Method of providing a cellular phone/PDA communication system

• US 7,630,724 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGIS Software Development LLC (AGIS Holdings Inc.), Innovation Specialties Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. (AGIS Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Christopher R., Beyer, Malcolm K. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebassi; Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/308,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.3, 455/416, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A cellular, PDA communication device and communication system for allowing a plurality of cellular phone users to monitor each others'"'"' locations and status, to initiate cellular phone calls by touching a symbol on the touch screen display with a stylus which can also include point to call conferencing calling. Each participant'"'"'s cellular phone PDA device includes GPS navigation receiver with application software for point to call cellular phone initiation to participants and geographical entities including vehicles, persons or events, conference calls and video transfers. The method and system also includes automatic shifting from GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO to SMS when any of the cellular phones in the communication network is in the voice mode and in use and for automatic shifting back to GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO upon completion of the voice phone call. In addition, using the system, a full transfer of photographs, video clips and high speed data can be used between any cellular phones regardless of who the cellular phone vendors or cellular phone companies are and in either CDMA, GSM, WiFi or a combination of the two.

Claims

1. A method of providing a PDA cellular phone communication network for designating participating users displayed symbolically on a geographical map, each user having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes CPU, GPS navigational system symbol generator and a touch screen display comprising the steps of:

selecting screen icons for establishing rapid voice initiation and communication to the users of the cellular telephone PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

transmitting high speed internet selected text messages, photographs and video to other cellular phone users by touching each user'"'"'s geo-located symbol on the touch screen;

establishing a network of cellular phone PDA devices for said users having the same operating software that permits either voice communication and low speed communication or high speed internet communications;

communicating by icon selection with a remote server for receiving and transmitting over the internet high speed internet communications or low speed communications to each of the user'"'"'s cellular phones in the cellular phone network;

selecting symbols on said display touch screen representing other participants having similar cellular phones forming a communication network;

selecting by screen icon application software in each cell phone or a server for automatic triggering of stored selectable individual criteria and subject type and range for netting of said cell phone in a like group;

selecting icons for communicating with said remote server with the selectable criteria and subject matter and cell phone numbers and IP addresses of the selected user'"'"'s having the criteria and subject matter;

selecting application software in each cell phone or server for utilizing a list of approved net participants that can join a net;

selecting screen icons for communicating a position report and status information from one among all of the other users equipped with cellular phone/PDA/GPS system and its associated software and displaying the user'"'"'s symbol on the map display at the correct location;

selecting a screen icon for transmitting rapid voice call initiation to the users of the cellular phone/PDA/GPS navigational system using a touch screen and the users'"'"' symbols; and

selecting a screen icon for transmitting rapid transmission of free, operator selected text messages, photographs and video to another cellular phone using the touch screen.

2. A communication system as in claim 1, including:

displaying the symbol'"'"'s velocity as a line emanating from the symbol whose direction is representative of heading and whose length is representative of speed that is seen by the other participants in the communication networks as in claim 1 when the symbol'"'"'s velocity is transmitted to them.

3. A method for providing a cellular phone communication networked for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped cellular PDA phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system, and a touch screen display comprising:

Selectively activating one or more touch screen icons for activating transmission of selectively polling and status information from one user among all of the other users equipped with said cellular phones and its associated software;

activating a touch screen icon for automatically reporting position and status to a server for appropriate transmission or directly to one or more other participant users'"'"' cell PDA phones in said communication network based on predetermining condition;

activating a touch screen icon for reporting position and status based on a predetermined condition that includes distance traveled since last report; and

selecting a touch screen icon establishing voice conference calls and sending free text, operator selected messages, photographs, and video to all other network participants within a distance determined by the initiator of the voice call, free text, operator selected messages, photographs, and video.

4. A method for providing a communication network for designated participating users as in claim 3, wherein:

selecting an icon for creating a predetermined condition having specific users automatically reporting at specific times and/or distances traveled by the reporting user.

5. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users as in claim 3, wherein:

transmitting an alert automatically activated by previously entered information, or obtained from a database about fixed facilities or entered tracks that reach a minimum predetermined distance from a cellular phone user.

6. A method for providing cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system, and a touch screen display comprising:

generating a map of a geographical display on each user'"'"'s cell phone display screen;

selectively polling position and status information from one participating user between one or more of the other participant users equipped with similarly configured cellular phones and its associated software;

providing rapid voice call initiation from one participating cell phone user between and among the participating users of the cellular phone network system using a touch screen;

providing one or more symbols on said map displayed on touch screen representing other user participants, each user having a similar cell phone forming the communication network;

calling one or more participant users by touching the screen symbol representing another participant user on the touch screen and touching a call switch;

adding a new track symbol representing an object, person or event, fixed or mobile, to the geographical display by touching the geographical display at the location of the new track to be added;

assigning a category to the new track to be added on the geographical display screen, said category being an object, person or event;

selecting an appropriate category switch for identifying the new track selected;

selectively attaching text, photographs video clips, voice recording, Email address and URL address to the track so that when the user receiver of the track touches the symbol associated with the track, the user receives this information; and

sending to one or more of the other participant users of the cellular telephone network information concerning the new track including the new track'"'"'s location and category to the other participant users.

7. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 6 including the additional steps:

displaying tracks symbols received from other network participants on the ceil phone'"'"'s touch display screen at the correct geographic location superimposed on a geographic map mid further display the identity of the symbol and the text of the transmitted location and other received data when the track symbol is touched or selected by a different means.

8. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 6 including the additional steps of:

amplifying an entered track symbol on a user'"'"'s touch screen display with free text, preformatted messages, photographs or video or other digital files and transmitting the data to the other participants either directly or through a Server so that each of the participating network user'"'"'s can receive and view the information associated with the track symbol by touching the geographic located map symbol.

9. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each user having a similarly equipped cellular phone that includes a CPU, GPS navigational system, an interact message transmitter and receiver and a touch screen display comprising:

accessing a database in each cell phone that includes a geographical map of a predetermined area for user viewing on the touch screen display;

accessing an application program in each cell phone for generating one or more symbols representative of one or more participating users, each of whom have a similarly equipped cellular phone;

accessing a database in each cell phone that includes cellular telephone numbers of each of the participating users having similarly equipped cellular phones, said database including the generation of one or more symbols associated with a particular participating user;

calling a participating user by touching the symbol on the map display and touching a call switch;

connecting each of the cell phones to an internet connection;

exchanging IP addresses using SMS or other digital message format between and among each of the network participant users so that communications between participants is established via IP or transmission of a network participant'"'"'s IP address to a server which then transmits data to other network participants using the IP address previously.

10. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 comprising the additional steps of:

pushing photographs or video clips files between and among each of the cellular telephone participants users across multiple cellular carriers and between smart phone and PCs.

11. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 comprising the additional steps of:

enabling data exchange between network participants who have common cellular phone numbers in their phone'"'"'s or PC'"'"'s database.

12. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 including the additional steps of:

adding a new cell phone participant into a communication network of participating users by having the new cell phone participant transmit an identifier, a cell phone number and an IP address in an initial message to other participant users or to a server for retransmission of the data other network participants.

13. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 including the additional steps of:

sending each participating user directly or to a server for retransmission the geographic location of the sender of a message.

14. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 including the additional steps of:

automatically calling the nearest fixed location from a particular group including;

police stations, fire stations, or EMTs or other fixed locations by one or more of the cellular phone network participants.

15. A method for providing a cellular phone communication network as in claim 9 including the additional steps of:

entering on a user'"'"'s touch display screen a new track by touching the display screen at the correct map location and selecting the type of symbol to be displayed, causing that symbol identifier to be transmitted to the other network participants either directly or through a server and as the track'"'"'s location moves, sending new location data to the other participants relative to the new track so that each of the participating user'"'"'s display is updated with the new track'"'"'s position.

16. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each having a similarly equipped PDA cellular phone that includes a CPU, a GPS navigational system and a touch screen display comprising:

selecting an icon that establishes rapid voice call initiation and communication to the users of the cellular telephone PDA/GPS network system by touching their symbol on the phone'"'"'s a touch screen;

transmitting high speed internet rapid transmission of operator selected text messages, photographs, voice recordings and video to other cellular phone users using the touch screen;

accessing a server for establishing high speed internet communications between said cellular phone network users and said server; and

generating at the server networks enabling anonymous voice and data communications so that neither the originator of the phone call or data transmission nor the receiver of the phone call or data transmission need to know the other'"'"'s phone number, name or other identifier other than a symbol location on a map.