Personal information system using proximity-based short-range wireless links

(54) PERSONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM USING PROXIMITY-BASED SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS LINKS

(75) Inventors: Ronald William Borgstahl, Phoenix, AZ (US); Jeffrey Martin Harris, Chandler, AZ (US); Ernest Earl Woodward, Chandler, AZ (US); William Bryan Austin, Chandler, AZ (US); George William Muncaster, Phoenix, AZ (US)

(73) Assignee: Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(56)

References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,596,501 A * 1/1997 Comer et al 340/825.35

5,602,919 A * 2/1997 Hurta et al 340/928

H1713 H * 3/1998 Pearlman et al 340/539

5,790,553 A * 8/1998 Deaton, Ir. et al 370/466

5,929,848 A * 7/1999 Albukerk et al 345/326

5,974,312 A * 10/1999 Hayes, Jr. et al 455/419

6,048,271 A * 4/2000 Barcelou 463/48

6,108,640 A * 8/2000 Slotznick 705/26

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Douglas Olms

Assistant Examiner—Shick Horn

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hisashi D. Watanabe

(21) Appl. No.: 09/432,942

(22) Filed: Nov. 3, 1999

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/104,631, filed on Jun. 25, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 08/729,207, filed on Oct. 15, 1996, now Pat. No. 6,069,896.

(51) Int. C I. IKI4J 3/02

(52) U.S. CI 370/310; 370/259; 370/401;

370/465; 379/102.02; 455/414; 705/5; 705/13;

705/26

(58) Field of Search 370/259, 310,

370/313, 338, 400, 401, 402, 465, 312; 705/5, 13, 26, 44; 345/326; 463/40, 42, 46; 340/500, 517, 825.34, 825.35, 928, 539; 455/418, 419, 420, 414; 379/102.01, 102.02, 106.01

A personal information system comprises a personal kiosk system (132) and a personal presence identifier (122) carried by a user and coupled to the personal kiosk system by a short-range two-way wireless link. The personal kiosk system and the personal presence identifier are arranged and programmed to establish a two-way personal area network with one another when the personal presence identifier is within wireless transmission range of the personal kiosk system. The personal presence identifier and the personal kiosk system are also arranged and programmed to exchange needs specifications and capability specifications with one another after establishing the two-way personal area network.

14 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets