A wireless handset is provided with enhanced features and capabilities. The wireless handset may be embodied as a full-featured handset that is capable of operating either within a wireless network (such as a cellular or PCS network) or in a direct handset-to-handset communication mode that is independent of the wireless network. Alternatively, the wireless handset may be embodied as a special purpose handset, that is capable of simply operating in a direct handset-to-handset communication mode. The wireless handset may additionally include features for supporting and enhancing direct communication between handsets. Such features may include a find feature that permits a user to determine which objects, including other wireless handset users, are located within a predetermined operating range of the wireless handset. A memorize feature may also be provided to permit handsets and other objects exchange information by wireless transmission.
A system for anonymously initiating communication between system-connected communications devices is provided wherein the initiation of communication results from comparison and priority matching of profile information shared between the devices. The system in one aspect comprises at least two communications devices connected to the system, the communications devices having at least a microprocessor, a data-input mechanism, a display screen, a wireless local-area-network protocol application enhanced with short-wave radio communication capability installed per instance to each of the devices, and a profile comparison and matching application installed per instance to each of the devices. When any two of the devices come into short-wave radio range of each other, the devices activated, a wireless local-area-network is established and the in-range devices swap profiles, which are compared to profiles held locally on each device such that a profile match registering on at least one device enables the device matching the profile to signal the sending device of the matched profile in order to request communication between the devices.
An in-vehicle system (10) having a radio (12) sends and receives messages that include an identifier that uniquely identifies the vehicle and that further includes affinities as correspond to the vehicle and/or occupants of the vehicle. The messages can constitute requests for information (43), offers to provide information (44), and other representations. Such requests and offers can correlate to an information payload contained within the message and/or to the affinities set forth in the message identifier.
Disclosed is a method of outputting a list of information stored in a memory of a portable cellular telephone, comprising the steps of: determining if a list key arranged in a key input section of the portable cellular telephone is depressed; and outputting the information stored in the memory in such a fashion that the information is listed when the list key is depressed. The portable cellular telephone for implementing the method according to the present invention provides an advantage that once a user depresses only one list key arranged on the key input section of the portable cellular telephone, as a list of telephone number information is simply and easily outputted in order, thereby offering convenience to the user in use of the portable cellular telephone.
A communication access protocol improves the accessibility of devices operating on an asynchronous network (100), while supporting reduced power consumption. The network (100) includes a mediation device (130) for facilitating communications among network devices. Generally, each network device periodically transmits beacon signals to advertise its presence, and listens for communication signals targeted at the network device (532, 534). A device initiating communication with another operates in one of at least two operating modes in order to establish communications (536, 537, 538). In one mode, the initiating device communicates with the mediation device in order to derive timing information for the other device (537). In another mode, the initiating device listens to receive beacon signals directly from the target device in order to synchronize communications with the device (538). The selection of one of the two operating modes depends on a control parameter established for the initiating device, which in one embodiment is dependent on the urgency of communication, a maximum number of retries for using the mediation device, or the like.
A method of selecting between telecommunication networks for at least two terminals capable of exchanging data in a first frequency band of a first telecommunication network with subscription and in a second frequency band of a second telecommunication network without subscription includes the steps of: estimating the relative distance between the two terminals; and switching the operation frequency of each of these two terminals from the first frequency band to the second frequency band if the distance between the two terminals is smaller than a predetermined value.
