METHOD OF PROVIDING A CELLULAR PHONE/PDA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
A cellular, PDA communication device and communication system for allowing a plurality of cellular phone users to monitor each others' locations and status, to initiate cellular phone calls by touching a symbol on the touch screen display with a stylus which can also include point to call conferencing calling. Each participant's cellular phone PDA device includes GPS navigation receiver with application software for point to call cellular phone initiation to participants and geographical entities including vehicles, persons or events, conference calls and video transfers. The method and system also includes automatic shifting from GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO to SMS when any of the cellular phones in the communication network is in the voice mode and in use and for automatic shifting back to GPRS/EDGE/CDMA/1XEVDO upon completion of the voice phone call.
1 . A method comprising:
performing by a first user device:
receiving respective identities and locations of one or more ships and displaying, for each of the ships, respective data representing the location of the ship;
receiving respective identities and locations of one or more second user devices and displaying, for each of the second user devices, respective data representing the location of the second user device;
receiving user selection of data corresponding to a selected one of the ships; and
displaying information comprising one or more of: an identity, heading, speed, or location of the selected ship.
2 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
receiving user selection of one or more symbols on the map wherein each selected symbol corresponds to a selected second user device;
obtaining respective contact information for the selected second user devices; and
initiating a communication with the selected second user devices using the contact information.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the communication is a phone call, a short message service message, a voice message, a text message, an electronic mail message, an image, or a video.
4 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
identifying user interaction with the display specifying a new symbol and a location of the new symbol;
displaying the new symbol on the map at the specified location; and
causing the new symbol and the location to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second user devices is configured to present the new symbol on a respective interactive map at the specified location.
5 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
identifying user interaction with the display specifying a symbol to be deleted;
removing the selected symbol from the display of the map; and
causing information identifying the selected symbol to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second user devices is configured to remove the selected symbol from a display of an interactive map.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying user interaction with the display selecting a symbol and associating the symbol with content wherein the content is an image, text, a voice recording, a video, an electronic mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator; and
causing the content to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second devices is configured to associate the content with the symbol.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein a particular user device is a smart phone, a personal data assistant, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or a laptop computer.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting an alert when one of the second user devices is within a specified distance of the first user device.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting an alert when a current location of the first user device is within a specified distance of a facility.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing an identify and location of the first user device to be sent to one or more of the second user devices based on one or more of: speed of the first user device, distance traveled by the first user device, or passage of a predetermined time interval.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user selection of a sub-net; and
initiating a communication with the second user devices corresponding to the sub-net.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the communication is a phone call, a short message service message, a voice message, a text message, an electronic mail message, an image, or a video.
13 . A system comprising:
one or more computers programmed to perform operations comprising:
receiving respective identities and locations of one or more ships and displaying, for each of the ships, respective data representing the location of the ship;
receiving respective identities and locations of one or more second user devices and displaying on the map, for each of the second user devices, respective data representing the location of the second user device;
receiving user selection of data corresponding to a selected one of the ships; and
displaying information comprising one or more of: an identity, heading, speed, or location of the selected ship.
14 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving user selection of one or more symbols on the map wherein each selected symbol corresponds to a selected second user device;
obtaining respective contact information for the selected second user devices; and
initiating a communication with the selected second user devices using the contact information.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the communication is a phone call, a short message service message, a voice message, a text message, an electronic mail message, an image, or a video.
16 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying user interaction with the display specifying a new symbol and a location of the new symbol;
displaying the new symbol on the map at the specified location; and
causing the new symbol and the location to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second user devices is configured to present the new symbol on a respective interactive map at the specified location.
17 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying user interaction with the display specifying a symbol to be deleted;
removing the selected symbol from the display of the map; and
causing information identifying the selected symbol to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second user devices is configured to remove the selected symbol from a display of an interactive map.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying user interaction with the display selecting a symbol and associating the symbol with content wherein the content is an image, text, a voice recording, a video, an electronic mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator; and
causing the content to be sent to the second user devices wherein each of the second devices is configured to associate the content with the symbol.
19 . The system of claim 13 wherein a particular user device is a smart phone, a personal data assistant, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or a laptop computer.
20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
presenting an alert when one of the second user devices is within a specified distance of the first user device.
21 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
presenting an alert when a current location of the first user device is within a specified distance of a facility.
22 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
causing an identify and location of the first user device to be sent to one or more of the second user devices based on one or more of: speed of the first user device, distance traveled by the first user device, or passage of a predetermined time interval.
23 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving user selection of a sub-net; and
initiating a communication with the second user devices corresponding to the sub-net.
24 . The system of claim 23 wherein the communication is a phone call, a short message service message, a voice message, a text message, an electronic mail message, an image, or a video.
25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, for each of the ships, respective data representing the location of the ship comprises displaying, for each of the ships, a respective symbol representing the ship on a map at a position corresponding to the location of the ship.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein displaying, for each of the second user devices, respective data representing the location of the second user device comprises displaying, for each of the second user devices, a respective symbol representing the second user device on the map at a position corresponding to the location of the second user device.
27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the map comprises an aerial photograph, a satellite image, or a chart.
28 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting an alert when a current location of the first user device is within a specified distance of a ship.
29 . The system of claim 13 , wherein displaying, for each of the ships, respective data representing the location of the ship comprises displaying, for each of the ships, a respective symbol representing the ship on a map at a position corresponding to the location of the ship.
30 . The system of claim 29 , wherein displaying, for each of the second user devices, respective data representing the location of the second user device comprises displaying, for each of the second user devices, a respective symbol representing the second user device on the map at a position corresponding to the location of the second user device.
31 . The system of claim 29 , wherein the map comprises an aerial photograph, a satellite image, or a chart.
32 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise presenting an alert when a current location of the first user device is within a specified distance of a ship.