System and method for controlling personal telephone number dialing lists and dialing capabilities

• US 6,542,733 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1998
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Dennis, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Application Number:
  US09/173,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 455/460, 455/564, 455/565, 455/566, 455/569, 455/414, 455/432, 455/433, 455/445, 379/216
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing personal dialing profiles for users of wireless devices. The users enter telephone numbers into a profile list and specify any desired special handling or routing operations for future calls to each number. The personal profile lists allow users to dial only an abbreviated portion of the telephone number and then the wireless network adds any other required digits, such as country, area or local exchange codes. The system also provides specified routing, such as using a preselected service provider when a call to a particular number will be a long distance call. The personal profile information is stored on an service control point (SCP) or a database that is accessible to the wireless telephone network. Users add telephone numbers and configure profile information using a personal computer, which is linked to the wireless network or SCP via a data network, such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A system for providing enhanced dialing features to individual wireless devices the wireless devices capable of roaming such that the wireless devices may communicate with each of a plurality of wireless networks depending upon a wireless device'"'"'s current geographical location, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of unique dialing profiles, each of said profiles corresponding to a particular wireless device and wherein said profiles are not uniform throughout the system, said profiles comprising call completion information for a plurality of destination telephone numbers;

means for detecting when a call has been initiated by one of said wireless devices;

means for determining a current geographical location of the wireless device that has initiated a call;

means for correlating said wireless device to its corresponding unique dialing profile;

means for selecting a telecommunications carrier from one or more telecommunications carriers that are identified in said corresponding dialing profile, wherein said telecommunications carrier is selected based upon said current geographical location of the wireless device and a geographical location of a called party;

means for affixing routing information to call completion information that has been entered on said wireless device, wherein said routing information routes the call across a selected telecommunications carrier'"'"'s network; and

means for completing said initiated call using said call completion information and said routing information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said storing means comprises a service control point (SCP) in a telecommunications network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said storing means comprises a database coupled to a telecommunication network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said dialing profiles comprise:

a list of abbreviated dialing numbers corresponding to said destination telephone numbers, wherein said destination telephone numbers include routing data for each of said abbreviated dialing numbers.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said routing information identifies an area code.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said routing information identifies a telecommunications carrier.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for configuring said dialing profiles.

8. The system of claim 9 wherein said configuring means comprises:

means for accessing said storing means via a computer network.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said configuring means comprises:

means for adding said destination telephone numbers via said wireless device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said destination telephone numbers are updated automatically each time a user enters a new destination telephone number on said wireless device.

11. A method for providing personal dialing services to a wireless device, the wireless device being capable of roaming such that the wireless device may communicate with each of a plurality of wireless networks depending upon the wireless device'"'"'s current geographical location, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of unique dialing profiles, each of said dialing profiles corresponding to a particular wireless device and wherein said profiles are not uniform throughout the system, the dialing profile comprising a plurality of destination telephone number records;

detecting when the wireless device initiates a call;

determining a current geographical location of the wireless device that has initiated a call;

determining whether information entered to initiate said call is associated with one of said destination telephone number records in the corresponding unique dialing profile;

selecting a telecommunications carrier from one or more telecommunications carriers that are identified in said corresponding dialing profile, wherein said telecommunications carrier is selected based upon the current geographical location of the wireless device and a geographical location of a called party;

affixing routing information to call completion information that has been entered on said wireless device, wherein said routing information routes the call across a selected telecommunications carrier'"'"'s network; and

completing said initiated call using the call completion information and the routing information.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

allowing users to configure said stored dialing profiles.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said users access a stored dialing profile database via a computer network.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said users specify routing information for said dialing profiles.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said users specify abbreviated dialing codes for said destination telephone records.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said dialing profiles are stored on a service control point of a telecommunications network.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said completing step comprises the step of:

adding routing codes to an abbreviated telephone number entered by a user.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said routing codes are selected from the group consisting of:

country codes;

area codes; and

local exchange codes.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

determining said user'"'"'s location by identifying a particular wireless network cell site that is in communication with said wireless device.

20. A method for using personal dialing services with a wireless device, the wireless device being capable of roaming such that the wireless device may communicate with each of a plurality of wireless networks depending upon the wireless device'"'"'s current geographical location, comprising the steps of:

entering an abbreviated destination telephone number on a telecommunications device, wherein said abbreviated telephone number corresponds to a destination telephone number in a personal profile;

transmitting said abbreviated destination telephone number to a database that is coupled to a telecommunications network, said database having stored therein one or more personal profiles;

correlating the wireless device to a unique personal profile that is associated with the wireless device, wherein the unique personal profile is not a uniform profile that is used by more than one wireless device;

correlating the abbreviated destination telephone number to a destination telephone number stored in the unique personal profile, wherein the personal profile further comprises routing information for the destination telephone number; and

completing a call under control of said telecommunications network from said telecommunications device in accordance with the routing information in said personal profile.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

adding destination telephone numbers to said personal profile; and

configuring said personal profile.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein a user adds said destination telephone numbers by entering a preselected code when dialing a telephone number.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein dialed telephone numbers are automatically added to said personal profile.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein users configure said personal profile via a personal computer that is coupled to said telecommunication database via a computer network.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein users add telephone numbers to said personal profile and configure said personal profile via said telecommunications device.

26. A computer program product having a computer readable medium with computer program logic recorded thereon for use in a system for providing personal dialing services to a wireless device in a telecommunications network, wherein the wireless device is capable of communicating with each of a plurality wireless network depending upon a current location of the wireless device, the computer program product comprising:

means for correlating a dialed abbreviated number to a unique destination telephone number record, said record comprising a complete destination telephone number and preselected routing information for said destination telephone number, and wherein said record is not a uniform dialing profile that is used by more than one wireless device;

means for determining a current geographical location of a wireless device that has initiated a call, wherein the wireless device is associated with the unique destination telephone number record;

means for selecting a telecommunications service provider from a list of said service providers in said associated destination telephone number record, wherein said service provider is selected based upon the current geographical location of the wireless device that has initiated the call and the geographical location of the destination telephone number;

means for affixing preselected routing information to said destination telephone number, wherein said preselected routing information ensures that the call is routed across the selected service provider'"'"'s telecommunications network; and

means for initiating communications between a calling telecommunications device and a destination telecommunications device utilizing said destination telephone number and said routing information.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising:

means for storing one or more dialing profiles, wherein said profiles comprising a plurality of destination telephone number records; and

means for configuring said stored dialing profiles.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising:

means for routing a call from a telecommunications device to a called destination over a desired telecommunications route using information stored in said destination telephone number record.