Provision of location information to a call party

• US 20030119522A1
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barclay, Deborah L., MacNamara, John J., Willis, Ricky Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 7,085,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Apparatus and method provide location information for a calling party to a called party and/or provide a location for called party to a calling party. The information may be provided to a customer on a subscription basis or a customer may query for location information for the party at the other end of a call on an ad hoc basis (413). The customer may select the granularity (303) of the location information as well as the format (309) in which the information is sent. A party may optionally disable (403) the location ID feature so that the other person is not able to receive the party'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

sending, to a called party at a first location, a call from a calling party having a second location;

providing at least one of the first location to the calling party and the second location to the called party.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the called party with at least two options for granularity of the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is displayed using non-geodetic nomenclature.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of processing the location to automatically provide information based on the location to the called party.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information based on the location is at least one of a map illustrating the location and directions from the location to the called party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of at least one of the called party and the calling party querying for a location of the other party.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a party'"'"'s location information only when the party has given permission.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, when the calling party has at least one of restricted location information and failed to permit sending location, inhibiting sending of location information to the called party.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the called party with at least two options for formatting display of the location.

10. A computer-readable signal-bearing medium comprising computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 1.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a user with a selection of at least two location display options;

based on the user'"'"'s selection of location display options, determining location information for a calling party that places a call to the user;

providing the location information to the user for display to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least two location display options provide at least two options for granularity of the location.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the location information is displayed using common nomenclature.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of processing the location information to automatically provide information based on the location information to the called party.

15. A computer-readable signal-bearing medium comprising computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 11.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of at least one of the called party and the calling party querying for a location of the other party.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending a party'"'"'s location information only when the party has given permission.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of, when the calling party has at least one of restricted location information and failed to permit sending location, inhibiting sending of location information to the called party.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing the called party with at least two options for formatting display of the location information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least two options for formatting include at least two of text, building map, street map, and city map.