System for providing location based service to a wireless telephone set in a telephone system

• US 6,466,796 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Palamara, Maria E., Jacobson, Terry, Meyer, Michael Joseph, Kidwell, Elizabeth Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/285,208
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/404, 455/403, 455/517, 455/445, 455/521, 455/412, 455/422, 455/414, 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 342/457, 342/357.14
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for providing location based service telephone call to wireless subscribers. The system of the present invention provides processes for receiving location data about a wireless subscriber telephone and using the information to find the telephone number of the nearest service provider. The wireless subscriber telephone set can then be connected to the nearest service provider. It is also possible to a plurality of different location identifiers to determine the nearest service provider. In performing a look-up, the list can be used on a priority basis to determine the nearest service provider.

Claims

1. A system for automatically connecting a wireless telephone set to an automatically selected one of a plurality of location based service providers comprising:

means for receiving a request from a wireless telephone set to establish a communication connection between said wireless telephone set and a called party comprising a telephone system of a location based service provider that provides a service to subscribers located in a predefined service area;

means, responsive to receiving said request, for determining a present location of said wireless telephone set;

means, responsive to determining said location of said wireless telephone set, for identifying a telephone number of a telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers that provides said service to said present location of said wireless telephone set; and

means, responsive to identifying said telephone number of a telephone system of said one of said plurality of location based service providers, for establishing said communication connection between said telephone system of said one of said plurality of location based service providers and said wireless telephone set.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for establishing a radio frequency connection with said wireless telephone set;

means for generating said request responsive to receiving a telephone number that identifies a service from said wireless telephone set; and

means for transmitting said request to said means for receiving.

3. A system for automatically connecting a wireless telephone set to an automatically selected one of a plurality of location based service providers comprising:

a switching system that provides telephone service to a wireless telephone set;

a wireless telephone set locating system that determines a present location of said wireless telephone set;

a location based call routing database in said switching system for maintaining records of a plurality of location based service providers, each of which provide a service to subscribers located in a predefined service area, locations serviced by said location based service providers, and the telephone number of a telephone system serving each of said location based service providers;

a first software application executed by said switching system responsive to a request from said wireless telephone set to establish a communication connection between said wireless telephone set and a called party comprising a telephone system of a location based service provider that provides a service to subscribers located in a predefined service area for receiving data indicative of a present location of a wireless telephone set from said wireless telephone set locating system, for reading said location based call routing database to determine a telephone number identifying a telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service provider that provides service to said present location of said wireless telephone set, and for establishing a communication connection from said wireless telephone set to said telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers that provides service to said present location of said wireless telephone set.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a mobile switching system connected to said switching system;

said wireless telephone locating system being connected to said mobile switching system; and

a second software application executed by a controller in said mobile switching system for generating a call set up message including said that identifies said service and transmitting said call set up message to said switching system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said mobile switching system is connected to said wireless telephone locating system and said wireless telephone locating system further comprises:

means for transmitting location data of said wireless telephone set to said mobile switching system wherein said call set up message includes said location data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said first software application reads said location data from said call set up message and reads said location based service provider database to determine said location based service provider that provides a service to subscribers located in a predefined service area.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said first software application transmits a location request to said wireless telephone locating system responsive to receiving a telephone number that identifies a service, receives said location data responsive to transmitting said location request and uses said location data to find said location based service provider that provides service for said location using said service provider database.

8. A method for automatically connecting a wireless telephone set to an automatically selected one of a plurality of location based service providers comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a wireless telephone set to establish a communication connection between said wireless telephone set and a called party comprising a telephone system of a location based service provider that provides a service to subscribers located in a predefined service area;

detecting a present location of said wireless telephone set;

identifying a telephone number of a telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers that provide said service to said present location of said wireless telephone set; and

establishing a communication connection from said wireless telephone set to said telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers that provides said service responsive to determining said location based service provider.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone number that identifies a service in a mobile switching system;

generating said request for said communication connection in said mobile switching system; and

transmitting said request from said mobile switching system to a public switching system.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a location request for location data for said wireless telephone set to a location system responsive to receiving said request;

determining said location of said wireless telephone set in said location system responsive to receiving said location request;

generating location data for said wireless telephone set responsive to determining said location; and

said step of identifying a telephone number of a telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers for said location being responsive to generating said location data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of identifying a telephone number of a telephone system of the one of said plurality of location based service providers comprises the step of:

reading a location based service provider database to determine said location based service provider from said location data.

10. The method of 9 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for location data from said mobile switching system to a location system in response to receiving said telephone number that identifies a service;

generating said location data in said location system;

transmitting said location data to said mobile switching system;

receiving said location data in mobile switching system; and

said step of generating said request being responsive to receiving said location data and said request includes said location data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

reading said location data from said received request.