Time zone based phone services
First Claim
1. A method in a calling party serving MSC of a telecommunications network for routing a call, comprising:
- receiving at the calling party serving MSC call set-up signals for a called party mobile station;
producing the called party number to a home location register;
receiving, from the home location register, a called party serving MSC Id number and a local time for one of the called party serving MSC or the called party;
sending a message number and associated parameters to an IVR to prompt the IVR to play a specified IVR message to the calling party;
receiving an indication from the IVR either that the call is to be set up or that a message should be stored;
setting up the call with the called party serving MSC; and
connecting the call between the calling party and the called party.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus provides for, as a part of call setup and routing whenever a calling party calls a called party, which includes determining a local time for the called party prior to completing call setup. If the local time is within a specified time range, a message is played to the calling party to advise the calling party of the local time for the called party. In one embodiment of the invention, the calling party is given the option of leaving a message or of continuing with the call in the case of an emergency. The message delivered to the calling party may be one that is generated by an interactive voice response unit or by a short message service server. In either case, based upon the calling party'"'"'s response to the message, the inventive method and apparatus result in the cellular network either taking a message for the called party or routing the call to the called party as normal. As an additional aspect of the present invention, the method and apparatus also provide for merely enabling an individual to determine a local time for an entered area code or country code or mobile station. Moreover, if the individual enters a local time, the inventive method and apparatus provide for calculating a corresponding local time for a specified country code or area code or mobile station.
21 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method in a calling party serving MSC of a telecommunications network for routing a call, comprising:
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receiving at the calling party serving MSC call set-up signals for a called party mobile station; producing the called party number to a home location register; receiving, from the home location register, a called party serving MSC Id number and a local time for one of the called party serving MSC or the called party; sending a message number and associated parameters to an IVR to prompt the IVR to play a specified IVR message to the calling party; receiving an indication from the IVR either that the call is to be set up or that a message should be stored; setting up the call with the called party serving MSC; and connecting the call between the calling party and the called party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method in a home location register, comprising:
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receiving at least one of a country code, an area code or a cell phone number from a serving mobile switching center (MSC) for a user equipment terminal in a local time request signal; receiving a location update request signal specifying a called party mobile station ID and determining, based upon a determined local time for a last known location of the called party mobile station, whether to route the call or whether to generate a message number corresponding to a message to be originated by a message delivery device for delivery to the calling party mobile station; determining a local time responsive to receiving the local time request signal; and producing the local time to the MSC serving the user equipment terminal for delivery to the user equipment terminal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A Home/Visitors'"'"' Location Register (HLR/VLR), comprising:
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a processor for executing computer instructions; a memory for storing the computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions include logic for; performing routine home location register functions; retrieving time zone data from a database; evaluating the retrieved time zone data; receiving call setup signals for a called party mobile station; examining a subscriber profile for the called party mobile station; determining a last known location for the called party mobile station; determining whether to deliver a message to a calling party mobile station to prompt the calling party mobile station to leave a message; receiving a calling party mobile station response by way of a mobile switching center; and storing a message or for routing the call to the called party mobile station; and logic for generating a message to an MSC corresponding to the retrieved time zone data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method in a mobile switching center (MSC), comprising:
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receiving call set-up signals for a call being established between a calling party and a called party; sending to a home location register one of a location update request signal to determine a serving MSC for the called party and a local time request signal; receiving a local time for one of a last known location for the called party, a country code or an area code; comparing the local time to a do not disturb time range; generating a message number to a message delivery device to prompt the message delivery device to generate a message for the calling party; and playing the message to the calling party. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification