Method of providing cell phones in a cell phone signal strength chart of multiple cell phones in a communication network

• US 7,764,954 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGIS Software Development LLC (AGIS Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Malcolm K. Beyer, Jr.
• Inventors: Beyer, JR., Malcolm K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebassi, Amanuel
• Application Number:
  US11/670,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.3, 455/416, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• 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 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: 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

Abstract

A method, a combined cellular, PDA communication device and system having specialized software applications for allowing a plurality of combined cellular phone/PDA device 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 a GPS navigation receiver with application software for point to call or conference call initiation to network participants and fixed facilities. The method, device and system also include several features that: (a) provides an individual the ability to establish public or private peer to peer networks and to assign the symbols and soft switches associated with the network; (b) allow individual cell phone/PDA device users to create a signal strength geo-referenced contour map; (c) permit each network participant to automatically request and download additional constantly updated maps that surround the network participant'"'"'s fixed or moving locations from a server and (d) collapse the cell phone'"'"'s soft switch matrix and readout areas so that after a fixed amount of user inactivity time, the map and superimposed symbols area will increase to occupy the soft switch and read out areas.

Claims

1. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each user having a similarly equipped PDA/cell phone that includes a CPU and a GPS navigational system for a touch screen display;

establishing a rapid voice call initiation communication among the users of the cell phone/PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

providing each cellular/PDA/GPS phone with a software application program and database that permits each cell phone user to continuously know each other cell phone user'"'"'s geographical location and status which is displayed on the touch screen display of each cell phone;

displaying on each cell phone display one or more symbols representing the users in the network having similarly equipped cell phones that transmit the geographical location upon request, distance traveled, or other criteria to the users in the network periodically so that each cell phone user has a touch display with symbols representing the other users in the network geographically;

transmitting from a remote network server that can communicate with each cell phone/PDA in said communications network additional maps to each user'"'"'s cell phone, said server including a database that contains additional maps not available on each user'"'"'s cell phone database that can be downloaded by each cell phone/PDA by communicating with the server;

accessing with a remote network server from a system website for the purpose of establishing either public or private networks that can then enable those who have accessed the website the ability to define public and private peer to peer, networks each with its own symbols and soft switches; and

communicating additional maps from a remote network server that can communicate with each cell phone/PDA in said communications network, said server including a database that contains additional maps not available on each user'"'"'s cell phone database that are automatically downloaded to each cell phone/PDA through communication with the server by entering a symbol or hooking a symbol or hooking a moving symbol in an area where maps are not contained in its local database for the stationary or moving symbol.

4. A method as in claim 1 that substitutes the use of IP WiFi or similar communications that does not require a server which is necessary with cellular phones due to the fact that cellular phones do not have static IP addresses but do have a fixed Media Access Control Address.

2. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each user having a similarly equipped PDA/cell phone that includes a CPU and a GPS navigational system for a touch screen display;

establishing a rapid voice call initiation communication among the users of the cell phone/PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

continuously transmitting geographical locations and status from each cellular/PDA/GPS phone with a software application program and database that permits each cell phone user to continuously know each other cell phone user'"'"'s geographical location and status which is displayed on the touch screen display of each cell phone;

displaying on each cell phone display one or more symbols representing the users in the network having similarly equipped cell phones that transmit the geographical location upon request, distance traveled, or other criteria to the users in the network periodically so that each cell phone user has a touch display with symbols representing the other users in the network geographically;

displaying a soft switch matrix including a plurality of soft switches in each touch screen display of each cell phone and user network that includes initiating rapid voice call to any other user in the network through touching the first voice call switch after hooking a specific symbol or symbols that automatically calls the symbols touched at the location; and

collapsing the soft switch matrix to increase cell phone map display area so that when symbols are not hooked or the operator is not taking soft switch actions for a fixed time period, the soft switches collapse down to a single row of fixed soft switches thus providing the maximum size map for observation for participant'"'"'s PDA display.

5. A method as in claim 2 that substitutes the use of IP WiFi or similar communications that does not require a server which is necessary with cellular phones due to the fact that cellular phones do not have static IP addresses but do have a fixed Media Access Control Address.

3. A method of providing a cellular phone communication network for designated participating users, each user having a similarly equipped PDA/cell phone that includes a CPU and a GPS navigational system for a touch screen display;

establishing rapid voice call initiation communication among the users of the cell phone/PDA/GPS network system using a touch screen;

continuously transmitting geographical locations and status of each cellular/PDA/GPS phone with a software application program and database that permits each cell phone user to continuous know each other cell phone user'"'"'s geographical location and status which is displayed on the touch screen display of each cell phone;

displaying on each cell phone display one or more symbols representing the users in the network having similarly equipped cell phones that transmit the geographical location upon request, distance traveled, or other criteria to the users in the network periodically so that each cell phone user has a touch display with symbols representing the other users in the network geographically; and

creating and displaying a cell phone reception signal strength geo-referenced contour map by collecting and storing the network participant'"'"'s location and area signal strength data that is being or has been transmitted between network participants and using the signal strength data to display a signal strength contour graph, chart or map on each cell phone display so that network participants can view their locations and signal strengths on said display maps on each cell phone.

6. A method as in claim 3 that substitutes the use of IP WiFi or similar communications that does not require a server which is necessary with cellular phones due to the fact that cellular phones do not have static IP addresses but do have a fixed Media Access Control Address.