Bank balance notification by wristwatch pager

• US 5,550,535 A
• Filed: 08/14/1992
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Communications Holding N.V.
• Inventors: Park, Mike C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US07/930,953
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 340/825.27, 379/56, 379/57, 235/379
• US Class Current: 340/7.55
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/229 with other provisions not elsewhere provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

A wrist watch radio pager which includes a microprocessor and which receives different types of messages. Normal messages received by the wrist watch pager are displayed in a conventional fashion. However, one type of message is transmitted together with a code which indicates that the message is a "private" or "secure" message. A private message can for example be used to automatically transmit a user'"'"'s bank balance to the wrist watch pager. Private messages are not automatically displayed on the wrist watch pager as are normal messages. When a private message arrives at the pager, it is stored in the pager'"'"'s memory. When the user seeks to display the message, a special display appears which asks for entry of a security code. The security code entered by the user must match a security code previously delivered to the pager by way of a security code message. The security code is entered in the same manner that the time digits on a digital watch are entered. If the correct security code is entered, the secure message is displayed. If an incorrect code is entered a preset number of times, the message is erased from the memory.

Claims

1. A system including,

a plurality of personal message reception devices, each of which has a unique identification number and receives messages,

means for sending messages to said personal reception devices, each message being one of a plurality of message types, at least one of said message types being a security code message containing a security code datum and at least one of said message types being a bank balance messages being directed to a personal reception device which has a particular unique identification number whereby a selected security code datum is directed to and stored within a selected message reception device and a selected bank balance datum is directed to and stored within said selected message reception device and said selected message reception device displays a received and stored bank balance datum only upon a user entry matching a received and stored security code datum,

a bank computer which has stored therein system users'"'"' current bank balance data and which regularly selects for sending bank balance data, and

means coupling said bank computer to said sending means to deliver said selected bank balance datum via a selected bank balance message to said selected message reception device.

2. The system recited in claim 1, including, means for storing said security code datum in said personal reception device,

means for said user entry of said personal security code datum into said personal reception device by user operation of reception device buttons, and

means for only displaying said bank balance datum after said security code datum has been entered by said device buttons.

3. The system recited in claim 1 wherein said personal reception device is a radio pager.

4. The system recited in claim 2 wherein said personal reception device is a radio pager.

5. The system recited in claim 3 wherein said means for sending messages includes means for transmitting messages using a time slot protocol.

6. The system recited in claim 3 wherein said means for sending messages includes means for transmitting messages to said radio pager using a FM subcarrier.

7. A system for regularly transmitting bank balances to radio pagers including,

means for sending a plurality of message types to said radio pagers, said radio pagers responding differently to each different message type, said message types including a bank balance message, a security code message, and a remaining normal message defined as being other than one of said balance message and said security code message,

means in said radio pager for displaying a received normal message, and

means for only displaying the information in a received bank balance message after the user has entered a security code which matches a security code previously transmitted to and stored in said radio pager using a received security code message,

whereby bank balance information is not displayed on said pager until the user enters an appropriate security code.

8. The system recited in claim 7 including a plurality of radio pagers each of which have an identification number, and means for transmitting particular messages to particular radio pagers.

9. The system recited in claim 7 wherein messages are transmitted to said radio pagers using a time slot protocol, each time slot of which has a number of fields including a field which indicates one of said plurality of message types, a field which indicates a pager identification number and a field which includes variable data.

10. A system for transmitting normal messages, secure messages, and security code messages to radio pagers, said normal messages being other than one of said secure messages and said security code messages, said system comprising:

means for transmitting message type identification information associated with each message transmitted to one of said pagers, said message type identification information indicating the associated message as being one of said normal messages, one of said secure messages, or one of said security code messages,

means for regularly transmitting said secure messages to said radio pagers,

means in each of said radio pagers for storing a security code in response to a security code message received and containing said security code,

entry means for entering a security code into one of said radio pagers, and

means for displaying a secure message on said radio pager only if the security code entered with said entry means matches the security code stored in said radio pager.