WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS WITH PROXIMAL TARGETS IDENTIFIED VISUALLY, AURALLY, OR POSITIONALLY

• US 20060256959A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Martin Hymes
• Original Assignee: Charles Martin Hymes
• Inventors: Hymes, Charles Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/433.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method of exchanging data comprises specifying in a first electronic device a recipient via perceptual addressing, and sending information from the first electronic device indicating an intent to conditionally communicate with the recipient only upon an expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device. In a further example, a conditional message is sent from the first electronic device to the specified recipient electronic device such that the conditional message is visible to a recipient device user only upon the expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first input into a first communication terminal from a first person using a first method of perceptual addressing, wherein the first input specifies a second person;

presenting to the first person for the first time a first set of information that was directed to the first person as a result of a second communication terminal receiving a second input from the second person using a second method of perceptual addressing, wherein the second input specifies the first person, wherein the second input occurs before the first input, and wherein both the second and first input must occur before presenting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing employs the first communication terminal and a functionally integrated camera that captures an image of the second person.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing employs the first communication terminal that detects a physical distance, direction, or position of the second person;

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing employs the first communication terminal and a functionally integrated microphone that captures a voice sample of the second person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing comprises receiving a distinguishing factor of the second person in response to a request from the first communication terminal for distinguishing factors of people who are in the perceptual proximity of the first person at the time of the request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing comprises receiving, in a broadcast transmission, a distinguishing factor of the second person.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing employs the first communication terminal to determine a list comprised exclusively of the communication terminals of people that are in the perceptual proximity of the first communication terminal at the time the list is determined.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input results in the determination of the communication address of the second person before presenting to the first person for the first time the first set of information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating sending a second set of information to the second person before presenting to the first person for the first time the first set of information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of information comprises contact or identification information of the second person, and the second set of information comprises contact or identification information of the first person.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the first set of information in the form of a wireless transmission before receiving the first input from the first person.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing the first set of information at least until the presenting to the first person for the first time a first set of information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the first set of information for the first time to the first person is the first time that any information is presented to the first person as a result of the second communication terminal receiving the second input from the second person.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method of perceptual addressing and second method of perceptual addressing are the same.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a first information set comprising a second designation of a second person and an indication that the source of the second designation is a first person; and

receiving a second information set comprising a first designation of the first person and an indication that the source of the first designation is the second person; and

directing a third information set to the second person only after receiving both the first information set and the second information set, wherein no information was previously directed to the second person as a result of receiving an information set comprising both a designation of the second person and an indication that the source of the designation is the first person; and

directing a fourth information set to the first person only after receiving both the first information set and the second information set, wherein no information was previously directed to the first person as a result of receiving an information set comprising both a designation of the first person and an indication that the source of the designation is the second person.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the third information set and directing the fourth information set occur simultaneously or within a time period short enough that it would not be apparent to either the first person or the second person without using specialized equipment that the two information sets were directed at different times.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein directing a third information set to the second person comprises transmitting the third information set to a second communication address of the second person.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second communication address is determined using a method of perceptual addressing.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second designation is a distinguishing factor of the second person, but is not a communication address.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second designation is a distinguishing characteristic of the second person.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining the second communication address from the second designation.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining that the second person is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be perceived by the first person.

23. A method comprising:

receiving from a first person a second designation of a second person, wherein the second designation is derived from a process of perceptual addressing; and

directing a first information set to be presented to the second person as a result of receiving the second designation; and

receiving from the second person a first designation of the first person; and

directing a second information set to the second person as a result of receiving both the first designation and the second designation, wherein the second information set is comprised of a portion of information that is not included in the first information set, and wherein no information associated with the second person is received from the first person between the time of receiving the second designation and directing the second information set.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first information set does not include information that identifies or uniquely indicates the first person, and wherein the portion of information in the second information set does comprise information that identifies or uniquely indicates the first person.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first designation is derived from a process of perceptual addressing.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

directing a third information set to the first person as a result of receiving both the first designation and the second designation.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein directing the third information set and directing the second information set occur simultaneously or within a time period short enough that it would not be apparent to either the first person or the second person without using specialized equipment that the two transmissions occurred at different times.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining that the second person is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceived by the first person.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining a list of people that are in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceived by the first person.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

directing the list of people to the first person.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

directing to the first person indications of observable distinguishing characteristics of people on the list.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving from the first person a list of people that are in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceived by the first person.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

creating the list from transmissions received from communication terminals of people that are in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceived by the first person.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein the second designation is a distinguishing factor of the second person, but is not a communication address.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

determining a communication address of the second person from the second designation.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the second designation is a distinguishing characteristic of the second person.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

determining a communication address of the second person from the second designation.

