Method and apparatus for maintaining a database in a portable communication device

• US 6,427,064 B1
• Filed: 01/05/1994
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DDBH Investments, LP
• Original Assignee: Daniel A. Henderson
• Inventors: Henderson, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHEUKFAN
• Application Number:
  US08/177,850
• Time in Patent Office: 3,128 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 379/355, 340/825.44, 340/825.27, 455/31.1
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/227 with call or message storage means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party

Abstract

A method and apparatus is described for the communication of data which is maintained in a database within a memory of a paging receiver. The data maintained in these fields may be utilized during page requests to provide possibly useful information to the page-receiving communicant. The data is communicated via one or more alternative techniques described herein.

Claims

1. A method of communicating information from a page-originating communicant to a page-receiving communicant utilizing a paging network which operates by generating a page after receiving a paging request from said page-originating communicant over a telephone network, comprising the method steps of:

(a) providing a portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant, said portable communication device including;

(1) a database recorded in memory with a plurality of associated data fields, including a numeric field which is representative of telephone numbers; and

(2) means for comparing information obtained from said paging network with at lest one of said plurality of associated data fields;

(3) a display member for displaying at least one of (1) information obtained from said paging network, and (2) information obtained from said plurality of data fields;

(b) initiating communication between said page-originating communicant and said numeric paging network over said telephone network;

(c) automatically passing caller-identification information from said telephone network to said paging network, said caller-identification information including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information;

(d) allowing input by said page-originating communicant of optional numeric data into said paging network;

(e) utilizing said paging network to transmit to said page-receiving communicant (1) said caller-identification information including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page-originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information, and (2) said optional numeric data;

(f) receiving (1) said caller-identification information including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page-originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information, and (2) said optional numeric data at said portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant;

(g) utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing said caller-identification information and optional numeric data by utilizing said means for comparing which is resident in said portable communication device to compare said caller-identification information and said optional numeric data with particular ones of said plurality of associated data fields of said database recorded in memory of said portable communication device; and

(h) displaying information in said display member of said portable communication device resulting from said step of utilizing said portable communication device.

2. A method of communicating, according to claim 1, wherein said step of utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing includes:

comparing at least one of (1) said caller-identification information and (2) said optional numeric data to at least portions of said database.

3. A method of communicating, according to claim 1, wherein said step of utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing comprises:

comparing said caller-identification information to said telephone number field.

4. A method of communicating, according to claim 1, wherein said step of utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing includes:

comparing said optional numeric data to said telephone number field.

5. A method of communicating, according to claim 4, further including:

identifying matches between said optional numeric data and at least one matched data item in said telephone number field.

6. A method of communicating, according to claim 5, further including:

displaying information contained in selected ones of said plurality of data fields which are associated with said at least one matched data item in said display member of said portable communication device.

7. A method of communicating, according to claim 6, further including:

displaying at least a portion of said caller-identification information in said display member of said portable communication device.

8. A method of communicating, according to claim 6, wherein said information displayed in said display member provides an indication of identity of said page-originating communicant.

9. A method of communicating, according to claim 8, wherein said information displayed in said display member comprises at least one name associated in said database with said optional numeric data.

10. A method of communicating information from a page-originating communicant to a page-receiving communicant utilizing a paging network which operates by generating a page after receiving a paging request from said page-originating communicant over a telephone network, said paging request including caller-identification information, including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page-originating communicant in making said paging request, comprising the method steps of:

(a) providing a portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant, said portable communication device including;

(1) a database recorded in memory with a plurality of associated data fields, including a numeric field which is representative of telephone numbers;

(2) means for comparing information obtained from said paging network with at least one of said plurality of associated data fields;

(3) a display member for displaying at least one of (1) information obtained from said paging network, and (2) information obtained from said plurality of data fields;

(b) initiating communication between said page-originating communicant and said paging network over said telephone network;

(c) automatically passing said caller-identification information from said telephone network to said paging network;

