Method and apparatus for selection of one data set from among multiple related data sets and beaming the selected data set

• US 7,409,224 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lemke, Steve, Raff, Chris, Flores, Roger, McIlroy, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/927,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 4555561-5562, 455/458, 455/466, 455419-420, 455/566, 455/558, 4554141-4143, 705/41, 707/10, 709/200, 709/206, 379/93.23, 379/93.09, 379/93.18, 345/169, 34082571-82572
• US Class Current: 455/556.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A method and system of selecting one set of data from among multiple related data sets and beaming the data set from one handheld electronic device to another handheld electronic device. One embodiment discloses a method and system, which uses multiple cards, one for each category. The transmitter of the business card can transmit a business card from the active category of the device. Upon an attempt to transmit a business card from a category which does not have a pre-selected business card, the system issues a warning providing the user with a selection. The user has choices of sending a business card from any one category with pre-defined business card or sends a pre-defined default business card. In another embodiment, the transmitter of the business card can make a selection of a business card from a number of pre-defined electronic cards in the system and upon review of the business cards on the screen the user may decide to send the selected business card. In a third embodiment the transmitter of the business can edit a pre-defined business card and may make appropriate changes to the data field in the business card before transmitting it to the second device.

Claims

1. A method of communicating information between electronic devices comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of data sets within an electronic address book database comprising a plurality of contact records, wherein said plurality of data sets are for a same individual and wherein said plurality of data sets each comprise a different set of data from different categories of a database records;

in response to a user request to beam information from a first electronic device to a second electronic device using a wireless medium, displaying a respective label corresponding to each defined data set on a display screen of said first electronic device;

selecting a selected set of data from said display screen; and

automatically beaming said selected set of data from said first electronic device to said second electronic device in response to a user indication provided on said first electronic device to last a predetermined duration.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of data sets comprise an electronic business card.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said wireless medium is infrared communication.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said request to beam information from said first electronic device to said second electronic device is received in response to the user indication whereby the user presses a button on said first electronic device for the predetermined duration.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said first and second electronic devices are handheld computer systems.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said respective label is selected from the group comprising family, business and personal records.

7. A method of communicating information between electronic devices comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of unique data sets for a same individual within an electronic address book database comprising a plurality of contact records;

in response to a request to beam a data set from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, displaying a respective label corresponding to each defined data set on a display screen of said first electronic device;

selecting one of said plurality of data sets from said display screen; and

automatically beaming said selected data set to said second electronic device in response to a user indication on said first electronic device provided to last a predetermined duration.

8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said selecting one of said plurality data sets from said display screen comprises tapping a screen location corresponding to a label associated with said selected data set.

9. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said first and second electronic devices are handheld computer systems.

10. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said request to beam a data set from said first electronic device to said second electronic device is received in response to the user indication whereby the user presses a button on said first electronic device for the predetermined duration.

11. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said beaming said selected data set to said second electronic device is performed over an infrared communication channel.

12. A method of communicating information between electronic devices comprising the steps of:

in response to a request to share a data set from a first electronic device to a second electronic device, displaying a plurality of fields of a selected data set on a display screen of said first electronic device, said selected data set selected from a plurality of unique data sets with different data from a database records, each of said data sets for a particular user;

allowing said user to edit said plurality of fields by interfacing with said display screen and a digitizer of said first electronic device and to create an edited data set; and

automatically beaming said edited data set from said first electronic device to said second electronic device in response to a user indication on said first electronic device provided to last a predetermined duration.

13. The method as described in claim 12 wherein said first and second electronic devices are handheld computer systems.

14. The method as described in claim 12 wherein said beaming said edited data set to said second electronic device is performed over an infrared communication channel.

15. A system of communicating information between electronic devices comprising the steps of:

a component for defining a plurality of data sets within an electronic address book database comprising a plurality of contact records, wherein the plurality of data sets are for a same individual and wherein the plurality of data sets each comprise a different set of data from different categories of a database records;

a display screen associated with the first electronic device for displaying in a respective label corresponding to each defined data set in response to a user request to beam information from a first electronic device to a second electronic device using a wireless medium;

a component for selecting a selected set of data from the display screen; and

a transmission medium for automatically beaming the selected set of data from the first electronic device to the second electronic device in response to a user indication on said first electronic device provided to last a predetermined duration.

16. The system as described in claim 15 wherein at least one of the plurality of data sets comprises an electronic business card.

17. The system as described in claim 15 wherein the wireless medium is infrared communication.

18. The system as described in claim 15 wherein the request to beam information from the first electronic device to the second electronic device is received in response to the user indication whereby the user presses a button on the first electronic device for the predetermined duration.

19. The system as described in claim 15 wherein the first and second electronic devices are handheld computer systems.

20. The system as described in claim 15 wherein the respective label is selected from the group comprising family, business and personal records.