Portable device for storing and searching telephone listings, and method and computer program product for transmitting telephone information to a portable device

• US 6,912,407 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2001
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guy Anthony Clarke, Michael James Boler, Steven Charles Boler, Susan Lee Clarke
• Original Assignee: Guy Anthony Clarke, Michael James Boler, Steven Charles Boler, Susan Lee Clarke
• Inventors: Boler, Steven Charles, Boler, Michael James, Clarke, Susan Lee, Clarke, Guy Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sing, Simon P.
• Application Number:
  US10/012,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,333 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.2, 455/412.1, 707/102, 379/93.23
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A portable device having telephone information stored thereon is provided according to one embodiment. The portable device has a memory for storing telephone information specific to a particular geographic region. The telephone information includes telephone numbers, each of which has a name associated with it. The portable device also includes a display for displaying the stored telephone information. A user interface allows a user to select an entry from the stored telephone information. A power source provides power to the portable device. A method and computer program product for transmitting regional telephone information to a portable device are also provided. Accordingly, a connection is initiated between a portable device and a host. The portable device has a memory for storing telephone information specific to a particular geographic region. The telephone information includes telephone numbers, each of which has a name associated with it. Telephone information is transmitted from the host to the portable device and stored in the memory of the portable device.

Claims

1. A portable device having telephone information stored thereon, comprising:

(a) a memory storing telephone information specific to a particular geographic region;

(b) wherein the telephone information includes telephone numbers, each of the telephone numbers having a name associated therewith;

(c) wherein the telephone information further includes address information;

(d) wherein the telephone information further includes locally stored graphical information including advertising information, wherein the graphical information is output on the display, wherein a fee is charged for inclusion of the advertising information in the telephone information;

(e) wherein at least a portion of the telephone information corresponds to at least one of a white pages listing and a yellow pages listing;

(f) wherein the geographic region is at least one of a city, a metropolitan area, a state, and a country;

(g) a display for displaying the stored telephone information;

(h) alphanumeric keys for entering query information for searching the stored telephone information;

(i) a scrolling mechanism for allowing a user to scroll through consecutive entries of the stored telephone information;

(j) a processing mechanism for searching for specific portions of the telephone information based on the query information input by the user via the alphanumeric keys, wherein the processing mechanism is dedicated to processing searches of the telephone information;

(k) wherein the query information includes at least one of business name data, business category data, and residential name data; and

(l) an input/output mechanism for receiving updated telephone information;

(m) a power source;

(n) wherein the portable device has a width of less than 6 inches, a height of less 4 inches, and a thickness of less than 1 inch.

2. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable device only stores telephone information.

3. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein user input to the portable device is limited to selection of the telephone information.

4. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the search is a reverse phone directory search.

5. The portable device as recited in claim 1, wherein the input/output mechanism is capable of wireless data transmission.

6. The portable device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a telephone portion capable of sending and receiving telephone calls.