(d) allowing input by said page-originating communicant of optional numeric data into said paging network;

(e) utilizing said paging network to transmit to said page-receiving communicant (1) said caller-identification information and (2) said optional numeric data;

(f) receiving (1) said caller-identification information and (2) said optional numeric data at said portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant;

(g) utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing said caller-identification information and optional numeric data by utilizing said means for comparing which is resident in said portable communication device to compare said caller-identification information and said optional numeric data with particular ones of said plurality of associated data fields of said database recorded in memory of said portable communication device and identifying matches between said optional numeric data and at least one matched data item in said telephone number field; and

(h) displaying information in said display member contained in selected ones of said plurality of data fields which are associated with said at least one matched data item in said display member of said portable communication device, including at least a portion of said caller-identification information in said display member of said portable communication device in over to provide an indication of identity of said page-originating communicant which includes at least one name associated in said database with said optional numeric data.

11. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

periodically updating said database recorded in memory to include new information regarding potential communicants.

12. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

including in said portable communication device a calendar with fields annotated with particular dates;

programming said portable communication device to automatically provide prompts.

13. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

if no matched data items re uncovered after comparison, displaying information in said display member of said portable communication device which indicates that no match was found.

14. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

allowing user selection of intensity levels for page alert notification;

providing a page alert notification upon receipt of a page in accordance with said user selection of intensity.

15. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

providing a detachable input interface;

connecting a detachable input interface to said portable connection device;

utilizing said detachable input interface to modify said database recorded in memory of said portable communication device.

16. A method of communicating information, according to claim 10, further comprising:

providing a means for coupling said portable communication device to a computer;

utilizing said computer to modify said database recorded in memory of said portable communication device.

17. A method of communicating information from a page-originating communicant to a page-receiving communicant utilizing a paging network which operates by generating a page after receiving a paging request from said page-originating communicant over a telephone network, comprising the method steps of:

(a) providing a portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant, said portable communication device including;

(1) a database recorded in memory with a plurality of associated data fields, including a numeric field which is representative of telephone numbers; and

(2) means for comparing information obtained from said paging network with at least one of said plurality of associated data fields;

(3) a display member for displaying at least one of (1) information obtained from said paging network, and (2) information obtained from said plurality of data fields;

(b) initiating communication between said page-originating communicant and said paging network over said telephone network;

(c) automatically passing said caller-identification information from said telephone network to said paging network, said caller-identification information including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page-originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information;

(d) allowing input by said page-originating communicant of optional data into said paging network;

(e) utilizing said paging network to transmit to said page-receiving communicant (1) said caller-identification information, including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information, and (2) said optional data;

(f) receiving (1) said caller-identification information, including at least a bit string representation of a telephone number for a particular telephone unit utilized by said page originating communicant in making said paging request without requiring entry by said page-originating communicant of said caller-identification information, and (2) said optional data at said portable communication device identified in said paging network to said page-receiving communicant;

(g) a utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing said caller-identification information and optional data by utilizing said means for comparing which is resident in said portable communication device to compare said caller-identification information with particular ones of said plurality of associated data fields of said database recorded in memory of said portable communication device; and

(h) displaying information in said display member of said portable communication device resulting from said step of utilizing portable communication device for analyzing.

18. A method of communicating, according to claim 17, wherein said step of utilizing said portable communication device for analyzing comprises:

comparing said caller-identification information to said telephone number field.

19. A method of communicating, according to claim 17, further including:

displaying information contained in selected ones of said plurality of data fields which are associated with said at least one matched data item in said display member of said portable communication device.

20. A method of communicating, according to claim 17, further including:

displaying at least a portion of said caller-identification information in said display member of said portable communication device.

21. A method of communicating, according to claim 17, wherein said optional data includes at least one of the following data types:

(a) numeric data;

(b) alphanumeric data;

(c) digitized speech;

(d) facsimile messages; and

(e) images.