Technique for providing a telecommunications user with a service based on the user's location

• US 20080247517A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Inventors: Huey, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US12/157,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20080247517A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1215 where a cable TV network is used as an access to the PSTN/ISDN

Abstract

A broadband telecommunications carrier routes a location-based service call, e.g., an emergency service call, through a facility shared by an information/call center. This facility receives the call, along with information indicative of the location of the call originating device and, thus, the caller'"'"'s location. Based on such location information, it searches a database for contact information concerning the location-based service provider, e.g., an emergency dispatch service provider, in proximity to the call-originating device location. The call is then transferred to the service provider based on the contact information identified in the database.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating routing of a call from a broadband communications network to a service provider in proximity to an originator of the call, the system comprising:

an interface for receiving the call from the broadband communications network, and location information indicative of a location of a communications device from which the call originates, the location information being determined based on data identifying the communications device within the broadband communications network;

a database;

a processing unit configured to search the database for contact information concerning the service provider based on the location information; and

a mechanism for establishing a communications connection with the service provider using the contact information, the call being transferred to the service provider through the communications connection.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the broadband communications network includes a cable network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data includes an Internet protocol (IP) address.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising at least part of a call center.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the service provider provides a location-based service.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the location-based service includes an emergency dispatch service.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact information includes a telephone number.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the location information includes a zip code of an area in which the communications device is located.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the location information includes global positioning system (GPS) information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the location information includes longitude and latitude information.

11. A system for routing a call from a broadband communications network, comprising:

a processor configured to determine whether the call is a location-based service call, a request being generated for transfer of the call to a service provider in proximity of an originator of the call if it is determined that the call is a location-based service call, the request including data indicative of a location of a broadband communications device from which the call originates; and

an interface for sending the request to a switching unit, which uses the data in the request to search for contact information concerning the service provider to realize the transfer of the call through a second communications network, different from the broadband communications network.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the broadband communications network includes a cable network.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the second communications network includes a telephone network.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the data includes a zip code of an area in which the broadband communications device is located.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the data includes GPS information.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the data includes longitude and latitude information.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the service provider provides a location-based service.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the location-based service includes an emergency dispatch service.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the contact information includes a telephone number.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the switching unit is included in a call center.