Method and system for determining location of subscriber of two-way paging service

• US 5,946,626 A
• Filed: 12/26/1995
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldman, Shelley B., Foladare, Mark Jeffrey, Weber, Roy P., Silverman, David Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US08/581,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.3, 455/31.2, 455/412, 455/427, 455/428, 455/430, 455/403, 455/456, 455/413, 455/414, 455/458, 455/461, 340/825.44, 340/825.49, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/025 with acknowledge back capability

Abstract

A method and system for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service includes a telephone network with a switched network and a paging service operatively connected thereto. The paging service includes a paging receiver for receiving a location parameter from a two-way pager of a subscriber of a paging network. The switched network includes a unit for generating a location message to a caller when the caller queries the network for the subscriber location.

Claims

1. A method for determining the locationn of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising the steps:

requesting a personal identification number of a caller to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a sudscriber location message to the caller;

tramsmitting a signal having a location parameter from a two-way pager carried by the subscriber to a database in a paging service of a telephone network, the location parameter originated by the subscriber;

forwarding the location parameter to a networt switch; and

supplying a location message to a caller when the caller queries the network for the subscriber location, provided the caller has clearance to receive the location information.

2. A method according to claim 1 including supplying an announcement to the caller indicating the location of the subscriber.

3. A method according to claim 1 including supplying an announcement requesting the caller to state their name, and querying a database to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information.

4. A method according to claim 1 including the step of using a network control point to route the call to the caller.

5. A method according to claim 1 including step of connecting the call to a voice response unit;

using the voice response unit to collect one or more entered digits;

passing the entered digits to a network control point;

using the entered digits to determine whether the call is to be continued;

and after determining whether the call is to be continued, switching the call to receive a location parameter.

6. A system for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising:

a telephone network including a voice response and database unit, a switched network and a paging service operatively connected thereto, said voice response requesting a caller personal identification number of a caller to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a subscriber location message to the caller;

said paging service including a paging receiver for receiving a location parameter from a two-way pager of the subscriber to the paging network, the location parameter originated by the subscriber; and

said switched network including means for generating a location message to a caller when the caller queries the network for the subscriber location, provided the caller has clearance to receive the location information.

7. A system according to claim 6 including voice response unit for supplying an announcement to a caller requesting a personal identification number from the caller.

8. A system according to claim 6 including a voice response unit for supplying an announcement requesting the caller to state their name.

9. A system according to claim 6 including a database containing a list of names which are compared with the caller name to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information.

10. A system according to claim 6 wherein said paging service comprises a transceiver for receiving said location parameter.

11. A system according to claim 6 wherein said paging service further comprises a satellite station for receiving said parameters from said transceiver.

12. A system for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising:

a database for receiving a location parameter originating from a two-way pager associated with a telephone number of the subscriber, the location parameter being originated by the subscriber;

a network control point for use in routing the location parameter to a caller requesting the location of the subscriber having the two-way pager; and

means for requesting a personal identification number of a caller to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a subscriber location message to the caller.

13. A system according to claim 12 including a voice response unit for supplying one or more announcements of the caller.

14. A system according to claim 12 including a paging network, and wherein said location parameter originates from said two-way pager after said paging network sends a signal seeking the location of the two-way pager.

15. A system according to claim 12 wherein said paging network sends a signal seeking the location of the two-way pager only after a caller requests a location of the subscriber.

16. A method for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising the steps:

a) transmitting a call from a caller to a network switch to determine the location of a subscriber;

b) supplying an announcement requesting a personal identification number of a caller to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a subscriber location message to the caller, and querying a database to determine if the caller has clearance to receive the location information;

c) transmitting a signal to the subscriber on a paging service of a telephone network for location information if the caller has clearance to receive the information;

d) transmitting a signal having a location parameter from a two-way pager carried by the subscriber to the paging service;

e) forwarding the location parameter to a network switch; and

f) supplying a location message to the caller when the caller queries the network for the subscriber location, provided the caller has clearance to receive the location information.

17. A system for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising:

a) a telephone network including a switched network and a paging service operatively connected thereto;

b) said switched network including a voice response unit for supplying an announcement to a caller requesting a personal identification number of a caller to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a subscriber location message to the caller;

c) said paging service including a paging receiver for receiving a location parameter from a two-way pager of the subscriber to the paging network; and

d) said switched network including means for generating a location message to the caller if the proper personal identification number is supplied to the voice response unit.

18. A system for determining the location of a subscriber of a two-way paging service comprising:

a) a database for receiving a location parameter originating from a two-way pager associated with a telephone number of the subscriber;

b) a voice response unit for supplying one or more announcements to a caller requesting location information of the subscriber;

said announcement including a query requesting the caller to enter a personal identification number to determine if the caller has clearance to receive location information before supplying a subscriber location information to the caller; and

c) a network control point for use in routing the location parameter to the caller requesting the location of the subscriber having the two-way pager provided the caller has clearance to receive the location information.