1. A method for a user of a mobile terminal to receive information in a broadcast communication from a local information source, the method comprising the steps of:
maintaining, on the mobile terminal, filter data indicative of information the mobile terminal user is desirous of viewing;
receiving, by the mobile terminal, the broadcast communication from a broadcast transmitting station, wherein the broadcast communication comprises a message and communication data indicative of the nature of the broadcast communication;
displaying on a display of the mobile terminal at least a portion of the message in the broadcast communication;
performing, by the mobile terminal, a comparison between the communication data and the filter data according to a predetermined criteria; and
providing, by the mobile terminal, a sensible indication to the mobile terminal user if predetermined criteria between the communication data and the filter data are met within the comparison.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast communication comprises a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) transmission.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast transmitting station comprises a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) broadcast transmitting station connected to a DVB Gateway.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal comprises one of a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) receiver, a personal data assistant (PDA), and a portable computer.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a cellular telephone.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cellular telephone is capable of receiving both broadcast communication and communications from a network of the cellular telephone.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcast communications are broadcast in at least one of a substantially recurring and a substantially repetitive manner.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein broadcast communications containing messages with updated information are broadcast periodically.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the updated information comprises at least one of current stock prices, current game scores, and current news.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the filter data comprises first level user keywords and second level user keywords, wherein said first level user keywords indicate a general area of interest, and said second-level user keywords indicate a specific topic within a general area of interest;
the communication data comprises broadcast keywords; and
the predetermined criteria are deemed met when any user keywords match any broadcast keywords.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein:
the first level of user keyword comprises at least one of stock prices, scores of games in a particular sport, and news;
the second level user keyword comprises at least one of a stock price of a particular company or corporation, a score of a particular sports team, and a news item concerning a particular topic.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein:
when a broadcast keyword matches a first level user keyword, the message in the broadcast communication is displayed.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein:
when a broadcast keyword matches a second level user keyword, the message in the broadcast communication is displayed and emphasized.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein:
messages in broadcast communications whose broadcast keyword matches a first level user keyword are displayed in a banner scrolling across a horizontal portion of the display, or a banner scrolling up or down a vertical portion of the display; and
messages in broadcast communications whose broadcast keyword matches a second level user keyword are displayed in the banner and highlighted.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein:
when a broadcast keyword matches a second level user keyword, the sensible indication is at least one of:
sounding an audible signal;
emphasizing at least a portion of the displayed portion of the message; and
causing the mobile terminal to vibrate.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed portion of the message appears in a banner scrolling across a horizontal portion of the display, or a banner scrolling up or down a vertical portion of the display.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
taking, in response to a predetermined indication from the user, an action regarding or determined by the message.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined indication comprises pressing a button on the mobile terminal.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile telephone and the action is to dial a telephone number contained in the broadcast communication.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the action comprises retrieving data from a network.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the network comprises the internet.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the action of retrieving data comprises the steps of:
using a Uniform Resource Locater (URL) in the broadcast communication to navigate to a location on the network; and
downloading, by user action, the data from the location on the network.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the action of retrieving data comprises the step of:
using a hyperlink in the broadcast communication to automatically download the data from a location on the network.
24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
entering, by the user, the filter data into the mobile terminal.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of entering the filter data comprises the step of:
downloading the filter data from another device into the mobile terminal.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the filter data comprises keywords, and the method further comprises the step of:
generating additional keywords related to the keywords entered by the user, wherein said generating is performed by a thesaurus andor dictionary module located in at least one of mobile terminal and a network accessible by the mobile terminal.
27. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria depends upon at least one of: contents of the broadcast communication, a type of the broadcast communication, and a sender of the broadcast communication.
28. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication data indicative of the nature of the broadcast communication comprises the message in the broadcast communication.
29. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication data indicative of the nature of the broadcast communication comprises header information in the broadcast communication.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the performed comparison is between at least one field of the header information and the filter data.
31. A mobile terminal of a user comprising:
a processor;
an input device connected to the processor;
a storage device connected to the processor for storing at least filter data indicative of information the mobile terminal user is desirous of viewing;
a broadcast transceiver connected to the processor for receiving a broadcast communication comprising a message and communication data indicative of the nature of the broadcast communication, wherein said broadcast communication is received from a broadcast transmitting station;
a display connected to the processor for displaying at least a portion of the message; and
filter software operative on the processor for:
directing to the display at least a portion of the message;
performing a comparison between the communication data and the filter data stored on the storage device; and
causing an indication sensible by the mobile terminal user if predetermined criteria between the communication data and the filter data are met within the comparison.
32. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the broadcast transceiver comprises a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) transceiver.
33. The mobile terminal of claim 31, further comprising:
a mobile network transceiver connected to the processor for receiving communications from a mobile network of the mobile terminal.
34. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the broadcast transmitting station comprises a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) broadcast transmitting station connected to a DVB Gateway.
35. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the mobile terminal comprises one of a Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) receiver, a personal data assistant (PDA), and a portable computer.
36. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a mobile telephone.
37. The mobile terminal of claim 36, wherein the mobile telephone is capable of receiving both broadcast communication and communications from a network of the mobile telephone.
38. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein broadcast communications are broadcast in at least one of a substantially recurring and a substantially repetitive manner.
39. The mobile terminal of claim 38, wherein broadcast communications containing messages with updated information are broadcast periodically.
40. The mobile terminal of claim 38, wherein the updated information comprises at least one of current stock prices, current game scores, and current news.
41. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein:
the filter data comprises first level user keywords and second level user keywords, wherein said first level user keywords indicate a general area of interest, and said second-level user keywords indicate a specific topic within a general area of interest;
the communication data comprises broadcast keywords; and
the predetermined criteria are deemed met when any user keywords match any broadcast keywords.
42. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the displayed portion of the message appears in a banner scrolling across a horizontal portion of the display, or a banner scrolling up or down a vertical portion of the display.
43. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the filter software is operative for taking, in response to a predetermined indication from the user, an action regarding the message.
44. The mobile terminal of claim 43, wherein the predetermined indication comprises pressing a button on the mobile terminal.
45. The mobile terminal of claim 43, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile telephone and the action is to dial a telephone number contained in the broadcast communication.
46. The mobile terminal of claim 43, wherein the action comprises retrieving data from a network.
47. The mobile terminal of claim 46, wherein the network comprises the Internet.
48. The mobile terminal of claim 46, wherein the action of retrieving data comprises the steps of:
using a Uniform Resource Locater (URL) in the broadcast communication to navigate to a location on the network; and
downloading, by user action, the data from the location on the network.
49. The mobile terminal of claim 46, wherein the action of retrieving data comprises the step of:
using a hyperlink in the broadcast communication to automatically download the data from a location on the network.
50. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the predetermined criteria depends upon at least one of: contents of the broadcast communication, a type of the broadcast communication, and a sender of the broadcast communication.
51. The mobile terminal of claim 31, wherein the communication data indicative of the nature of the broadcast communication comprises the message in the broadcast communication.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel for receiving a battery, the barrel having a longitudinal axis and extending between a top and a base;
a head on the barrel having a lens and a bulb;
an angular connector between the head and the barrel;
a switch with an electrical contact for permitting electrical closure and opening between the battery and the bulb thereby, to permit operation of the flashlight to be on or off according to the position of the switch;
the angular connector being relatively moveable in relationship to the barrel along the longitudinal axis through the barrel whereby the head can be directed to selected different radial directions relative to the longitudinal axis; and
the angular connector being relatively removable from its position between the barrel and the head and wherein the head can be located with the barrel without the angular connector thereby to have a configuration for the flashlight wherein the bead is longitudinally located with the barrel.
2. A flashlight is claimed in claim 1 wherein the angular connector is a right angular formation whereby the head is directed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis through the barrel and whereby the head can be located in a selected radial right angular direction relative to the longitudinal direction extending through the barrel.
3. A flashlight is claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch is located on the barrel.
4. A flashlight is claimed in claim 1 including a clip permitting securing of flashlight on a support, the support selectively being a relatively thin substrate selectively an item of clothing of a user of flashlight.
5. A flashlight is claimed in claim 4 wherein the clip is formed on the angular connector and wherein the clip is secured to the angular connector by anchorage to that connector in a position which is not in the longitudinal direction of the barrel.
6. A flashlight is claimed in claim 5 wherein the angular connector includes a longitudinal portion and a portion directed angularly relative to the longitudinal portion and wherein the clip is anchored to the angularly-directed portion.
7. A flashlight is claimed in claim 1 wherein the switch for operating the flashlight includes a radially mounted finger operable toggle, the axis of the toggle being substantially right angular to the longitudinal axis of the barrel.
8. A flashlight is claimed in claim 7 wherein the switch is mounted on the barrel at a position adjacent to an upper part of the barrel.
9. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel for receiving a battery, the barrel having a longitudinal axis and extending between a top and a base;
a head on the barrel having a lens and a bulb;
an angular connector between the head and the barrel;
a switch with electrical contacts for permitting electrical closure and opening between the battery and the bulb thereby to permit operation of the flashlight to be on or off according to the position of the switch;
the angular connector being relatively moveable in relationship to the barrel along the longitudinal axis through the barrel whereby the head can be directed to selected different radial directions relative to the longitudinal axis;
the annular connector being relatively removable from its position between the barrel and the head and wherein the head can be located with the barrel without the angular connector thereby to have a configuration for the flashlight wherein the head is longitudinally located with the barrel; and
a contact operable with the switch whereby closure of the circuit is permissible irrespective of the radial position of the angular connector.
10. A flashlight is claimed in claim 9 wherein the angular connector is a right angular formation whereby the head is directed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis through the barrel and whereby the head can be located in a selected radial right angular direction relative to the longitudinal direction extending through the barrel.
11. A flashlight is claimed in claim 9 wherein the contact includes a circumferential element about the axis whereby the contact can be maintained from different radial positions of the barrel relative to the head.
12. A flashlight is claimed in claim 9 wherein the switch for operating the flashlight includes a finger operable toggle.
13. A flashlight is claimed in claim 12 wherein the switch is mounted on the barrel at a position adjacent to an upper part of the barrel.
14. A flashlight comprising:
a barrel for receiving a battery, the barrel having a longitudinal axis and extending between a top and a base;
a head on the barrel having a lens and a bulb;
an angular connector between the head and the barrel;
a switch with an electrical contact for permitting electrical closure and opening between the battery and the bulb thereby to permit operation of the flashlight to be on or off according to the position of the switch;
the angular connector being in relationship to the barrel whereby the head can be directed in a non-longitudinal direction relative to the longitudinal axis; and
the angular connector being relatively removable from its position between the barrel and the head and wherein the head can be located with the barrel without the angular connector thereby to have a configuration for the flashlight wherein the head is longitudinally located with the barrel.