Shared address-data service for personal CE equipment

• US 6,873,841 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mercury Kingdom Assets Limited
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Sagar, Richard Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/464,866
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 4554141- 4, 455/432.1, 455/436.1, 455/435.1, 455/556.2, 379/67.1, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.25, 379/88.27, 707/3, 707/4
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The user is enabled to upload, to a server on the Internet, information from a first contact data base in a first communications apparatus. The server manipulates the uploaded information and extracts or converts the format of the records for a second contact data base of a second communications apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data in a database of a first mobile terminal to one or more second mobile terminals, comprising:

providing a common server accessible to a first mobile terminal and a corresponding second mobile terminal, the terminals being remote from each other and the server, the first mobile terminal having at least a first application and associated first database for use in the first mobile terminal, and the second mobile terminal having at least a second application and associated second database for use in the second mobile terminal;

enabling the upload of data from the first applications first database to the common server;

associating the data with a particular user;

determining a format required by the particular user;

converting the uploaded data to conform to the format;

the server determining which from a plurality of corresponding and non-corresponding_mobile terminals is a corresponding second mobile terminal and selectively transferring the converted data automatically into the second database for use by the second application;

wherein the first database includes a telephone directory;

wherein the second database includes a telephone directory; and

wherein the manipulated information includes one or more telephone numbers automatically retrievable by the second apparatus to initiate a telephone call from the second apparatus.

2. A system comprising:

a server enabled for access by a plurality of sets of corresponding apparatuses the apparatuses being remote from the server and from each other, each set of corresponding apparatuses being for a specific one of a plurality of users of the sets;

the server enabled to receive data from a first apparatus in a set;

the server enabled to manipulate the data so that it is usable by a program application in a corresponding second apparatus of the set;

the server enabled to selectively transfer the manipulated data to the one or more second apparatuses in the set;

wherein;

the first apparatus has a first communications capability based on a first data base;

the second apparatus has a second communications capability based on a second data base;

the first data base relates to a first communications directory;

the second data base relates to a second communications directory;

wherein the first database includes a telephone directory; and

wherein the manipulated information includes one or more telephone numbers automatically retrievable by the second apparatus to initiate a telephone call from the second apparatus.

3. A system comprising:

a server enabled for access by a plurality of sets of corresponding apparatuses the apparatuses being remote from the server and from each other, each set of corresponding apparatuses being for a specific one of a plurality of users of the sets;

the server enabled to receive data from a first apparatus in a set;

the server enabled to manipulate the data so that it is usable by a program application in a corresponding second apparatus of the set;

the server enabled to selectively transfer the manipulated data to the one or more second apparatuses in the set;

wherein;

the first apparatus has a first communications capability based on a first data base;

the second apparatus has a second communications capability based on a second data base;

the first data base relates to a first communications directory;

the second data base relates to a second communications directory;

wherein the second database includes a telephone directory; and

wherein the manipulated information includes one or more telephone numbers automatically retrievable by the second apparatus to initiate a telephone call from the second apparatus.