Abstract:
A mobile communication device interrogates a tag on nearby communication-type equipment and in cooperation with a remote server causes a communication to be forwarded to the equipment. The mobile communication device may also interrogate a nearby tag and receive information from a remote server concerning a nearby object or activity.

Description:
This application is a conversion of provisional patent application 60/694,241, filed Jun. 28, 2005, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a mobile communication device, such as a cellular telephone. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system whereby a user carries a mobile communication device, which interrogates tags in the local environment, such that the user may route various forms of communications, e.g. telephone calls or emails, received by the mobile communication device, to equipment associated with the tag, and/or the user may receive information about objects or activities in a general vicinity of the user using the mobile communication device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Systems and methods are known in the background art for tracking the location of a mobile communication device. For example, employees may carry an RFID tag, which may be read by interrogators throughout an office building, such that the employee&#39;s location may be tracked. 
     Also, many cellular telephones have GPS receivers, such that the cellular telephone&#39;s location may be obtained by the service provider. Also, there are triangulation methods, whereby a cellular telephone&#39;s location may be estimated by the service provider based upon signal strength measurements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present inventors have appreciated drawbacks in the systems and methods of the background art. 
     The systems and methods in accordance with the background art track the actual location of the users. However, there is no easy way to transfer information to the user via communication type equipment (e.g. a printer, a desktop phone) located near the user, even though the user&#39;s location is known. Also, many users object to being constantly tracked as an invasion of privacy. 
     Applicants have appreciated a need in the art for a system and method whereby a user may utilize nearby communication-type equipment to receive information. For example, a user may printout an email received on a cellular phone on a nearby printer in a quick and easy manner. As another example, a user may obtain information about a nearby object by downloading information on a cellular telephone in a quick and easy manner. 
     These and other objects are accomplished by a system and method wherein a mobile communication device interrogates a tag on a nearby communication-type device and in cooperation with a remote server can cause all or a portion of a communication at the mobile communication device to be transferred, forwarded or otherwise communicated to the near-by device for printing, viewing, conferencing, etc. 
     These and other objects are also accomplished by a system and method wherein a mobile communication device may interrogate a nearby tag and receive information from a remote server concerning a subject associated with the nearby tag, such as information about an object to which the tag is affixed or an activity occurring in proximity of the tag. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limits of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cellular telephone, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of several different types of labels with RFID tags, in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a backside of one of the labels of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating various interacting components of the system of the present invention in a business environment; 
         FIGS. 5-6  are examples of menu displays on the cellular telephone of  FIG. 1 , when used in a business environment; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating various interacting components of the system of the present invention in a public environment; and 
         FIGS. 8-10  are examples of menu displays on the cellular telephone of  FIG. 1 , when used in a public environment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mobile communication device, such as a cellular telephone  3 , in accordance with the present invention. The cellular telephone  3  includes typical structural features, such as a speaker  5 , a microphone  7 , a battery  8  (See  FIGS. 4 and 7 ), a display  9  and a plurality of user input keys  11 . The cellular telephone  3  also includes an interrogator  13 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the interrogator  13  is embedded within a housing of the cellular telephone  3 . In the illustrated embodiment, the interrogator  13  is a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner. Such RFID scanners transmit a signal  15  to power a passive RFID tag and read a code emitted from the RFID tag, in a known manner. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a plurality of different labels. A first label  21 , with the words “HP4, LOC-102-B” printed thereon, includes an embedded first RFID tag  22 . A second label  23 , with the words “EPSON 2 COLOR, LOC-103-A” printed thereon, includes an embedded second RFID tag  24 . A third label  25 , with the words “XEROX COPIER, LOC-102-A” printed thereon, includes an embedded third RFID tag  26 . The first, second, and third RFID tags  22 ,  24  and  26  emit first, second and third unique codes  27 ,  28  and  29 , respectively, when powered by an interrogator, such as the interrogator  13  of the telephone  3 . The first, second and third labels  21 ,  23  and  25  are preferably formed of a durable material, such as plastic. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a backside  31  of the first label  21 . The backside  31  includes a doubled-sided adhesive tape  33 , such that the first label  21  may be attached to a surface. The backsides of the second and third labels  23  and  25  are constructed in a similar manner. 
     BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an interaction between the cellular telephone  3 , a server  17  and various equipment that would be located in an office building environment. The RFID labels  21 ,  23 ,  25 , etc. would be attached to, or located adjacent to, various pieces of equipment throughout the office building environment. For example, a first RFID label  31  would be attached to a desktop telephone  33 . A second RFID label  35  would be attached to a color laser printer  37 . A third RFID label  39  would be attached to a personal computer  41 . A fourth RFID label  43  would be attached to a photocopier  45 . Each piece of office equipment is connected to the server  17  of the business, either by a hardwired network or by a wireless network. 
     It is envisioned that all communication-type office equipment within the business complex would include a unique RFID label. It is already common for business owned equipment to be labeled and inventoried. Typically, each label is unique and indicates a general location of the equipment in the building complex, such as by name or bar code. The RFID tags of the present invention are consistent with this convention. Hence, the RFID tags could also be used for inventory purposes. 
     In operation, a user presses a designated key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 . In response, the controller  16  powers the interrogator  13 . The interrogator  13  transmits the scanning signal  15 . The scanning signal  15  causes a nearby RFID tag to emit its unique code. The unique code of the nearby RFID tag  22 ,  24 ,  26  is received by the interrogator  13  and passed to the controller  16 . 
     The controller  16  passes the unique code of the RFID tag  22 ,  24 ,  26  to a transceiver  18 . The transceiver  18  passes the unique code to the server  17  via a wireless signal. The server  17  looks up the unique code in a memory  20 . In the memory  20 , there is a database of unique codes which are linked to relevant characteristics for the device possessing the label  21 ,  23 ,  25 , such as the network address of the device, the type of device, location of the device in the office complex, last date serviced, purchase date, purchase price, etc. Once the server  17  receives the unique code, the server  17  will know the proximate location of the cellular telephone  3 . Therefore, the server may track the user at that moment if desired. However, tracking is not the primary purpose of the present invention. 
     Now, the advantages and useful nature of the system of the present invention will be described with reference to several examples. Assume an employee receives a cellular telephone call from a customer while walking through the building complex. Assume the employee desires a better connection with the customer using a nearby corded telephone  33 , e.g. to use the speaker phone ability of the corded telephone  33  for the benefit of others. In accordance with the present invention, the employee would press a “search” key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 . The interrogator  13  would at that time obtain the unique RFID code  31  of the nearby corded telephone or telephones  33 , and transmit the same to the server  17 . The server  17  would check the stored data in the memory  20  to locate information about the nearby corded telephone or telephones  33 . If several corded telephones  33  were located nearby, the system would send the locations/identifications of several nearby telephones to the controller  16  of the cellular telephone  3 .  FIG. 5  is an example of a menu, which would be displayed to the user via display  9  of the cellular telephone  3 , if two local land lines were proximate the location of the user. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the user is given the option to transfer the call to one of two local land lines. Pressing “2” on the numerical key pad of the cellular telephone  3  will cause the telephone call currently on the cellular telephone  3  to be placed on hold on the desktop telephone  33  having the telephone number 703-000-2222. The user can then answer the call on the desktop telephone  33  and terminate the telephone call on the cellular telephone  3 . 
     The system of the present invention is a vast improvement over the possible ways of making this transfer in accordance with the systems of the background art. The employee (in the background art) would have looked for a nearby corded telephone  33 , read the telephone number off of the corded telephone  33  and asked the customer to hang up and call back on the new telephone number. Another alternative would have been to ask the customer for their telephone number, ended the cellular call, and then used the corded telephone  33  to call the customer back. A third alternative would have been to place the customer on hold on the cellular telephone, activated a call forwarding command on the cellular telephone and dialed the telephone number of the nearby corded telephone  33 . 
     All three of the systems of the background art are disruptive to the conversation in that large delays occur. Also, the user or other party to the conversation would be required to dial several numbers to accomplish the call transfer. In contradistinction, in the present invention, only two key strokes are required, i.e., the pressing of the search key and then pressing the numerical key associated with the desired land line. 
     Another example of the benefits of the present invention would occur with text messages. Often, users receive text messages, such as an instant messages (IM), email or fax via their mobile communication device, e.g. cellular telephone  3 , BLACKBERRY, PDA, laptop computer. Often a user will desire to have an immediate printout of the text message. In accordance with the present invention, the employee would press the “search” key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 . The interrogator  13  would at that time obtain the unique RFID code  35 ,  43  of the nearby printing device or devices  37 ,  45 , and transmit the same to the server  17 . The server  17  would check the stored data in the memory  20  to locate information about the nearby printing device or devices  37 ,  45 . If several printing devices  35 ,  45  were located nearby, the system would send the locations/identifications of several nearby printing devices to the controller  16  of the cellular telephone  3 .  FIG. 6  is an example of a menu, which would be displayed to the user via display  9  of cellular telephone  3 , if three printing devices were proximate the location of the user. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , the user is given the option to printout the text message using one of three printing devices. Pressing “2” on the numerical key pad of the cellular telephone  3  will cause the text message, last viewed on the cellular telephone  3 , to be printed on the printing device labeled “Epson 2 Color—LOC 103-A.” 
     The system of the present invention is a vast improvement over the systems for printing out an email from a mobile communication device in accordance with the background art. The employee (in the background art) would have needed to form a communication connection between the mobile communication device and the printing device, such as by carrying and employing a connection cable. Establishing the communication connection would be time consuming, e.g. dealing with the initialization of the software for the printing operation is often troublesome. Another alternative would have been to connect a small flash memory stick to the mobile communication device, download the text message, remove the flash memory stick, connect it to the printing device, and print out the text message. The systems of the background art are slow and complicated and may include carrying extra linking equipment or a flash memory stick. In contradistinction, in the present invention, only two key strokes are required, i.e., pressing the search key and then pressing the numerical key associated with the desired printing device. 
     There are other examples of the benefits of the present invention, which generically allow the quick, easy and seamless transference of a communication from a mobile communication device to another piece of communication equipment. For example, a video clip attachment would be transferred for viewing on a monitor of a nearby personal computer  39 . A video conference call could be transferred to a monitor, speakers and microphone of the nearby personal computer  39 . 
     It is envisioned that the cellular telephone  3  would transfer a mode code to the server  17  along the unique RFID codes received by the interrogator  13 . The mode code would indicate the present mode of the cellular telephone  3 . For example, the mode code could indicate if the cellular telephone  3  is being used to view a text message, carry on a telephone conversation, participate in a video conference, etc. 
     The mode code would be used by the server  17  to discriminate which of the RFID codes to use in retrieving data from the memory  20 . In other words, if the cellular telephone  3  is participating in a telephone conversation, the RFID codes received by the interrogator  13  relating to nearby desktop telephones  33  would be used by the server  17 , and the RFID codes received by the interrogator relating to nearby printing devices  37 ,  45  would be ignored, since a telephone conversation cannot be transferred to a printing device  37 ,  45 . Alternatively, if the mode code indicates that the cellular telephone  3  is being used to view text messages, the RFID codes received by the interrogator  13  relating to nearby printing devices  37 ,  45  would be used by the server  17 , and the RFID codes received by the interrogator  13  relating to nearby desktop telephones  33  would be ignored, since a text message can not be transferred to a desktop telephone  33 . 
     PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating an interaction between the cellular telephone  3 , a service provider server  51  and various objects that would be located in a public environment. The RFID labels  21 ,  23 ,  25 , etc. would be attached to, or located adjacent to, various objects in the public environment. For example, a first RFID label  58  would be attached to a B&amp;W printer  59  in a hotel lobby. A second RFID label  60  would be attached to a color laser printer  61  in the hotel lobby. The B&amp;W printer  59  and the color laser printer  61  are connected to a hotel server  57 , which is connected to the service provider server  51  via the Internet  55  or publicly switch telephone network (PSTN). A third RFID label  69  would be attached to a first information stand  62  near a first vehicle  63  on a showroom floor. A fourth RFID label  73  would be attached to a second information stand  64  near a second vehicle  65  on the showroom floor. A fifth RFID label  71  would be attached to a third information stand  66  near a third vehicle  67  on the showroom floor. 
     The operation of the system of  FIG. 7  is similar to the operation as described above in conjunction with  FIG. 4 , wherein a user presses a designated key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 , such as a “search” key to activate the interrogator  13  and transmit a unique RFID code to the service provider server  51 . The advantages and useful nature of the system of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 7  will now be described with reference to several examples. 
     Assume a hotel guest is viewing a text message on her cellular telephone  3  and desires to have an immediate printout of the text message. In accordance with the present invention, the hotel guest would press the “search” key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 . The interrogator  13  would at that time obtain the unique RFID codes associated with the labels  58  and  60  of the nearby printing devices  59  and  61 , and transmit the same to the service provider server  51 . The service provider server  51  would check the stored data in the memory  53  to locate information about the nearby printing devices  59  and  61 . The service provider server  51  would find data in the memory  53  showing that the printing devices  59  and  61  are hosted by a hotel server  57  and have particular IP addresses. This data would have been previously stored in the memory  53  by an authorized service provider employee, perhaps for a fee charged to the hotel. 
     Since two printers  59  and  61  are proximate the hotel guest, the service provider server  51  would send the identifications of the two nearby printing devices to the controller  16  of the cellular telephone  3 .  FIG. 8  is an example of a menu, which would be displayed to the user via display  9  of cellular telephone  3 . The identifications could also include a price per page for printing. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , the user is given the option to printout the text message using one of two printing devices. Pressing “2” on the numerical key pad of the cellular telephone  3  will cause a menu, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , to appear on the display  9  of the cellular telephone  3 . If the guest selects “1” on the numerical keypad of the cellular telephone  3 , the text message, last viewed on the cellular telephone  3 , will be printed on the printing device labeled “East Side B&amp;W printer.” 
     It is envisioned that the above system would be a subscription-based system. A hotel, coffee shop, library, etc. that wished to participate would register public printing devices with a cellular service provider, e.g. VERIZON, SPRINT, by providing an IP address for the device and perhaps a charge per page. The service provider would store this data in the memory  53 . Cellular telephone users would also subscribe by registering a credit card and agreeing to the rules of the program. When printouts are made, the user&#39;s credit card on file would be charged by the service provider and a portion of the proceeds forwarded to the subscribing vendor, i.e. hotel, coffee shop, library. 
     There are other examples of the benefits of the present invention, which generically allow the quick, easy and seamless transference of a communication “to” a mobile communication device. For example, a car showroom or convention center may have several vehicles  63 ,  65 ,  67  on display. An information stand  62 ,  64 ,  66  may be placed proximate to each vehicle  63 ,  65 ,  67 . On each information stand  62 ,  64 ,  66  there would be a brief description of the vehicle  63 ,  65 ,  67  and a label  69 ,  73 ,  71  stating “interrogate me for additional information.” A subscriber of the service provider would understand this slogan to mean that the cellular telephone&#39;s interrogator  13  may be used to obtain additional information. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a subscriber would press the “search” key of the user inputs  11  of the cellular telephone  3 . The interrogator  13  would at that time obtain the unique RFID codes associated with the labels  69 ,  73  and  71  of the nearby information stands  62 ,  64  and  66  and transmit the same to the service provider server  51 . The service provider server  51  would check the stored data in the memory  53  to locate information about the nearby vehicles  63 ,  65 ,  67 . The service provider server  51  would find text and/or graphical data in the memory  53  relating to the nearby vehicles  63 ,  65 ,  67 . This data would have been previously stored in the memory  53  by an authorized service provider employee, perhaps for a fee charged to the vehicle manufacturer. 
     Since three vehicles  63 ,  65 ,  67  are proximate the subscriber, the service provider server  51  would send the identifications of the three nearby vehicles  63 ,  65 ,  67  to the controller  16  of the cellular telephone  3 .  FIG. 10  is an example of a menu, which would be displayed to the user via display  9  of cellular telephone  3  if four vehicles were nearby on the showroom floor. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , the subscriber is given the option to download information about one of the four vehicles. The downloaded information will be immediately viewable by the subscriber, and/or may be printed out at a later time as desired. 
     It is envisioned that the above system would be a subscription-based system. A vehicle manufacturer that wished to participate would provide the text and/or graphic information to a cellular service provider, e.g. VERIZON, SPRINT. The service provider would store this data in the memory  53  for a fee and provide the labels  21 ,  23 ,  25   58 ,  60 ,  69 ,  73 ,  71 . Cellular telephone users might also subscribe by registering a credit card and agreeing to the rules of the program. When information was downloaded, such information could be free or for a charge. 
     There are limitless possibilities for such an information system, as described above. The obtainable information could relate to zoo animals and have been provided by the zoo to the service provider. In another example, the information could relate to a diner menu and include nutrient facts and ingredients or recipes, and have been provided by a restaurant to the service provider. 
     Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with an interrogator  13  for an RFID tag, other types of interrogators or scanners are possible. A preference in choosing an interrogator would be to select one which can scan tags at a distance, for example a bar code scanner-type interrogator would be capable of achieving several of the advantages of the present invention. Also, tags emitting unique frequencies or codes using infra-red (IR) light or inaudible sounds would also be possible alternatives. 
     Although the server  17  is shown in  FIG. 4  communicating directly with the cellular telephone  3 , the cellular telephone&#39;s communications could be routed through a cellular service provider to the server  17  via the publicly switch telephone network (PSTN), Internet or any other communication channel. Therefore, the communications of the cellular telephone  3  (conversation, email, fax, etc.) would be forwarded from the cellular service provider to the server  17  at the business, which would then forward the communication to the relevant piece of office equipment  33 ,  37 ,  39 ,  45 . 
     Although the term “employees” has been used in portions of the description, the invention is equally applicable to students on a campus or users of a public building, such as a courthouse or library, etc. 
     Although  FIG. 4  illustrated that a unique label  21 ,  23 ,  25  would be attached on a one-to-one basis to the office equipment, it should be appreciated that the benefits of the present invention could be accomplished even if fewer labels  21 ,  23  and  25  were provided. In other words, if three printing devices were located in a single room and one label with one RFID tag were provided for the single room, then the single RFID tag&#39;s code would be linked in the memory  20  to the three printing devices in the single room. Therefore, the user would be presented with a list of three printing devices on the display  9  of the cellular telephone  3 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Likewise, in the public environment embodiment of  FIG. 7 , only one label would need to be provided in the vehicle showroom example. The RFID code of the one label would be linked to three or four vehicles, such that the menu of  FIG. 10  would be sent to the display  9  of the cellular telephone  3 . The subscriber would select the desired vehicle and information about only the desired vehicle would be downloaded from the memory  53  to the cellular telephone  3 . 
     Also, the labels need not be directly associated with any particular object or group of objects. Rather, the RFID tags could relate to a physical location. A server could store a “mapping” of the office building or complex of office buildings. The mapping would include the fixed locations of numerous unique labels disposed throughout the complex, as well as, the fixed locations of the communication equipment. Relevant nearby communication equipment would be determined by a distance calculation, between the scanned label and the mapped location of the communication equipment. 
     In some systems, it may be possible to store sufficient data in the RFID code to fully identify the address or telephone number of the communication equipment. If so, it would no longer be required to obtain this information from the memory  20 ,  53 . Rather, the server  17 ,  51  could receive the forwarding address or telephone number directly from the RFID code sent by the cellular telephone  3 . 
     For example, the RFID code could specify a particular telephone number for a landline telephone or for a fax machine, and perhaps a code indicating the type of equipment, e.g., video telephone, voice only telephone, B&amp;W fax machine, color fax machine. A user of a cellular telephone  3  would activate the interrogator  13  via one of the user inputs  11 . The interrogator  13  would obtain the RFID code and pass this information on to the server  17  or  51 , which would then forward the communication (e.g. conference call, fax, email) directly to the communication equipment identified by the telephone number. By this arrangement, there is no need for a database in a memory  20  or  53 . 
     As another example, the RFID code could specify a particular Internet address for a printer, monitor, landline telephone or for a fax machine, and perhaps a code indicating the type of equipment, e.g., color printer, B&amp;W printer, video telephone, voice only telephone, B&amp;W fax machine, color fax machine. A user of a cellular telephone  3  would activate the interrogator  13  via one of the user inputs  11 . The interrogator  13  would obtain the RFID code and pass this information on to the server  17  or  51 , which would then forward the communication directly to the communication equipment identified by the Internet address. By this arrangement, there is no need for a database in a memory  20  or  53 . 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.