Portable wireless communication device

• US 5,929,771 A
• Filed: 07/26/1995
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Communication Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaskill, Garold B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US08/507,181
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 370/94.1, 370/95.1, 370/95.3, 340/825.44, 455/38.3, 455/151.2, 455/231
• US Class Current: 340/7.54
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

A portable communication device which also has an infrared transceiver. A portable communication device can automatically establish infrared communication sessions with another portable communication device or desktop computer having an infrared transceiver. The portable communication device and the other device may exchange textual and graphical information, as well as the current time, and then reconcile the newly received information with that information in possession before the communication session began. Multiple portable communication devices and computers may communicate, while conserving battery power, using a time division multiplexing scheme where the infrared transceivers are active during a short, periodic time slots. Multiple communication session may overlap in time as long as they are not active during the same time slot.

Claims

1. A system comprising in combination:

a terminal which broadcast hailing messages, said hailing messages being broadcast repeatedly at a first periodic rate utilizing electromagnetic radiation having a wave length shorter than radio waves, and

a receiver comprising a periodically operative, wrist mounted, battery operated device,

said receiver having a wristwatch form factor and an identification number,

said receiver having means for receiving said hailing messages and means for transmitting to said terminal said identification number in response to the receipt of a hailing message,

said means for transmitting utilizing electromagnetic energy having a wave length shorter than radio waves for said transmission,

said terminal including means for storing messages addressed to said receiver, and means for transmitting said messages to said receiver in response to the receipt of said identification number.

2. A system including in combination:

a computer having stored therein messages, each of said messages addressed to a particular identification number, said computer including first means for periodically transmitting hailing messages utilizing electromagnetic energy having a wave length shorter than radio waves, said hailing messages being transmitted at a first periodic rate,

a wristwatch having a first identification number,

first receiving means in said wristwatch for receiving said hailing messages

transmitting means in said wristwatch for transmitting to said first means said first identification number,

second receiving means in said computer for receiving said identification number and for transmitting to said first receiving means messages addressed to said first identification number.