Family calendar notification and tracking

• US 6,920,328 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wollrab, Lee M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Ming
• Application Number:
  US09/942,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20030045301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/414, 455/266, 455/404, 342/357.11, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electronic system and method for managing location, calendar, and event information. The system comprises at least two hand portable electronic devices, each having a display device to display personal profile, location, and event information, and means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data. A software program running in the electronic device can receive local and remote input data; store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information; and convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map display. The system additionally includes at least one earth orbiting satellite device using remote sensing technology to determine the location coordinates of the electronic device. The electronic devices receive synchronization messages broadcast by the satellite device, causing the software program to update the personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in each hand portable electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic system for managing location and event information for members of a defined group, said system comprising:

a plurality of portable electronic devices possessed by the group members, each electronic device including;

a display device operable to display information; and

means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data;

a software program stored in each portable electronic device, each software program operable to;

receive locally input data and wirelessly communicated remotely input data from other portable electronic devices;

store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information of all group members;

convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map for display; and

display coordinates of each member'"'"'s portable electronic device in a map image to indicate the location of each group member; and

at least one earth orbiting satellite device operable in cooperation with each portable electronic device using remote sensing technology to;

determine location coordinates of said portable electronic devices; and

broadcast synchronization messages received by each portable electronic device to each other portable electronic device, causing said software program stored in each electronic device to update said personal profile, event, time, and location information stored in said electronic devices so that each group member is provided with updated information as to the other group members and member events.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said portable electronic devices comprises a wireless telephone selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone and a smart telephone.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said locally input data are input manually.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for wirelessly communicating data are selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, cellular technology, and short distance wireless technology.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said synchronization messages are broadcast at regular intervals.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said synchronization messages are broadcast upon request from said software programs.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said location information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of an event from the location of at least one of said portable electronic devices.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, and display sequentially historical locations of at least one of said hand portable electronic devices in said map image.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, update, and display personal contact information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said wirelessly communicated remote input data are encrypted.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein wirelessly communicating comprises two-way direct wireless communication between any two individual portable electronic devices.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to issue and communicate alerts, alarms, and notifications to other portable electronic devices.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said software program is further operable to communicate changes of plans to other electronic devices that potentially affect events.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for processing comprise a microcomputer.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for storing are selected from the group consisting of RAM memory, flash EPROM memory, and non-volatile digital memory.

16. A method of managing and communicating information among a plurality of substantially identical portable electronic devices possessed by members of a defined group, said method comprising performing the following on each portable electronic device:

determining, processing, and storing location coordinates of each portable electronic device;

inputting, processing, and storing user profile information relating to the group member that possesses the portable electronic device;

inputting, processing, and storing collective profile information relating collectively to all group members;

inputting, processing, and storing event calendar information, said event calendar information including participants, date, time, and location of an event;

wirelessly communicating and synchronously updating said location coordinates, said profile information, and said event calendar information, such that each group member'"'"'s portable electronic device stores identical updated information; and

displaying said location, profile, and event calendar information in a display of each group member'"'"'s portable electronic device so that each group member is provided with undated information as to the other group members and member events.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said location coordinates and location information are displayed according to coordinates in a graphic map format.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said location coordinates are determined using satellite remote sensing technology.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said portable electronic devices comprise wireless telephones, each having an integral display device.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said inputting is performed manually.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein said wirelessly communicating is performed utilizing a technique selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, and short distance wireless technology.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein said synchronously updating is performed simultaneously at regular intervals for all of said portable electronic devices.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said synchronously updating occurs in substantially real time.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein said location information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of said event from the location of at least one of said portable electronic devices.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein a graphic map representing sequentially historical locations of at least one of said portable electronic devices is displayed.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein a graphic map representing relative locations of each portable electronic devices is displayed.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising storing, processing, updating, and displaying personal contact information.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising encrypting prior to wirelessly communicating and synchronously updating said location coordinates, said profile information, and said event calendar information.

29. The method of claim 16 further comprising communicating changes of plans to each portable electronic device that potentially affect events.

30. The method of claim 16 further comprising issuing and communicating alerts, alarms, and notifications between said portable electronic devices.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein an alarm is issued if a particular portable electronic device within said plurality of portable electronic devices is transported to a location outside of a prescribed coordinate boundary for the particular portable electronic device.

32. The method of claim 16 wherein said storing, updating, and wirelessly communicating are performed utilizing identical copies of a software program running in each portable electronic device.

33. A portable electronic device of a particular member of a defined group, the device comprising:

a display device operable to display information;

means for processing, storing, and wirelessly communicating data;

a software program stored in said electronic device, said software program operable to;

receive locally input data and wirelessly communicated remotely input data from electronic devices of other members,

store, process, and update personal profile, event, time, and location information of all members group members,

convert location information into coordinates of a graphic map for display; and

display coordinates of each member'"'"'s electronic device in a map image to indicate the location of each group member;

wherein said portable electronic device is operable to send to and receive from at least one earth orbiting satellite device synchronization messages and location coordinates obtained using remote sensing technology so that each group member is provided with updated information as to the other group members and member events.

34. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein the portable electronic device a wireless telephone selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone and a smart telephone.

35. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein said locally input data are input manually.

36. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein said means for wirelessly communicating data are selected from the group consisting of e-mail, infrared technology, cellular technology, and short distance wireless technology.

37. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein said event information comprises instructions for traveling to the location of an event from the location of said portable electronic device.

38. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, and display at said display device a graphic map representing sequentially historical locations of said portable electronic device.

39. The device of portable electronic claim 33 wherein said software program is further operable to store, process, update, and display personal contact information.

40. The portable electronic device of claim 33 operable to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of substantially identical portable electronic devices used by other group members, each portable electronic device storing a copy of said software program, said software program further operable to receive, store, process, update, display, and wirelessly communicate individual and collective personal profile, event, time, and location information relating to all of the group members.

41. The portable electronic device of claim 33 wherein said means for storing are selected from the group consisting of RAM memory, flash EPROM memory, and non-volatile digital memory.