AUTOMATIC REMOTE COMMUNICATION USING NETWORK TELEPHONY

• US 20120295578A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: ZONOUN, Mohammad R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,478,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to provide remote communication using network telephony. In a transmitter, an activation message is decoded to generate an activation command. The activation message is sent from an activator via a communication medium in response to a telephony call. An information message is transmitted, responsive to the activation command, to a receiver using a communication protocol. In a receiver, an activation message is decoded to generate an activation command. The activation message is sent in response to a telephone call. An information message is received, responsive to the activation command. The information message is sent from a transmitter according to a communication protocol via a communication medium.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication network to determine a location of a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of networked devices, each of the plurality of networked devices having a known fixed location and being configured to detect mobile communication terminals;

receiving a communication request from the mobile communication terminal at a network node;

in response to the communication request, enabling the mobile communication terminal to communicate via the network node;

detecting proximity of the mobile terminal to at least one of the networked devices; and

transmitting location indication information to a network server, the location indication information enabling identification of the mobile communication terminal and identification of the location of the at least one networked device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein networked devices are provided at locations other than nodes of the communication network and are not used by the mobile communication terminal to communicate via the network node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a communication request comprises receiving at the network node a request to initiate a telephony call from the mobile communication terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a request to initiate a telephony call comprises receiving a request to initiate an emergency call.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network server is a server used to provide emergency call services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting proximity of the mobile communication terminal to at least one of the networked devices comprises detecting the proximity of the mobile communication terminal in response to an activation signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the activation signal is generated at the network node and sent to the plurality of networked devices in response to the communication request.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the activation signal is generated at the network node and sent to the plurality of networked devices in response to enabling the mobile communication terminal to communicate via the network node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the proximity of the mobile communication terminal to at least one of the networked devices is performed continuously.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location indication information comprises transmitting from a networked device to the network server information which indicates the location of the networked device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location indication information comprises transmitting from a networked device to the network server a predetermined code which is associated with a known location of the networked device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined code comprises an identifier of the networked device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location indication information to a network server comprises transmitting the location information using a communication protocol which is compatible with the network server.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location indication information comprises transmitting the location information using a modulated signal, the modulated signal comprising at least one of a multi-frequency tone, an ultra-red signal, an infra-red signal, a microwave signal, an electromagnetic signal and an optical signal.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing location information for the networked devices at the networked server.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing location information for the networked devices at the networked server in advance.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein location identification information comprises one or more of a street name, a street address number, a floor number, a suite number, and a room number.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location indication information to a network server supports a commercial transaction.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving a communication request comprises receiving at the network node a request to initiate a telephony call from the mobile communication terminal.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting location information to a network server comprises:

transmitting location indication information from the at least one networked device to a network component; and

transmitting location information from the network component to the network server.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting the location information from the network component to the network server comprises transmitting the location information over a communication network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication network comprises at least one of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN) and a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

23. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the proximity of the mobile communication terminal to at least one of the networked devices is performed periodically.