Simultaneous voice and data communication over a wireless network

• US 7,117,001 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Jyh-Han, Eaton, Eric T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/700,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/517, 455/450, 455/451, 455/509, 455/511, 455/466, 455/414.1, 370/493, 370/494, 370/503, 375/358
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system, method and computer readable medium for communicating data over a voice channel on a wireless device (300) is disclosed. The method on a wireless device (300) includes establishing an audio connection with a second device and providing an interface (326) for a user for sending data to the second device. The method further includes detecting the activation of the interface (326) by the user and sending a first data to the second device during the audio connection with the second device, wherein the quality of the audio connection is not affected by the sending. The method further includes receiving a second data from the second device, the second data being associated with the first data and preferably synchronizing the first data with the second data. Information, such as Vcard information, can be wirelessly exchanged between devices communicating data over a voice channel during an audio connection.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless device for communicating data over a voice channel, comprising:

establishing an audio communication between a wireless device and a second wireless device across the voice channel, wherein the voice channel comprises at least a wireless voice communications channel between the wireless device and the second wireless device;

providing a user interface for a user to use the wireless device for communicating data between the wireless device and the second wireless device across the voice channel;

detecting the activation of the user interface by the user;

communicating over the voice channel a first data between at least the wireless device and the second wireless device substantially during wireless audio communication between the wireless device and second wireless device over the voice channel; and

wirelessly transmitting the first data from the wireless device into the voice channel and destined for reception by the second wireless device and wirelessly receiving the second data from the voice channel, the second data having been transmitted by the second wireless device into the voice channel, the second data being associated with the first data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the first data from the wireless device into the voice channel and destined for reception by the second wireless device;

or

wirelessly receiving the first data at the wireless device from the voice channel, the first data having been transmitted by the second wireless device into the voice channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing the first data with a second data for both the wireless device and the second wireless device by wireless communication therebetween over the voice channel.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating metadata with the first data, the metadata indicating that the first data was synchronized.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

automatically synchronizing the first data with the second data when the first data is modified and metadata associated with the first data indicates that the first data was synchronized.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio communication comprises a standard telephone call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises at least one button, and wherein the detecting the activation of the user interface comprises the user activating the at least one button.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one button of the user interface comprises three buttons, a first button for sending data, a second button for receiving data, and a third button for synchronizing data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the activation of the user interface by the user comprises

detecting the activation of a button by the user, or

detecting the activation by the user of a visual representation of a button on a display.

11. A wireless device for communicating data on a voice channel, comprising:

a processor for establishing an audio connection with a second device over the voice channel;

an interface for a user for sending data to the second device;

a detector for detecting the activation of the interface by the user; and

a memory, communicatively coupled with the processor, for storing a first data, wherein the processor causes the first data to be sent to the second device over the voice channel during the audio connection with the second device when the detector detects the activation of the interface;

wherein the processor also causes the first data to be transmitted wirelessly over the voice channel during the audio connection destined for reception by the second device and causes a second data to be wirelessly received over the voice channel during the audio connection, the second data being associated with the first data.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, further comprising:

a memory for storing a second data received from the second device, the second data being associated with the first data.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, further comprising:

a synchronizer for synchronizing the first data with the second data.

14. The wireless device of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory for storing metadata for associating with the first data, the metadata indicating that the first data was synchronized.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the synchronizer further:

automatically synchronizes the first data with the second data when the first data is modified and metadata associated with the first data indicates that the first data was synchronized.

16. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is a mobile telephone.

17. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the audio connection comprises a standard telephone call.

18. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the interlace comprises at least one button.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the interlace comprises three buttons, a first button for sending data, a second button for receiving data and a third button for synchronizing data.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer instructions executable by a wireless device that communicates data on a voice channel for causing the wireless device to perform the steps of:

establishing an audio communication between the wireless device and a second device across the voice channel, wherein the voice channel comprises at least a wireless voice communications channel between the wireless device and the second device;

providing a user interface for a user to use the wireless device for communicating data between the wireless device and the second device across the voice channel;

detecting the activation of the user interface by the user;

communicating over the voice channel a first data between at least the wireless device and the second device substantially during wireless audio communication between the wireless device and second device over the voice channel; and

wirelessly transmitting the first data from the wireless device into the voice channel and destined for reception by the second device and wirelessly receiving a second data from the voice channel, the second data having been transmitted by the second device into the voice channel, the second data being associated with the first data.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer instructions further cause the wireless device to perform the steps of:

wirelessly transmitting the first data from the wireless device into the voice channel and destined for reception by the second device;

or

wirelessly receiving the first data at the wireless device from the voice channel, the first data having been transmitted by the second device into the voice channel.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer instructions further cause the wireless device to perform the step of:

synchronizing the first data with the second data for both the wireless device and the second device by wireless communication therebetween over the voice channel.

23. A wireless communication device for communicating data on a voice channel, comprising:

a processor for establishing an audio connection with a second communication device;

an indicator, communicatively coupled with the processor, for indicating to a user of the wireless communication device; and

a memory, communicatively coupled with the processor, for storing a first information file and a second information file, and wherein the processor is for sending first data to the second communication device, the first data relating to the first information file, and wherein the processor is further for receiving second data from the second communication device and is for storing the received second data in the memory as the second information file, the first data and the second data having been wirelessly transmitted over the voice channel during the audio connection with the second communication device , and wherein the indicator is for indicating that at least the second information file has been created in the memory.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein sending the first data and receiving the second data constitute an information exchange between the wireless communication device and the second communication device, the information exchange completing a predefined set of information exchanges relating to the first information file.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the second information file contains different information from the information in the first information file.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the second information file contains information relating to a Vcard.