Instant presence system for a guaranteed call connection

• US 20040203795A1
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Brusilovsky, Alec, Jain, Ajay, Gurbani, Vijay Kumar, Montgomery, Warren Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,050,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The instant presence system authoritatively determines the present communication location of a subscriber, who may be at any of a number of possible locations. When the subscriber changes their location, they can use a subscriber communication device that is operational at their new location to update their point of presence on the telephone communication network. The instant presence system enables the communication network to complete a communication connection from a calling party to the called party with certainty. The calling party therefore can reach the called party with certainty by simply dialing a single listed directory number associated with the called party, relying on the instant presence system to complete the call connection to the called party, regardless of the present location of the called party.

Claims

1. A subscriber location determination system operable in a communications system for extending an incoming call to a determined present communication location of a subscriber, comprising:

means for storing subscriber location data that identifies a present communication location for a subscriber;

means, responsive to receipt of an incoming call from a calling party and directed to said subscriber, for retrieving said stored subscriber location data from said means for storing; and

means for extending said incoming call to a communication location identified by said retrieved subscriber location data.

2. The subscriber location determination system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for receiving subscriber location data from said subscriber indicative of a present communication location for said subscriber.

3. The subscriber location determination system of claim 2 wherein said means for receiving subscriber location data comprises:

means for detecting a telephone number of a terminal device from which the subscriber transmits said subscriber location data.

4. The subscriber location determination system of claim 1 wherein said means for retrieving comprises:

means for determining an identity of said calling party;

means for comparing said determined identity of said calling party with call filter data stored in said means for storing subscriber location data; and

means, responsive to said means for comparing authorizing completion of said incoming call, for activating said means for extending.

5. The subscriber location determination system of claim 4 wherein said means for comparing comprises:

means for comparing said determined identity of said calling party with authorized calling party identification data stored in said means for storing subscriber location data; and

means for comparing said determined identity of said calling party with data indicative of said present subscriber communication location stored in said means for storing subscriber location data.

6. The subscriber location determination system of claim 4 wherein said means for retrieving further comprises:

means, responsive to said means for comparing failing to authorize completion of said incoming call, for redirecting said incoming call to an alternate destination.

7. A method of operating a subscriber location determination system operable in a communications system for extending an incoming call to a determined present communication location of a subscriber, comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory, subscriber location data that identifies a present communication location for a subscriber;

retrieving, in response to receipt of an incoming call from a calling party and directed to said subscriber, said stored subscriber location data from said memory; and

extending said incoming call to a communication location identified by said retrieved subscriber location data.

8. The method of operating a subscriber location determination system of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

receiving subscriber location data from said subscriber indicative of a present communication location for said subscriber.

9. The method of operating a subscriber location determination system of claim 8 wherein said step of receiving subscriber location data comprises:

detecting a telephone number of a terminal device from which the subscriber transmits said subscriber location data.

10. The method of operating a subscriber location determination system of claim 7 wherein said step of retrieving comprises:

determining an identity of said calling party;

comparing said determined identity of said calling party with call filter data stored in said means for storing subscriber location data; and

activating, in response to said step of comparing authorizing completion of said incoming call, said step of extending.

11. The method of operating a subscriber location determination system of claim 10 wherein said step of comparing comprises:

comparing said determined identity of said calling party with authorized calling party identification data stored in said memory; and

comparing said determined identity of said calling party with data indicative of said present subscriber communication location stored in said memory.

12. The method of operating a subscriber location determination system of claim 10 wherein said step of retrieving further comprises:

redirecting, in response to said step of comparing failing to authorize completion of said incoming call, said incoming call to an alternate destination.