Method and apparatus for improved personal communication devices and systems
First Claim
1. An improved method for storing contact data in a wireless personal communication device, comprising the steps of:
- initiating a message from a message originator to a message recipient under the control of the message originator;
receiving at a message center coupled to a communications network both message originator information provided automatically by the communications network as the caller ID identifying the telephone number of the message originator, and a non-facsimile picture obtained from the message originator prior to transmitting the caller ID to a wireless portable communication device;
causing the communications network to wirelessly transmit the caller ID and the picture from the message center to the wireless portable communication device;
maintaining contact data in a database resident in a computer system, the contact data comprised of at least one of name, telephone number, or image information that is associated with actual or potential communicants;
transmitting the contact data from the computer system to the wireless portable communication device using a radio frequency communication link, where the wireless portable communication device is capable of receiving caller id data supplied from the communications network;
receiving the contact data in a receiver unit of the wireless portable communication device;
storing the received contact data within a database resident in the wireless portable communication device, and;
accessing the contact data which is received and stored within the database for the purpose of establishing the identity of an actual or potential communicant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Contact data in a database for a wireless personal communication device are remotely updatable from, or transferable between, a computer system using a radio frequency connection. New contact data, and changes or updates to existing contact data, are input at the computer system or the personal communication device and may be utilized in the personal communication device to initiate contact with, or establish the identity of, actual or potential communicants. Contact data including name, telephone number, address, sound or image information associated with actual or potential communicants is transferred between a computer system and a personal communication device utilizing a radio frequency connection. The personal communication device can be a cellular telephone, PDA or pager, and may also include interfaces for local programming of contact data from a removable keyboard. Additionally, updates and transfers between a computer system and a personal communication device may be accomplished utilizing a serial, parallel or infrared interface.
603 Citations
66 Claims
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1. An improved method for storing contact data in a wireless personal communication device, comprising the steps of:
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initiating a message from a message originator to a message recipient under the control of the message originator; receiving at a message center coupled to a communications network both message originator information provided automatically by the communications network as the caller ID identifying the telephone number of the message originator, and a non-facsimile picture obtained from the message originator prior to transmitting the caller ID to a wireless portable communication device; causing the communications network to wirelessly transmit the caller ID and the picture from the message center to the wireless portable communication device; maintaining contact data in a database resident in a computer system, the contact data comprised of at least one of name, telephone number, or image information that is associated with actual or potential communicants; transmitting the contact data from the computer system to the wireless portable communication device using a radio frequency communication link, where the wireless portable communication device is capable of receiving caller id data supplied from the communications network; receiving the contact data in a receiver unit of the wireless portable communication device; storing the received contact data within a database resident in the wireless portable communication device, and; accessing the contact data which is received and stored within the database for the purpose of establishing the identity of an actual or potential communicant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. In a wireless portable communication device adapted to receive a picture and caller ID, an improved method for storing contact data in a wireless portable communication device, comprising the steps of:
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initiating a message from a message originator to a message recipient under the control of the message originator; receiving at a message center coupled to a communications network both message originator information provided automatically by the communications network as the caller ID identifying the telephone number of the message originator, and a non-facsimile picture obtained from the message originator prior to transmitting the caller ID to a wireless portable communication device; causing the communications network to wirelessly transmit the caller ID and the picture from the message center to the wireless portable communication device; maintaining contact data in a database resident in a computer system, the contact data comprised of at least one of name, telephone number, or image information that is associated with actual or potential communicants; transmitting a radio frequency signal comprised of an ID code and the contact data from a computer system to the wireless portable communication device using a radio frequency communication link; receiving a radio frequency signal in a receiver unit of the wireless portable communication device; decoding the radio frequency signal containing the ID code and comparing it against a recorded identification code contained within the wireless portable communication device; storing the received contact data within a database resident in the wireless portable communication device when the ID code matches the recorded identification code in the wireless portable communication device, and; accessing the contact data which is received and stored within the database for the purpose of establishing the identity of an actual or potential communicant.
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Specification