Method and apparatus for transferring correspondence information

• US 20020087651A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Uhlmann, Gregory John
• Granted Patent: US 6,895,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing correspondence information to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. Examples of such correspondence information include business card information and calendar appointment information. The correspondence information is retrieved from a memory, translated into a format utilized by an operating system of the PDA device, and transmitted to the PDA device.

Claims

1. A method for providing correspondence information to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device from a handheld device, the method comprising:

retrieving the correspondence information from a memory;

translating the correspondence information into a format utilized by an operating system of the PDA device; and

transmitting the translated correspondence information to the PDA device via a wireless channel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying the operating system of the PDA device in response to an input command indicative of a type of PDA device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving correspondence information from a second PDA device;

translating the received correspondence information into a standardized format;

storing the translated and received correspondence information into the memory storage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the correspondence information is programmed into the memory storage.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the correspondence information comprises at least one of business card information and calendar appointment information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the business card information comprises at least one of a name of a person, an address, a telephone number and a title of the person.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the calendar appointment information comprises at least one of an appointment time, a location of the appointment, a telephone number, and a name of a person.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless channel comprises an infrared signal path.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating of the correspondence information is different for different types of PDA devices.

10. An apparatus for providing correspondence information to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, the apparatus comprising:

a translator, configured to retrieve correspondence information and translate the retrieved correspondence information into a format utilized by an operating system of the PDA device; and

an interface port, coupled to the translator, for transmitting the correspondence information to the PDA device via a wireless channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the translator comprises:

a memory for storing a data translating program; and

a microprocessor, coupled to the memory, for translating the correspondence information upon executing the data translating program.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the translator verifies the operating system of the PDA device prior to retrieving correspondence information.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a selector, coupled to the translator, configured for providing an input command to initiate the translator.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an electrical programmable read only memory (EPROM).

16. The hand held device of claim 15 wherein the information further consists of a translator program configured to translate the business card information and calendar appointment information into a format usable by another operating system.

17. The hand held device of claim 15 wherein the at least one operating system comprises a plurality of operating systems.

19. The data transfer system of claim 18 further comprising:

a computer-controlled device, configured to provide correspondence information to the data dispenser, where the data dispenser is further configured to receive correspondence information from the computer-controlled device, the interface port further receives correspondence information from the computer-controlled device, and the translator further translates the received correspondence information into a standardized format for storage in the memory.

20. The data transfer system of claim 19 wherein the computer-controlled device comprises one of a personal computer and a second PDA device.

15. A hand held device, comprising:

a memory containing information consisting of business card information, calendar appointment information and at least one operating system;

a processor configured to access the information contained in the memory;

an input/output device configured to transmit information to and receive information from a wireless channel; and

a power source configured to supply power to at least the processor.

18. A data transfer system, the system comprising:

a first personal digital assistant (PDA) device configured to receive correspondence information; and

a data dispenser, configured to provide correspondence information to the first PDA device, the data dispenser comprising;

a translator configured to retrieve correspondence information and translate the retrieved correspondence information into a format utilized by an operating system of the first PDA device; and

an interface port, coupled to the translator, for transmitting the correspondence information to the first PDA device via a wireless channel.