Over the air user zone assignment for wireless telephony systems
First Claim
1. In a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals, a method of defining user-selected user zones associated with each of said user terminals comprising the steps of:
- locating a user tern within said wireless communication system;
defining an area by providing at least one user-selected vector from said user terminal location, said at least one vector comprising a radius or distance vector;
transmitting said vector information to said network controller; and
generating at the network controller, a user zone around said user terminal corresponding to said area wherein said user terminal can request communication services of said communication system without incurring out-of-network fees.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of defining a user zone for a mobile user terminal in a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals. The method includes the steps of locating a user terminal within the wireless communication system, referencing at least one user-selected vector from the user terminal location, and transmitting the vector information to the network controller. The network controller, in turn, generates a user zone associated with the user terminal as a function of the vector information such that the user zone defines a geographic region wherein the user terminal can access communication services of the communication system without incurring out-of-network fees. In one aspect of the invention, the user terminal includes a GPS receiver for determining the location of the user terminal and providing a reference for the user-selected vectors defining the desired user zone.
29 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. In a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals, a method of defining user-selected user zones associated with each of said user terminals comprising the steps of:
-
locating a user tern within said wireless communication system;
defining an area by providing at least one user-selected vector from said user terminal location, said at least one vector comprising a radius or distance vector;
transmitting said vector information to said network controller; and
generating at the network controller, a user zone around said user terminal corresponding to said area wherein said user terminal can request communication services of said communication system without incurring out-of-network fees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6)
-
-
4. In a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals, a method of defining user-selected user zones associated with each of said user terminals comprising the steps of:
-
locating a user terminal within said wireless communication system;
referencing a plurality of vectors from said user terminal location, each of said vectors providing a distance and angle measurement referenced from a predetermined direction from the location of the user terminal;
transmitting said vector information to said network controller; and
generating at the network controller, a user zone associated with said user terminal as a function of said vector information by connecting each end point defined by each of said vectors to form said user zone, said user zone defining a geographic region wherein said user terminal can request communication services of said communication system without incurring out-of-network fees.
-
-
5. In a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals, a method of defining user-selected user zones associated with each of said user terminals comprising the steps of:
-
locating a user terminal within said wireless communication system;
referencing a vector representing a radius (r) from said user terminal location;
transmitting said vector information to said network controller; and
generating at the network controller, a user zone associated with said user terminal as a function of said vector information by defining a circle about said user terminal of radius r to form said user zone, said user zone defining a geographic region wherein said user terminal can request communication services of said communication system without incurring out-of-network fees.
-
-
7. A wireless communication system comprising, in combination:
-
a network controller for processing communication data transmitted to, and received from, a plurality of mobile user terminals;
at least one of said mobile user terminals including a global position system (GPS) receiver for locating said user terminal within said wireless communication system and a user display for selecting an area as a function of a radius or a plurality of distance vectors to define a preferred user zone;
said network controller including a processor for generating a user-selected user zone associated with each of said user terminals as a function of the defined preferred user zone, said user zone comprising a geographic region wherein said user terminal can request communication services of said communication system without incurring out-of-network fees. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In a geographic region serviced by at least two wireless communication service providers, each of said service providers having a wireless communication system including a network controller providing communication services to a plurality of mobile user terminals, a method of requesting communication services by a user within a user-defined user zone comprising the steps of:
-
locating a user terminal within said geographic region serviced by at least two wireless communication service providers;
referencing at least one user-selected vector representing a radius from said user terminal location;
transmitting from said user terminal, said vector data to said wireless communication service providers; and
receiving from at least one of said wireless communication service providers a quote for services within said user-defined a user zone comprising a geographic region defined substantially as a circle of said radius. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification