Method and apparatus for improved personal communication devices and systems

In a wireless portable communication device adapted to receive a picture and caller ID, an improved method for storing contact data in a wireless portable communication device, comprising the steps of:

• initiating a message from a message originator to a message recipient under the control of the message originator;
• receiving at a message center coupled to a communications network both message originator information provided automatically by the communications network as the caller ID identifying the telephone number of the message originator, and a non-facsimile picture obtained from the message originator prior to transmitting the caller ID to a wireless portable communication device;
• causing the communications network to wirelessly transmit the caller ID and the picture from the message center to the wireless portable communication device;
• maintaining contact data in a database resident in a computer system, the contact data comprised of at least one of name, telephone number, or image information that is associated with actual or potential communicants;
• transmitting a radio frequency signal comprised of an ID code and the contact data from a computer system to the wireless portable communication device using a radio frequency communication link;
• receiving a radio frequency signal in a receiver unit of the wireless portable communication device;
• decoding the radio frequency signal containing the ID code and comparing it against a recorded identification code contained within the wireless portable communication device;
• storing the received contact data within a database resident in the wireless portable communication device when the ID code matches the recorded identification code in the wireless portable communication device, and;
• accessing the contact data which is received and stored within the database for the purpose of establishing the identity of an actual or potential communicant.