Method and apparatus in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information

• US 6,377,161 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gromelski, Lisa Jane, Cannon, Gregory Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILORD, MARCEAU
• Application Number:
  US09/132,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.3, 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/32.1, 455/38.4, 455/412, 455/415, 455/458, 455/466, 455/567, 455/564, 455/419, 455/420, 340/825.44, 340/7.2, 340/7.21, 340/7.45, 709/245, 709/217
• US Class Current: 340/7.45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A first portable messaging unit (PMU) (122) sends (502) address information to a second PMU through a wireless messaging system, and the second PMU receives (504) the address information. In response, the second PMU makes a check (506) of whether information identical to the address information is stored in its address book (230) and then processes (508-516) the address information in a predetermined manner dependent upon the result of the check.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information between first and second portable messaging units, the method comprising the steps of:

sending the address information from the first portable messaging unit to the second portable messaging unit through the wireless messaging system;

receiving the address information by the second portable messaging unit;

checking, by the second portable messaging unit in response to the receiving step, whether information identical to the address information is stored in an address book of the second portable messaging unit; and

processing the address information, by the second portable messaging unit, in a predetermined manner selected in response to the checking step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step comprises the step of

storing the address information in the address book, when no information identical to the address information is stored in the address book.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step comprises the steps of:

generating a prompt inquiring whether a user of the second portable messaging unit wishes to store the address information, when no information identical to the address information is stored in the address book; and

storing the address information in the address book, in response to an affirmative response to the prompt by the user.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address information includes a name identifying a user of the first portable messaging unit, and

wherein the checking step comprises the step of checking whether the name is stored in the address book.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address information includes a unique user identifier identifying a user of the first portable messaging unit, and

wherein the checking step comprises the step of checking whether the unique user identifier is stored in the address book.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address information includes routing information for routing a message to the first portable messaging unit, and

wherein the checking step comprises the step of checking whether the routing information is stored in the address book.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the address information includes a protocol indicator for indicating a protocol that is to be used for routing a message to the first portable messaging unit, and

wherein the checking step comprises the step of checking whether the protocol indicator is stored in the address book.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending step comprises the step of

sending at least a portion of the address information as a token shared between the wireless messaging system and the first and second portable messaging units.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the sending step comprises the step of sending to the second portable messaging unit a return address for routing a message to the first portable messaging unit.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the sending step comprises the step of sending to the second portable messaging unit at least one address stored in the address book of the first portable messaging unit.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising in the second portable messaging unit the step of

storing the address information in a memory which retains the address information sent in N most recently received transmissions, N being a predetermined integer.

12. A portable messaging unit in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information, the portable messaging unit comprising:

a transmitter for sending first address information to another portable messaging unit through the wireless messaging system;

a processing system coupled to the transmitter for controlling the portable messaging unit;

a receiver coupled to the processing system for receiving second address information from another portable messaging unit,

wherein the processing system is programmed to;

check, in response to receiving the second address information, whether information identical to the second address information is stored in an address book of the portable messaging unit; and

process the second address information in a predetermined manner selected in response to whether information identical to the second address information is stored in the address book.

13. The portable messaging unit of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

store the second address information in the address book, when no information identical to the second address information is stored in the address book.

14. The portable messaging unit of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further programmed to:

generate a prompt inquiring whether a user of the portable messaging unit wishes to store the address information, when no information identical to the second address information is stored in the address book; and

store the second address information in the address book, in response to an affirmative response to the prompt by the user.

15. The portable messaging unit of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

store the second address information in a memory which retains address information sent in N most recently received transmissions, N being a predetermined integer.

16. A controller in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information between first and second portable messaging units, the controller comprising:

a base station interface for receiving the address information from the first portable messaging unit and for sending the address information to the second portable messaging unit; and

a processing system coupled to the base station interface for processing the address information, wherein the processing system is programmed to

modify the address information before sending the address information to the second portable messaging unit.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the processing system is further programmed to

cooperate with the first and second portable messaging units to define a token that will represent a portion of the address information; and

send the portion of the address information to the second portable messaging unit as the token.

18. A method for exchanging address information between portable messaging units, comprising:

receiving portable messaging unit address information at a portable messaging unit;

determining at the portable messaging unit whether address information identical to the address information received is already stored in an address book of the portable messaging unit; and

storing the address information in the address book if no information identical to the address information is already stored in the address book.

19. The method of claim 18, generating a storage prompt at the portable messaging unit if no information identical to the received address information is already stored in the address book;

and storing the received address information in the address book in response to an affirmative input at the storage prompt.

20. The method of claim 18, storing received address information in a memory which retains address information sent in a predetermined integer number of recently received transmissions.