System and method for providing user-selected information to a paging-capable device

• US 7,956,722 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lund, Arnold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan; Omer S
• Application Number:
  US12/815,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.48, 340/7.28, 340/7.29, 340/7.21, 340/7.52, 340/7.55, 340/7.5, 340/7.58, 340/7.59
• US Class Current: 340/7.47
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/027 providing paging services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/185 Selective call encoders for paging networks, e.g. paging centre devices

Abstract

A system and method for providing user-selected information to a paging-capable device. An enhanced paging system responsive to information sources and a selection device transmits information to a paging-capable device. The enhanced paging system comprises a storing means, a selecting means, a storage device, and a transmitter. Such a system can provide user-selected information to a paging-capable device, allowing the user to control what information will be sent and when the information will be sent. Intelligent-agent software can automatically search for and store information that would be of interest to the user and can alert the user that more detailed information is available. It can also send critical information to the user without user request.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a wireless device, the method comprising:

determining whether a first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting a message from a second entity;

receiving information from an information source, the information associated with a source indicator identifying the information source;

facilitating a selection of the information for transmission to the wireless device by a system other than the wireless device, wherein the system and the wireless device are not in a single housing;

analyzing the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity; and

when the first entity is expecting a message from the second entity;

transmitting at least a portion of the information to the wireless device over a wireless channel prior to the selection when the source indicator indicates that the information source is the second entity; and

waiting for the selection of the information before transmitting the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel when the source indicator indicates that the information source is not the second entity.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity is based on a user instruction regarding an expectation of the first entity.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity comprises analyzing past behavior of the first entity.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the past behavior comprises the first entity regularly returning messages received from the second entity upon receiving information from the second entity.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least the portion of the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel in real-time by transmitting the at least the portion of the information without receiving the selection of the information.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein analyzing the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity comprises determining whether the source indicator is an email address associated with the second entity.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein analyzing the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity comprises determining whether the source indicator is a telephone number associated with the second entity.

8. A tangible machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine whether a first entity associated with a wireless device is expecting a message from a second entity;

receive information from an information source, the information associated with a source indicator identifying the information source;

facilitate a selection of the information for transmission to the wireless device by a system other than the wireless device, wherein the system and the wireless device are not in a single housing;

analyze the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity; and

when the first entity is expecting a message from the second entity;

transmit at least a portion of the information to the wireless device over a wireless channel prior to the selection when the source indicator indicates that the information source is the second entity; and

wait for the selection of the information before transmitting the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel when the source indicator indicates that the information source is not the second entity.

9. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed determine whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity based on a user instruction regarding an expectation of the first entity.

10. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to determine whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity by analyzing past behavior of the first entity.

11. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the past behavior comprises the first entity regularly returning messages received from the second entity upon receiving information from the second entity.

12. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to transmit at least the portion of the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel in real-time by transmitting the at least the portion of the information without receiving the selection of the information.

13. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to analyze the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity by determining whether the source indicator is an email address associated with the second entity.

14. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to analyze the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity by determining whether the source indicator is a telephone number associated with the second entity.

15. An information storage and communication system, comprising:

an intelligent-agent program to determine whether a first entity associated with a wireless device is expecting a message from a second entity;

a storage device to receive information from an information source, the information associated with a source indicator identifying the information source;

a selector to facilitate a selection of the information for transmission to the wireless device by a system other than the wireless device, wherein the system and the wireless device are not in a single housing;

an analyzer to analyze the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity; and

a transmitter to, when the first entity is expecting a message from the second entity, transmit at least a portion of the information to the wireless device over a wireless channel prior to the selection in response to the source indicator indicating that the information source is the second entity, and to wait for the selection of the information before transmitting the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel in response to the source indicator indicating that the information source is not the second entity.

16. An information storage and communication system as defined in claim 15, wherein the intelligent-agent program determines whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity based on a user instruction regarding an expectation of the first entity.

17. An information storage and communication system as defined in claim 15, wherein the intelligent-agent program determines whether the first entity associated with the wireless device is expecting the message from the second entity by analyzing past behavior of the first entity.

18. An information storage and communication system as defined in claim 17, wherein the past behavior comprises the first entity regularly returning messages received from the second entity upon receiving information from the second entity.

19. An information storage and communication system as defined in claim 15, wherein the transmitter is to transmit at least the portion of the information to the wireless device over the wireless channel in real-time by transmitting the at least the portion of the information without receiving the selection of the information.

20. An information storage and communication system as defined in claim 15, wherein the analyzer is to analyze the source indicator to determine whether the information source is the second entity by determining whether the source indicator is an email address or a telephone number associated with the second entity.