Technology Paper

Introduction - Wireless Science provides advanced technology for license or acquisition by manufacturers, service providers, software developers and content providers. Our emphasis is on intuitive solutions for future convergence products/services and corresponding intellectual property that can provide exclusivity for those companies best able to exploit it.

Our history for creating innovative technology is not shallow. In 1984 we invented and patented the voice storage pager, followed shortly thereafter by a cell phone that stored digital audio. Since then, mobile phones have evolved from devices that exclusively provided telephony service to devices that support a wide range of messaging, entertainment, information access, and associated applications. Pagers, for example, were transformed from one-way, predominantly numeric messaging devices into two-way email devices. Then in the mid 90's the pager got morphed into the mobile phone. Personal digital assistants (PDA's), which started as little more than electronic Rolodexes, became wireless information management devices and then, just a few years ago, they too got absorbed by the mobile phone. From cameras to MP3 players, games, instant messaging, wireless updates, wifi and voip, streaming video - the list goes on. As a result, wireless usage has moved from the realm of the high-end, business-related, techno-savvy user to the realm of everyday men, women and children.

Wireless communication technology and markets have changed dramatically since the mid-nineties. Anticipating these trends, Wireless Science began its largest development effort and implemented an aggressive intellectual property strategy to secure patent protection on a variety of related inventions. The vision that made these actions possible was based on the premise that future convergence of devices and systems would offer unprecedented information management capabilities with a marketplace of mobile consumers that would become accustomed to accessing any information in the world at any time. Such a convergence called for an entire set of new 'remote control' technologies and applications that lie at the heart of the Wireless Science portfolio.

These innovations anticipate and reconcile the limited communications bandwidth and local memory storage of remote wireless devices, the virtually infinite universe of content which can be accessed by such devices, the limited user interface of portable devices and the expectation of everyday users to be able to interact with this universe of information through these devices with a maximum of simplicity, flexibility and general effectiveness - independent of the location of the user.

Our current patent portfolio includes significant improvements for wireless messaging and entertainment, including: wireless email, wireless voice messaging, wireless instant messaging, media players, set top boxes, entertainment systems and associated wireless and web-based information and mixed media services. The Wireless Science intellectual property portfolio for this field is extensive. (For a list of our patents, see Appendix B).

The following is a simplified description of a representative sample of our patented technology. For detailed descriptions please review our patents and their corresponding patent claims.

LinkPushTM - A "push" technology for wireless devices that provides remote user control over content prior to the content being received. Limited descriptive information is "pushed" to a wireless device. The user is provided with just enough data to make an informed decision as to what action to perform on the remotely-stored content. Actions include retrieve, reply, forward, delete, buy, play, sell, etc. Actions may be performed manually, automatically, or based on pre-set conditions specified by the user.

LinkPushTM Examples

A smartphone receives email header information without receiving all of the email body or attachments. An action is initiated by the user on the un-received portion of the email, namely retrieve, retrieve attachment, reply, delete, delay or forward the remote content.

A browser enabled cell phone receives a short message containing a hyperlink that can be clicked by the user to retrieve additional content located on remote servers. A user may subscribe to specific alerts, such as weather, traffic, music, movie trailers, ring tones or games. After receiving an alert for a new movie, the user can click the link to download the movie trailer or simply purchase the tickets without viewing the trailer.

A mobile phone receives a text message indicating that a software update is available. The mobile user clicks the update notice; the mobile browser opens, connects to the update site and the user downloads the update.

A cell phone receives a notification that a "picture mail" is available for viewing. The user manually clicks to retrieve the picture or configures the device to automatically download the picture from a server, based on pre-set conditions, such as a white list of senders, size of download, or time of day.

A wireless messaging device receives the following headers:

Email from Tom Jones - Subject: Weekly report
Voice mail from Jerry Smith
Video Mail from Mom
Music play list sample from Sony Records
Traffic Alert from MSN
Stock Alert - HP up $1.15
Fax Mail from 999-555-1212
Game Update from GameBoy

The user retrieves and replies to the weekly report, retrieves and forwards the video mail from Mom, plays Sony's new hit and buys the song, confirms an automatic HP sell order, forwards the fax without retrieving and updates the GameBoy software.

A two-way pager receives the first paragraph of a lengthy email message. When the user scrolls past the last line, the next paragraph is automatically retrieved. The user decides to deal with the remainder of the email at the office and does not retrieve the entire 600k email.

A satellite TV subscriber receives a personalized and descriptive "push" message about an on-demand movie. The subscriber clicks to purchase and then retrieves and views the movie at a time of their choosing or forwards the purchased movie to a different device.

Remote Control Functionality

The key concept here involves sending to a remote device information that identifies messages for the user (e.g., message identifiers or a list) without actually sending the messages, and enabling the user to perform different functions on selected messages with a remote device regardless of where the message is actually stored. These functions include sending the entire message to the remote device, transmitting forwarding the entire message to another location, deleting the message from its storage location, replying to the message, etc.

The central value proposition of this technology is that a remote device can access and control messages in a plurality of locations without having to transmit all of the messages to the device, conserving bandwidth and local storage, providing efficient display of message data to the user, and providing maximum flexibility to the remote user.

Imagine an application whereby a user's remote device is notified when messages are received at another location (e.g., a mail server, voice mail platform, fax machine, etc.) that are addressed to the user. All email users, for example, recognize that some messages are more important than others. To send the entire content of all messages would necessarily waste bandwidth and memory, add cost to both users and system operators, and would overwhelm the user of a device that has inherently limited storage and display capabilities.

With Wireless Science patented technology, remote users can flexibly select which messages they would like to perform a function on and which functions to perform. These decisions can be made on the basis of identifying information such as the sender of the message, the subject of the message, the type of message or the size of the message. The most common and valuable function to be performed would be to retrieve the entirety of a desired message. But there is significant messaging value that can be achieved without retrieving the entire message.

For example, in some cases it may be enough just to know that an eagerly anticipated message has arrived and no further action is required. In other cases, recognition that the message is of such a size or complexity (e.g., specialized attachments) that it is not practical to evaluate on the remote device may result in no remote function being performed by the user, but instead the user may pursue another means of accessing the message now that they know it is waiting. Naturally, some messages will be recognized as of no value whatsoever and Wireless Science technology enables the remote user to delete the message from its storage location with the remote device, saving the trouble of having to deal with the message ever again. Some messages may be of a nature that a reply acknowledging receipt of the message may be called for without the need to actually access the message. Still other messages will need to be forwarded to other parties or locations in order to expedite further action. Wireless Science patented technology allows a remote user to flexibly manage their messages without having them delivered to the remote device.

Information Services

The information services applications for the Wireless Science technology are available for a wide range of devices: phones, pagers, PDAs, set-top boxes, laptops, etc. The applications handle a wide variety of information types: news, weather, stock information, technology updates, human interest, etc.

The central aspect of this proprietary technology involves sending to a remote device an announcement that information is available without sending the information, allowing users to selectively determine which information they want to perform actions on and what actions are to be performed. Moreover, the selection of the function to be performed can be done manually, automatically, or automatically based on a preset condition.

The key value proposition for this technology is that users are notified when information they may be interested in is available without sending the information, conserving bandwidth and local storage, providing efficient display of information choices to users, and empowering users to decide what information they wish to receive (or forward to some other location). The information content can be stored in a multiplicity of locations; the operator of the wireless terminal need only transmit the notification that corresponds to content stored elsewhere.

As you can see, this area of Wireless Science technology closely mirrors the remote messaging control described above, but the utility for the user is quite different. This concept is essentially equivalent to pushing a message to a device with a wireless hyperlink to click on to initiate retrieval of additional information. A user could be sent a list of headlines, for example, and can select the item or items for which the full story is desired. Wireless users can be notified of any type of information or service that requires additional information and be provided with the means to request that information.

