Personal profile sharing and management for short-range wireless terminals

Abstract

A mobile, wireless terminal contains apparatus for creating, editing and storing user personalized profiles for access by inquiring terminals in a short-range communication system. The mobile, wireless terminal contains databases for storing standardized format profiles containing user contact information, standardized format profiles of user interests and user or manufacturer defined profiles. The personalized profiles are stored in a single record of a Service Discovery Protocol database. Screen display apparatus in the mobile terminal displays indexes and contents of the profiles for user access in creating, editing and storing user profiles. The mobile terminal includes apparatus responsive to SDP inquires from inquiring terminals for access to and acquisition of the user defined personalized profiles.

1 - 37 . (canceled)  
   
   
       38 . A method in a user's short-range wireless terminal for sharing the user's personal profile with an inquiring wireless terminal in a wireless network, comprising: 
 installing the user's personal profile in a database of the user's short-range wireless terminal;    editing the personal profile while in the user's short-range wireless terminal in response to the user's input wherein the user's personal profile is installed in service discovery protocol (SDP) records; and    transmitting the user's personal profile from the user's short-range wireless terminal to an inquiring wireless terminal wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal shares general information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a first level of close matching, and the user's short-range wireless terminal shares detailed, private information in the user's profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a second level of close matching, which is closer than the first level.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal and the inquiring wireless terminal support ad-hoc networks and include Bluetooth devices  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , which further comprises: 
 setting the user's short-range wireless terminal in a state to permit the user's personal profile to be accessed by and respond to inquiring wireless terminals.    
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 38  wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 including a list of user interests in the SDP records defined by a plurality of fields, each field including a series of attributes, where each attribute is defined by a name, a type, and a value.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 including a bit mask characterizing each specified interest.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 storing a full complement of personalization data in one SDP record.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 39 , which further comprises: 
 filtering incoming messages.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said editing the personal profile stored in the user's terminal further comprises: 
 displaying an index screen in the user's terminal to enable the user to access a process screen for editing and removing keywords related to the processes; and    editing and updating the personal profiles using a user interface of the user's terminal.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 39 , which further comprises: 
 uploading the personal profiles via a network and storing them at a centralized database;    enabling editing of the personal profiles on a computer coupled to the centralized database; and    downloading the edited personal profiles to the user's terminal.    
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 installing the user's personal profile into a database divided into a phone book section containing the user's personal profile and a more detailed data section for detailed personal information.    
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 writing generic information, such as name and contact information into the phone book section.    
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 writing detailed personal information into the more detailed data section, such as sports interests and hobby interests.    
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 responding in a SDP transaction to provide a format for the requested information.    
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 providing additional references in the response by providing links to additional user defined information from the database in an object exchange (OBEX) transaction.    
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 sending the user information from the user's phonebook, encoded in a vCard electronic business card format.    
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 sending the personal profiles encoded in extended markup language (XML).    
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein more detailed, private information in the user's profile is protected by authentication and encryption.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein before sending the more detailed, private information in the user's profile, the user's short-range wireless terminal invokes encryption of a baseband connection with the inquiring wireless terminal.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal transfers general information to the user's personal profile in a pull model to the inquiring wireless terminal, without authentication or encryption.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein more detailed, private information in the user's profile is protected by authentication and encryption.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein before sending the more detailed, private information in the user's profile, the user's short-range wireless terminal invokes encryption of a baseband connection with the inquiring wireless terminal.  
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal and the inquiring wireless terminal register with a server.  
   
   
       60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the server provides matchmaking via Bluetooth links to the short-range wireless terminal and the inquiring wireless terminal based on their having registered with the server.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal shares information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles match within a predefined tolerance.  
   
   
       62 . A mobile terminal containing personal profiles for access by other terminals in a short-range wireless communication system, comprising: 
 a database in the containing user defined profiles;    database-managing apparatus to edit the user defined personal profiles based upon user input;    screen display apparatus which displays the personal profiles for user access wherein the user's defined personal profile is contained in service discovery protocol (SDP) records;    transceiver apparatus responsive to inquires from other terminals for access to the user defined profiles; and    matching apparatus in the wireless device which shares general information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a first level of close matching wherein the user's wireless device shares more detailed, private information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a second level of close matching, which is closer than the first level.    
   
   
       63 . The terminal of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 records defining each profile stored in the database.    
   
   
       64 . The terminal of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 personalization apparatus which sets the terminal in a personalization state to permit access by other terminals in a transaction.    
   
