Provision of location information to a call party

• US 7,085,578 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barclay, Deborah L., MacNamara, John J., Willis, Ricky Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramos-Feliciano, Eliseo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony S.
• Application Number:
  US10/027,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/157, 455/414.2, 455/413.3, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.1, 455/517, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/450
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Apparatus and method provide location information for a calling party to a called party and/or provide a location for called party to a calling party. The information may be provided to a customer on a subscription basis or a customer may query for location information for the party at the other end of a call on an ad hoc basis (413). The customer may select the granularity (303) of the location information as well as the format (309) in which the information is sent. A party may optionally disable (403) the location ID feature so that the other person is not able to receive the party'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

sending, to a called party at a first location, a telephone call from a calling party having a second location, and, while the call is in progress;

selecting a granularity value from among a predetermined set of granularity values;

selecting a location display format from among a predetermined set of location display formats;

responsive to both the selected granularity and the selected location display format, providing location information including at least one of the first location to the calling party and the second location to the called party the location information having the selected granularity and the selected location display format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the called party with at least two options for granularity of the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is displayed to said called party using non-geodetic nomenclature.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of processing the second location to automatically provide information based on the second location to the called party.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information based on the second location is at least one of a map illustrating the second location and directions from the second location to the called party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of at least one of the called party and the calling party querying for a location of the other party.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a party'"'"'s location information only when the party has given permission.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, when the calling party has at least one of restricted location information and failed to permit sending location, inhibiting sending of location information to the called party.

9. A computer-readable medium storing computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 1.

10. A method comprising the steps of:

establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a user, and, while the call is in progress;

providing the user with a selection of at least two location display formats;

providing the user with a selection of at least two granularity values;

based on the user'"'"'s selection of location display format and granularity value, determining location information for the calling party;

providing the location information to the user for display to the user, the location information having the selected granularity and the selected location display format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the location information is displayed using common nomenclature.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of processing the location information to automatically provide information based on the location information to the called party.

13. A computer-readable medium storing computer readable program code that performs the steps of claim 10.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of at least one of the called party and the calling party querying for a location of the other party.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of sending a party'"'"'s location information only when the party has given permission.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of, when the calling party has at least one of restricted location information and failed to permit sending location, inhibiting sending of location information to the called party.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least two location display formats include at least two of text, building map, street map, and city map.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

placing a telephone call through at least one switching system from a first telephone that is located at a second geographic location, to a second telephone that is located at a first geographic location, and, while the call is in progress;

selecting a granularity value from among a predetermined set of granularity values;

selecting a location display format from among a predetermined set of location display formats;

responsive to the selected granularity and the selected location display format, sending location information from a switching system to the second telephone that identifies the second geographic location, the location information having the selected granularity and the selected location display format, and which can be displayed on the second telephone.

19. A method comprising the steps of:

placing a telephone call through at least one switching system from a first telephone that is located at a second geographic location, to a second telephone that is located is located at a first geographic location, and, while the call is in progress;

selecting a granularity value from among a predetermined set of granularity values;

selecting a location display format from among a predetermined set of location display formats;

responsive to the selected granularity and the selected location display format, sending location information from a switching system to the first telephone that identifies the first geographic location the location information having the selected granularity and the selected location display format, and which can be displayed on the first telephone.