposes, whereas SMS (Short Message Service) may be used for communicating data messages including text messages with menu data, to the terminal, and for sending action commands from the terminal.
The principles of the present invention have been described in the foregoing by examples of embodiments or modes of operations. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. With the proposed invention, by means of which a lot of different services can easily be accessed and used, video telephony will be much more than just a face to face conversation. Furthermore, the solution is compatible with existing mobile phones, standards and infrastructure. The invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Method for remotely controlling a device from a communication mobile terminal through a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a communication connection between the terminal and the device;

- receiving a data message in the terminal from the device, said data message comprising an action command, to which said device is responsive for performing a certain action; and

- triggering said action by transmitting said action command from the terminal to the device.
The method as recited in claim 1, comprising the step of transmitting said data message from said device as a text string.
The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said text string comprises remote menu content, comprising title data for one or more menu levels, and menu item data for one or more of said menu levels.
The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said menu item data comprises said action command and a label for said action.
The method as recited in claim 3 or 4, comprising the steps of:
- interpreting said text string in said terminal; and

- presenting said remote data content as a menu on a display.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of:
- said terminal transmitting a service request signal to said device.
The method as recited in claim 6, comprising the step of transmitting said service request signal as a text string.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims, wherein said device system is included in a remote mobile terminal.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims, wherein said data message is an xml message.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims, wherein said device system is a video system.
The method as recited in claim 10, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting first image data from the video system to the terminal in said communication connection, which first image data is associated with a picture captured with a first camera, said action command being camera switch; and

- transmitting said action command to the video system, whereupon the video system is triggered to transmit second image data, associated with a picture captured with a second camera, to the terminal.
The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the video system is devised to switch from transmitting said first image data to transmitting said second image data, upon receiving said action command.
The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the video system is devised to transmit said second image data in addition to said first image data, upon receiving said action command.
The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said first and second camera are comprised in a camera surveillance system.
The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said first and second camera are comprised in one and the same mobile terminal.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims 11-15, wherein at least one of said first and second image data represent moving pictures.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims 11-15, wherein at least one of said first and second image data represent real time video.
The method as recited in claim 10, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting first video content data from the video system to the terminal in said communication connection, said action command being content switch; and

- transmitting said action command to the video system, whereupon the video system is triggered to transmit second video content data to the terminal.
The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said first video content data is video data for a first television station, and said second video content data is video data for a second television station.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims 1-9, wherein said device is a software supplier means in said telecommunication network, said data message includes information on a downloadable software item, and the step of triggering said action initiates download of said software item from the software supplier means to the terminal through said telecommunication network.
The method as recited in any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of:
- establishing said communication connection on a first channel in said telecommunication network; and

- receiving said data message and transmitting said action command on a second channel in said telecommunication network, different from said first channel.
The method as recited in claim 21, comprising the steps of:
- receiving said data message and transmitting said action command as text messages using the UserInputIndication in the H.245 protocol.
Mobile communications terminal, comprising radio signal transmitting and receiving means for mobile communication with a device, and a user control input, characterised by means for remotely controlling said device, including means for receiving a data message, comprising an action command to which said device system is responsive for performing a certain action, and means for triggering said action in the device by transmitting said action command to the device.
The mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 23, characterised in that said means for receiving a data message is devised to receive data messages in the form of text strings.
The mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 24, characterised in that said text string comprises remote menu content, comprising title data for one or more menu levels, menu item data for one or more of said menu levels, and an action command with an associated label, for at least one menu item, wherein said terminal comprises text interpreting means devised to interpret said text string, and means for presenting said remote data content as a menu on a display.