Patent Application
20070145110
The invention relates to carrier information systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and carrier information system for transferring information to a target device.
Conventionally, a user contacts an operator of a carrier information system to get the contact details of a person or business. If later the user requires the contact details of the person or business, then the user may need to contact the carrier information system again, which can be a significant inconvenience for the user.
The invention provides a method for transferring information to at least one target device. The method can include receiving a request for contact information from a requesting device. The method can further include transferring at least a portion of the contact information to a contact information database of the target device in response to receiving the request. As an example, the transferring step may include assigning an available speed dial to the contact information in the target device.
The target device may be, for example, a wireless device. As another example, the wireless device may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a media player or a gaming unit. The contact information may include, for example, a phone number, a facsimile number, a physical address, an email address, a universal resource locator (URL), directions to a location or an image.
The target device may be or include the requesting device. In an embodiment of the invention, the target device can include at least one selective dynamic group call (SDGC)-device. The SDGC-device can belong to an SDGC group of the requesting device. In another embodiment of the invention, the target device can include at least one related device. A reference that corresponds to a related device can be stored in a profile of the target device.
The method may further include providing related information to the target device. The related information may include, for example, directions to a physical address corresponding to the contact information, global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinates of the physical address, an audio file corresponding to the contact information, a phonebook icon corresponding to the contact information or a signature ring tone corresponding to the contact information. The method to provide directions to the physical address to a target device may include obtaining the location of the target device, retrieving the directions based on the location of the target device and sending the directions to the target device.
In an embodiment of the invention, the method can further include requesting permission from the user of the target device and transferring the information to the target device if the user provides the requested permission. The method may further include further include charging a fee for the request of contact information. The term charging a fee may include a direct charge to a customer's account to be paid in the future or deducting value from a prepaid account.
The invention also provides a method of loading contact information in a contact information database of a target device. The method can include requesting the contact information from a carrier information system, receiving the contact information at the target device and automatically loading the contact information into the contact information database of the target device. The contact information may include, for example, a phone number, a facsimile number, a physical address, an email address, a URL, directions to a location or an image.
Further, the invention provides a carrier information system for transferring information to at least one target device. The carrier information system can include a database that contains contact information and a processor coupled to the database. The processor can be programmed to receive a request for contact information from a requesting device. The processor can further be programmed to, in response to the request, access the contact information from the database and to cause the contact information to be transferred to the contact information database of the target device. As an example, the target device may be a wireless device, and the wireless device may be a mobile phone, a PDA or a gaming unit. The contact information may include, for example, a phone number, a facsimile number, a physical address, an email address, a URL, directions to a location or an image.
The processor may be further programmed to provide related information to the at least one target device. The related information may include, for example, directions to a physical address corresponding to the contact information, GPS co-ordinates of the physical address, an audio file corresponding to the contact information, a phonebook icon corresponding to the contact information or a signature ring tone corresponding to the contact information. Also, to provide directions to a physical address corresponding to the contact information to a target device, the processor may be further programmed to obtain the location of the target device, retrieve from the database the directions based on the location of the target device and to send the directions to the target device.
The features of the invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements.
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.
As required, detailed embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Various embodiments of the invention provide a method and a carrier information system for transferring an object to at least one target device. The method can include receiving a request for contact information from a requesting device. The method can further include transferring at least a portion of the contact information to a contact information database of the target device in response to receiving the request. As a result, the contact information database of the target device may be updated over-the-air (OTA). The phrase “OTA” can mean that the information is transferred to at least one target device by a medium of broadcast transmission. Such a process can automatically load contact information into a user's wireless device when the user first requests the information. As such, the need to obtain this information in the future is eliminated, as the contact information will be stored in the user's wireless device.
In an embodiment of the invention, the requesting device can be a target device to which the information can be transferred. It is understood, however, that the receiving device and the target device that will receive the contact information may be different components. In other words, a receiving device can request contact information for a completely separate communications device. In another embodiment of the invention, the target device can include at least one selective dynamic group call (SDGC)-device. An SDGC-device can belong to an SDGC group of the requesting device. SDGC generally refers to a multi-user private call where the originator of a call can select the participants before making the call. Through this exemplary process, contact information can be simultaneously transferred to a plurality of target devices. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the target device can include at least one related device, which can also enable a plurality of communication devices to receive the contact information. A reference corresponding to a related device can be stored in a profile of the target device. A related device can be, for example, that of a friend or a family member of the user of the requesting device, and the corresponding reference can be, for example, a Mobile Station Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number of the related device. Those of skill in the art will, however, appreciate that the invention is not limited to these examples of the related device and its corresponding reference, and the invention shall have full scope of the claims. Those of skill in the art will also appreciate that the invention is not limited to these embodiments of the target device, and the invention shall have full scope of the claims.
