Method and portable apparatus for comparison of stored sets of data

Claim 1

A system for comparing first and second sets of data, said system comprising: (a) first and second portable computing devices; (b) first storage means in said first computing device for storing said first set of data, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including items of information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared, and second storage means in said second computing device for storing said second set of data, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding respectively on an item-by-item basis to said plurality of items of said second set; (c) switch means in one of said first and second portable computing devices for producing a first signal to initiate data transmission; (d) first transmitting means in said first computing device for transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device in response to said first signal; (e) data entry means for entering said first set of data into said first storage means while said first computing device is not coupled to said second computing device and before said producing of said first signal to initiate said transmitting data of said first set; (f) first receiving means in said second computing device for receiving said data of said first set transmitted from said first computing device; (g) first comparing means in said second computing device responsive to said second storage means and said first receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said second set stored in said second storage means with said corresponding items of said received data of said first set to produce a plurality of comparison data items corresponding to respective ones of said items of said first set; (h) computing means in said second computing device responsive to said first comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to effect computing of a first number, said first number being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; and (i) first display means in said second computing device responsive to said first comparing means for displaying information representative of said first number to provide an indication of the compatability of things or persons represented by said first and second sets of data, respectively.

Claim 2

A system for comparing first and second sets of data, said system comprising: (a) first and second portable computing devices; (b) first storage means in said first computing device for storing said first set of data, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including items of information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared, and second storage means in said second computing device for storing said second set of data, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding respectively on an item-by-item basis to said plurality of items of said second set; (c) switch means in one of said first and second portable computing devices for producing a first signal to initiate data transmission; (d) first transmitting means in said first computing device for transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device in response to said first signal; (e) data entry means for entering said first set of data into said first storage means while said first computing device is not coupled to said second computing device and before said producing of said first signal to initiate said transmitting data of said first set; (f) first receiving means in said second computing device for receiving said data of said first set transmitted from said first computing device; (g) first comparing means in said second computing device responsive to said second storage means and said first receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said second set stored in said second storage means with said corresponding items of said received data of said first set to produce a plurality of comparison data items corresponding to respective ones of said items of said first set; (h) computing means in said second computing device responsive to said first comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to effect computing of a first number, said first number being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; and (i) first display means in said second computing device responsive to said first comparing means for displaying information representative of said first number to provide an indication of the compatability of things or persons represented by said first and second sets of data, respectively.

Claim 17

A system for comparing first and second sets of data, said system comprising in combination: (a) first and second portable computing devices; (b) first storage means in said first computing device for storing said first set of data, and second storage means in said second computing device for storing said second set of data, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including a plurality of items of information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of items of said second set; (c) first transmitting means in said first computing device for transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device; (d) second transmitting means in said second computing device for transmitting data of said second set of data from said second computing device to said first computing device; (e) first data entry means in said first computing device for entering said first set of data into said first storage means while said first and second computing devices are not coupled together and before said transmitting of data of said first set or said second set; (f) second data entry means in said second computing device for entering said second set of data into said second storage means while said first and second computing devices are not coupled together and before said transmitting of data of said first set or said second set; (g) first receiving means in said first computing device for receiving data of said second set from said second computing device; (h) second receiving means in said second computing device for receiving data of said first set from said first computing device; (i) first comparing means in said first computing device responsive to said second storage means and said first receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said first set with said corresponding items of said received data of said second set to produce a plurality of comparison data items corresponding, respectively, to said items of said first set; (j) second comparing means in said second computing device responsive to said second storage means and said second receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said second set with said corresponding items of said received data of said first set to produce said plurality of comparison data items; (k) first computing means in said first computing device responsive to said first comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to compute a first number, said first number being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; (l) second computing means in said second computing device responsive to said second comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to compute a second number, said second number also being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; (m) first display means in said first computing device responsive to said first comparing means for displaying said first number; and (n) second display means in said second computing device responsive to said second comparing means for displaying said second number.

Claim 18

A system for comparing first and second sets of data, said system comprising in combination: (a) first and second portable computing devices; (b) first storage means in said first computing device for storing said first set of data, and second storage means in said second computing device for storing said second set of data, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including a plurality of items of information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of items of said second set; (c) first transmitting means in said first computing device for transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device; (d) second transmitting means in said second computing device for transmitting data of said second set of data from said second computing device to said first computing device; (e) first data entry means in said first computing device for entering said first set of data into said first storage means while said first and second computing devices are not coupled together and before said transmitting of data of said first set or said second set; (f) second data entry means in said second computing device for entering said second set of data into said second storage means while said first and second computing devices are not coupled together and before said transmitting of data of said first set or said second set; (g) first receiving means in said first computing device for receiving data of said second set from said second computing device; (h) second receiving means in said second computing device for receiving data of said first set from said first computing device; (i) first comparing means in said first computing device responsive to said second storage means and said first receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said first set with said corresponding items of said received data of said second set to produce a plurality of comparison data items corresponding, respectively, to said items of said first set; (j) second comparing means in said second computing device responsive to said second storage means and said second receiving means for comparing said items of said data of said second set with said corresponding items of said received data of said first set to produce said plurality of comparison data items; (k) first computing means in said first computing device responsive to said first comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to compute a first number, said first number being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; (l) second computing means in said second computing device responsive to said second comparing means for operating on said plurality of comparison data items to compute a second number, said second number also being indicative of the degree of similarity between all of said data of said first and second sets; (m) first display means in said first computing device responsive to said first comparing means for displaying said first number; and (n) second display means in said second computing device responsive to said second comparing means for displaying said second number.

