Telephone system and method for selectively ringing one or more land phones or portable phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone

• US 6,999,757 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/759,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/422, 455/435, 455/444, 455/456, 455/461, 455/560, 379/204, 379/210, 379/211.01, 379/211.04, 379/212.01, 379/204.01, 379/210.01
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A portable phone is equipped with a position detector that detects the geographical position of the portable phone, and a telephone system may ring one or more land-based phones or portable phones according to the geographical position of the portable phone. One or more geographical regions are defined, with corresponding telephone parameters defined for each region. When a portable phone enters a defined region, exits a defined region, or changes between two defined regions, the function of one or more land-based phones or portable phones may change. The preferred embodiments thus allow changing the function of one or more other phones based on the self-detected geographical position of a portable phone. In this manner the convenience of using portable phones is greatly enhanced.

Claims

1. A telephone system comprising:

(A) a portable phone that includes a position detector that detects the position of the portable phone;

(B) at least one defined geographical region defined by a user of the portable phone, each defined geographical region having corresponding phone parameters that determine how a call is rung and routed, wherein the user of the portable phone uses the position detector located in the phone to define the defined geographical region;

(C) a mechanism that receives the position of the portable phone from the position detector, and that determines from the position of the portable phone whether the portable phone enters or exits a defined geographical region; and

(D) a call router that rings and routes a telephone call according to the phone parameters for a region.

2. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein the position detector comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

3. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein the at least one geographical region in (B) and the mechanism in (C) reside within the portable phone, and the call router in (D) resides in a telephone company network that is coupled to the portable phone.

4. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein the portable phone communicates its detected position to the call router, and wherein the at least one geographical region in (B), the mechanism in (C), and the call router in (D) reside in a telephone company network that is coupled to the portable phone.

5. The telephone system of claim 1 wherein the position detector comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

6. A telephone system comprising:

(A) a portable phone that includes a position detector that detects the position of the portable phone, wherein the position detector comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor;

(B) at least one defined geographical region defined by a user of the portable phone using the position detector, each defined geographical region having corresponding phone parameters that determine how a call is rung and routed;

(C) a mechanism that receives the position of the portable phone from the position detector, and that determines from the position of the portable phone whether the portable phone enters or exits a defined geographical region; and

(D) a call router that rings and routes a telephone call according to the phone parameters for a region.

7. The telephone system of claim 6 wherein the at least one geographical region in (B) and the mechanism in (C) reside within the portable phone, and the call router in (D) resides in a telephone company network that is coupled to the portable phone.

8. The telephone system of claim 6 wherein the portable phone communicates its detected position to the call router, and wherein the at least one geographical region in (B), the mechanism in (C), and the call router in (D) reside in a telephone company network that is coupled to the portable phone.