Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-07-03
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
C235S375000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data transfer devices and in particular to an electronic business card that can receive and transmit business card data from one unit to a corresponding unit.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The first thing that most business people do when they first meet is to exchange business cards. In most cases, the business cards collected will either be filed into a card folder or discarded. In some manner, the information on a business card that is to be retained will be kept either physically on paper or electronically by information technology such as storing the information in a personal computer. Both methods of storage are done for future retrieval and reference purposes. As each business person is likely to have printed hundreds or even thousands of name cards throughout his business life, it is clear that many of these cards end up wasted or discarded owing to the change of business, position, address, company, and the like.
Therefore, it would be prudent to have a device to serve the same information processing purpose but to save all the paper resources. Such a device can be constructed to be environmentally friendly and to be capable of saving the user time in processing the information and in physically handling the corresponding paper name card. Because electronic component cost is falling and the cost of labor is climbing, the device is an excellent alternative to the conventional paper name cards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an electronic device operated by batteries and is of small size with horizontal and vertical dimensions of a credit card in the plan view. The main function of the device is to store the owner's personal information, which would be the same as that printed on the owner's personal business card, and to be able to exchange the stored information with like information from others. The exchange can be accomplished through one or more ports by such means as infrared energy, radio frequencies, or direct wiring connections. The exchanged information is processed immediately by adding to the existing database and sorted. It may also be stored in the device without any processing and waits until the information is passed to a central processing unit. The owner can input his own personal card information either through a personal computer or through input keys on the electronic card. The device has a display so that the owner can read the information that is input to it and to display the information received after an exchange of information with another user device. The electronic business card (EBC) is portable and slender with very efficient data communication ability and a non-volatile data storage. For general acceptance, the thickness of the EBC can be referenced to the well known PCMCIA type II data transfer card. However, the EBC is not aimed at manual input although it can be done through appropriate keys on the card. The major input is done individually by each owner.
Through information exchanged between two of the devices, another individual's business information is inputted automatically without the use of labor. Information collected will then be processed either immediately or through a central processing unit. The processing is done automatically in a well-known manner by intelligent software either preinstalled or custom made. After the processing, the information can be retrieved, manipulated and further processed with ease. The invention is used for commercial application. It saves business people time and money and name card handling. It is not uncommon, after a big convention, that 100 name cards may be collected. It is time consuming to input and proofread the 100 name cards. If no processing is done except filing, searching for one of these name cards will be difficult. Besides carrying 100 name cards from the others and many name cards of the user is tedious and cumbersome. Therefore, the highest value of the invention is to save natural resources on paper printing and the time required for information processing. By applying the invention, commercial information will be processed efficiently after it is exchanged electronically instead of through paper printing. A complete application of the invention would further advance the commercial environment into a paperless world. As there exists real value behind the invention, users can save time and money by owning a device built according to the invention.
Thus, the device has a housing having approximately the horizontal and vertical dimensions of a credit card in the plan view. It has a thickness for providing a port that can receive a PCMCIA type II connector, well known in the art, to couple data from a personal computer to the card.
It has a data processor such as a microprocessor or a central processing unit in the housing. A data storage device in the housing is coupled to the data processor for storing data representing input information similar to that on a business card. A visual display screen displays at least some of the stored business card data selectively. At least one data transfer port is formed in the housing for transferring the stored business card data externally of the housing and for transferring business card data that is externally generated to the data storage device within the housing. As stated earlier, the data port could be an infrared port, an RF antenna, or a port for a physical (wire) connection. Data entry means on the housing enables display of selected data from the data storage device and allows the transfer of business card data to and from the data storage device through the port on the housing.
The data entry means must be very efficient since there is little room on the card for a full keyboard. With the use of software built into the electronic name card, only a few keys are required to operate the device including inputting the owner's data and exchanging data with another electronic name card.
The display will show a first level of information with several choices of characters. By pressing up and down keys, an indicator pointing at one of the displayed choices will be moved up and down respectively. The user can then select any one of the choices by pressing the select key or go to a next level of information having characters that are related with the choice by pressing another “level” key. Repeating this up, down, select, and level key pressing process, the user will be able to access to the correct character with the least number of key presses.
To achieve the least number of key presses, at least a first user operable key retrieves and displays the first level of information from the data storage device. The first level of information includes alphabet characters in groups of at least three characters and special non-alphabetic characters in groups of at least three characters.
At least a second user operable key selects a desired group of displayed characters from the first level of information and retrieves and displays a second level of information that expands a selected group of characters from the first level of information into individual characters. At least a third user operable key selects and displays the desired character from the individual characters. Once a message has been created on the display, at least a fourth user operable key stores the selected and displayed message.
The display device is preferably formed of chip-on-glass technology to provide the best resolution of the display. Further, the data storage device may include a flash memory, well known in the art, that can be programmed to recover the stored information if a default such as machine failure or transmission default occurs.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic business card device that can be used to transfer business card information from a first user to a second user having a corresponding electronic business card.
I
Frech Karl D.
Jones Day Reavis & Pogue
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