Claim 29

A method of utilizing first and second computing devices to compare first and second sets of data, said first computing device being portable, said method comprising the steps of: (a) entering and storing said first and second sets of data in said first and second computing devices, respectively, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including a plurality of items of information, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of items of said second set; (b) coupling said first and second computing devices to permit transfer of stored data between said first and second computing devices; (c) transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device by means of said coupling, said entering and storing steps being performed before said coupling and said transmitting steps; (d) comparing said items of information of said transmitted data now in said second computing device with said corresponding items of information of said data of said second set in said second computing device to produce a plurality of comparison data item numbers corresponding to respective ones of said items of information of said first set; (e) operating on said plurality of comparison data item numbers to compute a first number that is indicative of the degree of similarity between said data of said first set and said data of said second set; and (f) displaying information representative of said first number to provide an indication of the degree of similarity of things or persons represented by said first and second sets of data, respectively.

Claim 30

A method of utilizing first and second computing devices to compare first and second sets of data, said first computing device being portable, said method comprising the steps of: (a) entering and storing said first and second sets of data in said first and second computing devices, respectively, said first set of data including a plurality of items of information, said second set of data including a plurality of items of information, said plurality of items of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of items of said second set; (b) coupling said first and second computing devices to permit transfer of stored data between said first and second computing devices; (c) transmitting data of said first set from said first computing device to said second computing device by means of said coupling, said entering and storing steps being performed before said coupling and said transmitting steps; (d) comparing said items of information of said transmitted data now in said second computing device with said corresponding items of information of said data of said second set in said second computing device to produce a plurality of comparison data item numbers corresponding to respective ones of said items of information of said first set; (e) operating on said plurality of comparison data item numbers to compute a first number that is indicative of the degree of similarity between said data of said first set and said data of said second set; and (f) displaying information representative of said first number to provide an indication of the degree of similarity of things or persons represented by said first and second sets of data, respectively.

Claim 39

A method of utilizing first and second portable computing devices to compare first and second sets of data, each of said sets including a plurality of corresponding data pairs, said plurality of data pairs of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of data pairs of said second set, each of said data pairs including a first data number and a second data number, said method comprising the steps of: (a) entering said storing said first and second sets of data in said first and second computing devices, respectively, said first set of data including a plurality of items of personal information about a first person, said second set of data including a plurality of items of personal information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared; (b) coupling said first and second computing devices to permit transfer of stored data between said first and second computing devices; (c) transmitting the first data number of one of said data pairs from said first computing device to said second computing device; (d) in said second computing device, comparing said transmitted first data number with the first data number of the corresponding data pair stored in said second computing device to obtain a difference number equal to the magnitude of the difference between said transmitted first data number and said corresponding first data number; (e) storing said difference number in said second computing device; (f) transmitting the second data number of said data pair from said first computing device to said second computing device, said entering and storing steps being performed before steps (b), (c) and (f); (g) in said second computing device, comparing said transmitted second data number with the second data number of the corresponding data pair stored in said second computing device to obtain an amplifier number equal to the larger of said transmitted second data number and said corresponding second data number; (h) multiplying said difference number by said amplifier number to obtain a partial comparison result number; (i) computing a plurality of additional partial comparison result numbers corresponding to additional corresponding data pairs stored in said first and second computing devices, respectively; (j) utilizing at least some of said partial comparison result numbers to compute a number indicating the overall degree of matching or compatability between said first and second sets of data; and (k) displaying said computed number.

Claim 40

A method of utilizing first and second portable computing devices to compare first and second sets of data, each of said sets including a plurality of corresponding data pairs, said plurality of data pairs of said first set corresponding, respectively, to said plurality of data pairs of said second set, each of said data pairs including a first data number and a second data number, said method comprising the steps of: (a) entering said storing said first and second sets of data in said first and second computing devices, respectively, said first set of data including a plurality of items of personal information about a first person, said second set of data including a plurality of items of personal information with which corresponding items of information of said first set of data are to be respectively compared; (b) coupling said first and second computing devices to permit transfer of stored data between said first and second computing devices; (c) transmitting the first data number of one of said data pairs from said first computing device to said second computing device; (d) in said second computing device, comparing said transmitted first data number with the first data number of the corresponding data pair stored in said second computing device to obtain a difference number equal to the magnitude of the difference between said transmitted first data number and said corresponding first data number; (e) storing said difference number in said second computing device; (f) transmitting the second data number of said data pair from said first computing device to said second computing device, said entering and storing steps being performed before steps (b), (c) and (f); (g) in said second computing device, comparing said transmitted second data number with the second data number of the corresponding data pair stored in said second computing device to obtain an amplifier number equal to the larger of said transmitted second data number and said corresponding second data number; (h) multiplying said difference number by said amplifier number to obtain a partial comparison result number; (i) computing a plurality of additional partial comparison result numbers corresponding to additional corresponding data pairs stored in said first and second computing devices, respectively; (j) utilizing at least some of said partial comparison result numbers to compute a number indicating the overall degree of matching or compatability between said first and second sets of data; and (k) displaying said computed number.