Another example of an application of this technology is location-based information. When a mobile user arrives in a new city, the user could receive a list of local information categories that may be of interest (for example, local weather, local sporting events, local entertainment events, hotel information, traffic reports, etc.). The user could choose to receive detailed information only on the subjects that are of interest.

The marketplace seems to have demonstrated certain user preferences as regards to mobile access to information. The "browser" model that is so appealing for a stationary user at a full-function computer has not translated well to a mobile environment where devices are inherently limited in size, bandwidth, memory and display capabilities. Naturally, pushing large amounts of information to a mobile user with such a device is not desirable either from a system efficiency or a user management perspective. Wireless Science patented technology enables an elegant, effective and balanced approach: pushing notification that various types of information are available and allowing users to selectively determine which items they wish to receive.

In addition to notifications being pushed from the system to the user, this technology also encompasses the scenario whereby one wireless user sends such a notification to another wireless user. This facilitates the transmission of rich content (e.g., pictures) from one user to another by sending an initial notification that the content is available, followed by a separate step - either manual or automated - to retrieve that content from a remote location.

Wireless Science proprietary technology also encompasses the concept of a "wireless bookmark." This concept involves the retention on a remote device of the location of information that is stored elsewhere (not on the remote device) available for retrieval at any time by initiating a retrieve request from the remote device using the location information stored in the "wireless bookmark." A variety of processes that involve manipulation of these "bookmarks" is contemplated by Wireless Science and described in Wireless Science patents.

Device Filters Related aspects of Wireless Science proprietary technology include: the ability to set up filters on a remote device that perform actions on a message based upon the satisfaction of a particular condition (e.g., signal strength, time of day, call already in progress, identity of sender, specific message subject, etc.) and the ability to schedule the performance of message tasks (e.g., message retrieval, message forwarding, etc.) to occur at desired times.

Media Downloads

One subset of information management that deserves special consideration relates to the download of non-textual media such as audio, video and software. There are several factors that make this application of Wireless Science technology particularly powerful. First, there is the explosion of consumer demand for digital audio downloads which has been exhibited in just the past year by users of stationary desktop computers. As evidenced by the advent of portable MP3 players, there is a natural migration of this demand to mobile users as wireless technology is adopted to provide a significant expansion of transmission bandwidth. Secondly, the large file size of such downloads emphasizes the value of not transmitting the media until the user has been notified of its availability and has indicated a desire to receive it. The potential to charge fees for downloading media to wireless devices further underscores the utility of informing the user of its availability and inviting the user to initiate a request for the content.

The clearest example is a wireless device that plays MP3 audio files. Utilizing the Wireless Science technology, the user receives messages identifying MP3s that are available for download. The user can then review a list of candidates and select the file or files they wish to receive. The MP3 is then transmitted to the device and the user effectively his play list while on the go. As bandwidth, storage and playback technologies evolve, the same concept will apply to video files, P2P and so on.

Another example of downloadable media is software. Especially as mobile devices evolve into "smart" devices with flexible programmability, users can be informed of downloadable software that can fix bugs, improve performance, or even radically transform functionality of a device. Phones can receive new ringtones. Handheld video game devices can receive new games or invitations to download and play.

With all of the available information, we believe the mobile customer will need a nudge from time to time with a push message that describes the content and takes them there.

TalkBack® - A mixed media messaging technology that enables a wireless device user to respond to a visual message, such as text, with an audio message, such as voice. The technology is particularly useful for devices with small keypads where typing is difficult or impractical. Mobile phones are ideally suited for sending voice email because they already have a built-in microphone and their small keypad is not user friendly for typing long messages.

