METHOD OF PROVIDING A CELLULAR PHONE/PDA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20060199612A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGIS Software Development LLC (AGIS Holdings Inc.), Innovation Specialties Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. (AGIS Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher R., Beyer, Malcolm K. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A cellular, PDA communication device and communication system for allowing a plurality of cellular phone users to monitor each others'"'"' locations and status, to initiate cellular phone calls by touching a symbol on the touch screen display with a stylus which can also include point to call conferencing calling. Each participant'"'"'s cellular phone PDA device includes GPS navigation receiver with application software for point to call cellular phone initiation to participants and geographical entities including vehicles, persons or events, conference calls and video transfers. The method and system also includes automatic shifting from GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO to SMS when any of the cellular phones in the communication network is in the voice mode and in use and for automatic shifting back to GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO upon completion of the voice phone call. In addition, using the system, a full transfer of photographs, video clips and high speed data can be used between any cellular phones regardless of who the cellular phone vendors or cellular phone companies are and in either CDMA, GSM, WiFi or a combination of the two.

Claims

1. A method of expediting a cellular phone voice call over a cellular phone telephone network using a PDA cellular phone that includes a touch screen visual display for calling a fixed location including individually but not limited to a restaurant, police station, and fire station having a conventional telephone, displayed symbolically on a geographical map on said display, said fixed location having a telephone and said fixed location being displayed on said geographical map on the cell phone touch screen display comprising:

providing the PDA cellular phone with a database and application program for displaying a selected geographical area on a map or chart on the touch screen display that includes at least one fixed location at its latitude and longitude on said map or chart;

providing the cellular phone with a database containing the telephone number of said fixed location displayed on said geographical map or chart;

providing the cellular phone with an application program to initiate a voice call to said fixed location upon touching the touch screen at the equivalent latitude and longitude location of said fixed location;

retrieving the stored telephone number of said fixed location upon initiating said telephone call by touching said fixed location on said display;

executing a call switch to turn on said cellular phone internal software to begin calling said fixed location;

establishing a call in progress symbol on said display screen when said telephone call to said fixed location is in progress; and

establishing a second different symbol on said map display indicating that the telephone call to said fixed location has been established.

2. A method as in claim 1,

providing a database in said cell phone PDA that includes the E-mail address of said fixed location;

addressing an E-mail of entered free text or a pre-selected message to said fixed location by touching the symbol of said fixed location on said map or chart displayed on said visual display; and

sending the E-mail by selecting the send or transmit switch.

3. A method as in claim 1,

providing a database in said cell phone PDA that includes the web site address of said fixed location;

going to the web site of said fixed location by touching the symbol of said fixed location on said map or chart on a soft or hard switch that indicates to go to that symbol'"'"'s web site.

4. A method of expediting a cellular phone call to a fixed location as in claim 1 including the step of:

executing a conference call with said fixed location(s) telephone.

8. A communication system as in claim 1 capable of using CDMA, GSM or WiFi in operation;

and

said cell phone PDA operating communication units in the network can also include;

smart phones, personal computers (PC), laptop or tablet computers having a telephone.

10. A method as in claim 1, including:

providing a command server with a collection of names, telephone numbers and IP addresses that can be accessed by internet capable, mobile devices.

5. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system and a touch screen display:

providing rapid voice call initiation and communication to the users of the cellular telephone PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

providing high speed internet rapid transmission of operator selected text messages, photographs and video to other cellular phone users using the touch screen;

providing a server for establishing high speed internet communications between said cellular phone network users and said server;

providing a network of cellular phone PDA devices for said users having the same operating software that permits either voice communication and low speed communications or high speed internet communications;

providing a remote server that can receive and transmit over the internet high speed internet communications or low speed communications to each of the users'"'"' cellular phones in the cellular phone network;

detecting when one cellular phone initiates or receives a voice call;

automatic shifting from high speed internet communications to voice communications and low speed data communications upon making or the receipt of a voice call;

transmitting data to the phone(s) during the voice transmission call using a slower, short message standard communication protocol (SMS); and

automatically restoring high speed internet communications between each of the cellular phones in the communication network after the completion of voice communications.

6. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system and a touch screen display:

providing rapid voice call initiation and communication to the users of the cellular phone PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

providing high speed internet rapid transmission of operator selected text messages, photographs and video to other cellular phones using the touch screen;

providing a server for establishing high speed internet communications between said cellular phone network users and said server;

establishing at the server networks that can be accessed by the phones in different manners including;

providing all the phones with an identifier (i.e. singles, coin collectors, etc.) to independently report position and status information from one user to all of the other users with that identifier and equipped with cellular phone/PDA/GPS system and its associated software; and

providing all the phones within an approved list (at the phone or the server) to independently report position and status information from one user to all the other users in that list equipped with cellular phones/PDA/GPS system and its associated software.

7. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users each having a PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, GPS navigational system and touch screen:

providing rapid voice call initiation to the users of the cellular phone PDA/GPS network using the touch screen;

providing rapid transmission of photographs and video to another cellular phone using the touch screen; and

providing a server that allows for global access to facilitate the transfer of photographs and video clips between cellular phone users that functions across different cellular carriers.

9. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users each having a similarly equipped PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, GPS navigational system, a touch screen display and a server that can receive AIS data from ships equipped with Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and retransmit the data on a communications network comprising:

providing for the selective polling of position and status information from one user among all of the other users equipped with cellular phones/PDA/GPS system and its associated software;

providing rapid voice call initiation to the users of the cellular phone/PDA/GPS network system having said first communication protocol using a touch screen;

providing rapid transmission of free operator selected text messages, photographs, and video to another cellular phone having said first communication protocol using the touch screen;

providing a network server that can communicate with each of the cellular phone devices of the participants in a network having said first communication protocol, said server including processing and correlating AIS signals that are used between ships for identifying the position, heading and velocity of the ship and the name of the ship and other data; and

having the server transmit AIS ship locations to all participants'"'"' cellular phones network participants having said first communication protocol.

