Method for remote connection of machines and corresponding electronic analog apparatus

• US 7,010,314 B1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Jean-Francois Taillens
• Inventors: Taillens, Jean-François
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/700,697
• Time in Patent Office: 2,486 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/518, 455/519, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/416, 455/500, 340/993, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices

Abstract

The method for remote connection consists in identifying poles of interest common to several persons according to a technique which detects the areas of activity and the poles of interest and broadcasts them. The itinerant apparatus (1) comprises a data processing module (2) connected directly or not by a bus (3) to a display module (4), data selecting means (5) sound generating means (6) and several interface means (10, 11, 12) capable of connecting or adapting the device to other remote communication means. The apparatus (1) is capable of broadcasting (9) and picking up (8) codes selected in a nomenclature common to all the machines of the switchboard to encounter another apparatus containing at least a similar code. The machines (16a, 16b, 16c, 19d, 16e, 16f) exchange together their respective selections in interactive mode which passes through a transmission space (17, 18) systematically produced when at least two machines meet within operational distance. A sound signal and/or the display of parameters concerning the desired activities is activated if the selected codes in the machines are matching. The invention is useful in particular for identifying, aims, poles of interest and/or areas of activity common and/or complementary to several persons located in the proximity of one another.

Claims

1. Method for remotely and wirelessly connecting persons with common goals, interests and sectors of activity, comprising the steps of:

providing a first mobile transmitter-receiver device and a second mobile transmitter-receive device, the first and second mobile devices each being configured to establish selected interactive wireless links by alternately broadcasting and receiving at least one user-selected code assigned to a selected one of the user'"'"'s goals, interests and sectors of activity from a programmable database configured according to a standard common to the first and second mobile devices, the common standard defining a predefined nomenclature of user goals, interests and sectors of activity;

in the first mobile device, selecting and memorizing at least one of the user goals, interests and sectors of activity according to the common standard in the first device,

in the first mobile device, transmitting the assigned code of each of the selected and memorized goals, interests and sectors of activity;

moving the first mobile device until it reaches an operational distance near to the at least one second mobile device;

directly receiving any codes transmitted from the second mobile device, irrespective of a geographical location of the first mobile device, whenever the first and second mobile devices are turned on and are located within a predetermined operational distance from one another that defines a transmission space, the transmitting and receiving steps being configured to be initiated by either the users of the first or second mobile devices at any time, and

signaling to users of both the first and second mobile devices when one or more user-selected codes transmitted by the first mobile device matches one or more codes transmitted by the second mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile devices are each configured to activate at least one of a sound signal and a display when one or more matching codes are detected within the transmission space.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second mobile devices are further configured to

define the transmission space by moving and switching on the first and second mobile devices within the predetermined operational distance from one another,

identify matching codes,

transmit the user-selected codes,

alternately switching to and from master and slave mode to enable the first and second mobile devices to broadcast, to receive, to identify and to process the user-selected codes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a first one of the first or second mobile devices arrives within the predetermined operational distance of another of the first and second mobile devices, the method further comprises steps of:

switching alternately to a master-slave mode and broadcasting its selected and memorized codes to cause the other ones of the first and second mobile devices to carry out steps of;

comparing memorized and received codes, and

signaling the user when at least one memorized code matches at least one received codes.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nomenclature is modifiable and extensible by the user through a user interface and the display.

6. Mobile device for the remote connection of persons with common goals, interests and sectors of activity, comprising:

at least one power supply;

a micro-controller coupled to the power supply, the micro-controller being coupled to;

at least one display,

a user interface for at least one of selecting and inputting data;

at least one means for signaling the user;

at least one transmitter and at least one receiver;

a first memory configured to store operational software for the mobile device and a programmable database configured to store user-selected codes assigned to respective ones of goals, interests and sectors of activity of the user, the user-selected codes conforming to a common standard, the common standard defining a predetermined nomenclature of user goals, interests and sectors of activity, and

a second memory configured to store a downloadable database and other operational software,

wherein the mobile device is configured to alternately broadcast the user-selected codes corresponding to the user'"'"'s goals, interests and sectors of interests and to directly receive codes from an other mobile device, irrespective of a geographical location of the mobile device, whenever the mobile device is turned on and located within a predetermined operational distance from the other mobile device, so as to define a transmission space, the mobile device being further configured to signal the user when one or more of the received codes matches one or more of the user-selected codes stored in the programmable database.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the mobile device further includes at least one interface configured to enable selected peripheral devices to connect to the mobile device to facilitate selection of the user'"'"'s goals, interests and sectors of interests.

8. Device according to claim 6, further comprising a bus coupled to the micro-controller, to the at least one display, to the user interface, to the at least one transmitter and to the at least one receiver.

9. Device according to claim 6, further comprising a casing that encloses the at least one power supply, the micro-controller, the at least one display, the user interface, the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver to form a portable mobile device.