Apparatus and method to provide current location information services in a network

• US 7,519,052 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Norihiro Edwin, Barnes, Michaela Ann Beeby
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/365,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 370/356, 370/486, 4554561- 2, 4554141- 3, 455/433, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 370/356
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An apparatus and method that provides current location information services in a network are described. In one preferred embodiment, a location identifier and a user identifier are received from a user. A user profile associated with the user identifier is retrieved from a database of user profiles. The user profile includes one or more stored location identifiers associated with the user. The received location identifier is then compared to the stored location identifiers to determine matching location identifiers and further to determine current location information of the user.

Claims

1. A method provided across a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a location registrar entity a location identifier and a user identifier sent from a communications device across said network, said location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and said user identifier associated with a user;

retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier received at said location registrar entity, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

accepting a location corresponding to said location identifier received at said location registrar entity as a current location of said communications device if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location; and

receiving location information from said user if said received location identifier fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, comprising the steps of

receiving said location information by any of

directing said user to a network operator to provide said location information,

receiving said location information verbally from said user, and

receiving electronically input location information from said user, and

upon receipt, storing said location information with said location identifier and said user identifier received at said location registrar entity in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises any of a voice packet network system (VOPS), a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enabled network, and the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said voice packet network system (VOPS) comprises any of a voice over frame relay network system, a voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network system, and a Voice over High-Level Data Link Control (HLDC) network system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said network operates in accordance with any of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said accepted location of said communications device is accepted as a current location of said user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said communications device comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

presenting a network readiness signal to said user if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a destination user identifier associated with a destination user for communication in said network; and

using said destination user identifier to establish communication with said destination user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

updating stored location information as current location information if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers, said stored location information being associated with a matched location identifier of one of said stored location identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said location identifier received at said location registrar entity comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said user identifier comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) contact address of record associated with said user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said stored location identifiers comprises a prior location identifier associated with said user.

13. A method provided across a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a location registration registrar entity a location identifier and a user identifier sent from a communications device across said network, said location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and said user identifier associated with a user;

retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier received at said location registrar entity, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

accepting a location corresponding to said location identifier received at said location registrar entity as a current location of said communications device if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers;

determining location information of said user if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said determining step further comprises the steps of

connecting to a gateway device having knowledge of said user, and

extracting said location information of said user from said gateway device; and

storing said location information with said location identifier and said user identifier received at said location registrar entity in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of:

using a network Global Positioning System (GPS) to retrieve said location information of said user.

15. A system for providing current location services in a network, comprising:

a location registrar entity for receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

means for retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier received at said location registrar entity, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

means for accepting a location corresponding to said location identifier received at said location registrar entity as a current location of said communications device if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers; and

means for receiving location information from said user if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said receiving means further comprises

means for receiving said location information comprising any of

means for directing said user to a network operator to provide said location information,

means for receiving location information verbally from said user, and

means for receiving electronically input location information from said user, and

means for storing said location information upon receipt thereof with said location identifier and said user identifier received at said location registrar entity in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said network comprises any of a voice packet network system (VOPS), a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enabled network, and the Internet.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said voice packet network system (VOPS) comprises any of a voice over frame relay network system, a voice over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network system, and a Voice over High-Level Data Link Control (HLDC) network system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said network operates in accordance with any of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said accepted location of the communications device is accepted as a current location of said user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said communications device comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) device.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for presenting a network readiness signal to said user if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving a destination user identifier associated with a destination user for communication in said network; and

means for using said destination user identifier to establish communication with said destination user.

23. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for updating stored location information as current location information if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers, said stored location information being associated with a matched location identifier of one of said stored location identifiers.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein said location identifier received at said location registrar entity comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein said user identifier comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) contact address of record associated with said user.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of said stored location identifiers comprises a prior location identifier associated with said user.

27. A system for providing current location services in a network, comprising:

a location registrar entity for receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

means for retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier received at said location registrar entity, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier; and

means for accepting a location corresponding to said location identifier received at said location registrar entity as a current location of said communications device if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity matches one of said stored location identifiers;

means for determining location information of said user if said location identifier received at said location registrar entity fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said determining means comprises

means for connecting to a gateway device having knowledge of said user, and

means for extracting said location information of said user from said gateway device; and

means for storing said location information with said location identifier and said user identifier received at said location registrar entity in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said determining means further comprises

means for using a network Global Positioning System (GPS) to retrieve said location information of said user.

29. A method provided across a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

accepting a location corresponding to said received location identifier as a current location of said communications device if said received location identifier matches one of said stored location identifiers; and

receiving location information from said user if said received location identifier fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, comprising the steps of

receiving said location information by any of

directing said user to a network operator to provide said location information,

receiving said location information verbally from said user, and

receiving electronically input location information from said user, and

upon receipt, storing said location information with said received location identifier and said user identifier in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

30. A method provided across a network, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

accepting a location corresponding to said received location identifier as a current location of said communications device if said received location identifier matches one of said stored location identifiers;

determining location information of said user if said received location identifier fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said determining step further comprises the steps of

connecting to a gateway device having knowledge of said user, and

extracting said location information of said user from said gateway device; and

storing said location information with said received location identifier and said user identifier in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

31. A system for providing current location services in a network, comprising:

means for receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

means for retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

means for accepting a location corresponding to said received location identifier as a current location of said communications device if said received location identifier matches one of said stored location identifiers; and

means for receiving location information from said user if said received location identifier fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said receiving means further comprises

means for receiving said location information comprising any of

means for directing said user to a network operator to provide said location information,

means for receiving location information verbally from said user, and

means for receiving electronically input location information from said user, and

means for storing said location information upon receipt thereof with said received location identifier and said user identifier in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.

32. A system for providing current location services in a network, comprising:

means for receiving from a communications device across said network a location identifier corresponding to said communications device, and a user identifier associated with a user;

means for retrieving a user profile associated with said user identifier, said user profile comprising at least one stored location identifier;

means for accepting a location corresponding to said received location identifier as a current location of said communications device if said received location identifier matches one of said stored location identifiers;

means for determining location information of said user if said received location identifier fails to match one of said stored location identifiers, wherein said determining means comprises

means for connecting to a gateway device having knowledge of said user, and

means for extracting said location information of said user from said gateway device; and

means for storing said location information with said received location identifier and said user identifier in said user profile, said location information being stored as current location information.