Geospatial Telephony System

• US 20110135077A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wengrovitz, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A geospatial telephony system initiates conference calls between participants based on location of participants. For example, a node within the system can receive a location at which a first communication device is geospatially located and can enable a conference call to be initiated between the first communication device and at least one other communication device based on that location.

Claims

1. A node within a geospatial telephony system and coupled to a communication network that allows for the automatic initiation of a conference call between conference participants based on the location of at least one of the participants, the node comprising:

a memory for storing a geospatial telephony application; and

a processor operable to execute instructions of the geospatial telephony application to receive a location at which a first communication device is geospatially located and enable a conference call to be initiated between the first communication device and at least one other communication device based on the location.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein:

the geospatial telephony system is a static geospatial telephony system;

the location is provided by a second communication device of the at least one other communication device; and

the processor is further operable to access a database to retrieve a telephone number of record of the first communication device.

3. The node of claim 2, wherein:

the processor is operable to receive a plurality of locations, each having a different one of a plurality of communication devices geospatially positioned thereat; and

the processor is further operable to enable the conference call to be initiated between the second communication device and the plurality of communication devices.

4. The node of claim 2, wherein:

the location includes a geographic region; and

the processor is further operable to access the database to retrieve multiple telephone numbers of record for multiple communication devices that are geospatially positioned within the geographic region for the conference call.

5. The node of claim 4, wherein:

the location further includes a filter; and

the processor is further operable to select specific ones of the multiple telephone numbers of record based on the filter for the conference call.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein:

the geospatial telephony system is a dynamic telephony system;

the location is provided by the first communication device; and

the processor is further operable to determine an identity of the at least one other communication device based on the location.

7. The node of claim 6, wherein the memory further stores a conference policy that indicates that the conference call is to be initiated with the at least one other communication device when the first communication device is geospatially positioned at the location.

8. The node of claim 6, wherein the first communication device is a mobile communication device.

9. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is one of the first communication device and the at least one other communication device.

10. The node of claim 9, wherein the geospatial telephony system is a static geospatial telephony system and the node is one of the at least one other communication device, and further comprising:

a graphical user interface coupled to the processor and operable to display a map to a user to enable the user to select the location from the map.

11. The node of claim 9, wherein the geospatial telephony system is a dynamic geospatial telephony system and the node is the first communication device, and further comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) device coupled to the processor and operable to determine the location of the first communication device.

12. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a switch within the communication network and coupled to a conference server to facilitate the conference call between the first communication device and the at least one other communication device.

13. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a web server hosting a website controlled by the processor.

14. The node of claim 13, wherein the geospatial telephony system is a static geospatial telephony system and the processor is operable to push a web page to the at least one other communication device to enable a user of the at least one other communication device to enter the location.

15. The node of claim 1, wherein the node is a watcher of the first communication device and is coupled to a presence server to receive the location of the first communication device as presence information thereof.

16. A geospatial telephony system that allows for the automatic initiation of a conference call between conference participants based on the location of at least one of the participants, the system comprising:

a node coupled to a communication network to receive a location at which a first communication device is geospatially located and enable a conference call to be initiated between the first communication device and at least one other communication device based on the location; and

a conference server including a conference room operable to manage the conference call, the conference server operable to create the conference room and to connect the first communication device and the at least one other communication device together in the conference call via the conference room.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is a static geospatial telephony system and further comprising:

a database maintaining a list of locations and telephone numbers of record for the locations;

wherein the location of the first communication device is provided by a second communication device of the at least one other communication and the node accesses the database to retrieve the telephone number of record of the first communication device based on the location.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the geospatial telephony system is a dynamic telephony system and wherein:

the location is provided by the first communication device; and

the node is further operable to determine an identity of the at least one other communication device using a conference policy that indicates that the conference call is to be initiated with the at least one other communication device when the first communication device is geospatially positioned at the location.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the conference server further creates a temporary conference room to connect the first communication device and the at least one other communication device to a recorder to play a recorded message that prompts each of the first communication device and the at least one other communication device to opt-in to join the conference call.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a call center coupled to a plurality of call center agents, one of the call center agents being associated with the first communication device or the at least one other communication device.

21. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a presence server coupled to the communication network and operable to;

register the node as a watcher of the first communication device;

receive the location of the first communication device as presence information thereof; and

provide the presence information of the first communication device to the node.