TalkBack® Examples

A mobile phone receives a visual message (i.e., text email) and the user replies with a voice message (i.e., voice email). The voice message is appended at a mail server to the original email and sent to the addressed recipient formatted as a standard reply email with a voice file attachment or a link to a remotely-stored voice message accessible by computer or another mobile phone.

A wireless device receives a text, voice, video, fax or voice email or simply a descriptive header identifying the type, subject and sender of the email. The wireless user views the email and replies with a voice message. The voice message is stored at a remote server and a canned text reply is sent to the recipient. The reply contains a link to the remotely stored voice message along with instructions to play the message.

A wireless user sends a voice email to another wireless user. The recipient of the voice email receives a descriptive header which includes a link to the voice message that when clicked, streams or downloads the voice message to the recipient. Alternatively, the header can contain a unique phone number that corresponds to the remotely stored message. When clicked, the wireless device dials the number to the message storage mail box and automatically plays the voice message to the recipient.

A smart phone is configured to receive instant messages. Upon receiving an instant message, the wireless user replies with a voice message.

Soft Erase and Remote Delete - A technology that provides a wireless device user the flexibility to erase content stored locally on the user's wireless device, with the ability to save the corresponding content on a remote server or system, and vice-versa. The user can later recover that content from storage for further action. A wireless user is able to perform sophisticated delete functions including deletion of content stored remotely and soft erase, which deletes content from a wireless device but retains the address of the content so that it can be retrieved at a future time from a remote server or system.

Soft Erase and Remote Delete Examples

A wireless user deletes an email from his mail server but retains the email on his device.

A wireless user deletes content from his device but retains a "bookmark" which allows him to readily retrieve the content again at his convenience.

When its memory is full, a wireless device overwrites the oldest read message when a new message arrives, but retains the header information for the message it overwrites. The wireless user can recover the erased message from a remote server at any time by clicking on the message header.

A user receives a confidential email on a mobile phone. The user wishes to retain or forward the email but does not want a copy of the email left on his company's email server. The user is given the option to delete local, delete remote, or delete all.

A user is able to synchronize message information stored on the remote device by issuing commands from another messaging system (e.g., your desktop mail client can delete from your remote device messages you have handled from your desktop).

A system initiates a remote deletion of material previously sent to a device. This will be particularly useful when media has been delivered to a device for a short-term evaluation or because the media has been "rented" for enjoyment for a finite period of time. When the evaluation or rental has expired, the system can communicate with the device to delete the media without any action taken by the user.

Wireless Device User Interface - A technology that simplifies the user experience when controlling media at an ambiguous storage location. A wireless user is able to select simple commands, such as play, read, forward, delete, etc., regardless of the location of the stored media. The user is not required to know where the media is stored. Pressing a play key will cause the message to play, regardless of the storage location.

Wireless Device User Interface Examples

A wireless device has a long list of messages available to the user. The messages include fax, text, video and audio messages. Some messages are stored on the wireless device and some messages are stored on a number of remote servers. The user may play, read, reply, forward or delete any listed message without knowing where the message is stored.

A wireless device user presses "Read" to read an attachment. The user doesn't know if the attachment is stored on the wireless device or a remote server. The device determines that the attachment is not stored in the device but is stored on a remote server, automatically downloads the attachment and displays it to the user.

A wireless device user reads a header on his mobile phone, determines it is "spam", presses "Delete" and the device deletes the message wherever it is located.

A wireless device user reads an email header that he wishes to reply to. The user presses "Reply". However, the message itself is no longer stored in the device because it was deleted or over written by another message. The user simply creates the reply message and presses send. The device sends the reply to the server where it is appended to the original email and sent as a normally formatted reply.

A wireless device user presses "Play" in order to play a song she bought the day before. The song had only partially downloaded to the device during the time of purchase. The song begins playing from the wireless device's memory, and can continue to play as the remainder of the song is streaming from a remote server, while simultaneously being stored in the wireless device.

A wireless device user wishes to forward a number of emails listed on his wireless PDA. Some of the emails are stored on the PDA and some are not. All attachments are stored on a remote server and were never downloaded to the wireless device. The wireless user simply tags the list of emails to be forwarded, selects the recipient and presses send. A properly formatted email, including all attachments, is synchronized at the remote server and sent to the recipient.

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Wireless Science proprietary technology is not limited to wireless devices but extends to other remote devices such as set-top boxes and video game consoles. New software or content availability messages could be transmitted to such devices leading to the retrieval of new movies to watch or new games to play.

Integration of Visual and Audio Messaging

Another area of messaging technology addressed by Wireless Science is the integration of visual and audio messaging. The central aspect of this technology relates to devices that can receive visual (i.e., text) messages and can reply with audio (i.e., voice) messages.

The key value proposition of this technology relates to the inherent nature of wireless devices and how they are used. The limited bandwidth and storage capabilities of mobile telephones make the receipt of text messages more convenient than the receipt of audio messages. When it comes time to reply to those messages, however, text is no longer the preferred medium. Sending a text message from a wireless PDA requires typing on a miniature keyboard. Sending a text message from a mobile phone requires an even more difficult process of typing an alphabetical message on a numeric keypad. By far, the easiest method for providing a robust reply from a mobile device is to speak the message into a microphone on the device.

Wireless Science patented technology encompasses systems, devices and methods for processing text messages to devices and accommodating simple methods for replying to those messages with voice. Related devices include any combinations of phone, pager or PDA that are capable of receiving text messages and recording voice messages. The transmission of the voice message can be accomplished by means of a telephone call or by digital transmission of the encoded audio data. Systems can then process the voice replies in a variety of ways including the delivery of an email containing the voice message.

This simple but powerful technology makes possible the optimal messaging service for the user of a handheld device in a mobile environment.

Direct Access Voice Mail

A welcomed improvement to every email user we surveyed - The concept is simple. A voice mail system sends the name and or phone number to the recipient's phone that corresponds to received voice mail messages. The recipient scrolls through their received headers and picks the message they desire to listen to, clicks play and only the selected message plays.



APPENDIX A - Sample Applications


Mobile phone receives SMS messages with headers ("From" and "Subject" fields) of incoming emails. User retrieves only those emails of immediate interest.

Mobile phone receives SMS messages with headers ("From" and "Subject" fields) of incoming emails. User deletes selected messages from email server and handset simultaneously.

Mobile phone receives SMS messages with headers ("From" and "Subject" fields) of incoming emails. User replies to selected emails without first retrieving messages.

Mobile phone receives an SMS message that specifies certain information (email, spreadsheet, data files, etc.) is available. User forwards the identified information to a nearby computer or fax machine for printing.

Mobile phone receives an SMS message, "New Madonna video, click here to play." User clicks on the link and retrieves the pop star's latest video.

Mobile phone receives message indicating ring tones available. User initiates download of selected ring tones.

Mobile phone user receives a text message and replies with a voice message. Voice reply is transmitted to the original sender of the text message.

Pager or wireless PDA receives a page that identifies messages available. User retrieves selected messages.

Pager or wireless PDA receives a page that identifies messages available. User deletes selected messages from server and handset.

Pager or wireless PDA receives a page that indicates certain messages are available. User forwards some or all identified messages to another location.

Pager or wireless PDA receives a page that indicates certain information is available. User clicks on the link provided and retrieves the identified information.

Wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) receives a portion of subscriber's email message, including headers and a fraction of the text. User clicks "more" to retrieve the remainder of the email text.

Wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) receives a portion of subscriber's email message, including headers and a fraction of the text. User has preset the device to automatically retrieve the remainder of the email text upon scrolling down to the bottom of the message.

Wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) receives subscriber's email message, with notification that attachments are available. User clicks on the notification to retrieve the attachments.

Wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) receives subscriber's email message, without attachments. User has preset the device to automatically retrieve attachments upon opening the email.

