Family calendar notification and tracking

• US 20030045301A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wollrab, Lee M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electronic system and method for managing location, calendar, and event information. The system comprises at least two hand portable electronic devices, each having a display device to display personal profile, location, and event information, and means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data. A software program running in the electronic device can receive local and remote input data; store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information; and convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map display. The system additionally includes at least one earth orbiting satellite device using remote sensing technology to determine the location coordinates of the electronic device. The electronic devices receive synchronization messages broadcast by the satellite device, causing the software program to update the personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in each hand portable electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic system for managing location and event information, said system comprising:

at least two hand portable electronic devices including;

a display device operable to display personal profile, location, and event information; and

means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data;

a software program stored in said electronic device, said software program operable to;

receive local and wirelessly communicated remote input data;

store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information; and

convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map display; and

at least one earth orbiting satellite device operable in cooperation with said hand portable electronic device using remote sensing technology to;

determine location coordinates of said hand portable electronic device; and

broadcast synchronization messages received by said hand portable electronic device, causing said software program to update said personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in said hand portable electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one said hand portable electronic device comprises a wireless telephone selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone and a ‘

smart’

telephone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said local input data are input manually.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for wirelessly communicating data are selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, cellular technology, and Bluetooth™

wireless technology.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said synchronization messages are broadcast at regular intervals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said synchronization messages are broadcast upon request from said software program.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said event location information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of said event from the location of said hand portable electronic device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, and display at said display device a graphic map representing sequentially historical locations of said hand portable electronic device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, update, and display personal contact information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said wirelessly communicated data are encrypted.

11. The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of substantially identical said hand portable electronic devices each storing a copy of said software program, said software program further operable to receive, store, process, update, display, and wirelessly communicate individual and collective personal profile, event, time, and location information relating to all of said plurality of substantially identical said hand portable electronic devices.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one satellite device is further operable in cooperation with said plurality of substantially identical said hand portable electronic devices to determine location coordinates of each of said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices and to broadcast synchronization messages simultaneously to all of said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices, causing all of said copies of said software program to update substantially identically said personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in said plurality of hand portable electronic devices.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said wireless communication comprises two-way direct wireless communication between any two individual hand portable electronic devices within said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, and display at said display device a graphic map representing relative locations of each of said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said software program is further operable to issue and communicate alerts, alarms, and notifications to other said hand portable electronic devices within said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said software program is further operable to communicate changes of plans that potentially affect events.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for processing comprise a microcomputer.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for storing are selected from the group consisting of RAM memory, flash EPROM memory, and non-volatile digital memory.

19. A method of managing and communicating location, synchronization, event, calendar, and notification information among a plurality of substantially identical hand portable electronic devices, said method comprising:

determining, processing, and storing location coordinates of each of said plurality of substantially identical hand portable electronic devices;

inputting, processing, and storing user profile information relating to the user of each of said plurality of hand portable electronic devices;

inputting, processing, and storing collective profile information relating collectively to all users of said plurality of hand portable electronic devices;

inputting, processing, and storing event calendar information, said event calendar information including participants, date, time, and location of said event;

communicating wirelessly and updating synchronously said location coordinates, said profile information, and said event calendar and location information, such that each of said hand portable electronic devices stores identical updated information; and

displaying said location, profile, and event calendar information.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said location coordinates and location information is displayed according to coordinates in a graphic map format.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said location coordinates are determined using satellite remote sensing technology.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said hand portable electronic device comprises a wireless telephone having an integral display device.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said inputting is performed manually.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said wirelessly communicating is performed utilizing a technique selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, and Bluetooth™

wireless technology.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein said updating synchronously is performed simultaneously at regular intervals for all of said plurality of hand portable electronic devices.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said updating synchronously occurs in substantially real time.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein said event location information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of said event from the location of said hand portable electronic device.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein a graphic map representing sequentially historical locations of said hand portable electronic device is displayed.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein a graphic map representing relative locations of each of said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices is displayed.

30. The method of claim 19 further comprising storing, processing, updating, and displaying personal contact information.

31. The method of claim 19 further comprising encrypting prior to communicating wirelessly and updating synchronously said location coordinates, said profile information, and said event calendar and location information.

32. The method of claim 19 further comprising communicating changes of plans that potentially affect events.

33. The method of claim 19 further comprising issuing and communicating alerts, alarms, and notifications between said hand portable electronic devices within said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein an alarm is issued if a particular hand portable electronic device within said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices is transported to a location outside of a prescribed coordinate boundary for such particular hand portable electronic device.

35. The method of claim 19 wherein said storing, updating, and communicating wirelessly are performed utilizing redundant identical copies of a software program running in each individual hand portable electronic device within said plurality of said hand portable electronic devices.

36. A hand portable electronic device comprising:

a display device operable to display personal profile, location, and event information;

means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data;

a software program stored in said electronic device, said software program operable to;

receive local and wirelessly communicated remote input data,

store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information, and

convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map display; and

said hand portable electronic device operable to send to and receive from at least one earth orbiting satellite device synchronization messages and location coordinates obtained using remote sensing technology.

37. The device of claim 36 comprising a wireless telephone selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone and a ‘

smart’

telephone.

38. The device of claim 36 wherein said local input data are input manually.

39. The device of claim 36 wherein said means for wirelessly communicating data are selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, cellular technology, and Bluetooth™

wireless technology.

40. The device of claim 36 wherein said event information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of said event from the location of said device.

41. The device of claim 36 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, and display at said display device a graphic map representing sequentially historical locations of said hand portable electronic device.

42. The device of claim 36 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, update, and display personal contact information.

43. The device of claim 36 operable to communicate wirelessly with a plurality of substantially identical said devices each storing a copy of said software program, said software program further operable to receive, store, process, update, display, and wirelessly communicate individual and collective personal profile, event, time, and location information relating to all of said plurality of substantially identical said devices.

44. The device of claim 36 wherein said means for storing are selected from the group consisting of RAM memory, flash EPROM memory, and non-volatile digital memory.