Communicating forwarding information for a communications device based on detected physical location

• US 7,031,698 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY D
• Application Number:
  US10/158,183
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.6, 455/417, 455/419, 455/420, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

Detecting a physical location change of a mobile communications device may initiate a process to initiate, or cancel, forwarding of future incoming communications to the mobile communications device. Forwarding information for a mobile communications device may be accessed and modified using an interface that communicates using an Internet Protocol network.

Claims

1. A method for communicating forwarding information, the method comprising:

detecting a physical location change for a first mobile communications device wherein the detected physical location change is one of placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device or removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device wherein the detected physical location change is one of placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device or removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device;

based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, initiating a forwarding process to forward one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device, wherein the forwarding process is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device; and

based on a detected removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, initiating a cancelling process to cancel forwarding of one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device, wherein the canceling process is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first mobile communications device detects the physical location change.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device detects the physical location change.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communication device is a cellular telephone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing forwarding information for the first mobile communications device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein accessing forwarding information comprises accessing forwarding information from the first mobile communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

initiating the forwarding process to forward the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using an Internet Protocol network; and

initiating the cancelling process to cancel the forwarding of the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using the Internet Protocol network.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

initiating the forwarding process to forward the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using a wireless communication pathway; and

initiating the cancelling process to cancel the forwarding of the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using the wireless communication pathway.

9. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium or a propagated signal for determining whether to forward a received communication, the computer program comprising:

a physical location code segment for detecting a physical location change for a first mobile communications device wherein the detected physical location change is one of placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device or removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device;

a forwarding code segment for initiating a process to forward one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second mobile communications device based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device; and

a canceling code segment for initiating a process to cancel forwarding of one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device based on a detected removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device,

wherein;

the forwarding code segment is used by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, and

the canceling code segment used by the first mobile communications device uses the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the physical location code segment comprises a code segment for the first communication device to detect the physical location change.

11. The medium of claim 9 wherein the physical location code segment comprises a code segment for the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device to detect the physical location change.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the physical location code segment comprises a code segment for detecting the physical location change for a cellular telephone.

13. The medium of claim 9 further comprising a code segment for accessing forwarding information for the first mobile communications device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the code segment for accessing forwarding information comprises a code segment for accessing forwarding information from the first mobile communications device.

15. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

the forwarding code segment used by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device uses an Internet Protocol network; and

the canceling code segment used by the first mobile communications device uses the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device uses the Internet Protocol network.

16. The medium of claim 9 wherein:

the forwarding code segment used by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device uses a wireless communication pathway; and

the canceling code segment used by the first mobile communications device uses the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device the wireless communication pathway.

17. An apparatus including a device structured and arranged to for determining whether to forward a received communication, the apparatus being configured to:

detect a physical location change for a first mobile communications device wherein the detected physical location change is one of placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device or removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device;

based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, initiate a process to forward one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second mobile communications device; and

initiate a process to cancel forwarding of one or more incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device based on a detected removal of the first mobile communications device from the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device,

wherein;

initiating the forwarding process to forward the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, and

initiating the cancelling process to cancel the forwarding of the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first mobile communications device detects the physical location change.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device detects the physical location change.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first communication device is a cellular telephone.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to access forwarding information for the first mobile communications device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to access forwarding information from the first mobile communications device.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

initiating the forwarding process to forward the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using an Internet Protocol network; and

initiating the cancelling process to cancel the forwarding of the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using the Internet Protocol network.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

initiating the forwarding process to forward the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using a wireless communication pathway; and

initiating the cancelling process to cancel the forwarding of the one or more incoming communications is performed by the cradle associated with the first mobile communications device using the wireless communication pathway.