Camera-phone user sends image to another mobile phone or wireless PDA. Recipient receives notification that the "picture" is available for viewing. Recipient clicks on notification to download the image from a remote location.

Camera-phone user sends image to another mobile phone or wireless PDA. Notification is sent to recipient identifying the image content. Recipient has preset the device to automatically retrieve image from a remote location.

Wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) receives message indicating new software upgrade is available. User initiates download of new software.

User carries wireless handset (phone, pager, PDA) when arriving in a new city. Location-specific links automatically pop up on the handset screen offering to provide local weather, traffic, restaurants, etc. User clicks on link to retrieve the local traffic report.

User programs wireless handset to retrieve a stock market report whenever the DOW Industrials move more than 100 points. As soon as the DOW exceeds that threshold the report is forwarded to the user's handset automatically.

Wireless handset receives a message, "New U2 video now available". User forwards the video to a nearby monitor for viewing.

User deletes emails from desktop email client. Email client achieves synchronization with mobile device by deleting those emails from the wireless device.

Wireless MP3 player receives a message that identifies MP3s available. User initiates download of selected MP3s to the wireless player.

Wireless MP3 player downloads time-limited MP3 files. After time limit expires, system initiates deletion of MP3 files from wireless player.

Wireless digital video player receives a message that identifies digital videos available. User initiates download of selected digital videos to the wireless player.

Wireless video game player receives message indicating new video games available. User initiates download of selected games.

Set-top box receives a message that identifies messages available. User retrieves selected messages.

Set-top box receives a message that identifies new movies that are now available. User selects a movie and retrieves it for viewing.

Set-top box receives a message, "Heavy Weight Title Fight, $39.95". User clicks on the link provided, and the boxing match is subsequently forwarded to the set-top box at the appropriate time.

Set-top box receives a message, "Lord Of The Rings now available on XYZ Cable". User forwards Lord Of The Rings to the set-top box at her boyfriend's house so they can watch together.

Set-top box with digital storage receives message indicating new digital video files available. User initiates download of selected digital video files for storage.

Set-top box user downloads time-limited digital video files. After time limit expires system initiates deletion of digital video files from set-top box storage.

Video game console with internet connection receives message indicating new games available. User initiates download of selected games.



APPENDIX B - US Patents Issued


United States Patent 6,826,407
System and Method for Integrating Audio and Visual Messaging
Issued: November 30, 2004

United States Patent 6,696,921
Transmitting and receiving devices and methods for transmitting data to and receving data from a communications system
Issued: February 24, 2004

United States Patent 6,636,733
Wireless messaging method
Issued: October 21, 2003

United States Patent 6,462.646
Transmitting and receiving devices and methods for transmitting data to and receiving data from a communications system
Issued: October 8, 2002

United States Patent 6,459,360
Networks, communications systems, transmitting and receiving devices and methods for transmitting, receiving and erasing stored information
Issued: October 1, 2002

United States Patent 6,259,892
Pager transceiver and methods for performing action on information at desired times
Issued: July 10, 2001

United States Patent 6,253,061
Systems and methods for delivering information to a transmitting and receiving device
Issued: June 26, 2001

United States Patent 6,233,430
Paging transceivers and methods for selectively retrieving messages
Issued: May 15, 2001

United States Patent 6,097,941
User interface for voice message access
Issued: August 1, 2000

United States Patent 6,087,956
Paging transceivers and methods for selectively erasing information
Issued: July 11, 2000

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Other Wireless Science Patents (not related to this paper)

United States Patent RE37,618
Analog/digital data storage system
Issued: Feb 27, 1990
Reissued: April 2, 2003
Status - Licensed

United States Patent RE34,976
Analog/digital voice storage cellular telephone
Issued: March 26, 1991
Reissued: June 20, 1995
Status - Sold

United States Patent 4,864,301
Variable speed transmission recording and retrieval of data
Issued: September 5, 1989
Status - Licensed

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