Configuration of Telephony Services for Phone Based on User Location

• US 20100159946A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: HANSON, Karrie, CHEUNG, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Telephony features for a phone are configured based on the location of a user of the phone. A system receives location data corresponding to a location of the phone. An operational mode is selected from stored operational modes based on the location data. The operational mode of the user phone is set to the selected mode. In one mode, a reply message is provided to the caller that is associated with the location of the phone.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a data processing system, for providing a message in reply to a call by a caller to a phone of a user, the method comprising:

receiving location data corresponding to a location of the user;

selecting a selected message from a plurality of messages based at least on the location data; and

providing, in response to the call to the user, the selected message to the caller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the selected message comprises determining the identity of the phone of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of messages in at least one memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing the plurality of messages comprises storing the plurality of messages on a network of the phone.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing the plurality of messages comprises storing the plurality of messages on a data processing system associated with the location of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the selected message comprises initiating the providing of the selected message from at least one memory of a data processing system associated with providing services to the user at the location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selected message is stored on at least one memory of a merchant; and

the providing the selected message comprises;

receiving the selected message from the merchant; and

providing the selected message to the caller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected message is an advertisement by a merchant having a physical business facility at the location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected message comprises instructions to the caller for reaching the user in an emergency by the caller'"'"'s providing a predetermined code.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a time period; and

wherein the providing the selected message to the caller is subject to the time period being active.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an update, from the location, to the selected message during the time period; and

wherein providing the selected message comprises providing the update to the caller.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a command to the phone to set the phone to a vibrate mode.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving location data comprises receiving data manually input by the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving location data comprises receiving data automatically from a sensor at the location, the sensor configured to detect a physical presence of the phone.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a physical presence of the phone at the location; and

wherein the receiving location data occurs after the detecting the physical presence.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the detecting the physical presence comprises at least one of the following:

detecting using a Bluetooth sensor, detecting by a proximity sensor, detecting by radio frequency identification, and detecting a signature for a wireless network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving location data comprises receiving data from a GPS sensor in the phone.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving location data comprises receiving location data from the phone, wherein the phone is configured to determine the location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the phone comprises at least one sensor to determine the location.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a privacy setting from the user; and

wherein the providing the selected message is subject to the privacy setting.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving content produced at the location; and

providing the content to the caller with the selected message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the content produced at the location is a video.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the content produced at the location comprises an advertisement sponsored by a merchant associated with the location.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the caller is on a friends list of the user; and

wherein the providing the selected message is subject to the caller being on the friends list.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving location data is conditional on the approval of the user to send the location data.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of phone numbers, each associated with a location; and

wherein the receiving location data comprises;

receiving a phone number from caller identification data of a call by the user to the phone number; and

associating the phone number with one of the plurality of phone numbers.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to the phone of the user, the message including an inquiry regarding message activation; and

wherein the providing the selected message is subject to an affirmative response by the user regarding the message activation.

28. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a data processing system to perform a method for providing a message in reply to a call by a caller to a phone of a user, the method comprising:

receiving location data corresponding to a location of the user;

selecting a selected message from a plurality of messages based at least on the location data; and

providing, in response to the call to the user, the selected message to the caller.

29. A data processing system for providing a message in reply to a call by a caller to a phone of a user, the system comprising:

means for receiving location data corresponding to a location of the user;

means for selecting a selected message from a plurality of messages based at least on the location data; and

means for providing, in response to the call to the user, the selected message to the caller.

30. A method, implemented by a phone of a user, for providing a message in reply to a call by a caller to the phone, the method comprising:

connecting with a data processing system at a location in the proximity of the user;

receiving a message associated with the location; and

providing, in response to the call to the user, the message to the caller.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data processing system is a kiosk.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the connecting with the data processing system is in response to receiving a wireless signal broadcast from the data processing system.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

periodically sending a wireless signal to detect a physical presence of the data processing system.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the message comprises content created at the location while the user is physically present at the location.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the content comprises video including at least one activity of the user at the location.

36. A method, implemented in a data processing system, for setting an operational mode of a phone of a user, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of operational modes for the phone;

receiving location data corresponding to a location of the user;

selecting a selected mode from the plurality of operational modes based at least on the location data; and

setting the operational mode of the phone to the selected mode.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving a privacy setting from the user; and

wherein the setting the operational mode is subject to the privacy setting.

38. A method for configuring a phone, the method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor on the phone, the location of a user of the phone; and

configuring at least one telephony feature of the phone based on the location.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein:

the at least one telephony feature comprises providing, in response to a call to the user, a reply message to the caller; and

the reply message corresponds to the location.

40. A method, in a telephony network, for configuring telephony features for a phone, the method comprising:

determining the location of a user of the phone; and

configuring at least one telephony feature of the phone based on the location.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one telephony feature comprises providing, in response to a call to the user, a reply message to the caller; and

the reply message corresponds to the location.