Seamless wireless phone access service

• US 7,092,699 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Hefter, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/833,151
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/500, 455/502, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/412.2, 455/414.3, 455/445, 455/458, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/413, 455/426.2, 455/509, 455/503, 455/575.1, 707/1, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 709/204, 709/248, 709/203, 340/825.2, 340/825.21
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for synchronizing the memory of a wireless telephone with a networked computer over a wireless link. A communication network in accordance with the present invention, includes a plurality of portable wireless telephones; a plurality of base stations; and at least one controller coupled to the Internet. The portable wireless telephone is adapted to operate a program that stores information locally and automatically synchronizes the local memory with a host computer on the Internet. In operation, when a wireless telephone user receives a telephone call or data from the Internet, the number or the information is stored in the telephone memory and then automatically stored on a computer coupled to the Internet. In another embodiment, a computer coupled to the Internet is adapted to automatically synchronize a portion of the information stored in its memory with that of a portable wireless telephone. The Internet computer may in effect be used to reconstitute the wireless telephone memory.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone comprising:

a voice communication module for establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone; and

a memory, comprising;

a synchronization routine, wherein the synchronization routine is downloaded from a remote server if the synchronization routine is not present in the wireless telephone; and

a database;

said synchronization routine being adapted to automatically transmit information reflecting a database change to a computer over a wireless network while the voice communication link is established.

2. The wireless telephone of claim 1, wherein said transmission of the information occurs after said synchronization routine identifies a difference between said database and a database on the computer.

3. The wireless telephone of claim 1, wherein said transmission of the information occurs after a predetermined period of time.

4. The wireless telephone of claim 1, wherein said transmission of the information occurs after said synchronization routine identifies a predetermined number of differences between said database and a database on the computer.

5. The wireless telephone of claim 1, wherein said database comprises a plurality of names and associated telephone numbers and other information.

6. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone with a data file of a computer over a wireless network, the method comprising:

storing a synchronization routine in a memory of the wireless telephone;

establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

monitoring a change to the data file of the wireless;

initiating the synchronization routine to transmit the change to the computer over the wireless; and

receiving the change by the computer,

wherein the voice communication link remains established during the monitoring, the initiating, and the receiving.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitoring step further comprises comparing the data file of the wireless telephone with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

transmitting data file changes from the wireless telephone to a controller on the wireless network;

updating a data file on the controller to reflect the changes from the wireless telephone; and

transmitting data file changes from the controller to the computer.

9. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a data file of a computer with a data file of a wireless telephone over a wireless network, the method comprising:

storing a synchronization routine in memory of the computer;

establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

monitoring a change to the data file of the;

initiating the synchronization routine located in memory of the computer to transmit data file changes from the computer to the wireless telephone over the wireless network; and

receiving the data file changes by the wireless telephone,

wherein the voice communication link remains established during the monitoring, the initiating, and the receiving.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring step further comprises comparing the data file of the computer with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

transmitting data file changes from the computer to a controller on the wireless network;

updating a data file on the controller to reflect the changes from the computer; and

transmitting data file changes from the controller to the wireless telephone.

12. A system for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone with a data file of a computer over a wireless network, the method comprising:

means for establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

means for monitoring a change to the data file of the wireless telephone while the voice communication link remains established;

means for initiating, while the voice communication link remains established, a synchronization routine located in memory of the wireless telephone to transmit the change to the computer over the wireless network; and

means for receiving the change by the computer, while the voice communication link remains established.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for monitoring further comprises means for comparing the data file of the wireless telephone with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for initiating further comprises:

means for transmitting data file changes from the wireless telephone to a controller on the wireless network;

means for updating a data file on the controller to reflect the changes from the wireless telephone; and

means for transmitting data file changes from the controller to the computer.

15. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone, the method comprising:

establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

monitoring a change to the data file of the wireless telephone;

initiating a synchronization routine located in memory of the wireless telephone to transmit the change to the computer over the wireless network; and

receiving the change by the computer,

wherein the voice communication link remains established during the monitoring, the initiating, and the receiving.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the monitoring step further comprises comparing the data file of the wireless telephone with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

transmitting data file changes from the wireless telephone to a controller on the wireless network;

updating a data file on the controller to reflect the changes from the wireless telephone; and

transmitting data file changes from the controller to the computer.

18. A wireless network for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone with a data file of a computer, said network comprising:

a wireless telephone having a voice communication module for establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

a controller coupled to said wireless telephone by a wireless interface, said controller comprising a synchronizing routine, wherein the synchronization routine is downloaded from a remote server if the synchronization routine is not present in the controller; and

a computer coupled to said controller;

said synchronizing routine adapted to;

compare a controller memory to a corresponding memory of the wireless telephone while the voice communication link is established;

update the controller memory to reflect any differences resulting from the comparison while the voice communication link is established; and

transmit the changes to the computer.

19. The wireless network of claim 18, wherein said wireless telephone further comprises a synchronizing routine.

20. The wireless network of claim 19, wherein the synchronizing routine associated with the wireless telephone is adapted to:

compare a memory of the wireless telephone to a corresponding memory of the computer; and

update the wireless telephone memory to reflect the changes from the comparison.

21. The wireless network of claim 18, wherein said computer further comprises a synchronizing routine.

22. The wireless network of claim 21, wherein the synchronizing routine associated with the computer is adapted to:

compare a computer memory to a corresponding memory of a wireless telephone; and

update the memory location associated with the computer to reflect the changes from the comparison.

23. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone with a data of a computer over a wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

initiating a synchronization routine to transmit the data file from the wireless telephone to the computer over the wireless network; and

receiving the data file by the computer,

wherein the voice communication link remains established during the initiating and the receiving.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

comparing the data file of the wireless telephone with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network and;

initiating a synchronization routine to transmit the data file from the wireless telephone to the computer over the wireless network, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the initiating step further comprises

transmitting data file changes from the wireless telephone to a controller on the wireless network;

and

updating a data file on the controller to reflect the changes from the wireless telephone.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting data file changes from the controller to the computer.

27. A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a data file of a wireless telephone with a data of a computer over a wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

initiating a synchronization routine to transmit the data file from the computer to the wireless telephone over the wireless network; and

receiving the data file by the wireless telephone,

wherein the voice communication link remains established during the initiating and the receiving.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

comparing the data file of the wireless telephone with a data file stored on a controller on the wireless network and;

initiating a synchronization routine to transmit the data file from the wireless telephone to the computer over the wireless network, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the initiating step further comprises:

transmitting data file changes from the computer on the wireless network to the wireless telephone; and

updating the data file on the wireless telephone to reflect the changes from the computer.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising transmitting data file changes from the computer to a controller on the wireless network.

31. A system, comprising:

a wireless telephone, comprising;

a telephone database; and

a voice communication module for establishing a voice communication link between the wireless telephone and a second telephone;

a computer, comprising;

a synchronization routine, wherein the synchronization routine is downloaded from a remote server if the synchronization routine is not present in the computer; and

a computer database; and

a wireless network interconnecting the wireless telephone to the computer;

said computer adapted to automatically invoke the synchronization routine to synchronize the telephone database with the computer database while the voice communication link is established, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said wireless telephone further comprises a synchronization routine.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said wireless telephone is further adapted to automatically invoke the wireless telephone synchronization routine to synchronize the computer database with the wireless telephone database, upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.