Emergency Call Forward Based On Location

• US 20140065997A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: WALKER, David Ryan, PASQUERO, Jerome, MCKENZIE, Donald Somerset McCulloch
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A location-based call forwarding method comprises, in response to determining that an intended call recipient is unavailable to receive a call from a caller, identifying an alternate call recipient located within a predetermined proximity of a current location of the intended call recipient, and forwarding the call to the alternate call recipient. The alternate call recipient may be identified by determining a person with whom the intended recipient is meeting or an establishment where the intended recipient is situated. This information may be extracted from various sources such as a calendar, social network site, or device-generated location data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of location-based call forwarding, the method comprising:

in response to determining that an intended call recipient is unavailable to receive a call from a caller, identifying an alternate call recipient proximate to the intended call recipient; and

forwarding the call to the alternate call recipient.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

in response to determining that the intended call recipient is unavailable, notifying the caller that the intended call recipient is unavailable;

notifying the caller that the call is being forwarded to an alternate recipient; and

notifying the caller of the identity of the alternate call recipient.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a name of a person with whom the intended call recipient is meeting or the name of an establishment where the intended call recipient is located, and then determining a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a name of the alternate call recipient from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended call recipient indicating that the intended call recipient is meeting with the alternate call recipient, and then determining a telephone number associated with the alternate call recipient.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a name of an establishment from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended call recipient indicating that the intended call recipient is at an event at the establishment, and then determining a telephone number associated with the establishment.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a current location of the intended recipient from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended recipient, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a current location of the intended recipient from a social network check-in status published on a social network site as part of an online personal profile associated with the intended recipient, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a current location from location data shared by a mobile device associated with the intended call recipient, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a wireless communications device cause the device to:

in response to determining that an intended call recipient is unavailable to receive a call from a caller, identify an alternate call recipient proximate to the intended call recipient; and

forward the call to the alternate call recipient.

10. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9 comprising:

in response to determining that the intended call recipient is unavailable, notifying the caller that the intended call recipient is unavailable;

notifying the caller that the call is being forwarded to an alternate recipient; and

notifying the caller of the identity of the alternate call recipient.

11. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9 wherein identifying the alternate call recipient comprises determining a name of a person with whom the intended call recipient is meeting or the name of an establishment where the intended call recipient is located, and then determining a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

12. A wireless communications device comprising:

a user interface for receiving user input to initiate a call to an intended call recipient;

a radiofrequency transceiver for transmitting call setup signalling data for initiating the call with the intended call recipient; and

a memory coupled to a processor for, in response to receiving a message from a call-management server that the intended call recipient is unavailable, presenting a notification to the caller that the call is being forwarded automatically to an alternate call recipient proximate to the intended call recipient.

13. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 12 comprising a display for displaying, in response to receiving the message that the intended call recipient is unavailable, a notification that the intended call recipient is unavailable, that the call is being forwarded to the alternate call recipient, and further identifying the alternate call recipient.

14. A call-management server comprising:

a communication port for receiving call setup signalling data from a device associated with a caller for initiating a call with an intended call recipient; and

a memory coupled to a processor for determining that the intended call recipient is unavailable and for, in response to receiving a signal that the intended call recipient is unavailable, automatically determining an alternate call recipient proximate to the intended call recipient, and for automatically forwarding the call to the alternate call recipient.

15. The call-management server as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a name of a person with whom the intended call recipient is meeting or the name of an establishment where the intended call recipient is located, and then determining a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

16. The call-management server as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a name of the alternate call recipient from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended call recipient indicating that the intended call recipient is meeting with the alternate call recipient, and then determining a telephone number associated with the alternate call recipient.

17. The call-management server as claimed in claim 14 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a name of an establishment from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended call recipient indicating that the intended call recipient is at an event at the establishment, and then determining a telephone number associated with the establishment.

18. The call-management server as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor cooperates with the memory to communicate, via the communication port, a message to the device associated with the caller notifying the caller that the call is being forwarded, and further providing an identification of the alternate call recipient.

19. The call-management server as claimed in claim 18 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a current location of the intended recipient from a calendar entry of a calendar associated with the intended recipient that is shared with or accessible by the caller, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

20. The call-management server as claimed in claim 18 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a current location of the intended recipient from a social network check-in status published on a social network site as part of an online personal profile associated with the intended recipient, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

21. The call-management server as claimed in claim 18 wherein the memory and processor are configured to identify the alternate call recipient by determining a current location from location data shared by a mobile device associated with the intended call recipient, identifying a person or establishment associated with that location, and then looking up a telephone number associated with the person or establishment.

22. A computer-implemented method of call forwarding, the method comprising:

in response to determining that an intended call recipient is unavailable to receive a call from a caller via a first phone number, determining if the intended call recipient has a secondary phone number;

in response to determining that the intended call recipient is unavailable to receive the call via the secondary phone number, identifying an alternate call recipient proximate to the intended call recipient and forwarding the call to the alternate call recipient.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 wherein forwarding the call comprises automatically forwarding the call.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22 further comprising prompting the caller to provide input to forward the call.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22 comprising:

transmitting a textual message to the intended call recipient to notify the intended call recipient that the caller is urgently attempting to contact the intended call recipient.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein transmitting the message comprises:

automatically generating the textual message by a call-management server, the message providing one or both of;

(i) a call-back user interface element to automatically initiate a call back to the caller and (ii) a name and number of the caller.