11. A method of providing a PDA cellular phone communication network for designating participating users displayed symbolically on a geographical map, each user having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes CPU, GPS navigational system symbol generator and a touch screen display comprising the steps of:

providing symbols on said display touch screen representing other participants having similar cellular phones forming a communication network;

selectively polling position and status information from one user among all of the other users equipped with the cellular phone/PDA/GPS system and its associated software and displaying the user'"'"'s symbol on the map display at the correct location;

providing rapid voice call initiation to the users of the cellular phone/PDA/GPS navigational system using a touch screen and the users'"'"' symbols;

providing rapid transmission of free, operator selected text messages, photographs and video to another cellular phone using the touch screen; and

generating a display that indicates a selected symbol'"'"'s velocity upon activation of a particular velocity switch.

12. A communication system as in claim 11, including:

displaying the symbol'"'"'s velocity as a line emanating from the symbol whose direction is representative of heading and whose length is representative of speed that is seen by the other participants in the communication network when the symbol'"'"'s velocity is transmitted to them.

13. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped cellular PDA phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system, and a touch screen display comprising:

selectively polling position and status information from one user among all of the other users equipped with said cellular phones and its associated software; and

automatically reporting position and status to one or more other participant users'"'"' cell PDA phones in said communication network based on a predetermined condition.

14. A method for providing a communication network for designated participating users as in claim 13, wherein:

the user has the ability to make voice conference calls and to send free text, operator selected messages, photographs, and video to all other network participants within a distance determined by the initiator of the voice call, free text, operator selected messages, photographs, and video.

15. A method for providing a communication network for designated participating users as in claim 13, wherein:

said predetermined condition is automatically reporting at specific times and/or distances traveled by the reporting user.

16. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users as in claim 13, wherein:

transmitting an alert automatically activated when one or more network cell phone participants, fixed facilities or entered tracks reach a minimum predetermined distance from another cellular phone user.

17. A method for providing cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system, and a touch screen display comprising:

generating a map of a geographical display on each user'"'"'s cell phone display screen;

selectively polling position and status information from one participating user between one or more of the other participant users equipped with similarly configured cellular phones and its associated software;

providing rapid voice call initiation from one participating cell phone user between and among the participating users of the cellular phone network system using a touch screen;

providing one or more symbols on said map displayed on touch screen representing other user participants, each user having a similar cell phone forming the communication network;

calling one or more participant users by touching the screen symbol representing another participant user on the touch screen and touching a call switch;

adding a new track symbol representing an object, person or event, fixed or mobile, to the geographical display by touching the geographical display at the location of the new track to be added;

assigning a category to the new track to be added on the geographical display screen, said category being an object, person or event;

selecting an appropriate category switch for identifying the new track selected; and

sending to one or more of the other participant users of the cellular telephone network information concerning the new track including the new track'"'"'s location and category to the other participant users.

18. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each user having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes a CPU, GPS navigational system, an internet message transmitter and receiver and a touch screen display comprising:

providing a database in each cell phone that includes a geographical map of a predetermined area for user viewing on the touch screen display;

providing an application program in each cell phone for generating one or more symbols representative of one or more participating users, each of whom have a similarly equipped cellular phone;

providing a database in each cell phone that includes cellular telephone numbers of each of the participating users having similarly equipped cellular phones, said database including the generation of one or more symbols associated with a particular participating user;

calling a participating user by touching the symbol on the map display and touching a call switch;

providing each of the cell phones with an internet connection capability;

performing at least one or more of the following steps;

(1) exchanging automatically IP addresses using SMS or other digital message format between and among each of the participant users;

(2) pushing photographs or video clips between and among each of the cellular telephone participant users across multiple cellular carriers and between smart phone and PCs;

(3) providing each known participant user in each of said users'"'"' cellular phones, a cellular phone number, an IP address and an E-mail address in each of said participants'"'"' databases;

(4) adding an additional cell phone participant user having a similar cell phone configuration into the communication network of participating users by having the added cell phone participating user transmit designation and a cell phone number in an initial message to other participant users for identification;

(5) sending each participating user geographic notification of the location of the sender of a message;

(6) calling the nearest fixed location on the map display from the participant selected from a particular group including a police station, fire station, or EMT or other fixed location by one of the cellular phone network participants; and

(7) entering on a user'"'"'s touch screen display a new track including generating a symbol for the new track and periodically sending data to the other participants relative to the new track so that each of the participating users'"'"' display is updated with new track'"'"'s position periodically; and

(8) amplifying a moving new track symbol on a user'"'"'s touch screen display with free text, preformatted messages, photographs or video and periodically sending data to the other participants relative to the new track so that each of the participating users'"'"' display is updated with said new track position and data periodically.

19. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system and a touch screen display comprising:

providing rapid voice call initiation and communication to the users of the cellular telephone PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

providing high speed internet rapid transmission of operator selected text messages, photographs and video to other cellular phone users using the touch screen;

providing a server for establishing high speed internet communications between said cellular phone network users and said server; and

establishing at the server networks that can enable anonymous voice and data communications so that neither the originator of the phone call or data transmission nor the receiver of the phone call or data transmission need know the other'"'"'s phone number, name or other identifier other than a symbol location on a map.

20. A method of providing a cellular phone the ability to request geo-referenced maps, images or data concerning an area;

and

providing the operator the ability to request geo-referenced data for an area by pointing at the center of the area for the requested information, then selecting a range scale and then taking an action to request the data from a server where the data is held.