Method and system for selectively paging a communication device based on self-detected position of the communication device

• US 7,130,643 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/149,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20050227713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/422, 455/404.2, 455/435, 455/444, 4554561-457, 455/461, 455/560, 379/204, 379/210, 379/211.01, 379/211.04, 379/212.01
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

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 method for selectively ringing or not ringing a second phone when a call is placed to a portable phone, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) the portable phone using an internal position detector to detect its geographical position;

(B) defining at least one geographical region;

(C) defining phone parameters that determine how a call is rung and routed for each defined geographical region;

(D) receiving the position of the portable phone from the position detector;

(E) determining from the received position of the portable phone whether the portable phone enters or exits a defined geographical region;

(F) updating phone parameters for a geographical region when the portable phone enters the geographical region;

(G) updating phone parameters for a geographical region when the portable phone exits the geographical region; and

(H) ringing and routing a telephone call according to the phone parameters for a defined geographical region;

wherein steps (A), (B), (D) and (E) are performed by the portable phone, and wherein steps (C), (F), (G) and (H) are performed by a telephone network coupled to the portable phone.

2. A telephone system comprising:

(A) a portable phone that includes;

(A1) a position detector that detects geographical position of the portable phone;

(A2) at least one named geographical region;

(A3) a message mechanism that sends a message to a telephone network when the portable phone enters a named geographical region and sends a message to the telephone network when the portable phone exits a named geographical region;

(B) a telephone network that includes;

(B1) phone parameters defined for each named geographical region that determine how a call is rung and routed within the named geographical region;

(B2) a phone parameters update mechanism that updates phone parameters for a named geographical region when a message is received from the message mechanism in the portable phone indicating that the portable phone has entered the named geographical region, and that updates phone parameters for a named geographical region when a message is received form the message mechanism in the portable phone indicating that the portable phone has exited the named geographical region; and

(B3) a call router that routes a telephone call according to the phone parameters for a named geographical region.