Information system with detachable information module

• US 20020172336A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Infanti, James C., Postma, Jessica, Lazaridis, Mihal, Griffin, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/110.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/02 Constructional features of telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0289 Telephone sets for operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0295 Mechanical mounting details of display modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

An information system includes a first module and a second module that interoperate over first and second communication ports. Interoperation over the first and second communication ports provides the first module access to functions and features of the second module, and likewise provides the second module access to functions and features of the first module. The first and second modules may be further operable to communicate over first and second networks, respectively.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising:

a portable module comprising a first communication port, a first processing subsystem, and a first memory subsystem for storing data, the portable module operable to perform a first set of functions and communicate over a first communication network; and

a base module comprising a second communication port, the base module operable to perform a second set of functions;

wherein the portable module and the base module interoperate the first set of functions and the second set of functions over the first and second communication ports.

2. The information system of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication ports comprise first and second wireless transceivers, respectively.

3. The information system of claim 2, wherein the first and second wireless transceivers are selected from the group consisting of:

infrared transceivers and radio frequency transceivers.

4. The information system of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication ports are selected from the group consisting of:

serial ports and Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports.

5. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module includes a first receiving portion configured to receive the portable module, and wherein the portable module and the base module interoperate when the portable module is received in the first receiving portion.

6. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module further comprises a second memory subsystem for storing data and a second processing subsystem, and the portable module and the base module are operable to exchange and store data stored in the first memory subsystem and second memory subsystem when communicating over the first and second communication ports.

7. The information system of claim 6, wherein one of the portable module and the base module is designated a master device, and data stored in the one of the portable module and the base module not designated the master device is updated to data stored in the master device when the portable module and the base module communicate over the first and second communication ports.

8. The information system of claim 6, wherein the base module is further operable to receive and place calls over a second communication network, and wherein the portable module is further operable to receive and place calls over the first communication network.

9. The information system of claim 8, wherein the base module is a telephone module operable to communicate over a telephone network.

10. The information system of claim 8, wherein the first communication network is a cellular communication network and the second communication network is a telephone network.

11. The information system of claim 8, wherein the first memory subsystem and the second memory subsystem store contact data, and the portable module and the base module are operable to exchange the contact data over the first and second communication ports.

12. The information system of claim 11, wherein the base module is further operable to place calls based on the contact data stored in the first memory subsystem in the portable module.

13. The information system of claim 11, wherein the contact data comprises caller identification data for incoming calls, and the portable module and the base module are operable to place calls based on the caller identification data.

14. The information system of claim 8, wherein the portable module is operable to record and store in the first memory subsystem inputs to the base module when in communication with the base module over the first and second communication ports.

15. The information system of claim 14, wherein the portable module is further operable to transmit the recorded inputs over the first communication network.

16. The information system of claim 8, wherein the portable module is further operable to transmit a control message to the first communication network when in communication with the base module over the first and second communication ports, the control message causing calls to the portable module over the first communication network to be routed to the base module over the second communication network.

17. The information system of claim 16, wherein the portable module transmits the control message to the first communication network automatically.

18. The information system of claim 16, wherein the control message further causes an existing call to the portable module over the first communication network to be routed to the base module over the second communication network.

19. The information system of claim 8, wherein the base module is further operable to transmit a control message to the second communication network when not in communication with the portable module over the first and second communication ports, the control message causing calls to the base module over the second communication network to be routed to the portable module over the first communication network.

20. The information system of claim 19, wherein the control message further causes an existing call to the base module over the second communication network to be routed to the portable module over the first communication network.

21. The information system of claim 19, wherein the base module transmits the control message to the second communication network automatically.

22. The information system of claim 8, wherein the base module is further operable to communicate over the first communication network when the portable module is in communication with the base module over the first and second communication ports.

23. The information system of claim 8, wherein the portable module is further operable to communicate over the second communication network when the portable module is in communication with the base module over the first and second communication ports.

24. The information system of claim 5, wherein:

the portable module further comprises a first display for displaying portable module data; and

the base module further comprises a second display for displaying base module data;

wherein the portable module is operable to display base module data in the first display when received in the first receiving portion of the base module.

25. The information system of claim 24, wherein the second display is positioned on the base module within the first receiving portion.

26. The information system of claim 6, wherein the portable module further comprises a first display, and is further operable to display data stored in the second memory subsystem of the base module when in communication with the base module over the first and second communication ports.

27. The information system of claim 8, wherein the portable module further comprises a first display, and is further operable to display information related to a base module communication over the second communication network.

28. The information system of claim 27, wherein the first display comprises a first display region and a second display region, and data related to the portable module is displayed in the first display region, and data related to the base module is displayed in the second display region.

