1563 results about "Portable communications device" patented technology

A system, method, apparatus and computer program product for providing location based functions and mobile e-commerce comprising a central processing unit including a processor, a storage device, and programming stored in the storage device, a display device, an audio input device, an audio output device, a communications module, a commerce module, an image module, and a location module. The programming controls the operation of the present invention to provide functions based on location data, to facilitate commercial exchanges by wirelessly exchanging payment and product information with venders, to identify services such as venders meeting selection criteria, to wirelessly exchange select information with other users and systems, to restrict and / or monitor the use of the device based on authorized user parameters, to select one of a plurality networks through which to communicate, to detect a trigger for performing an action based on a change in location and sensed data, to store a voice annotation with a computer data file, to determine service providers and associated communication parameters, to contemporaneously maintain a wireless voice and data link, to provide a system for selecting mobile advertisements, and many other functions and services that are described herein.

A portable communication device with multi-touch input detects one or more multi-touch contacts and motions and performs one or more operations on an object based on the one or more multi-touch contacts and / or motions. The object has a resolution that is less than a pre-determined threshold when the operation is performed on the object, and the object has a resolution that is greater than the pre-determined threshold at other times.

A system and method is described for instantly connecting and matching people and business entities with reciprocal interests in the location of their presence in real-time. Portable communication devices using wireless communication are used for transmitting data between users with reciprocal interests connected through a peer-to-peer network or in a client-server environment. Telephone users utilize an Interactive Voice Response system to communicate with other users of reciprocal interest. A matching algorithm running in a remote computer connected to the devices through network makes an initial assessment about the likelihood of a match, and then with the permission of the requester and the respondent, sets up communication sessions.

An underground radio communications and personnel tracking system uses a portable communications device worn by a miner when underground in a mine. A cap-lamp transceiver provides voice and text communication on ultra-low frequency (ULF) to ultra-high frequency (UHF) carrier frequencies and modulation adapted by programming of a software defined radio to making selective and agile radio contacts via through-the-earth, conductor / lifeline, coal seam, tunnel, and ionosphere / earth-surface waveguides for transmission of electromagnetic waves. These waveguides comprise layered earth coal and mineral deposits, and manmade mining complex infrastructures which serendipitously form efficient waveguides. Ultra-Low Frequency F1 / F1 repeaters are placed underground in the mine, and providing for extended range of communication of the cap-lamp transceiver with radios and tracking devices above ground of the mine.

The invention comprises music and information delivery systems and methods. One system comprises a portable communication device configured to receive a piece of music from an audio source and transmit the piece of music via a first communication medium to a host computer. The host computer is configured to receive the piece of music from the portable communication device and search a storage medium to identify and access the piece of music from the storage medium. The host computer is configured to transmit the piece of music via a second communication medium to one or more reception units that are configured to receive the piece of music from the host computer via the second communication medium.

A system and method of creating affinity groups of portable communication device users, and distributing targeted content to said users is disclosed. The user affinity groups may be formed by comparing user profiles with each other or with a predefined affinity group profile definition.

Systems and methods are disclosed for utilizing one or more tablet computer assemblies in a portable communications system. A tablet computer assembly includes a global positioning system module, an L-band transceiver, and a processing system. The global positioning system module that produces location information associated with the position of the tablet computer assembly. The L-band transceiver broadcasts the location information to at least one portable communication device through a relay network and receives location information from the at least one portable communications device via the relay network. The processing unit provides messages to the L-band transceiver and updates a display associated with the tablet computer assembly according the received location information and the location information produced at the global positioning system module.

A portable communication device having a flexible display unit to form a predetermined curvature or be unfolded includes a first housing, second and third housings rotatably coupled to both ends of the first housing, first and second hinge modules provided between the first, second, and third housings to enable the second and third housings to rotate. The flexible display unit is provided on the first, second, and third housings to form a curvature or be unfolded on the first, second, and third housings through rotation together with the second and third housings, first and second curvature space portions formed between the first, second, and third housings allow formation of the curvature of the flexible display unit.

A digital portable communications device (1) for communication via a communications network (28) has circuitry for exchanging video signals between the device and an external video apparatus (25; 31). The circuitry for exchanging video signals is arranged to exchange the video signals in the form of analog video signals. When analog video signals are used, the exchange of video signals with external video apparatuses is not limited to apparatuses adapted to a specific protocol for the exchange of digital video signals. Thus, it is not needed to have specific software drivers for different digital protocols in the communications device in order to communicate with a camera or a display unit. Any digital or analog camera, video recorder or video display unit can be used as an accessory to the communications device.

According to one embodiment, a method includes determining an orientation of a portable communication device and controlling an aspect of the operation of the portable communication device based on the determined orientation.

An application linker system that manages a plurality of application identifiers associated with a plurality of payment applications present on a device is disclosed. The application linker may manage relationships between application identifiers and payment applications that are provisioned for secure storage on a device. For example, a transaction can be conducted between a portable communication device and an access device. The method includes receiving a request for available payment applications located on the portable communication device from the access device, determining application identifiers associated with payment applications on the device, and sending a list of available payment applications including the application identifiers to the access device. The payment applications store payment information associated with one or more consumer accounts. One of the application identifiers is associated with two or more payment applications.

A portable communication device and method of use is provided. In one embodiment, the method of using a handheld mobile telephone includes capturing a plurality of images via an image input device; storing the plurality of images in a memory, receiving a first speech input, identifying command information in said first speech input; retrieving information from memory based, at least in part, on the command information. The method may further include generating a request related to an article of commerce that includes, at least in part, the information retrieved from memory, determining a destination for transmitting the request, and wirelessly transmitting said request through a mobile telephone network to the destination.

Restrictions on use of a cellular telephone in a vehicle, such as an automobile, are imposed using a global position system (GPS) device to determine the location of a vehicle in relation to geographic regions in which legal or customer restrictions on cellular telephone use are to be imposed. Network or local short-range wireless transmitters supply information to a cellular telephone describing potentially applicable restriction information retrieved from network databases. In response, a cellular telephone determines applicability of such restrictions and applies them to further use of the cellular telephone while such restrictions continue to apply. Alternative arrangements allow vehicle-based or network based processing of region and restrictions information to yield command messages to cellular telephones to control their further use.

A portable communication device (PCD) can automatically switch into different operating modes of an asymmetric communication protocol (such as USB) depending on the type of accessory connected. For example, the accessory can signal whether the PCD should operate in a first mode or a second mode using a hardware indicator such as identification resistor across two pins of a multi-pin connector and / or a software indicator such as a command protocol. The PCD can detect the accessory's signal and switch to the operating mode requested by the accessory.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved mapping and navigational system. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a system for defining and assigning geographical boundaries to points of interests on a graphical map, where the geographical boundaries preferably correlate to spatially defined boundaries of the respective points of interests. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the points of interest, along with the respective defined geographical boundaries, can be transferred from a personal computing device to a telecommunication device, such as a portable communication device, so as to be used for mapping purposes and to set off proximity alerts when the portable communication device, equipped with a GPS unit, enters or exits the geographical boundary of a particular point of interest.

There is presented a system and method for providing real-time object recognition to a remote user. The system comprises a portable communication device including a camera, at least one client-server host device remote from and accessible by the portable communication device over a network, and a recognition database accessible by the client-server host device or devices. A recognition application residing on the client-server host device or devices is capable of utilizing the recognition database to provide real-time object recognition of visual imagery captured using the portable communication device to the remote user of the portable communication device. In one embodiment, a sighted assistant shares an augmented reality panorama with a visually impaired user of the portable communication device where the panorama is constructed from sensor data from the device.

A method (200, 400) and an apparatus (500) in a wireless communication system for communicating contents of a broadcast message are provided. A wireless portable communication device (104) receives an emergency status indicator associated with the broadcast message from a base station (102). Upon determining the broadcast message is an emergency message, the contents of the broadcast message are immediately communicated.

This invention involves, in part, a system for automatically selecting a credential among a plurality of credentials on a portable communication device based on a geo-location of the portable communication device and based on a user preference, for use in an electronic wallet transaction. The system includes a geo-location device configured to detect the geo-location of the portable communication device; a location identification service unit configured to be activated by a pre-determined user input, and configured to determine a merchant where the portable communication device is most likely to be located based on said geo-location; means for storing preferences corresponding to the plurality of credentials; and means for automatically determining which of the plurality of credentials to use for the electronic wallet transaction based on the preferences.

A portable communication device (100) includes at least one sensing circuit (101) and a processor (104), and operates in accordance with a corresponding method of operation. The sensing circuit detects (205) either a characteristic of an external environment containing the portable communication device (e.g., a chemical in the air or acceleration of the device) or a characteristic of the portable communication device user (e.g., heart rate or blood sugar content), and generates a signal (207) representative of a feature of the sensed characteristic. The processor receives the signal and initiates an event based at least on the feature of the sensed characteristic as represented by the signal. Events include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: alerting the device user, transmitting a signal (e.g., an emergency call) to a remote communication device, re-sensing the characteristic or sensing another characteristic, and modifying a setting or profile of the device.

Herein disclosed an information processing terminal that is allowed to carry out contactless data transmission / reception with a read / write device by use of a magnetic field, the information processing terminal including: a data transmitter / receiver configured to generate an induced voltage from a magnetic field generated from the read / write device at the time of data reception, and sends a transmission signal to the read / write device at the time of data transmission; a signal processor configured to generate a response signal based on the induced voltage; and a load modulator configured to include a load of which value is changed based on the induced voltage and carry out load modulation relating to the transmission signal based on the response signal

A system for controlling access to an application on a portable communication device having a secured element and a user interface comprises memory associated with the secure element; a card management module operably associated with the portable communication device and with the secure element capable of controlling the secured element to facilitate writing to and reading from the memory; and a password management module operably associated with the card management module, the portable communication device user interface, and the application, the password management module receiving an application identifier associated with the application, a user name, and a password from the user interface, and providing an access command to the application based on whether the received user name and password match information stored in the memory.

Systems and methods of authentication according to the invention are provided comprising a user, a service client, a service server, a portable communications device and an authentication server, wherein the method comprises use of one time passwords and out-of-band outbound communication channels. This system gives access to authentication seekers based on OTP out of band outbound authentication mechanism. The authentication seeker or system user scans a multi-dimensional barcode or another like encoding mechanism and validates the client and triggers the out of band outbound mechanism. The portable mobile device invokes the client server to request authentication. The client server authenticates the user based on a shared secret key and the user is automatically traversed to the next page.

Method for interacting with a vehicle includes controlling interaction with the vehicle based on receipt of a signal by a component on the vehicle, and generating the signal based on biometric data entered via a portable communications device proximate the vehicle. The entered biometric data may be verified as biometric data of a driver of the vehicle prior to generating the signal. The biometric data may be a fingerprint, a palm print, a hand print, a facial image, and / or a voiceprint, all of which may be obtained using the communications device, e.g., a smartphone. The controlled interaction with the vehicle may be maintaining a brake lockout mechanism coupled to at least one brake of the vehicle in a locked state until the signal is received and / or maintaining at least one door of the vehicle in a locked state until the signal is received.

A method for providing directions includes receiving at a server, from at least one fixed wireless communication device, information identifying a current location of a portable communication device. The portable communication device has short range wireless communication capability. The at least one fixed wireless communication device is located within a building. The method further includes identifying a direction of movement to be communicated to the portable communication device to direct it towards a destination within the building. The method also includes transmitting the direction of movement to the portable communication device from the server via a fixed wireless communication device.

A curved sliding-type portable communication apparatus and a sliding device thereof are provided. The sliding-type portable communication apparatus includes a main body which includes a plurality of first keys on its top surface and a slider which includes a display device on its top surface, is given a closing force within a predetermined distance from the longitudinal direction of the main body while facing the main body, moves in a curved fashion with an opening force beyond the predetermined distance, provides easy initial movement through the curved movement, and opens and closes the top surface of the main body. Thus, it is easy to open and close the sliding-type portable communication apparatus using the thumb while gripping the sliding-type portable communication apparatus by the hand.

A portable communication device has a touch screen display that receives tactile input and a microphone that receives audio input. The portable communication device initiates a query for media based at least in part on tactile input and audio input. The touch screen display is a multi-touch screen. The portable communication device sends an initiated query and receives a text response indicative of a speech to text conversion of the query. The portable communication device then displays video in response to tactile input and audio input.

A portable communication device includes a main housing, a folding housing coupled to the main housing by a hinge unit to rotate about a hinge axis, and a flexible display unit that is drawn out from the main housing to open its display screen when the folding housing unfolds.