Electronic business cards

• US 6,442,263 B1
• Filed: 04/23/1997
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaton, Brian Finlay, Smith, Colin Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/841,485
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 379/127, 379/142, 379/201-202, 379/88.19, 379/88-- 8, 379/93.23, 379/120, 379/133-134, 379/354, 395/200.3, 395/200.34, 703/200.3, 703/200.34
• US Class Current: 379/142.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

The system and method consistent with the present invention provides improved electronic business cards for a communication device. Electronic business cards may be created using CLID information, transferred among users of a telephone network, and used to initiate a call automatically.

Claims

1. A method of providing electronic business cards for a telephone for a telephone network while a user is engaged in a voice communication on the telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call from a caller and associated caller ID information;

receiving a user request to create a new electronic business card;

creating the electronic business card by automatically incorporating the caller ID information into the new electronic business card; and

displaying the electronic business card on a display that is integral to the telephone while a user is engaged in a voice communication using the telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

storing the electronic business card in a memory of the telephone.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

storing the electronic business card in a memory of a central computer as a network service provided to the telephone for a telephone network.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

accessing the electronic business card by scrolling a particular field of the electronic business card on a display.

5. The method of claim 1,further including the step of

accessing the electronic business card by searching a particular field of the electronic business cards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating step includes the substep of

receiving from a user additional information corresponding to the electronic business card.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

sending the electronic business card to another user of the telephone network.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

receiving the electronic business card from another user of the telephone network.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of

storing the received electronic business card in a memory.

10. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of

receiving from a user a request to edit the electronic business card, and

receiving input data editing the electronic business card.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of

editing the electronic business card with the received input data, and

storing the edited electronic business card in the memory.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes a substep of receiving the call from the caller over a GSM network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone comprises a mobile communication device.

14. A system for providing electronic business cards for a telephone for a telephone network while a user is engaged in a voice communication on the telephone, comprising:

first means for receiving a call from a caller and associated caller ID information;

second means for receiving a user request to create a new electronic business card;

means for creating the electronic business card by automatically incorporating the caller ID information into the new electronic business card; and

means for displaying the electronic business card on a display that is integral to the telephone while a user is engaged in a voice communication using the telephone.

15. The system of claim 14 further including

means for storing the electronic business card in the telephone.

16. The system of claim 14 further including

means for storing the electronic business card in a central computer as a network service provided to the communication device for a telephone network.

17. The system of claim 14 further including

means for accessing the electronic business card by scrolling a particular field of the electronic business card on a display.

18. The system of claim 14 further including

means for accessing the electronic business card by searching a particular field of the electronic business cards.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the creating means includes

means for receiving from a user additional information corresponding to the electronic business card.

20. The system of claim 14, further including

means for sending the electronic business card to another user of the telephone network.

21. The system of claim 14 further including

means for receiving the electronic business card from another user of the telephone network.

22. The system of claim 21 further including

means for storing the received electronic business card.

23. The system of claim 14 further including

means for receiving from a user a request to edit the electronic business card, and

means for receiving input data editing the electronic business card.

24. The method of claim 23 further including

means for editing the electronic business card with the received input data, and

means for storing the edited electronic business card.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the first receiving means includes means for receiving the call from the caller over a GSM network.

26. A method for entering new contact information into a telephone directory having a plurality of entries comprising the steps of:

receiving an external communication from a communication device having a name and contact information;

copying the name and contact information from the external communication; and

adding, on a display, a new entry representing the name and contact information into the telephone directory indexed by the name while a user is engaged in a voice communication on a telephone for a telephone network, wherein the display is integral to the telephone.