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

• US 7,224,988 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US11/275,738
• Time in Patent Office: 488 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: 455/456.3
• 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, the first mobile communications device being capable of interfacing with a first communications network other than a local home network;

based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, accessing forwarding information that includes information for initiating a forwarding process to forward future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device; and

based on accessed forwarding information, initiating a forwarding process to forward, over a second communications network other than the local home network, one or more future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device, the second communications device being capable of interfacing with the second communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first mobile communication device is capable of being connected through a wireless communication pathway to the first communications network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the wireless communication pathway comprises a cellular communication pathway.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communications network comprises a communication network that uses the Internet Protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communication network comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second communication network uses the Internet Protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communication device is capable of being connected through a wireless communication pathway to the second communications network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the wireless communication pathway comprises a cellular communication pathway to the second communications network.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communications network comprises a communications network that is different from the second communications network.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first communications network comprises a communications network that is included in the second communications network.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating a canceling 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.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first mobile communication device detects the physical location change.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first mobile communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

14. An apparatus for communicating forwarding information, the apparatus being configured to:

detect a physical location change for a first mobile communications device, the first mobile communications device being capable of interfacing with a first communications network other than a local home network;

based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device, accessing forwarding information that includes information for initiating a forwarding process to forward future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device; and

based on accessed forwarding information, initiate a forwarding process to forward, over a second communications network other than the local home network, one or more future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device, the second communications device being capable of interfacing with the second communications network.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first mobile communication device is capable of being connected through a wireless communication pathway to the first communications network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the wireless communication pathway comprises a cellular communication pathway.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first communications network comprises a communication network that uses the Internet Protocol.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second communication network comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second communication network uses the Internet Protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second communication device is capable of being connected through a wireless communication pathway to the second communications network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the wireless communication pathway comprises a cellular communication pathway to the second communications network.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first communications network comprises a communications network that is different from the second communications network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the first communications network comprises a communications network that is included in the second communications network.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising initiating a canceling 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.

25. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first mobile communication device detects the physical location change.

26. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first mobile communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

27. A system for communicating forwarding information, the system comprising:

means for detecting a physical location change for a first mobile communications device, the first mobile communications device being capable of interfacing with a first communications network other than a local home network;

means for accessing forwarding information that includes information for initiating a forwarding process to forward future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device based on a detected placement of the first mobile communications device in a cradle associated with the first mobile communications device; and

means for initiating a forwarding process to forward, over a second communications network other than the local home network, one or more future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device based on accessed forwarding information, the second communications device being capable of interfacing with the second communications network.