At step 110, at least a portion of the contact information can be transferred to a contact information database of the target device in response to the request from the requesting device. The contact information may be transferred using a communication protocol such as Synchronization Markup Language (SyncML) based protocol, although any other suitable protocol or technique may be employed here. The contact information database in the target device can then be automatically updated with the contact information requested. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the contact information database can be an address book of the target device. Those of skill in the art will, however, appreciate that the invention is not limited to this example of the contact information database, and the invention shall have full scope of the claims.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, additional target devices subscribed under any specific plan such as a family plan by the target device can be determined. The contact information can then be forwarded to one or more of the other target devices subscribed with the same target device. If one or more additional target devices are unavailable for the automatic update at the time of the request, the contact information is updated as these related target devices register with the relevant communication network.
At step 225, related information can be provided to the target device. The related information may include, for example, directions to a physical address corresponding to the contact information, global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinates of the physical address, an audio file corresponding to the contact information, a phonebook icon corresponding to the contact information, or a signature ring tone corresponding to the contact information. The audio file may be for example, a podcast. The method for providing directions to the physical address to the target device has been explained in conjunction with
At step 230, a fee can be charged for the request of contact information. In an embodiment of the invention, the fee is charged from the requesting device. For example, a consumer can pay USD 0.35 for an information call and an additional fee of USD 0.25 for requesting the transfer of the contact information to the contact information database of its wireless device. In another embodiment of the invention, the fee is charged from the target device. The fee can be paid to the entity that is providing the contact information, such as a wireless carrier service. It is also understood that the fee can be deducted from a prepaid account.
In various embodiments of the invention, a carrier information system can perform the methods explained in conjunction with
At step 410, the contact information is received at the target device and the contact information is automatically loaded into the contact information database of the target device, in accordance with step 415. In an embodiment of the invention, an available speed dial can then be assigned along with the contact information received from the carrier information system. Any suitable combination of hardware-based and software-based components in the target device can be used to perform these steps.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the target device can enable the user to accept or reject any portion of the contact information, including any of the related information. Such an option can be displayed or broadcast on any suitable user interface of the target device. This option may also be supplied to the user of the requesting device, if the requesting device and the target devices are separate components.
In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the target device can check for an address of an audio file, such as a podcast, associated with the contact information requested by the target device. The address of the podcast may be a URL or RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. The requesting device (or the target device) can be given an option to automatically update the podcast that can be transferred to the target device. In this case, if the podcast is updated on the carrier information system, it can be sent to the target device each time the target device registers for the user of the target device to hear the updated podcast.
The processor 510 can be programmed to receive a request for contact information from a requesting device. Also, the processor 510 can be programmed to access the contact information from the database 505 in response to the request for contact information. The processor 510 can be further programmed to cause the contact information to be transferred to the contact information database of the target device through any suitable transmission means, like a transceiver.
The processor 510 may be further programmed to provide related information to the at least one target device. The related information may include, for example, directions to a physical address corresponding to the contact information, GPS co-ordinates of the physical address, an audio file corresponding to the contact information, a phonebook icon corresponding to the contact information or a signature ring tone corresponding to the contact information. In an embodiment of the invention, to provide direction to a physical address corresponding to the contact information to the target device, the processor 510 can be further programmed to obtain the location of the target device, such as through the process described earlier in relation to
In an embodiment of the invention, the carrier information system 500 can provide a means for any type of target devices to register their additional information so it can be made available to other users. The carrier information system 500 can charge a one-time and/or periodic fee or pre-paid unit deduction to the target device and the subscriber or any other suitable entity for storing the contact information.
The various embodiments of the invention provide a method and carrier information system for automatically transferring contact information to the contact information database of the target device.
This disclosure is intended to explain how to fashion and use various embodiments in accordance with the invention rather than to limit the true, intended and fair scope and spirit thereof. The foregoing discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in the light of the above teachings. The embodiment(s) was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims, as may be amended during the pendency of this application for patent, and all equivalents thereof, when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