   
       65 . The terminal of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 searching apparatus which searches the short-range communication network for other terminals having matching personal profiles.    
   
   
       66 . The terminal of  claim 62 , further comprising: 
 remote profile storing apparatus which stores the user defined profiles in a remote centralized database for access by the user via a network.    
   
   
       67 . A system for sharing a user's personal profile with an inquiring wireless terminal in a short-range wireless network, comprising: 
 a wireless device including a database containing a user's personal profile;    an inquiring wireless terminal capable of connecting to the wireless device via a short-range wireless network;    personalization apparatus which sets the wireless device in a personalization state to permit access by inquiring wireless terminals in a transaction wherein the user's personal profile is contained in the service discovery protocol (SDP) records; and    matching apparatus in the wireless device which shares general information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a first level of close matching wherein the user's wireless device shares more detailed, private information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a second level of close matching, which is closer than the first level.    
   
   
       68 . The system of  claim 67  wherein the user's device shares information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles match within a predefined tolerance.  
   
   
       69 . A medium, executable in a computer system in a user's short-range wireless terminal, for sharing the user's personal profile with an inquiring wireless terminal in a wireless network, the medium comprising: 
 program code for installing the user's personal profile in a database of the user's short-range wireless terminal;    program code for editing the personal profile while in the user's short-range wireless terminal in response to the user's input wherein the user's personal profile is installed in service discovery protocol (SDP) records; and    program code for transmitting the user's personal profile from the user's short-range wireless terminal to an inquiring wireless terminal wherein the user's short-range wireless terminal shares general information in the user's personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a first level of close matching, and the user's short-range wireless terminal shares detailed, private information in the user's profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles have a second level of close matching, which is closer than the first level.    
   
   
       70 . The medium of  claim 69 , which further comprises: 
 program code for setting the user's short-range wireless terminal in a state to permit the user's personal profile to be accessed by inquiring and respond to wireless terminals.    
   
   
       71 . The medium of  claim 69  wherein the program code for installing the user's personal profile further comprises: 
 program code for including a list of user interests in the SDP records defined by a plurality of fields, each field including a series of attributes, where each attribute is defined by a name, a type, and a value; and    program code for storing a full complement of personalization data in one SDP record.    
   
   
       72 . The medium of  claim 69 , wherein said program code for editing the personal profile stored in the user's terminal further comprises: 
 program code for displaying an index screen in the user's terminal to enable the user to access a process screen for editing and removing keywords related to the processes; and    program code for editing and updating the personal profiles using a user interface of the user's terminal.    
   
   
       73 . The medium of  claim 69 , which further comprises: 
 program code for uploading the personal profiles via a network and storing them at a centralized database;    program code for enabling editing of the personal profiles on a computer coupled to the centralized database; and    program code for downloading the edited personal profiles to the user's terminal.    
   
   
       74 . The medium of  claim 70 , wherein said responding state further comprises: 
 program code for responding in a SDP transaction to provide a format for the requested information.    
   
   
       75 . The medium of  claim 70 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 program code for providing additional references in the response by providing links to additional user defined information from the database in an object exchange (OBEX) transaction.    
   
   
       76 . The medium of  claim 75 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 program code for sending the user information from the user's phonebook, encoded in a vCard electronic business card format.    
   
   
       77 . The medium of  claim 70 , wherein said responding step further comprises: 
 program code for sending the personal profiles encoded in extended markup language (XML).    
   
   
       78 . The medium of  claim 69  further comprises program code for sending the more detailed, private information in the user's profile, the user's short-range wireless terminal invokes encryption of a baseband connection with the inquiring wireless terminal.  
   
   
       79 . The medium of  claim 69  further comprises program code for the user's short-range wireless terminal to transfer general information to the user's personal profile in a pull model to the inquiring wireless terminal, without authentication or encryption.  
   
   
       80 . The medium of  claim 69  further comprises program code for more detailed, private information in the user's profile to be protected by authentication and encryption.  
   
   
       81 . The medium of  claim 69  further comprises program code for the user's short-range wireless terminal and the inquiring wireless terminal to register with a server.  
   
   
       82 . The medium of  claim 81  further comprises program code for the server to provide matchmaking via Bluetooth links to the short-range wireless terminal and the inquiring wireless terminal based on their having registered with the server.  
   
   
       83 . The medium of  claim 69  further comprises program code for the user's short-range wireless terminal to share information in the short range wireless terminal personal profile with the inquiring wireless terminal, if their respective user profiles match within a predefined tolerance.