System and Method for Gathering Information Related to a Geographical Location of a Caller in an Internet-Based Communication System

• US 20060245420A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Scott, David
• Application Number:
  US11/426,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

In a telecommunication system having at least two communicants (i.e., a caller and a callee), a system and method are presented for collecting information associated with the geographical location of either of the communicants from a server. In one embodiment, the approach entails receiving an invite to an Internet telephony session from an Internet telephony caller device, wherein the invite to the Internet telephony session includes an Internet address of the Internet telephony caller device. Additionally, the approach includes a retrieving of a geographical location corresponding to the Internet address of the Internet telephony caller device, and collecting geographical location information associated with the retrieved geographical location.

Claims

1. A data-gathering system, comprising:

an Internet address location database having a plurality of Internet addresses and a plurality of geographical locations, wherein each of the plurality of Internet addresses correlates to one of the plurality of geographical locations;

an information server having information associated with a plurality of geographical locations;

a first Internet telephony device configured to receive an invite to an Internet telephony session from a second Internet telephony device, wherein the invite comprises an Internet address of the second Internet telephony device, wherein the first Internet telephony device is further configured to retrieve a geographical location from the Internet address location database using the Internet address of the second Internet telephony device, wherein the retrieved geographical location correlates to the Internet address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information server comprises a database having a plurality of news reports, wherein each of the plurality of news reports is a news report on a different geographical location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information server comprises a database having a plurality of information on sporting events, wherein each of the plurality of information on sporting events is a associated with a different geographical location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information server comprises a database having a plurality of weather reports, wherein each of the plurality of weather reports is a weather report on a different geographical location.

5. A data-gathering device, comprising:

Internet telephony logic configured to receive an invite to an Internet telephony session from an Internet telephony caller device, wherein the invite to the Internet telephony session includes an Internet address of the Internet telephony caller device;

geographical location retrieval logic configured to retrieve a geographical location corresponding to the Internet address of the Internet telephony caller device; and

information collection logic configured to collect geographical location information associated with the retrieved geographical location.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the information collection logic is further configured to collect local news associated with the received geographical location.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the information collection logic is further configured to collect a local weather report associated with the received geographical location.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the information collection logic is further configured to collect a local time associated with the received geographical location.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the information collection logic is further configured to collect information on local sporting events associated with the received geographical location.

10. A data-gathering method, comprising the steps of:

receiving an invite to an Internet telephony session, wherein the invite to the Internet telephony session includes an Internet address of a Internet telephony caller device;

retrieving a geographical location corresponding to the Internet address of the Internet telephony caller device; and

collecting geographical location information associated with the retrieved geographical location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of collecting information comprises the step of requesting information associated with a geographical location from an information server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of collecting information comprises the step of requesting a local weather report, wherein the local weather report is associated with the received geographical location.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of collecting information comprises the step of requesting a local news report, wherein the local news report is associated with the received geographical location.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of collecting information comprises the step of requesting a local time associated with the received geographical location.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of collecting information comprises the step of requesting information on local sporting events, wherein the information on local sporting events is associated with the received geographical location.