Apparatus for communicating a user created message from a portable transceiver to a caller

A method for communicating a user created message from a first portable transceiver to a caller, comprising the steps of:

• storing the user created message in the first portable transceiver;
• storing a specific caller identifier corresponding to the user created message in the first portable transceiver;
• receiving at a communication terminal a message request from the caller, the message request including a caller identifier and a first address;
• transmitting from the communication terminal a communication signal, the communication signal including a query message wherein the query message further includes the first address and the caller identifier,
• receiving at the first portable transceiver the communication signal including the query message seeking retrieval of the user created message, said receiving further including processing the communication signal in its entirety when there is a match between a portion of the communication signal including the first address, and a first portable identifier stored in the first portable transceiver;
• comparing the caller identifier in the query message with the specific caller identifier;
• transmitting from the first portable transceiver the user created message to the communication terminal when there is a match between the caller identifier in the query message and the specific caller identifier
• receiving at the communication terminal from the first portable transceiver the user created message, the user created message including an alpha numeric message, and wherein the message request further includes a phone number;
• synthesizing the alpha numeric message into a voice message;
• dialing the phone number at a public switched telephone network (PSTN);
• detecting an off-hook signal from the PSTN;
• and
• transmitting the voice message to the caller.

A communication system for communicating a user created message from a first portable transceiver to a caller, the communication system comprising:

• a communication terminal comprising:
• a processing system for directing operation of the communication terminal;
• an interface coupled to the processing system for receiving a message request from the caller;
• a radio frequency (RF) base transmitter coupled to the processing system for transmitting a query message to the first portable transceiver, the query message including a caller identifier corresponding to the caller;
• a RF base receiver coupled to the processing system for receiving signals from the first portable transceiver;
• and
• the first portable transceiver comprising:
• a processing unit for directing operation of the first portable transceiver;
• a RF receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving the query message from the communication terminal;
• a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting a portable response message, the portable response message including the user created message;
• a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing the user created message and a specific caller identifier corresponding to the user created message;
• and
• wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit to the communication terminal the portable response message including the user created message to the caller when there is a match between the caller identifier included in the query message and the specific caller identifier
• a second portable transceiver comprising:
• a processing unit for directing operation of the second portable transceiver;
• a RF receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving a caller response message from the communication terminal;
• a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting an acknowledgment message confirming valid reception of the caller response message;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing the caller response message and a second portable identifier corresponding to the caller response message, and
• wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit to the communication terminal the acknowledgment message when there is a match between a second address included in the caller response message and the second portable identifier.

A portable transceiver comprising:

• a processing unit for directing operation of the portable transceiver;
• a memory coupled to the processing unit for storing a specific caller identifier corresponding to a user created message entered by a user;
• a radio frequency (RF) receiver coupled to the processing unit for receiving a query message from a communication terminal, the query message including a caller identifier and seeking retrieval of the user created message;
• and
• a RF transmitter coupled to the processing unit for transmitting the user created message, and
• wherein the processing unit is programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit the user created message to the communication terminal when there is a match between the caller identifier received in the query message and the specific caller identifier and
• wherein the processing unit is further programmed for controlling the RF transmitter to transmit a message request including a portable identifier corresponding to said portable transceiver, a second caller identifier, and a second portable identifier to said communications terminal and for controlling said radio frequency receiver to further receive a response message corresponding to said message request from said communications terminal when said caller identifier matched a second specific caller identifier stored at a second portable transceiver.