Personal information management system

• US 7,334,726 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alps Automative, Inc. (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: McDowell, Charles William, Meesseman, Scott, Dulgerian, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/182,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A personal information management system stores associations between a user and the user'"'"'s mobile hand held electronic and communication devices. The system receives input indicating the presence of the user and bonds with the mobile hand held devices associated with the identified user to the exclusion of other devices. Once the system has bonded to the user'"'"'s mobile hand held devices, the user may access data stored on and control functions of the various hand held devices through a single common interface, the system may be used to place and receive cellular telephone calls, send and receive text messages, and record and play back audio messages.

Claims

1. A personal information management system for interacting with and controlling one or more external mobile devices, the system comprising:

a central control module having a data storage to store an association between a first user and a first external mobile device set;

an input device to identify the first user; and

a wireless communication module to communicate control and data signals between the central control module and the first external mobile device set;

the input device being configured to communicate the identity of the first user to the control module so that when the input device verifies the presence of the first user, the control module seeks to communicate with and control one or more external mobile devices of the first external mobile device set to the exclusion of other external mobile devices.

2. The personal information management system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a remote keyless entry system which verifies the presence of the first user by receiving a coded identification signal from a remote keyless entry system key fob.

3. The personal information management system of claim 1 wherein the control module stores an association between a second user and a second external mobile device set, the input device being configured to communicate the identity of the second user to the control module so that when the input device verifies the presence of the second user, the control module seeks to communicate with one or more external mobile devices comprising the second external mobile device set to the exclusion of other external mobile devices.

4. The personal information management system of claim 3 wherein the control module sends a wireless query to each external device in the second external mobile device set when the input device verifies the presence of the second user, and establishes a communication link with each external mobile device in the second external mobile device set that responds.

5. The personal information management system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a biometric reader adapted to identify a user based on unique biometric data.

6. The personal information management system of claim 1 wherein the communication module comprises a Bluetooth communication module.

7. The personal information management system of claim 6 wherein the control module sends a wireless query to each external mobile device in the first external mobile device set when the input device verifies the presence of the first user, and establishes a communication link with each external mobile device in the first external mobile device set that responds.

8. The personal information management system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a key pad for receiving a user entered identification code.

9. The personal information management system of claim 1 further comprising a central user interface, the central user interface allowing the first user to interact with and control each external mobile device in the first external mobile device set from a single interface.

10. The personal information management system of claim 9 wherein the user interface includes a function selector switch, a microphone, a speaker and a display device.

11. A personal information management system for use in a vehicle, the personal information management system comprising:

a vehicular user interface that includes at least a microphone, a speaker and a display;

a wireless communication module to communicate with external mobile devices; and

a control module including a data storage, the control module configured to store audio data recorded by said microphone in the data storage, and selectively replay said audio data over the speaker in response to an input from a user.

12. The personal information management system of claim 11 further comprising an input device to identify a user, the control module configured to form associations between users and said stored audio data such that said stored audio data may be replayed only at the selection of a user who recorded the audio data.

13. A personal information management system comprising:

a control module including a communication module to establish a wireless communication link between the central control module and an external mobile communication device;

a database storage device to store one or more pre-recorded text messages; and

an interface to store said pre-recorded text messages and to allow a user to select a pre-recorded text message to be transmitted via the external mobile communication device;

whereby, when a user selects a pre-recorded text message to be sent, the control module causes the selected pre-recorded text message to be transmitted to the external mobile communication device over the wireless communication link with commands to the external mobile communication device for transmitting the pre-recorded text message.

14. The personal information management system of claim 13 wherein the one or more pre-recorded messages comprise Short Message Service (SMS) text messages.

15. The personal information management system of claim 14 wherein the external mobile communication device comprises an SMS enabled cellular telephone.

16. The personal information management system of claim 13 wherein the wireless communication link is further configured to establish a communication link with an external mobile device capable of acting as a text editor, the pre-recorded text messages being composed on the text editor and transferred to the control module via the wireless link.

17. The personal information management system of claim 13 wherein the pre-recorded text messages comprise email messages, the external mobile communication device comprises a wireless email terminal, and the commands for transmitting the pre-recorded text messages include an email address of a message recipient.

18. A central control module for a personal information management system, the central control module comprising:

a first interface for providing a data link to an external application, the external application including a user interface;

a second interface for communicating with a plurality of remote, mobile devices over a wireless link;

a synchronization protocol manager in communication with the second interface and configured to extract data from said remote devices; and

a database for storing data extracted from said remote devices.

19. The central control module of claim 18 wherein the synchronization protocol manager implements a plurality of synchronization protocols and a protocol identification algorithm for identifying the most appropriate synchronization protocol for synchronizing data with each individual remote device of said plurality of remote devices.

20. The central control module of claim 19 wherein said synchronization manager includes a hierarchical list of synchronization protocols, wherein the synchronization manager attempts to synchronize data with a remote device using a more favored synchronization protocol if possible, and implementing a less favored synchronization protocol if the more favored synchronization protocol is not supported by the remote device.

21. A method of synchronizing data between a first personal information storage device and a second personal information storage device, the method comprising:

assembling a preferential list of synchronization protocols implemented on one of said first and second personal information storage devices;

determining, in order of preference, whether a synchronization protocol implemented on the one of said first and second personal information storage devices is implemented on the other of said first and second personal information storage devices; and

initiating a data synchronization function employing a synchronization protocol which is the most preferred synchronization protocol implemented on both the first and second personal information storage devices.