Business card presentation via mobile phone

• US 20020151326A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Minh, Awada, Faisal M., Brown, Joe Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 6,873,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A method for providing an electronic business card to a contact via a cellular phone is disclosed. Several business card menu options are provided to a user of a cellular telephone. The cellular phone user enters business card information/data into the cellular phone utilizing the business card menu options. The business card data is stored locally on the cellular phone or in a service provider database. When the user is in communication via cellular phone with someone he wishes to provide his business card to, the user selects a menu item that activates the transmission of the electronic business card to the desired recipient'"'"'s cellular phone.

Claims

1. A method of providing electronic business cards via a cellular phone, comprising:

storing data of said business card in non-volatile storage;

connecting a call between said cellular phone and a recipient cellular phone;

transmitting said data of said business card to said recipient cellular phone during said call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering said data utilizing a keypad of said cellular phone and selectable menu items on said cellular phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing step comprises storing said data in non-volatile storage of said cellular phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing step comprises storing said data in a network database accessible to said cellular phone via a cellular network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said data is selected from among a name, a business name, a phone number, an address, an email address, and a web address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is completed in response to a recipient'"'"'s request for said business card.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step includes selecting a menu function for transmitting said business card.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selecting step further selects said business card from a plurality of available business cards stored in said non-volatile memory.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a request for a

receipt of business card data from another cellular phone user during a call connected between said another cellular phone user and said cellular phone;

and

receiving business card data from said another cellular phone user in response to said transmitting of said request.

10. A cellular telephone comprising:

a processor and associated non-volatile memory;

a display device; and

program code executed by said processor for providing electronic transmission of a business card to a recipient cellular phone, comprising code for;

storing business card information in said associated non-volatile memory;

transmitting said business card information to said recipient cellular phone responsive to a user selection of a business card transmit menu function.

11. The cellular telephone of claim 10, further comprising program code for:

displaying a plurality of menu functions for inputting said business card information, storing said business card information, and subsequent transmission and manipulation of said business card information.

12. The cellular telephone of claim 11, wherein said program code for inputting business card information prompts a user for said business card information responsive to a selection of a menu function for entry of said business card information.

13. The cellular telephone of claim 12, further comprising program code for displaying said business card information in a business card format on said display device.

14. The cellular telephone of claim 13, wherein said displaying program code scales said business card information to fit within said display device prior to said display.

15. The cellular telephone of claim 13, further comprising program code for receiving said business card information from a sender via a cellular network.

16. The cellular telephone of claim 15, wherein said receiving program code includes program code for outputting an alert signal when said business card information is received from said cellular network.

17. The cellular telephone of claim 13, further comprising program code for tracking all recipients of said business card information.

18. The cellular phone of claim 17, further comprising program code for sorting said business card among a plurality of business card stored in said non-volatile storage according to user-selected criteria.

19. The cellular phone of claim 16, further comprising program code for automatically dialing a phone number of a business card, which is being displayed on said cellular phone in response to a user selection of a talk function of said cellular phone.

20. The cellular phone of claim 19, further comprising program code and logic for automatically creating an email shell for transmission of an email to an email address on a business card currently being displayed on said cellular phone in response to a user selection of an email function of said cellular phone.

21. The cellular phone of claim 20, further comprising program code for:

storing said business card data in a mailbox located at a database remote from said cellular phone; and

storing a contact link of said business card data in non-volatile memory of said cellular phone, wherein selection of said contact link dynamically links said cellular phone to said mailbox and uploads said business card data into said cellular phone.

22. A cellular phone system that enables transmission of electronic business cards, comprising:

a network for connecting wireless calls and transmitting data from one cellular phone unit to another;

a recipient'"'"'s cellular phone, capable of receiving calls and data from said network;

a sender'"'"'s cellular phone that includes program code for storing and transmitting business card data via said network to said recipient'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said program code transmits said business card data responsive to a user selecting a transmit function on said sender'"'"'s cellular phone during a call to said recipient'"'"'s cellular phone.

23. The cellular phone system of claim 22, wherein said recipient'"'"'s cellular phone further displays business card data received from said network in a business card format.

24. The cellular phone system of claim 23, wherein said sender'"'"'s cellular phone further includes program code for displaying selectable menu items for entering data of said business card via a keypad of said sender'"'"'s cellular phone.

25. The cellular phone system of claim 24, wherein said sender'"'"'s cellular phone further comprises program code for sorting a business card from among various other business cards within said non-volatile storage based on a user selected criteria.

26. The cellular phone system of claim 25, wherein said recipient'"'"'s cellular phone further comprises program code for receiving said business card, displaying said business card and storing a received business card in non-volatile memory.

27. The cellular phone system of claim 26, wherein said non-volatile storage is a database maintained within said network, external to both said sender'"'"'s and recipient'"'"'s cellular phone.

28. The cellular phone system of claim 27, wherein both said recipient'"'"'s and sender'"'"'s cellular phone further comprises program code for automatically dialing a telephone number on a displayed business card in response to user-selection of a talk connection feature.

29. The cellular phone system of claim 28, wherein both said recipient'"'"'s and sender'"'"'s cellular phone further comprises program code for automatically opening an email message to an email address on a displayed business card in response to user-selection of an email connection feature.

30. The cellular phone system of claims 27, wherein said sender'"'"'s and recipients cellular phones further comprises program code for:

storing said business card data in a mailbox located at a database remote from said cellular phone; and

storing a contact link of said business card data in non-volatile memory of said cellular phone, wherein selection of said contact link dynamically links said cellular phone to said mailbox and uploads said business card data into said cellular phone.