Personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links

• US 6,487,180 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, William Bryan, Muncaster, George William, Woodward, Ernest Earl, Harris, Jeffrey Martin, Borgstahl, Ronald William
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US09/432,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/310, 370/313, 370/338, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/465, 370/312, 705/5, 705/13, 705/26, 705/44, 345/326, 463/40, 463/42, 463/46, 340/500, 340/517, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 340/928, 340/539, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/414, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/106.01
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 : Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks

Abstract

A personal information system comprises a personal kiosk system (132) and a personal presence identifier (122) carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link. The personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system. The personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network.

Claims

1. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system, and

wherein the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network, each needs specification is a list of network needs currently experienced by a broadcasting entity and each capability specification is a list of network capabilities that the broadcasting entity may provide to other peers of the network.

2. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system is also programmed to determine, prior to cooperating with the personal presence identifier to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications, whether further communications with the personal presence identifier are authorized.

3. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system is further arranged and programmed to exchange different information simultaneously with a plurality of personal presence identifiers carried by a plurality of users.

4. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are further arranged and programmed to send preferences of the user from the personal presence identifier to the personal kiosk system in a manner that is transparent to the user, after the personal area network has been established.

5. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system is further arranged and programmed to perform user-customized filtering of information sent to the personal presence identifier in accordance with preferences of the user received from the personal presence identifier after the personal area network has been established.

6. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system is further arranged and programmed to start, stop, and repeat a presentation of information in response to user-generated commands received from the personal presence identifier.

8. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are further arranged and programmed to handle micropayment transactions.

9. The personal information system of claim 1,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are further arranged and programmed to handle variable-fee transactions based upon services used.

14. The personal information system of claim 1, wherein the list of network needs of one of the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system is compared to the list of network capabilities of the other of the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system to determine whether there is at least one match between the lists.

7. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network, and

wherein the personal kiosk system is further arranged and programmed to retrieve requested information from a source selected from a local network and the Internet when the requested information is not available locally from the personal kiosk system.

10. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system, and

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area;

network, and to perform downloading of information from the personal kiosk system to a memory of the personal presence identifier.

11. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network, and

wherein the personal presence identifier is further arranged and programmed to allow the user to add personal notes and annotations to information received from the personal kiosk system.

12. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network, and

wherein the personal kiosk system is further arranged and programmed to;

perform language translation from on-board translators, according to needs of the user; and

augment the on-board translators through access to Internet-based translation services when necessary.

13. A personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links, the personal information system comprising:

a personal kiosk system; and

a personal presence identifier carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link,

wherein the personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system,

wherein the personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network,

wherein the personal kiosk system is associated with one of a point of sale and a point of service, and

wherein the personal kiosk system is arranged and programmed to provide information helpful to the user before the user arrives at the point of sale or the point of service.