System and method for maintaining personal communications information in a mobile communications system
First Claim
1. Portable apparatus comprising:
- a communications device including a timing device, a database for receiving from a user of said apparatus information entries comprising a data component and a component that specifies a time, and a transmitter for transmitting therefrom a device identification together with information based on at least a portion of said information entries, anda controller coupled to said database and to said transmitter for initiating the transmission a) in consultation with said timing device and b) based on said components of said information entries that specify time,where said data component includes either a telephone number to be included in the information string, or specifies that a step of ascertaining the physical location of said portable communications apparatus be carried out and the results of said step of ascertaining be included in the information string.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is an apparatus and method for updating a communications network from one or more user communications devices. The invention uses the electronic scheduling or other time-based features within a communications device to control and/or initiate transmission of information between the communications device and the communications network. Information from one or more communications devices is updated to the communications network in response to time-based components in the information entries corresponding to a timing device associated with the respective communications device. Also, once the network has received this updated information, comparisons of related information entries are initiated to detect discrepancies therebetween. In this manner, user submitted time and geographic location information is compared with similar information automatically retrieved by the communications network using conventional and future network communications technology. Any detected discrepancies are used and/or retrieve updated information to initiate appropriate notification to the user or to default to existing message delivery systems.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Portable apparatus comprising:
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a communications device including a timing device, a database for receiving from a user of said apparatus information entries comprising a data component and a component that specifies a time, and a transmitter for transmitting therefrom a device identification together with information based on at least a portion of said information entries, and a controller coupled to said database and to said transmitter for initiating the transmission a) in consultation with said timing device and b) based on said components of said information entries that specify time, where said data component includes either a telephone number to be included in the information string, or specifies that a step of ascertaining the physical location of said portable communications apparatus be carried out and the results of said step of ascertaining be included in the information string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6)
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3. Portable apparatus comprising:
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a communications device including a timing device, a database for receiving from a user of said apparatus information entries consisting of a portion that specifies a user-chosen time of transmission and a data portion, and a transmitter for transmitting therefrom a device identification together with information based on at least a portion of said information entries, and a controller coupled to said database and to said transmitter for initiating a transmission, in consultation with said timing device, based on said user-chosen and based on said data component of said information entry, where said data component includes a direction to ascertain the physical location of said apparatus at time of said transmission and to include the ascertained physical location in said transmission.
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7. A method for transmitting information from a portable communications device to a communications system, said communications device having associated therewith a timing device, an information transmitter, and a database, said method comprising the steps of:
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entering information entries into said database, said entering step including the selection of a time-based component for one or more of said information entries; and transmitting an identification and at least one of said information entries to said communications system in response to said timing device triggering said information transmission based on said time-based component associated therewith, where said information transmission imparts to said communication system information about a telephone number to which calls may be made. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An apparatus for use with a communications network, said apparatus comprising:
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a comparator; and an interface in operable connection with said communications network for receiving information entries from at least a pair of communications devices, where each one of said information entries includes at least a time-based information segment and a location-based information segment, the comparator includes stored information for said time-based information segment and location-based information segment, and said comparator is in operable connection with said interface for detecting discrepancies between said information segments received by said interface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 25)
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15. A method for use with a communications network for verifying communications information having time-based and location-based components, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving information entries from a first communications device, said communications information including a device identification, a time-based component and a location-based component; coupling communications information to a network database from a second communications device, said communications information having associated therewith a device identification, a time-based component and a location-based component; and comparing said information received from said first communications device with corresponding communications information coupled from said second communications device to detect discrepancies therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26)
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Specification