Apparatus and method for managing a mobile phone answering mode and outgoing message based on a location of the mobile phone

• US 20030134626A1
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spinac, Clifford Jay, Rodriguez, Herman, Smith, Newton James Jr., Himmel, Maria Azua
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing a mobile phone answering mode and outgoing message or other indicator based on a location of the mobile phone are provided. The apparatus and method make use of a location system to ascertain the current location of a mobile telephone being carried by a user. Based on the current location, the apparatus and method determine whether operation of the mobile telephone to receive and/or send calls should be restricted. In addition, the apparatus and method determine an appropriate outgoing message to be provided to calling parties while the mobile telephone is located in an area where use of the mobile telephone to receive calls is prohibited. The particular outgoing message provided is customized to the current location of the mobile telephone and optionally, the caller ID of the calling party.

Claims

1. A method of managing operation of a portable device, comprising:

determining a geographical location of the portable device;

determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device; and

restricting use of the portable device based on the determination of whether the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use includes:

looking up the geographical location of the portable device in a geographical information database; and

retrieving restriction information associated with the geographical location of the portable device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the restriction information includes at least one of completely prohibiting use of the portable device, vibration call notification only, restricting all incoming calls except emergency calls, allowing incoming text messages only, allowing use of the portable device in certain areas of the geographical location, prohibiting transmission of control information from the portable device, and prohibiting voice transmission from the portable device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device is one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a portable computer, and a portable communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a geographical location of the portable device includes using a Global Positioning System associated with the portable device to determine a geographical location of the portable device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a geographical location of the portable device includes receiving the geographical location from a geographical location determination device associated with the portable device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of determining a geographical location of the portable device, determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device, and restricting use of the portable device are performed in response to receiving a communication destined for the portable device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending an outgoing message to a source of the communication if use of the portable device is restricted.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the outgoing message sent is generated based on one or more of the geographic location of the portable device, preferences of a user of the portable device, preferences of an owner/operator of an establishment at the geographical location of the portable device, restrictions associated with the geographical location of the portable device, and an identity of the source of the communication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the outgoing message includes a menu of selectable options.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

not restricting use of the portable device if the call is indicated to be an emergency call.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

redirecting the call to an alternative device if use of the portable device is restricted.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein if the preferences of the user of the portable device and the preferences of the owner/operator of the establishment at the geographical location of the portable device conflict, a combination of the more restrictive preferences from the preferences of the user and the preferences of the owner/operator is used to determine the outgoing message.

10. The method of 8, wherein a language of the outgoing message is selected based on a geographic location of the source of the communication.

15. An apparatus for managing operation of a portable device, comprising:

a controller;

a portable unit database coupled to the controller; and

a geographical database coupled to the controller, wherein the controller retrieves a geographical location of the portable device from the portable unit database, determines if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device based on geographical information in the geographical database, and restricts use of the portable device based on the determination of whether the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller determines if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use by looking up the geographical location of the portable device in the geographical database, and retrieving restriction information associated with the geographical location of the portable device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the restriction information includes at least one of completely prohibiting use of the portable device, vibration call notification only, restricting all incoming calls except emergency calls, allowing incoming text messages only, allowing use of the portable device in certain areas of the geographical location, prohibiting transmission of control information from the portable device, and prohibiting voice transmission from the portable device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the portable device is one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a portable computer, and a portable communication device.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the geographical location of the portable device is reported to the portable device database using a Global Positioning System associated with the portable device.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the geographical location of the portable device is reported to the portable device database by a geographical location determination device associated with the portable device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller determines a geographical location of the portable device, determines if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device, and restricts use of the portable device in response to receiving a communication destined for the portable device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller sends an outgoing message to a source of the communication if use of the portable device is restricted.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the outgoing message sent is generated based on one or more of the geographic location of the portable device, preferences of a user of the portable device, preferences of an owner/operator of an establishment at the geographical location of the portable device, restrictions associated with the geographical location of the portable device, and an identity of the source of the communication.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the outgoing message includes a menu of selectable options.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller does not restrict use of the portable device if the call is indicated to be an emergency call.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller redirects the call to an alternative device if use of the portable device is restricted.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein if the preferences of the user of the portable device and the preferences of the owner/operator of the establishment at the geographical location of the portable device conflict, the controller uses a combination of the more restrictive preferences from the preferences of the user and the preferences of the owner/operator to determine the outgoing message.

24. The apparatus of 22, wherein a language of the outgoing message is selected based on a geographic location of the source of the communication.

29. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for managing operation of a portable device, comprising:

first instructions for determining a geographical location of the portable device;

second instructions for determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device; and

third instructions for restricting use of the portable device based on the determination of whether the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the second instructions for determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use include:

instructions for looking up the geographical location of the portable device in a geographical information database; and

instructions for retrieving restriction information associated with the geographical location of the portable device.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the restriction information includes at least one of completely prohibiting use of the portable device, vibration call notification only, restricting all incoming calls except emergency calls, allowing incoming text messages only, allowing use of the portable device in certain areas of the geographical location, prohibiting transmission of control information from the portable device, and prohibiting voice transmission from the portable device.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the portable device is one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a portable computer, and a portable communication device.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the first instructions for determining a geographical location of the portable device include instructions for using a Global Positioning System associated with the portable device to determine a geographical location of the portable device.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the first instructions for determining a geographical location of the portable device include instructions for receiving the geographical location from a geographical location determination device associated with the portable device.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the first instructions for determining a geographical location of the portable device, the second instructions for determining if the geographical location of the portable device is within a geographical area of restricted use of the portable device, and third instructions for restricting use of the portable device are executed in response to receiving a communication destined for the portable device.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising:

fourth instructions for sending an outgoing message to a source of the communication if use of the portable device is restricted.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the outgoing message sent is generated based on one or more of the geographic location of the portable device, preferences of a user of the portable device, preferences of an owner/operator of an establishment at the geographical location of the portable device, restrictions associated with the geographical location of the portable device, and an identity of the source of the communication.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein a language of the outgoing message is selected based on a geographic location of the source of the communication.

39. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the outgoing message includes a menu of selectable options.

40. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising:

fourth instructions for not restricting use of the portable device if the call is indicated to be an emergency call.

41. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising:

fourth instructions for redirecting the call to an alternative device if use of the portable device is restricted.

42. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein if the preferences of the user of the portable device and the preferences of the owner/operator of the establishment at the geographical location of the portable device conflict, a combination of the more restrictive preferences from the preferences of the user and the preferences of the owner/operator is used to determine the outgoing message.