Remote storage of pictures and other data through a mobile telephone network
First Claim
1. In an appliance having, within a surrounding enclosure:
- a controller including a processor that controls receipt and utilization of signals, and which interfaces such signals outside of the appliance through an established signal path, and data storage memory coupled with the controller for storing the signals, an improvement of the appliance, comprising within the enclosure;
a mobile telephone module that answers a call through a mobile telephone network from a remote telephone having dialed a telephone number unique to the mobile telephone module, and wherein the controller operates to provide access of a calling remote telephone to at least the memory for at least storing data therein from the remote telephone.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile (cellular) telephone capability is built into a non-mobile appliance, such as a video recorder, television set-top box or personal computer, in order to receive calls from another telephone that is remote of the appliance. The appliance has a unique telephone number that is dialed by the other telephone to establish a direct connection between the two over a mobile telephone network. Data are then sent to the appliance through the network, such as data of pictures taken by a mobile picture telephone and any accompany sound. A user of a picture telephone may conveniently send pictures to his or her home or office while traveling on vacation or business, and even remotely cause such pictures to be sent from the appliance to friends and family.
51 Citations
44 Claims
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1. In an appliance having, within a surrounding enclosure:
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a controller including a processor that controls receipt and utilization of signals, and which interfaces such signals outside of the appliance through an established signal path, and data storage memory coupled with the controller for storing the signals, an improvement of the appliance, comprising within the enclosure;
a mobile telephone module that answers a call through a mobile telephone network from a remote telephone having dialed a telephone number unique to the mobile telephone module, and wherein the controller operates to provide access of a calling remote telephone to at least the memory for at least storing data therein from the remote telephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An appliance, comprising within a single housing:
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first electronic circuits connectable with a source of visual signals, second electronic circuits connectable with a visual display, a writable non-volatile memory, mobile telephone circuits responsive to a unique telephone number to receive at least visual signals through a mobile telephone network from a remote telephone and to send at least visual signals through the network, a sensor for wirelessly receiving signals from a remote control, and control circuits that operate in response to designated command signals received from a remote control through the sensor or from the remote telephone through the mobile telephone circuit to select from the following functions;
(1) send visual signals received by the mobile telephone circuit to the second circuits for display of the received visual signals on the display, (2) send visual signals received by the mobile telephone circuit to the memory for storage of the received visual signals therein, (3) send visual signals stored in. the memory through the mobile telephone circuit to a specified telephone number, and (4) send visual signals stored in the memory to the second electronic circuits for display on the visual display. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of storing pictures taken by a mobile mobile telephone, comprising:
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utilizing a video appliance that operates to at least play back video source material to a television or video monitor to which the appliance is operably connected, and includes a mass storage memory and a mobile telephone module within the appliance that responds to a unique telephone number, dialing the unique telephone number from the mobile telephone in order to establish connection over a mobile telephone network with the mobile module, thereafter sending data of at least one picture taken by the mobile telephone over the mobile telephone network to the mobile module, and storing said at least one picture received by the mobile module within the mass storage memory of the video appliance. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of remotely accessing a personal database, comprising:
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utilizing a computer system that includes a processor, a mass storage memory and a mobile telephone module that responds to a unique telephone number, dialing the unique telephone number from a remote telephone in order to establish connection over a mobile telephone network with the mobile module, thereafter sending data over the mobile telephone network to the mobile module, and storing the data received by the mobile module within the mass storage memory of the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method of licensing the manufacture of a product, wherein:
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a manufacturer of an appliance with a mobile telephone module as an integrated part thereof enables the module to respond to a unique telephone number over a mobile telephone network of a selected one of a plurality of mobile network suppliers, the selected mobile telephone network supplier pays a fee to the manufacturer for enabling the mobile telephone module to work through the supplier'"'"'s network, and the manufacturer pays a portion of the fee received from the mobile telephone network supplier to a licensor of the technology implemented in the appliance to license the technology. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification