Abstract:
A system and method for supporting updates of database contact information to mobile communications devices includes a system having a data entry computer for compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, a service provider computer server in signal communication with the data entry computer for uploading the database contact information into the service provider computer server and for downloading the database contact information substantially simultaneously to the group of mobile communications devices, and a mobile communications device in signal communication with the service provider computer server for receiving the database contact information and for updating its own global logical database; wherein the method for supporting updates of database contact information to mobile communications devices includes the steps of compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, uploading the database contact information to a service provider computer server, and downloading the database contact information to the group of mobile communications devices.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to mobile communications and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for providing updates of database information to mobile communications devices. It is typical for mobile communications devices, such as, for example, cellular telephones, to maintain a database of information on the device itself. This database typically includes contact names and associated telephone numbers, as entered by the user. 
     Unfortunately, it is difficult to enter database information into a typical cellular telephone because the keypad is not well suited for text entry. In addition, it is difficult for businesses or families with several telephones to keep multiple databases synchronized for all telephones. 
     Some approaches may allow a user to keep a database on a personal computer (“PC”), for example, and then to download the database to a telephone having a universal serial bus (“USB”) and/or a parallel port connection. Although this may simplify data entry, it does not solve the problem of keeping multiple telephone databases synchronized since the database still has to be downloaded manually and individually to each telephone. In addition, this is not a convenient solution for companies with user telephones located remotely, such as throughout the nation, for example. 
     SUMMARY 
     These and other drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art are addressed by a system and method for supporting updates of database information to mobile communications devices. 
     The system includes a data entry computer for compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, a service provider computer server in signal communication with the data entry computer for uploading the database contact information into the service provider computer server and for downloading the database contact information substantially simultaneously to the group of mobile communications devices, and a mobile communications device in signal communication with the service provider computer server for receiving the database contact information and for updating its own global logical database. 
     The corresponding method includes the steps of compiling database contact information for a group of mobile communications devices, uploading the database contact information to a service provider computer server, and downloading the database contact information to the group of mobile communications devices. 
     These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure teaches a method and apparatus for providing updates of database information to mobile communications devices in accordance with the following exemplary figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a block diagram for a mobile communications system according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a block diagram for a mobile communications device usable in accordance with the system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a block diagram for a service provider computer server usable in accordance with the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure relates to the update of database information for mobile communications devices. In particular, embodiments of the present disclosure store the database remotely, such as on a server maintained by a service provider. An important advantage is that multiple mobile telephones and/or communications devices can have their databases updated substantially simultaneously regardless of their physical location. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a mobile communications system  100  includes mobile devices  110 , such as, for example, mobile cellular telephones. The mobile devices  110  are each connected in signal communication to a base station  112  via the customary wireless links. Each base station  112 , in turn, is connected in signal communication with a cellular network  114 . A computer server  116 , such as, for example, a server residing with a cellular service provider, is connected in signal communication with the cellular network  114 . The computer server  116  is further connected in signal communication with an internet  118  in this exemplary embodiment. A data entry device or computer  120  is connected in signal communication with the computer server  116  via the internet  118 . Thus, a communications path is formed between each mobile device  110  and the computer server  116 , and a communications path is also formed between the data entry computer  120  and the computer server  116 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , a mobile communications device is generally indicated by the reference numeral  200 . The mobile communications device  200  may be embodied, for example, in a mobile cellular telephone according to embodiments the present disclosure. The mobile device  200  includes at least one processor or central processing unit (“CPU”)  202  in signal communication with a system bus  204 . A read only memory (“ROM”)  206 , a random access memory (“RAM”)  208 , a display adapter  210 , an input/output (“I/O”) adapter  212 , and a user interface adapter  214  are also in signal communication with the system bus  204 . 
     A display unit  216  is in signal communication with the system bus  204  via the display adapter  210 , and a keypad  222  is in signal communication with the system bus  204  via the user interface adapter  214 . The system  200  also includes a wireless communications device  228  in signal communication with the system bus  204  via the I/O adapter  212 , or via other suitable means as understood by those skilled in the art. 
     As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein, alternate embodiments are possible, such as, for example, embodying some or all of the data or program code in registers located on the processor  202 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a service provider computer server is indicated generally by the reference numeral  300 . The server  300  includes at least one processor or CPU  302  in signal communication with a system bus  304 . A ROM  306 , a RAM  308 , a display adapter  310 , an I/O adapter  312 , and a user interface adapter  314  are also in signal communication with the system bus  304 . 
     A display unit  316  is in signal communication with the system bus  304  via the display adapter  310 . A data storage unit  318 , such as, for example, a magnetic or optical disk storage unit or database, is in signal communication with the system bus  104  via the I/O adapter  312 . A mouse  320 , a keyboard  322 , and an eye tracking device  324  are also in signal communication with the system bus  304  via the user interface adapter  314 . 
     The system  300  also includes a communications adapter  328  in signal communication with the system bus  304 , or via other suitable means as understood by those skilled in the art, so that data may be input to the system  300  from a network. 
     As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein, alternate embodiments are possible, such as, for example, embodying some or all of the computer program code in registers located on the processor chip  302 . Given the teachings of the disclosure provided herein, those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art will contemplate various alternate configurations and implementations of elements of the system  300  while practicing within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. 
     It is to be appreciated that the database  318  may include a plurality of various information sources. Moreover, the internet  118  of  FIG. 1  may include sources of information. In alternate embodiments of the present disclosure, the internet  118  may be an alternate or proprietary network or communications link. 
     In operation, a method for maintaining a database  318  simultaneously downloadable from a service provider computer server  116 ,  300  to each of a group of mobile devices  110 ,  200  is implemented. It is presumed that the mobile devices or cellular telephones  110 ,  200  have the capability to receive non-voice data such as Caller I.D. formatted data. 
     Database information such as a contact name and corresponding telephone number are stored on the service provider computer server  116 ,  300  as part of a database  318 . This data can be sent to the server  116 ,  300  by a user via the internet  118 , such as, for example via a website interface, as part of a database update. This will ease the data entry process since a computer  120  having an alphanumeric keyboard, for example, can be used instead of a cellular telephone keypad  222 . In addition, numbers entered into a telephone  110 ,  200  can be stored only on that telephone, if desired, or they can be uploaded to the database  318  via the cellular network  114  as well. 
     The database information can be sent to all selected telephones  110 ,  200  to update the information to the telephones. This can occur regardless of the location of the phones  110 ,  200  as long as they have cellular service. The phones  110 ,  200  may have two logical databases. One is a local logical database with numbers that are stored only on that phone. The other is a global and/or group logical database that stores numbers received through the download from the service provider computer server  116 ,  300 . Contact numbers entered directly into the global logical database from the phone  110 ,  200  are later sent to the service provider&#39;s server  116 ,  300  in order to update the master database  318 . 
     Database information  318  is sent to the phones  110 ,  200  using the existing Caller ID format, as known to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, with modified message types. This format is substantially standardized and most cellular telephones  110 ,  200  are already capable of processing information in the format. Although this is not the only way to implement the teachings of the present disclosure, it is a preferred embodiment that makes use of an existing standard. 
     The modifications needed for this embodiment are shown in Tables 1 and 2. An additional message type called Mobile Database Update has been added to Table 1 in order to inform the mobile telephone  110 ,  200  that the following information, comprising contact name, contact telephone number and number type, should be loaded into the telephone&#39;s local memory database  208  and/or  206  From Table 2, the embodiment makes use of the Calling Number and Calling Name parameters to send the contact&#39;s name and number to the database. In addition, a Database Number Type parameter has been added. The Database Number Type can be used, for example, to indicate whether the number is a home, business, mobile or other number. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Message Type 
                 Message Type Value 
                 Format 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Mobile Database Update 
                 02 hex 
                 SDMF 
               
               
                 Calling Number Delivery 
                 04 hex 
                 SDMF 
               
               
                 Visual Message Waiting Indicator 
                 06 hex 
                 SDMF 
               
               
                 Call Setup 
                 80 hex 
                 MDMF 
               
               
                 Service Test 
                 81 hex 
                 MDMF 
               
               
                 Visual Message Waiting Indicator 
                 82 hex 
                 MDMF 
               
               
                 Manufacturer-Specific Testing 
                 4C hex to 6C hex 
                 NONE 
               
               
                 (reserved) 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Modified version of Table 14-Message Type Values in the TIA/EIA-777 specification. The line in italics represents the additional message type used for this preferred embodiment. The value of 02 hexadecimal was chosen arbitrarily from the free values, and alternative values can be chosen if desired. 
               
             
          
         
       
     
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Parameter Type 
                 Parameter Type Value 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Date &amp; Time 
                 01 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Calling Number 
                 02 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Dialable Directory Number 
                 03 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Reason for Absence of Directory Number 
                 04 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Reason for Redirection (Reserved) 
                 05 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Call Qualifier 
                 06 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Calling Name 
                 07 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Reason for Absence of Calling Name 
                 06 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Database Number Type 
                 09 hex 
               
               
                   
                 Visual Message Waiting Indicator 
                 0B hex 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Modified version of Table 15-Parameter Type Values in the TIA/EIA-777 specification. The line in italics is an additional value used for this preferred embodiment. The value of 09 hexadecimal was chosen arbitrarily from the free values, and alternative values can be chosen if desired. 
               
             
          
         
       
     
     These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure may be readily ascertained by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein. It is to be understood that the teachings of the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or combinations thereof. 
     The teachings of the present disclosure may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software. Moreover, the software is preferably implemented as an application program tangibly embodied on a program storage unit. The application program may be uploaded to, and executed by, a machine comprising any suitable architecture. Preferably, the machine is implemented on a computer platform having hardware such as one or more central processing units (“CPU”), a random access memory (“RAM”), and input/output (“I/O”) interfaces. The computer platform may also include an operating system and microinstruction code. The various processes and functions described herein may be either part of the microinstruction code or part of the application program, or any combination thereof, which may be executed by a CPU. In addition, various other peripheral units may be connected to the computer platform such as an additional data storage unit and an output unit. 
     It is to be further understood that, because some of the constituent system components and steps depicted in the accompanying drawings may be implemented in software, the actual connections between the system components or the process function blocks may differ depending upon the manner in which the present disclosure is programmed. Given the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present disclosure. 
     As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art based on the teachings herein, alternate embodiments are possible. Given the teachings of the disclosure provided herein, those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art will contemplate various alternate configurations and implementations of the system while practicing within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. 
     Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.