Method of providing location dependent visitor dispatching service

• US 4,740,788 A
• Filed: 10/06/1986
• Issued: 04/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lloyd K. Konneker
• Original Assignee: Lloyd K. Konneker
• Inventors: Konneker, Lloyd K.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US06/915,755
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/825.44, 340/539, 379/57, 379/211, 379/210, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

A method is disclosed of using a personnel locating system and a plurality of visitor stations to provide location dependent visitor dispatching service for visited subscribers. In accordance with the service, a subscriber may provide that a visitor directed to a personal number unique to the subscriber be dispatched in different manners according to the location of the subscriber when the visitor arrives. A personnel locating system tracks subscribers and provides the location of subscribers to a database. A visitor station where a visit is initiated sends the personal number unique to the visited party to the data base. The database accesses the current location of the visited party. The database accesses information that specifies a method of visitor dispatchment according to the current location of the visited party. The methods of visitor dispatchment include paging the visited party and displaying a message at the visitor station.

Claims

1. A method of providing visitor dispatching service in a system comprising a plurality of visitor stations, a data base, a personnel locating system, a data communications network interconnecting said data base with said visitor stations, and a data communications network interconnecting said data base with said personnel locating system, said method comprising the steps of:

responsive to changes in the location of a subscriber, storing at said data base information specifying the current location of the subscriber;

under direct control of said subscriber, storing at said data base information specifying the status of the subscriber for visitor dispatchment while said subscriber is at each location;

responsive to a visitor indicating at a visitor station a desire to see said subscriber, addressing said data base to examine the stored information specifying the current location of said subscriber;

responsive to a receipt of said information specifying the current location of said subscriber from said data base, addressing said data base to examine the stored information specifying the status of the subscriber for visitor dispatchment while said subscriber is at said current location; and

responsive to a receipt of said information specifying the status of the subscriber for visitor dispatchment while said subscriber is at said current location from said data base, dispatching the visitor according to said status information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein dispatching the visitor comprises displaying a message to the visitor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein dispatching the visitor comprises the steps of:

composing a message according to said status information; and

displaying the message to the visitor.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the system also further comprises a paging system and a data communications network interconnecting said data base with said paging system, and in which dispatching the visitor comprises paging the subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the paging system includes means for a paged subscriber to answer a page, and in which the method is further characterized by:

accepting a second status for visitor dispatchment from the subscriber; and

responsive to a receipt of said status for visitor dispatchment from said subscriber, dispatching the visitor from the visitor station according to said second status for visitor dispatchment.

6. A method of automatically deriving location dependent visitor dispatching service data from a data base characterized by:

in response to information received from a personnel locating system, storing said information at said data base, said information specifying the current location of an entitled customer;

storing at said data base information, said information specifying a plurality of associations between visitor dispatchment methods and locations;

in response to control signals received from a communication system, addressing said data base to examine said information specifying the current location of said customer;

addressing said data base to examine any method of visitor dispatchment associated with said current location of said customer; and

returning from said data base to said communication system coded data signifying said any method of visitor dispatchment.