Portable disk-based information device

• US 20060106953A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kelly, Declan P., Van Gassel, Jozef P., Fontijn, Wilhelmus F.J.
• Application Number:
  US10/540,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for obtaining updated information using a portable disk-based information device. The disk-based information device may be included within or attached to a portable networking device such as a personal data assistant (PDA) or a cellular telephone. Update information may be received from a data provider through, for example, a mobile telephone network. The update information may be compared with information provided on the disk. Updated information may then be delivered to a user in response to a user request, reporting new information and replacing outdated information provided on the disk with information received from the data provider.

Claims

1. A method for receiving updated information using a portable disk-based information device, comprising:

requesting update information from a data provider 150;

receiving the update information from the data provider 150;

comparing the update information with information provided on the disk; and

delivering updated information to a user in response to a user request, reporting new information and replacing outdated information provided on the disk with information received from the data provider 150.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

first agreeing to accept charges associated with receiving update information from a data provider 150.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disk-based information device is one of a navigation device, a city guide, a hotel guide, a transportation schedule, or a business directory.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the disk-based information device is operably connected to a portable networking device 110.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the portable networking device 110 is one of a personal data assistant (PDA) or a cellular telephone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data provider 150 is accessed through a wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication network is one of a mobile telephone network, a local-area network, or a satellite network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the disk-based information device includes a read-only small form factor optical disk.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein some or all update information from the data provider 150 is stored using one or more storage means selected from a group consisting of memory caching, disk caching, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), and a mixed-function disk.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein requesting update information from a data provider 150 comprises sending one or more items selected from a group consisting of the user'"'"'s search criteria, the geophysical location of the disk-based information device, identifiers for the user of the disk-based information device, identifiers for the application being used, and identifiers for the disk being used.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein information sent to the data provider 150 is used to minimize the amount of update information transferred by the data provider 150.

13. The computer-usable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

computer program code for first agreeing to accept charges associated with receiving update information from a data provider 150.

12. A computer-usable medium for receiving updated information using a portable disk-based information device, comprising:

computer program code for requesting update information from a data provider 150;

computer program code for receiving the update information from the data provider 150;

computer program code for comparing the update information with information provided on the disk; and

computer program code for delivering updated information to a user in response to a user request, reporting new information and replacing outdated information provided on the disk with information received from the data provider 150.

14. The computer-usable medium of claim 12 wherein requesting update information from a data provider 150 comprises sending one or more items selected from a group consisting of the user'"'"'s search criteria, the geophysical location of the disk-based information device, identifiers for the user of the disk-based information device, identifiers for the application being used, and identifiers for the disk being used.

15. The computer-usable medium of claim 14 wherein information sent to the data provider 150 is used to minimize the amount of update information transferred by the data provider 150.

16. A system for receiving updated information using a portable disk-based information device, comprising:

means for requesting update information from a data provider 150;

means for receiving the update information from the data provider 150;

means for comparing the update information with information provided on the disk; and

means for delivering updated information to a user in response to a user request, reporting new information and replacing outdated information provided on the disk with information received from the data provider 150.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for first agreeing to accept charges associated with receiving update information from a data provider 150.

18. A method for receiving updated information using a disk-based information device, comprising:

broadcasting update information from a data provider 150;

receiving the update information from the data provider 150;

comparing the update information with information provided on the disk; and

delivering updated information to a user in response to a user request, reporting new information and replacing outdated information provided on the disk with information received from the data provider 150.