Providing location based directory numbers for personalized services

• US 7,242,948 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Zhibi, Lee, Chinmei Chen, Fleischer, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US09/815,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/403, 455/457, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In this invention, a wireless terminal location is monitored and used to locate providers of a requested service that are proximate to the location of the wireless terminal. At least one of the providers located is selected and identified by name and/or telephone number and/or the location, etc., and this information is delivered to and stored in the directory of the wireless terminal. The process is repeated as necessary to update the list of service providers when the wireless terminal is transported to a new location area. The service providers located can represent any category of service desired such as emergency facilities (especially in a foreign country) such as paramedics, hospital, police, or roadside assistance, etc.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based directory numbers for personalized services for a wireless subscriber having a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a user profile for the mobile terminal from the subscriber at a user profile server, wherein the user profile includes information for at least one service that is dependent on the location of the mobile terminal, the information including one or more local directory numbers for each service;

storing the user profile at the user profile server, wherein the user profile server is in communication with an application server;

instructing a home location register to set an event notification flag to notify the application server whenever the mobile terminal changes location;

receiving a notification from the home location register that the location of the mobile terminal has changed;

automatically updating the local directory number for each service in the subscriber profile whenever the mobile terminal changes location; and

forwarding at least one of the updated local directory numbers to the mobile terminal for use by the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a change in location of the mobile terminal exceeds a location area size threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location area threshold is based on the area served by a base station serving the mobile terminal.

4. A system for providing location-based directory numbers for personalized services for a wireless subscriber having a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

means for receiving a user profile for the mobile terminal from the subscriber, wherein the user profile includes information for at least one personalized service that is dependent on the location of the mobile terminal, the information including one or more local directory numbers for each service;

means for storing the user profile at the user profile server;

means for instructing a home location register to set an event notification flag to notify an application server whenever the mobile terminal changes location;

means for receiving a notification from the home location register that the location of the mobile terminal has changed;

means for automatically updating the local directory number for each service in the subscriber profile whenever the mobile terminal changes location; and

means for forwarding at least one of the updated local directory numbers to the mobile terminal for use by the subscriber.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for determining whether a change in location of the mobile terminal exceeds a location area size threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location area threshold is based on the area served by a base station serving the mobile terminal.