Methods, systems and computer program products for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator

• US 20050143094A1
• Filed: 12/24/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Propety Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Propety Corporation
• Inventors: Lassing, David, Reed, James, Pumpelly, John
• Application Number:
  US10/746,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143094A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A method for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator including receiving a communication from a communications device requesting to locate a wireless fidelity hotspot. A location of the communications device is determined. A wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location is determined. Address information for the hotspot site is transmitted to the communications device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a communications device requesting to locate a wireless fidelity hotspot;

determining a location of the communications device;

determining a wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location; and

transmitting address information for the hotspot site to the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is received via a base station and the location of the communications device is a cell corresponding to the base station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is received in response to a user dialing a central calling number or messaging a central address on the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is received in response to a user selecting a menu option on the communications device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is a telephone call or other type of wireless communication.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is a message.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications device is a cellular telephone.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information includes text data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information includes graphics data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the graphics data includes a map.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information includes voice data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining a wireless fidelity hotspot site includes accessing a hotspot directory database to look up the wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein records in the hotspot directory database include a location field and one or more wireless fidelity hotspot site fields, the wireless fidelity hotspot site fields including address information fields.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the records further include a carrier field and a fee field.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the hotspot directory database is a relational database.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting carrier and fee information for the hotspot site to the communications device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a business entity that corresponds to the location and transmitting address information for the business entity to the communications device.

18. A method for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator, the method comprising:

determining a location of a communications device that subscribes to a wireless fidelity hotspot locator service;

determining a wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location; and

transmitting address information for the hotspot site to the communications device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising determining an advertiser that corresponds to the location and transmitting address information for the advertiser to the communications device.

20. A system for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator, the system comprising:

an application server;

a switch in communication with the application server; and

a wireless fidelity hotspot locator application accessed by the application server for;

receiving a communication from a communications device via the switch requesting to locate a wireless fidelity hotspot;

determining a location of the communications device;

determining a wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location; and

transmitting address information for the hotspot site to the communications device via the switch.

21. A computer program product for providing a wireless fidelity hotspot locator, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions for executing the wireless fidelity hotspot locator, the wireless fidelity hotspot locator service comprising a method of;

receiving a communication from a communications device requesting to locate a wireless fidelity hotspot;

determining a location of the communications device;

determining a wireless fidelity hotspot site that corresponds to the location; and

transmitting address information for the hotspot site to the communications device.