Directing data network communications based on geographic location of a user

• US 7,246,154 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sitaraman, Aravind, Yager, Charles Troper, Alesso, Craig Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US10/165,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/226, 709/217, 709/223, 709/224, 709/220, 709/238, 709245-246, 709227-228, 379/211.02, 455/445, 455/417, 455/433, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04

Abstract

A method and apparatus for directing data network communications based on the geographic location of the user. One or the other or both of the geographic location of the local telephone access number with which the user is connected to one of a plurality of points of presence (PoPs) and the telephone number that the user is calling from to connect to the PoP is determined. This geographic location is compared to the geographic location of the home of the user. If the geographic locations differ, then it is determined that the user is a roaming user. If the user is a roaming user, then communications to the user over the data communications network are directed based at least in part upon the geographic location of the user.

Claims

1. A method for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), each PoP having at least one local telephone access number, the user connected to a PoP via a local telephone access number, said method comprising:

determining a digital number identification service identification (DNIS ID) of the local telephone access number with which the user connected to the PoP;

determining a city/town location corresponding to the local telephone access number;

looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the local telephone access number is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the local telephone access number;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

tailoring the directed communications to the fact that the user is away from home.

3. A method for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), said method comprising:

obtaining from the PoP information about what telephone number the user is calling from to connect to the PoP;

determining the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the telephone number that the user is calling from is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

tailoring the directed communications to the fact that the user is away from home.

5. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), the user connected to a PoP via a local telephone access number, said method comprising:

determining a digital number identification service identification (DNIS ID) of the local telephone access number with which the user connected to the PoP;

determining a city/town location corresponding to the local telephone access number;

looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the local telephone access number is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the local telephone access number;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.

6. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), said method comprising:

obtaining from the PoP information about what telephone number the user is calling from to connect to the PoP;

determining the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the telephone number that the user is calling from is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.

7. An apparatus for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), each PoP having at least one local telephone access number, the user connected to a PoP via a local telephone access number, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining a digital number identification service identification (DNIS ID) of the local telephone access number with which the user connected to the PoP;

means for determining a city/town location corresponding to the local telephone access number;

means for looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

means for determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the local telephone access number is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

means for, when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the local telephone access number;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.

8. An Apparatus for directing communications to a user over a data communications network having a plurality of points of presence (PoPs), said apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining from the PoP information about what telephone number the user is calling from to connect to the PoP;

means for determining the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

means for looking up the user'"'"'s profile information in a database to determine the city/town location of the user'"'"'s home;

means for determining whether the user is a roaming user based upon recognizing that the telephone number that the user is calling from is in a different city/town location than the user'"'"'s home; and

means for, when the user is roaming, directing communications content to the user over the data communications network based at least in part upon;

the city/town location of the telephone number that the user is calling from;

a service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a wholesaler; and

a SLA between the wholesaler and a telephony provider.