Integration of wireless and external computing devices

• US 8,160,557 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Christopher A., Waughman, Russell J., Berretta, Gregg J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, NGHI H
• Application Number:
  US10/662,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050059439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,137 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/577, 455/566, 455/158.4, 379/88.2, 379/245, 379/88.19, 379/88.21, 379/93.03, 379/127.06, 379/207.13, 379/8, 379/8.2, 379/207.15
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/576 associated with a pictorial or graphical representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Information is received from a caller via a wireless device and communicated to an external computing device. Contact information for the caller is located using at least one of a name and phone number of the caller, and when the contact information for the caller is located, it is displayed on a display of the external computing device.

Claims

1. A method of displaying contact information in real time about a caller, the method comprising:

receiving information from the caller via a wireless device;

communicating the information to at least one computing device external to the wireless device;

locating the contact information for the caller in a contact database of either the external computing device or of a network to which the external computing device belongs, using at least one of a name and phone number of the caller;

displaying the contact information for the caller on a display of the external computing device; and

communicating to the caller, via a call logic on the wireless device interacting with a contact manager logic on the wireless device, one of a Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Message Service (EMS), and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message containing a called party'"'"'s name and photo, the called party being a user of the wireless device receiving a call from the caller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the contact information for the caller is not located, the external computing device creating a new contact record for the caller in the contact database, the new contact record associating the name and phone number of the caller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

the external computing device receiving photo information for the caller from the wireless device; and

including the photo information in the new contact record for the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing contact information from contact manager logic of the external computing device or of the network to which the external computing device belongs to the wireless device; and

communicating the contact information to the wireless device as one of an SMS, EMS, and MMS message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

dragging the contact information from a GUI for the contact manager logic; and

dropping the contact information into a GUI for wireless device interface logic.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing contact information from contact manager logic of the external computing device or of the network to the wireless device; and

storing the contact information from the contact manager logic in a memory of the wireless device.

7. A system comprising:

at least one wireless device;

at least one computing device external to the wireless device;

the wireless device comprising logic to communicate caller name and phone number information to the external computing device in real time during a call with the caller; and

the external computing device comprising logic to locate in real time during the call contact information for the caller in a contact database, using at least one of a name and phone number of the caller, and a call logic to communicate to the caller, via a call logic on the wireless device interacting with a contact manager logic on the wireless device, one of a Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Message Service (EMS), and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message containing a called party'"'"'s name and photo, the called party being a user of the wireless device receiving a call from the caller.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the external computing device comprising logic to display the contact information.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the external computing device comprising logic to create a new contact record for the caller in the contact database if the contact information for the caller is not located in the contact database, the new contact record associating the name and phone number of the caller.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

the external computing device comprising logic to include photo information for the caller received from the wireless device in the new contact record for the caller.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the external computing device comprising logic to provide contact information from the contact manager database to the wireless device via one or more of an SMS, EMS, and MMS message.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

contact manager logic comprising a GUI; and

logic to enable dragging and dropping of the contact information from the contact manager logic GUI to a GUI for the wireless device displayed by the external computing device.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the external computing device comprising logic to provide the contact information to the wireless device; and

the wireless device comprising logic to store the contact information received from the external computing device.

14. A device comprising:

logic to interface with at least one wireless device;

logic to in real time during a call receive from the wireless device caller name and phone number information and to locate contact information for the caller in a contact database using at least one of a name and phone number of the caller; and

logic to communicate to the caller, via a call logic on the wireless device interacting with a contact manager logic on the wireless device, one of a Short Message Service (SMS), Enhanced Message Service (EMS), and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message containing a called party'"'"'s name and photo, the called party being a user of the wireless device receiving a call from the caller.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

logic to display the contact information.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

logic to create a new contact record for the caller in the contact database if the contact information for the caller is not located in the contact database, the new contact record associating the name and phone number of the caller.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

logic to include photo information for the caller received from the wireless device in the new contact record for the caller.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

logic to provide contact information from the contact manager database to the wireless device via one or more of an SMS, EMS, and MMS message.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

contact manager logic comprising a GUI;

wireless device interface logic comprising a GUI; and

logic to enable dragging and dropping of the contact information from the contact manager logic GUI to the wireless device interface logic GUI.

20. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

logic to provide the contact information to the wireless device.