Walkie-talkie with screen to show a list of other walkie-talkies within communication range

• US 7,299,075 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: DesignTech International, LLC
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Mark, Lyons, Mark, Bosch, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US10/776,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20050181726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/519, 455/90.2, 455/41.2, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A device, method, and computer program product for identifying and communicating with digital communication devices within a communication range that includes a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal and a voice signal, a receiver configured to receive the control signal and the voice signal, a user interface unit having a display area, and a computational unit configured to control the transmitter to periodically transmit identifying information as the control signal. The control signal is received as remote identifying information by the other digital communication devices within the communication range. The remote identifying information is displayed on the display area of each of the digital communication devices receiving the control signal.

Claims

1. A digital communication device for identifying and communicating with other digital communication devices within a communication range, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a first control signal and a first voice signal directly to other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the first control signal and the first voice signal;

a receiver configured to receive a second control signal and a second voice signal directly from at least one of the other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the second control signal and the second voice signal;

a computational unit configured to control the transmitter to periodically transmit identifying information as the first control signal, the first control signal being received as remote identifying information by the other digital communication devices within the communication range;

a user interface having a display area for displaying information corresponding to at least a portion of the second control signal received from the other digital communication devices, wherein the information is displayed on the display area as a list selectable by a user to create a selected set of digital communication devices;

a speaker configured to output the second voice signal received by the receiver; and

a microphone configured to receive a voice communication from the user,

wherein the user interface includes a transmit button, and the computational unit is configured to control the transmitter and the microphone to transmit the voice communication as the first voice signal while the transmit button is selected by the user to the selected set of digital communication devices,

wherein the first voice signal is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and

wherein the voice communication is output exclusively on the speaker of the selected set of digital communication devices within the communication range.

2. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the voice communication,

wherein the user interface includes a record button, and the computational unit is configured to control the microphone and the storage unit to capture the voice communication using the microphone and to record the captured voice communication to the storage unit upon selection of the record button by the user.

3. The digital communication device according to claim 2, wherein the user interface includes a play button, and the computational unit is configured to control the speaker and the storage unit to output the recorded voice communication on the speaker upon selection of the play button by the user.

4. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the list is a graphical list.

5. The digital communication device according to claim 4, wherein the communication range comprises a local communication range corresponding to the digital communication device and an extended communication range corresponding to all digital communication devices, at least one of the first control signal and the first voice signal is transmitted from the digital communication device to a second digital communication device within the local communication range, and the at least one of the first control signal and the first voice signal is transmitted from the second digital communication device to a third digital communication device outside the local communication range and within the extended communication range.

6. The digital communication device according to claim 5, wherein the second digital communication device is a fixed tower digital communication device.

7. The digital communication device according to claim 4, wherein the remote identifying information is sortable into groups by the user.

8. The digital communication device according to claim 7, wherein the groups comprise at least one of a buddy list, a within-range list, a blocked list, and a group list.

9. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the voice communication comprises an encrypted voice communication.

10. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a free-for-all mode button, the computational unit is configured to control the transmitter to transmit voice communication as the voice signal to the other digital communication devices upon selection of the free-for-all mode and transmit buttons by the user, the voice signal is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and the voice communication is output on the speaker of the other digital communication devices within the communication range.

11. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes an emergency mode button, the computational unit is configured to control the transmitter to transmit voice communication as a voice signal to the other digital communication devices upon selection of the emergency mode and transmit buttons by the user, the voice signal is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and the voice communication is output on the speaker of the other digital communication devices within the communication range.

12. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a distress call button, the computational unit is configured to control the transmitter to transmit a distress call signal to the other digital communication devices upon selection of the distress call button by the user, the distress call signal is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and the distress call signal is represented on the other digital communication devices within the communication range by at least one of an audible signal output on the speaker, a visual indication displayed on the display area, and a vibration.

13. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store one or more remote identifying information, wherein the user interface includes a store button, and the computational unit is configured to control the storage unit to store the one or more remote identifying information upon selection of the store button by a user.

14. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a block button, and the computational unit is configured to block the voice communication upon selection of the block button by the user.

15. The digital communication device according to claim 14, wherein the list is a graphical list, and

wherein the computational unit is configured to block the voice communication from the other digital communication devices within the communication range that correspond to one or more digital communication devices selected from the list.

16. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first control signal and the first voice signal is encrypted during transmission.

17. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store one or more configuration parameters, wherein the display area includes a configuration interface configured to receive one or more configuration parameters modified by a user.

18. The digital communication device according to claim 17, wherein the one or more configuration parameters comprise at least one of date and time, announcement options, volume control, advertisement options, upload and download options, blocking options, group options, and storage options.

19. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a non-verbal text signal and the receiver is configured to receive the non-verbal text signal, the computational unit is configured to control the transmitter to transmit text communication as the non-verbal text signal to the other digital communication devices, the non-verbal text signal is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and the text communication is displayed on the display area of each of the other digital communication devices receiving the non-verbal text signal.

20. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive one or more advertisements from a plurality of advertisers, and wherein the one or more advertisements are displayed on the display area of each of the other digital communication devices receiving the one or more advertisements.

21. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the identifying information includes status information corresponding to a current status of the digital communication device.

22. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the identifying information includes status information corresponding to a current status of the digital communication device.

23. The digital communication device according to claim 22, wherein the status information comprises at least one of a busy status, a sleep status, a do not disturb status, and a hardware failure status.

24. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the computational unit is further configured to control the transmitter to transmit status information corresponding to a current status of the digital communication device as the first control signal to the other digital communication devices, the first control signal is received as remote status information by the other digital communication devices within the communication range, and the status information is displayed on the display area of each of the other digital communication devices receiving the first control signal.

25. The digital communication device according to claim 24, wherein the status information comprises at least one of a busy status, a sleep status, a do not disturb status, and a hardware failure status.

26. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first control signal and the first voice signal separately.

27. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal and the first voice signal are encrypted.

28. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of an audible signal output on the speaker, a visual indication displayed on the display area, and a vibration occurs when the remote identifying information is initially displayed on the display area of each of the other digital communication devices receiving the first control signal.

29. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals.

30. The digital communication device according to claim 29, wherein the radio signals comprise Global Positional System (GPS) orbiting space satellite signals.

31. The digital communication device according to claim 30, wherein the current location is displayed on the display area of the user interface.

32. The digital communication device according to claim 30, wherein the identifying information includes the current location.

33. The digital communication device according to claim 32, wherein a relative direction is displayed on the display area of the user interface and corresponds to the current location of each of the other digital communication devices within the communication range.

34. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal and the first voice signal are transmitted and received using at least one of a digital spread spectrum frequency protocol, a Blue tooth protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) protocol, and Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) protocol.

35. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein the digital spread spectrum frequency protocol comprises a 900 MHz digital radio spectrum frequency protocol.

36. The digital communication device according to claim 1, wherein a time period between periodic transmissions of the control signal is configurable.

37. The digital communication device according to claim 36, wherein the time period is manually configurable.

38. The digital communication device according to claim 36, wherein the time period is automatically configured to correspond to a network load.

39. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digital camera; and

a video processing unit configured to receive video from the digital camera,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a video signal, the receiver is configured to receive the video signal, the computational unit is configured to control the video processing unit and the transmitter to transmit the video from the digital camera as the video signal, the video is received by the other digital communication devices within the communication range and displayed on the display area of the other digital communication devices receiving the video signal.

40. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a multi-purpose interface comprising at least one of a computer interface and a keyboard interface.

41. The digital communication device according to claim 40, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store one or more configuration parameters,

wherein the computer interface connects a computer having a configuration interface configured to receive the one or more configuration parameters modified by the user.

42. The digital communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a removable memory interface configured to receive a removable memory device.

43. A method for identifying and communicating with digital communication devices within a communication range, comprising:

transmitting identifying information as a first control signal periodically directly to other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the control signal;

receiving at least one second control signal as remote identifying information corresponding to the digital communication devices within the communication range directly from other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the control signal and a voice signal;

displaying, on a display area, information corresponding to at least a portion of the remote identifying information received from the digital communication devices within the communication range, wherein the information corresponding to the remote identifying information is displayed as a list selectable by a user to create a selected set of digital communication devices;

capturing a voice communication via a microphone; and

transmitting the voice communication as a voice signal while a transmit button is selected by the user to the selected set of digital communication devices;

wherein the voice signal is received by the selected set of digital communication devices and the voice communication on is output exclusively on the speaker of the selected set of digital communication devices.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the list is a graphical list.

45. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for controlling a digital communication device to identify and communicate with other digital communication devices within a communication range, the computer program product comprising:

first executable computer code for transmitting identifying information as a control signal periodically directly to other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the control signal;

second executable computer code for receiving the control signal as remote identifying information corresponding to the digital communication devices within the communication range directly from other digital communication devices without utilizing fixed towers to re-transmit the control signal and a voice signal;

third executable computer code for displaying information corresponding to at least a portion of the remote identifying information on a display area corresponding to the digital communication devices receiving the control signal, wherein the information is displayed on the display area as a list selectable by a user to create a selected set of digital communication devices; and

fourth executable computer code for capturing a voice communication via a microphone and transmitting the voice communication as a voice signal while a transmit button is selected by a user to the selected set of digital communication devices;

wherein the voice signal is received by the selected set of digital communication devices and the voice communication is output exclusively on a speaker of the selected set of digital communication devices upon reception.

46. The computer program according to claim 45, wherein the list is a graphical list.