Guide to the Daniel Henderson Portable Electronic Devices Documentary Collection

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of photocopied American, Japanese, German, and French patents; photocopied articles, advertisements, news releases, user manuals, buyer's guides, company analyses, technical references, and an oversize timeline. The collection provides documentation for 79 artifacts—including telephone answering machines, cellular phones, and related wireless devices—which Henderson donated to the museum's Electrical Collections holdings. Compiled by Henderson to accompany the artifacts, the materials document the history and development of cellular phones and related wireless devices. The materials are arranged into twelve series and reflect the original order in which Henderson created them. Henderson assembled books/binders of material with numeric dividers. There is no index nor is there a key to the four-letter alphabetical acronyms used in books four, eight and nine.

Series 1, Book One, 1977-1994; Series 2, Book Two, 1978-1995; and Series 3, Book Three, 1978-1995, contain photocopied American patents.

Series 4, Book Four, 1992-2002, is comprised of photocopied American patents divided into two separate arrangements: numerically from 300 to 363, and by four-letter code from DDTQ-DDUE.

Series 5, Book Five, 1979-2002, is comprised of photocopied American, French, German, and Japanese photocopied patents.

Series 6, Book Six, 1990-1995, consists of photocopied materials that include a Magic Cap catalog, a General Magic information pamphlet, English and Japanese articles, advertisements, press releases, buyer's guides, Telecomworldwire news releases, Telocator Network Paging Protocall (October 20, 1993), and Telocator Data Protocall (June 12, 1993).

Series 7, Book Seven, 1992-1995, includes a Telocator Alphanumeric Protocall (July 21, 1994), several technical references, articles, user's manuals, advertisements, Telecomworldwire news releases, and technical references.

Series 8, Book Eight, 1981-2002, is divided into sections according to four-letter codes. In the attached container listing, the files are arranged and listed according to Henderson's original order. Materials include photocopied articles, news releases, advertisements, and user manuals.

Series 9, Book Nine, 1991-2002, is divided into sections according to four-letter codes. In the attached container listing, the files are arranged and listed according to Henderson's original order, followed by unlabeled materials. The first two folders have coded labels; the last three do not. Records in Book Nine are comprised of photocopied articles, news releases, and buyer's guides, in addition to company analyses for WORLDCOM and Sprint.

Series 10, Book Ten, 1991-2002, is comprised of unlabeled materials including articles, advertisements, and news releases, in addition to a photocopy of US patent # 3,727,003.

Series 11, Book I-II, 1968-2002, is divided into sections according to four-letter codes which are dated and arranged chronologically. In the attached container listing, the files are arranged and listed according to Henderson's original order. Materials are comprised of color computer prints of significant people and devices; and photocopies of patents, articles, and advertisements. CD-ROM 875.3 contains some of the articles in PDF format.

Series 12, Timeline, 1968-2002, consists of the Converged Wireless Communications / Computing Device Development timeline which traces the chronological development of portable electronic devices. The oversized chart measures 90" by 50" and begins with the first answering machine and ends with "Smart Phones." The timeline includes scanned images of inventors, patents, advertisements, devices, and textual information. Copies of the time line in PDF format are available on CD ROMS 875.1-2.

Information from the above historical note came primarily from the PhoneTel Communications website located at http://www.phonetel.com.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into twelve series.

Series 1, Book One, 1977-1994

Series 2, Book Two, 1978-1995

Series 3, Book Three, 1978-1995

Series 4, Book Four, 1992-2002

Series 5, Book Five, 1979-2002

Series 6, Book Six, 1990-1995

Series 7, Book Seven, 1992-1995

Series 8, Book Eight, 1981-2002

Series 9, Book Nine, 1991-2002

Series 10, Book Ten, 1991-2002

Series 11, Book I-II, 1968-2002

Series 12, Timeline materials, 1968-2002

Biographical / Historical

Dr. Kazuo Hashimoto, widely recognized as the father of the modern answering machine, was an inspired technologist who developed thousands of advancements in the field of telephony. Hashimoto registered over 1000 patents throughout the world, over 800 of which are related to the telephone answering device. In 1993, inventor Daniel Henderson became an apprentice of Hashimoto and worked with him on licensing, management issues, and infringement analysis. After Hashimoto's death in August 1995, Henderson turned his attention to ensuring that Hashimoto's work would be respected in the telecommunications and computer industries. In 1996, Henderson and Hashimoto's widow co-founded PhoneTel Communications, a company dedicated to protecting the patent portfolios of inventors including Hashimoto. By successfully licensing with nearly every telecommunications and computer company, Henderson made sure Hashimoto's work was respected and rewarded.

Henderson has broad experience in the creation, management, and licensing of intellectual property. He also holds numerous patents in telephony and communications. Henderson was formerly with IBM Corporation and received the "Distinguished Alumnus Award" from Southern Oregon University. Henderson worked with Jack Kilby, who received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2000 for the invention of the world's first integrated circuit (IC) chip. At the time this collection was donated, Henderson presided over several companies including PhoneTel Patent Services, PhoneTel Communications, and Pinpoint Incorporated. Henderson's many ties to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) include establishing the PhoneTel IE Inventions and Patents Fund, the PhoneTel Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund, and involvement in creating a new course entitled "Inventions and Patents." He was the commencement speaker when NJIT first presented the Hashimoto Prize in 1998.