Portable information terminal and information transmitting method

• US 6,996,423 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Minoru, Suzuki, Koji, Hanaoka, Seishi, Kitajima, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US10/183,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/418, 455/566, 455/567, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/450, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The disclosed invention provides a portable information terminal making it possible to easily transmit a plurality of kinds of information. The portable information terminal allows its user to select information categories to transmit from items stored as personal and/or schedule information in its memory. The selected categories are associated with one of data class of business use, private use, and the like. When the user selects the name and instructs the terminal to transmit, the terminal reads the information belonging to selected categories of the data class from the memory and transmits them, according to the specified transmission distance or destinations.

Claims

1. A portable information terminal comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of informational data, each of which belongs to one of a plurality of categories;

category selecting means for selecting one or more categories from said plurality of categories;

entering means for associating said category or categories selected by said selecting means with a data class, and storing said selected category or categories with said data class into said memory means;

display means for displaying at least one data class stored by said memory means;

data class selecting means for selecting one of the at least one data class displayed by said display means;

reading means for reading informational data belonging to said category or categories associated with the selected data class, from said memory means; and

transmitting means for transmitting said informational data read by said reading means further comprising;

distance selecting means for allowing said user to specify a distance over which said information data is transmitted; and

power adjusting means for adjusting transmitting power, according to the distance specified through said distance selecting means,

wherein said transmitting means transmits said informational data at the transmitting power adjusted by said power adjusting means.

2. A portable information terminal comprising:

a memory unit configured to store a plurality of informational data, each of which belongs to one of a plurality of categories;

a category selector configured to select at least one or more categories from said plurality of categories;

an entering device configured to associate said category or categories selected by said category selector with a data class, and to store said category or categories with said associated data class into said memory unit;

a display configured to display at least one data class stored by said memory unit;

a data class selector configured to select one of the at least one data class displayed by said display;

a reading device configured to read informational data belonging to said category or categories associated with the selected data class, from said memory unit; and

a transmitter which transmits said informational data read by said reading device, further comprising;

a distance selector configured to allow a user to specify a distance over which said informational data is transmitted; and

a power adjustor configured to adjust transmitting power according to the distance specified through said distance selector,

wherein said transmitter transmits said informational data at said transmitting power adjusted by said power adjustor.

3. An information transmitting method for use in an operator center for receiving data from a first portable information terminal and transmitting data to a second portable information terminal, said information transmitting method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said operator center, a plurality of informational data, each of which belongs to one of a plurality of categories from said first portable information terminal;

storing, at said operator center, the received informational data;

selecting, at said operator center, at least one category from said information data stored, associating a file of the selected category or categories with a data class, and storing the file into the storage;

transmitting, at said operator center, said data class to said first portable information terminal;

receiving, at said operator center, a request to transmit information including a destination indicating said second portable information terminal and said data class to transmit from said first portable information terminal;

reading, at said operator center, the file of informational data stored, associated with said data class; and

transmitting, at said operator center, said file to said second portable information terminal.

4. A portable information terminal comprising:

a display configured to display a plurality of categories;

an input device allowing a user of the portable information terminal to select at least one category from said plurality of categories displayed on said display, and to assign a data class for handling informational data belonging to the at least one category;

a memory unit configured to store said informational data belonging to said at least one category and said assigned data class; and

a communication interface unit, responsive to an instruction to transmit the informational data and a selection of the assigned data class received from the input device, configured to transmit informational data in the at least one category associated with said assigned data class, wherein;

said memory stores transmission distance information associated with said assigned data class; and

responsive to the instruction to transmit the informational data and the selection of the assigned data class received from the input device, said communication interface unit adjusts transmitting power, according to said distance information associated with said assigned data class, and transmits said informational data associated with the assigned data class.

5. A program product readable by a portable information terminal, and when executed by the portable information terminal, causing the portable information terminal to perform the steps comprising:

displaying a plurality of categories;

selecting at least one category from the plurality of the categories;

assigning a data class for handing informational data belonging to the at least one category;

storing a plurality of informational data, the assigned data class, and the at least one category associated with the assigned data class; and

transmitting informational data associated with the assigned data class responsive to an instruction to transmit the information data and a selection of the assigned data class, further comprising the steps of;

storing transmission distance information associated with said data class;

adjusting transmitting power according to the distance information associated with the assigned data class; and

transmitting the informational data associated with the assigned data class at the adjusted transmitting powerresponsive to the instruction to transmit the informational data associated with the selected data class.