System for automatic selection of profile based on location

• US 7,162,237 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael, Adamczyk, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US10/206,684
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/417, 455/414.1, 455/432.3, 455/456.1, 4554562- 6, 455/457, 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/2
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems for automatically selecting a user'"'"'s profile based on location include a device adapted to being tracked by location and a database that includes a user'"'"'s preferences for routing calls. The user'"'"'s calls are routed to the user based on the user'"'"'s call routing preferences and the location of the device. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for an automatic selection of profile based on location, comprising:

a database having user preferences for routing calls based on the location of a device adapted to be tracked by location, caller identity, and the time of day, wherein the preferences include a plurality of user-defined time-location-caller-destination associations that each define preferences for routing calls from a user-defined caller to at least one distinct user-defined call termination location during a user-defined given time of day based upon a user-defined location of the device, wherein the database is external to the device; and

a communications network server operatively coupled to the device, the communications network server adapted to track the location of the device, and to interrupt call processing and to switch the call to a call termination location identified in the database based upon the location of the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises at least one of a wireless telephone, a personal data assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a pager, an internet protocol (IP) device or a watch.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor for selecting the user'"'"'s call routing preference based on a position of the device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network further comprises a GPS location/positioning system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the GPS location/positioning system further comprises a position/location processor for storing location information obtained on the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises a customer profile database.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the customer profile database further comprises at least one of hours, days, locations, user'"'"'s preferences for call routing or destination addresses.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a presence processor adapted to communicate presence information on the device.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an application processor operatively coupled to the presence processor, the application processor adapted to provide logic for automatically selecting the information from the database for routing calls to a user based on where the device is located.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communications network for routing a call to a call termination location based on the user'"'"'s call routing preferences in the database and the position of the device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the communications network further comprises a public switched telecommunications network (PSTN), the PSTN is adapted to provide an advanced intelligent network (AIN), the AIN is operative to switch calls to a service control point (SCP), and the SCP is adapted to switch the calls to the call termination location identified in the user'"'"'s call routing preferences based upon the location of the device.

12. A system for an automatic selection of profile based on location, comprising:

means for tracking a wireless device; and

means for obtaining a user'"'"'s call routing preferences from a database external to the wireless device based upon a location of the wireless device, caller identity, and the time of day, wherein the preferences include a plurality of user-defined time-location-caller-destination associations that each define preferences for routing calls from a user-defined caller to at least one distinct user-defined call termination location during a user-defined given time of day based upon a user-defined location of the device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for determining the location of the wireless device.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for routing a telephone call based on the user'"'"'s call routing preferences and the location of the wireless device.

15. A method for an automatic selection of profile based on location, comprising the steps of:

determining the location of a wireless device;

obtaining a user'"'"'s preferences in a database external to the wireless device; and

routing a telephone call based on the user'"'"'s preferences and the location of the wireless device, caller identity, and the time of day, wherein the preferences include a plurality of user-defined time-location-caller-destination associations that each define preferences for routing calls from a user-defined caller to at least one distinct user-defined call termination location during a user-defined given time of day based upon a user-defined location of the device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a presence indication for the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising tracking the location of the wireless device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the routing a telephone call based on the user'"'"'s preferences and the location of the wireless device further comprises interrupting call processing for the telephone call and routing the telephone call to a call termination location based upon the user'"'"'s preferences in the database and the location of the wireless device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the location of a wireless device is performed with a GPS location/positioning system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the obtaining a user'"'"'s preferences in a database further comprises accessing information in the database on the user that includes at least one of hours, days, locations, call routing preferences or call termination location.

21. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for automatically selecting a profile based on location, comprising:

logic configured to determine the location of a wireless device;

logic configured to obtain a user'"'"'s preferences in a database external to the wireless device; and

logic configured to route a telephone call based on the user'"'"'s preferences and the location of the wireless device, caller identity, and the time of day, wherein the preferences include a plurality of user-defined time-location-caller-destination associations that each define preferences for routing calls from a user-defined caller to at least one distinct user-defined call termination location during a user-defined given time of day based upon a user-defined location of the device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising logic configured to provide presence indication for the wireless device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising logic configured to track the location of the wireless device.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the logic configured to route a telephone call based on the user'"'"'s preferences and the location of the wireless device is further configured to interrupt call processing for the telephone call and to route the telephone call to a call termination location based upon the user'"'"'s preferences in the database and the location of the wireless device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising logic configured to determine a position of the wireless device relative to a base location.