38. A method of exchanging data, comprising:

specifying in a first electronic device a recipient via perceptual addressing; and

sending information from the first electronic device indicating an intent to conditionally communicate with the recipient only upon an expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein perceptual addressing comprises specifying a photograph of the recipient.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein perceptual addressing comprises specifying a voice of the recipient.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein perceptual addressing comprises specifying a physical location of the recipient.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein specifying a recipient via perceptual addressing comprises sending perceptual addressing data to a server.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein specifying a recipient via perceptual addressing comprises sending perceptual addressing data to at least one other electronic device in the first electronic device'"'"'s perceptual proximity.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein sending information comprises sending the information to a server.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein sending information comprises sending the information to at least one other electronic device in the first electronic device'"'"'s perceptual proximity.

46. The method of claim 38, further comprising sending a conditional message from the first electronic device to the specified recipient electronic device such that the conditional message is visible to a recipient device user only upon the expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein the recipient is a user of a second electronic device within the perceptual proximity of the first electronic device.

48. A method of exchanging data, comprising:

receiving information in a second electronic device from a first electronic device indicating an intent to conditionally communicate with a user of the second electronic device only upon an expression of interest from the user of the second electronic device in communicating with the user of the first electronic device.

49. The method of exchanging data of claim 48, wherein the received information is received in the second electronic device from the first electronic device via perceptual addressing.

50. The method of exchanging data of claim 48, further comprising receiving a conditional message from the first electronic device in the second electronic device such that the conditional message is visible to the user of the second electronic device only upon the expression of interest from the user of the second electronic device in communicating with the user of the first electronic device.

51. The method of exchanging data of claim 50, further comprising receiving a nonconditional message in the second electronic device from the first electronic device that is visible before an expression of interest is received in the second electronic device in communicating with the user of the first electronic device.

52. The method of exchanging data of claim 50, wherein the conditional message is stored in a server until the server receives an expression of interest from the second electronic device user in communicating with the user of the first electronic device.

53. The method of exchanging data of claim 50, wherein the conditional message is stored in at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device until the second electronic device receives the second electronic device user'"'"'s expression of interest in communicating with the user of the first electronic device.

54. The method of exchanging data of claim 50, wherein the first and second electronic devices are wireless electronic devices communicating directly with one another.

55. The method of exchanging data of claim 50, wherein the first and second electronic devices are wireless electronic devices communicating via a server.

56. A method of facilitating exchange of data, comprising:

receiving in a server first information from a first electronic device identifying a second electronic device;

receiving in a server second information from the second electronic device identifying the first electronic device; and

forwarding at least one third information from a sending one of the first and second electronic devices to a receiving one of the first and second electronic devices.

57. The method of facilitating data exchange of claim 56, wherein the first information comprises an intent to conditionally communicate with a user of the second electronic device only upon an expression of interest from the user of the second electronic device in communicating with a user of the first electronic device.

58. The method of facilitating date exchange of claim 56, wherein at least one of the first and second information comprises perceptual addressing information.

59. The method of facilitating data exchange of claim 56, wherein the third information comprises an identity of at least one of the first electronic device user and the second electronic device user.

60. The method of facilitating data exchange of claim 56, wherein the third information comprises a conditional message from an originating one of the first and second electronic devices to the other of the first and second electronic devices such that the conditional message is visible to the user of the other electronic device only upon the expression of interest from the user of the other electronic device in communicating with the user of the originating electronic device.

61. The method of exchanging data of claim 60, wherein the conditional message is stored in a server until the server receives an expression of interest from the other electronic device user in communicating with the user of the originating electronic device.