Method and System for Forwarding Communications

• US 20100240343A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• 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: Russell, Alicia Marie
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A method includes receiving an identification value from a wireless beacon at a mobile device when the mobile device is within a detection area of the wireless beacon. The method also includes determining whether the wireless beacon is a recognized wireless beacon based on the identification value using a look up table accessible to the mobile device. An alternate communication address is selected from the look up table based on the identification value received from the wireless beacon, and communications addressed to the mobile device are redirected to the alternate communication address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an identification value from a wireless beacon at a mobile device when the mobile device is within a detection area of the wireless beacon;

determining whether the wireless beacon is a recognized wireless beacon based on the identification value using a look up table accessible to the mobile device;

selecting an alternate communication address from the look up table based on the identification value received from the wireless beacon; and

causing communications addressed to the mobile device to be redirected to the alternate communication address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the communications addressed to the mobile device to be redirected to the alternate communication address comprises sending a forwarding request to a wireless switch from the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification value comprises a user selected identification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mobile device comprises a mobile telephone device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device receives the identification value using a Bluetooth receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to cease redirecting communications to the alternate communication address; and

causing redirection of the communications to the alternate communication address to cease.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determination to cease redirecting the communications is made in response to determining that the mobile device has ceased to receive the identification value from the wireless beacon.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the determination to cease redirecting the communications is made in response to a user action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a multi-mode telephone capable of communicating via a wireline network and via a wireless network, and wherein the alternate communication address is a network address of the mobile device on the wireline network.

10. A system, comprising:

a wireless communication device comprising a first receiver to facilitate two-way voice communication using a first wireless protocol, a second receiver to facilitate monitoring of wireless information using a second wireless protocol, and a communications interface comprising;

a first control module to provide a first request to forward communications to an alternate communication device when an identifier received by the second receiver from a transmitter is recognized based on a look up table accessible to the wireless communication device, wherein a network address of the alternate communication device is determined based on the identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the alternate communication device is proximal to the transmitter.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second control module to provide a second request to cease forwarding communications to the alternate communication device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second control module sends the second request in response to detecting that the wireless communication device has moved out of range of the transmitter.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein, when the first control module receives a second transmitter identifier associated with a second transmitter, the first control module determines whether the second transmitter identifier is recognized based on the look up table, and, when the second transmitter identifier is recognized, the first control module provides a second request to forward communications to a second alternate communication device, wherein the second alternate communication device is proximal to the second transmitter, and wherein a second network address of the second alternate communication device is determined based on the second transmitter identifier.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier includes a user-selected identifier.

16. A wireless beacon, comprising:

a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly transmit a unique identification of the wireless beacon to a wireless mobile device located within a wireless coverage area of the wireless beacon, wherein, when the unique identification is recognized based on a look up table accessible to the wireless mobile device, the wireless mobile device selects an alternate network address corresponding to the unique identification and forwards external communications to the alternate network address while the wireless mobile device is within the wireless coverage area.

17. The wireless beacon of claim 16, wherein the unique identification includes a user-selected identification.

18. The wireless beacon of claim 16, wherein, when a second wireless mobile device enters the wireless coverage area, the second wireless mobile device determines whether the unique identification is recognized based on a look up table accessible to the second wireless mobile device, and, when the unique identification is recognized by the second wireless mobile device, the second wireless mobile device selects the alternate network address corresponding to the unique identification and forwards external communications to the alternate network address while the second wireless mobile device is within the wireless coverage area.

19. The wireless beacon of claim 18, wherein a communication device associated with the alternate network address provides a first distinctive notification of receipt of a first external communication redirected from the wireless mobile device and a second distinctive notification of receipt of a second external communication redirected from the second wireless mobile device.

20. The wireless beacon of claim 16, wherein the wireless beacon requests a user password before sending the unique identification.