Dynamic Secondary Phone Book

Abstract

A mobile communication device is equipped with a dynamic local directory into which contact information from a local telephone directory may be downloaded on a temporary basis. The local telephone directory resides on a local communication network and may be accessed by the mobile communication device. The downloaded data is purged automatically after preset limits are reached. The dynamic local telephone directory on the mobile communication device is continuously changing depending on the location.

1 . A method comprising:
 using a mobile communication device establishing a communication link with a local communication network, said network having a directory of contact information pertaining to a particular locale;   authenticating the mobile communication device at the local communication network and setting access limits;   downloading local contact information into a dynamic local directory on the mobile communication device; and   removing the downloaded local contact information from the dynamic local directory, when the access limits are exceeded.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said removal is initiated by a user of the mobile communications device when the access limits are exceeded. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the removal is automatic when the access limits are exceeded. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the access limits are set based on the proximity of the mobile communication device and the local contact information is removed when the mobile communication is moved beyond the proximity limit. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the access limits are set based on a time period beginning with the downloading of the local contact information and the local contact information is removed when the time period expires. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the establishment of the communication link is initiated by the local communication network when said network obtains information that the mobile communication device is within a target area. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the local contact information is a phone number, a screen name or an email address. 
   
   
       8 . The method of claim wherein the local communication network is associated with a business facility. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising: downloading data and codes to provide the mobile communication device with the ability to operate as an internal phone of the business facility. 
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the communication link is a secondary radio link. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the secondary radio link is a wireless local area network, blue tooth, ultrawide band, Wifi or WiMax. 
   
   
       12 . A mobile communication device comprising:
 a processor for executing the functions of the communication device;   a transceiver for establishing a communication link with a local communication network, said local communication network having a local directory of contact information;   a memory for storing a dynamic local directory of contact information; and   wherein the processor causes the transceiver to establish a communication link with the local communication network and transmits information to the local communications network for authenticating the mobile communication device; and further wherein upon acceptance of the communication link, the local communication network provides access to the local directory and allows contact information to be downloaded to the dynamic local directory with access limits, said downloaded contact information being removed from the dynamic local directory when the access limits are exceeded.   
   
   
       13 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein said removal is initiated by a user of the mobile communications device when the access limits are exceeded. 
   
   
       14 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the removal is automatic when the access limits are exceeded. 
   
   
       15 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the access limits are set based on the proximity of the mobile communication device and the local contact information is removed when the mobile communication is moved beyond the proximity limit. 
   
   
       16 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the access limits are set based on a time period beginning with the downloading of the local contact information and the local contact information is removed when the time period expires. 
   
   
       17 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the establishment of the communication link is initiated by the local communication network when said network obtains information that the mobile communication device is within a target area. 
   
   
       18 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the local contact information is a phone number, a screen name or an email address. 
   
   
       19 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the local communication network is associated with a business facility. 
   
   
       20 . The mobile communications device of  claim 19  further comprising: downloading data and codes to provide the mobile communication device with the ability to operate as a virtual internal phone of the business facility. 
   
   
       21 . The mobile communications device of  claim 12  wherein the communication link is a secondary radio link. 
   
   
       22 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21  wherein the secondary radio link is a wireless local area network, blue tooth, ultrawide band, Wifi or WiMax. 
   
   
       23 . A system for providing local contact information to a mobile communication device comprising:
 a local communication network having a local directory server operatively associated therewith;   a communications interface operatively associated with the local communication network for enabling communication with the local directory server;   a memory operatively associated with the local directory server and having a directory of the local contact information stored therein;   a first dynamic local directory module comprising application software for execution by the local directory server;   a transceiver operatively associated with the mobile communication device;   a processor for controlling the functions of the mobile communication device;   a memory operatively associated with the processor and having a dynamic directory for storing the local contact information;   a second dynamic local directory module comprising application software for execution by the processor; and   wherein the processor causes the transceiver to establish a communication link with the local communication network and transmits information to the local communications network for authenticating the mobile communication device; and further wherein upon acceptance of the communication link, the local communication network provides access to the local directory and allows the local contact information to be downloaded to the dynamic local directory with access limits, said downloaded contact information being removed from the dynamic local directory when the access limits are exceeded.   
   
   
       24 . A computer program product comprising:
 a computer useable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to establish a communication connection with a local communication network via a mobile communication device, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising:
 computer readable program code means for causing the mobile communication device to establish a communication link with the local communication network, said network having a directory of contact information pertaining to a particular locale; 
 computer readable program code means for causing the local communication network to authenticate the mobile communication device at the local communication network and set access limits; 
 computer readable program code means for causing the mobile communication device to download local contact information into a dynamic local directory on the mobile communication device; and 
 computer readable program code means for causing the downloaded local contact information to be removed from the dynamic local directory, when the access limits are exceeded.