Call forwarding control device and method of call management

• US 7,616,950 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearson, Larry B., Bridges, J. Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US10/655,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/413, 455/417, 455/412, 455/74.1, 455/414.1, 455/70, 455/462, 455/426, 455/426.1, 455/422, 340/825.49, 340/7.29, 379/32, 379/388, 379/110.01, 379/71, 320/103
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• 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

In a particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a device that includes a proximity sensor, a network interface, and a module. The proximity sensor determines the proximity of a mobile device. The module is coupled to the network interface and is coupled to the proximity sensor. The module is configured to receive a signal from the proximity sensor indicating whether the mobile device is in proximity to the proximity sensor. The module is configured to transmit a call forwarding control signal via the network interface. The call forwarding control signal is associated with a landline phone number.

Claims

1. A call forwarding control device comprising:

a proximity sensor to determine whether a mobile phone is proximate to the proximity sensor;

a mobile phone recharging device to recharge the mobile phone, the mobile phone recharging device including a call forwarding module to receive a call forwarding number from the mobile phone, the call forwarding module coupled to the proximity sensor; and

a network interface to transmit a call forwarding control signal via a network when the proximity sensor determines that the mobile phone is not proximate to the proximity sensor, wherein the call forwarding control signal activates forwarding of calls directed to a landline phone to the call forwarding number received from the mobile phone, wherein the network interface is further to transmit a deactivate call forwarding control signal via the network when the proximity sensor determines that the mobile phone is proximate to the proximity sensor.

2. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the call forwarding control signal comprises a short messaging service message.

3. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the call forwarding control signal comprises an internet protocol message.

4. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is to determine that the mobile phone is proximate to the proximity sensor when the mobile phone is in contact with the mobile phone recharging device.

5. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is to determine that the mobile phone is not proximate to the proximity sensor when the mobile phone is not in contact with the mobile phone recharging device.

6. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the call forwarding module is to receive the call forwarding number from the mobile phone while the mobile phone is in contact with the mobile phone recharging device.

7. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the network includes an Internet.

8. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is to determine a proximity of the mobile device to the proximity sensor by use of radio frequency transmissions.

9. The call forwarding control device, of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is to determine a proximity of the mobile device to the proximity sensor by use of light based transmissions.

10. The call forwarding control device of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is to determine a proximity of the mobile device to the proximity sensor by use of ultrasonic transmissions.