Personal communication system, device and method

• US 7,373,110 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Mcclain
• Original Assignee: John Mcclain
• Inventors: McClain, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Lana
• Assistant Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/008,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/41.2, 455/66.1, 455/90.3, 846/15, 707/5
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A personal communication system has first and second portable communication devices, each device including a display, a wireless transceiver, a memory having a plurality of stored audio files, a means to select one of the audio files, the audio file selection means being operable to permit a user to select one of the audio files, and an audio speaker. The wireless transceiver of the first device is operable to transmit a signal identifying an audio file selected by the user and the wireless transceiver of the second device is operable to receive the signal, and, upon receipt of the signal, to play the selected audio file on the audio speaker of the second device. The memory includes one or more attributes for each stored audio file, the attributes comprising a sequence attribute, a message type attribute or a target gender attribute. The sequence, message type or target gender attribute have one or more of a plurality of predetermined values and are associated with a characteristic of a song from which an associated audio file is obtained. The device is also operable to receive one or more selections from the user of the predetermined values of the sequence, message type or target gender attributes.

Claims

1. A personal communication system, comprising:

first and second portable communication devices, each device including;

a display;

a wireless transceiver;

a memory having a plurality of stored audio files and having an identification code associated with each said audio file;

a means to select a selected audio file from among said plurality of audio files, said audio file selection means being operable to permit a user to select one of said audio files; and

an audio speaker;

said wireless transceiver of said first portable communication device being operable to transmit a signal identifying said selected audio file selected by said user, said signal including a transmitted identification code associated with said selected audio file and not including said audio file;

said wireless transceiver of said second portable communication device being operable to receive said signal;

said second portable communication device being operable, upon receipt of said signal, to search for said selected audio file in said memory of said second portable communication device, via said transmitted identification code, and being operable to play said selected audio file on said audio speaker if said selected audio file is present in said memory of said second portable communication device;

said memory includes one or more attributes for each stored audio file, said attributes comprising a sequence attribute, a message type attribute or a target gender attribute;

said sequence, message type or target gender attribute has one or more of a plurality of predetermined values;

said sequence, message type or target gender attribute is associated with a characteristic of an associated audio file;

said audio file selection means is operable to receive one or more selections from said user of said predetermined values of said sequence, message type or target gender attributes;

said signal includes one or more attributes of said selected audio file;

said second portable communication device compares said attributes transmitted in said signal to attributes of audio files in said memory of said second device; and

said second device plays an audio file having attributes matching said attributes in said signal;

whereby a suitable audio file is played on the second portable communication device if said selected audio file is not located on said second portable communication device via said transmitted identification code.

2. A personal communication system, as in claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined values of said sequence attribute comprise an invitation value and a reply value.

3. A personal communication system, as in claim 2 wherein:

said predetermined values of said sequence attribute further comprise an all sequence value.

4. A personal communication system, as in claim 2 wherein:

said predetermined values of said target gender attribute comprise a male value and a female value.

5. A personal communication system, as in claim 4 wherein:

said predetermined values of said target gender attribute comprise an all gender value.

6. A personal communication system as in claim 4, wherein:

one of said stored audio files has a male value target gender attribute; and

another of said stored audio files has a female value target gender attribute.

7. A personal communication system as in claim 2 wherein:

one of said stored audio files has an invitation value sequence attribute; and

another of said stored audio files has a reply value sequence attribute.

8. A personal communication system, as in claim 1, wherein said audio file selection means further comprising:

a matching audio file list on said display, said matching audio file list being limited to stored audio files having attributes matching a user selection of said predetermined values of said attributes; and

means to receive a user selection of a stored audio file from said matching audio file list.

9. A personal communication system, as in claim 1 wherein said means to receive user selections of said predetermined values of said audio file attributes comprises:

a plurality of attribute selection buttons, each button being associated with one of said sequence, target gender and message type attributes; and

each button being operable to loop through said predetermined values of an associated attribute in a predetermined order.

10. A personal communication system, comprising:

first and second portable communication devices, each device including;

a display;

a wireless transceiver;

a memory having a plurality of stored audio files;

a means to select a selected audio file from one of said audio files, said audio file selection means being operable to permit a user to select one of said audio files; and

an audio speaker;

said wireless transceiver of said first portable communication device being operable to transmit a signal identifying said selected audio file selected by said user, said signal not including said audio file;

said wireless transceiver of said second portable communication device being operable to receive said signal;

said second portable communication device being operable, upon receipt of said signal, to search for said selected audio file in said memory of said second portable communication device, and being operable to play said selected audio file on said audio speaker;

said memory including, for each stored audio file, a sequence attribute, a message type attribute and a target gender attribute, and each said attribute having one of a plurality of predetermined values;

said plurality of stored audio files including a variety of said predetermined values for each said sequence, message type and target gender attribute;

said attributes being associated with a characteristic of an associated audio file;

said audio file selection means being operable to receive selections from said user of said predetermined values of said attributes;

said signal includes said attributes of said selected audio file;

said second portable communication device, comparing said attributes transmitted in said signal to attributes of audio files in said memory of said second device; and

said second device playing an audio file having attributes matching said attributes in said signal.