29. The information system of claim 6, further comprising a second portable module comprising a third communication port, a third processing subsystem, and a third memory subsystem for storing data, the second portable module operable to perform a third set of functions and communicate over the first communication network, wherein the second portable module and the base module interoperate the second set of functions and the third set of functions over the first and third communication ports.

30. The information system of claim 8, further comprising a second portable module comprising a third communication port, a third processing subsystem, and a third memory subsystem for storing data, the second portable module operable to perform a third set of functions and communicate over a third communication network, wherein the second portable module and the base module interoperate the second set of functions and the third set of functions over the first and third communication ports.

31. The information system of claim 29, wherein:

the base module includes a first receiving portion configured to receive the portable module, and wherein the portable module and the base module interoperate when the portable module is received in the first receiving portion;

the base module further inlcudes a second receiving portion comprising a fourth communication port and configured to receive the second portable module; and

the second portable module and the base module interoperate over the third and fourth communication ports when the second portable module is received in the second receiving portion of the base module.

32. The information system of claim 5, wherein:

the portable module further comprises a first power port;

the base module further comprises a second power port; and

the first power port and second power port couple when the portable module is received in the receiving portion of the base module.

33. The information system of claim 1, wherein the portable module is a wireless mobile communication device.

34. The information system of claim 33, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular telephone, a pager, a wireless e-mail communication device and a personal digital assistant (PDA) enabled for wireless communications.

35. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module is a facsimile machine operable to generate a facsimile transmission of data stored in the first memory subsystem.

36. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module is a printer operable to print data stored in the first memory subsystem.

37. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module is a scanner operable to generate scanned data and the portable module is operable to store the scanned data in the first memory subsystem.

38. The information system of claim 1, wherein the base module further comprises a speaker, and wherein the base module is operable to generate an audio signal from data received from the portable module over the first and second communication ports.

40. The information system of claim 39, wherein the communication device is operable to communicate over the first communication network based on data stored in the first memory subsystem of the portable module.

41. The information system of claim 40, wherein the portable module further comprises a display and is further operable to display data related to a communication device communication over the first communication network.

42. The information system of claim 39, wherein the communication device is a facsimile machine operable to generate a facsimile transmission of data stored in the first memory subsystem.

43. The information system of claim 39, wherein:

the communication device includes a receiving portion configured to receive the portable module, and wherein the portable module and the communication device interoperate when the portable module is received in the receiving portion;

the portable module further comprises a first display for displaying portable module information; and

the communication device further comprises a second display for displaying communication device information, the second display located in the receiving portion;

wherein the first display displays communication device information when the portable module is received in the receiving portion.

44. The information system of claim 43, wherein the first display comprises a first display region and a second display region, and portable module information is displayed in the first display region and communication device information is displayed in the second display region.

45. The information system of claim 39, wherein the first set of functions and the second set of functions comprise generic functions and restricted functions, and wherein the generic functions are enabled when the portable module is in communication with the communication device over the first and second communication ports.

46. The information system of claim 45, wherein the portable module may further be associated with the communication device, and the restricted functions are enabled only when the portable module in communication with the communication device over the first and second communication ports is associated with the communication device.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of interoperating comprises the step of executing the first functions on the data module.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the data stored in the data module comprises contact data, and the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting the contact data from the data module to the communication module; and

establishing a communication over the first communication network with the communication module based on the data received from the data module.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of:

storing data in the communication module; and

exchanging data between the communication module and the data module through the communication link.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of establishing a communication link between the communication module and the data module comprises the step of receiving the data module in a receiving portion of the communication module.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the data module is further operable to communicate over a second communication network, the method further comprising the step of sending a control signal from the data module to the second communication network that causes communications to the data module over the second communication network to be routed to the communication module over the first communication network.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the data module is further operable to communicate over a second communication network, the method further comprising the step of sending a control signal from the communication module to the first communication network that causes communications to the communication module over the first communication network to be routed to the data module over the second communication network.

54. The method of claim 47, further comprising the steps of recording in the data module through the communication link inputs to the communication module.

39. An information system, comprising:

a portable module comprising a first communication port, a first processing subsystem, and a first memory subsystem for storing data, the portable module operable to perform a first set of functions; and

a communication device comprising a second communication port and operable to perform a second set of functions and communicate over a first communication network;

wherein the portable module and the communication device interoperate the first set of functions and the second set of functions when communicating over the first and second communication ports.

47. In a system comprising a communication module operable to communicate over a first communication network and a data module operable to store data, a method comprising the steps of:

executing first functions on the communication module;

executing second functions on the data module;

establishing a communication link between the communication module and the data module; and

interoperating the first functions of the communication module and the second functions of the data module through the communication link.