Method and system for forwarding wireless communications

• US 7,769,392 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russell, Alicia Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/668,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20050064855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/461, 455/459, 455/417, 455/414.1, 370/259, 379/212.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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, a system is provided that includes a wireless beacon to provide wireless data communication with a mobile telephone to detect a location of the mobile telephone within a wireless detection area provided by a wireless beacon, and a communication interface to send a call forwarding message to a cellular switch. The call forwarding message provides an instruction to route future calls destined for the mobile telephone to an alternate network address. In another embodiment, a method of selecting a destination telephone is disclosed that includes detecting a location of a mobile telephone within a wireless detection area provided by a wireless beacon, and sending a call forwarding message to a wide area switch having a communication path targeted to the mobile telephone. The call forwarding message provides an instruction to route future calls destined for the mobile telephone to an alternative communication path.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless beacon to provide wireless data communication with a mobile telephone to detect a location of the mobile telephone within a wireless detection area provided by the wireless beacon; and

a communication interface to selectively send a call forwarding message to a cellular switch based on an evaluation of a value received from the wireless beacon, the call forwarding message to provide an instruction to route future calls destined for the mobile telephone to an alternate network address;

wherein selectively sending a call forwarding message based on an evaluation of a value received from the wireless beacon comprises comparing the value received from the wireless beacon to a look up table containing alternate addresses, accessible to the communication interface to determine whether the wireless beacon is recognized and to identify the alternate network address.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile telephone comprises a multi-mode phone capable of communicating via a wireline network and the alternate network address is a network address of the mobile telephone on the wireline network.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device associated with the alternate network address capable of receiving forwarded calls and capable of providing a distinctive notification of receipt of a forwarded call.

2. A method of routing call requests, the method comprising:

receiving at a wireless mobile communication device an identifier from a source over a first wireless connection;

determining whether the identifier comprises a recognized identifier based on a look up table containing alternate addresses, accessible to the wireless mobile communication device; and

communicating to a wireless switch, when the identifier comprises a recognized identifier, a request to forward voice communications to the wireless mobile communications device to an alternate communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile communication device is a cellular phone and wherein the request to forward voice communications is issued automatically.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile communication device includes a transmitter that utilizes a universal mobile telecommunications system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile communication device utilizes General Packet Radio Service.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile communication device receives the identifier using a Bluetooth receiver.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the source is proximal to the wireless mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining to withdraw the request to forward voice communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is withdrawn when the wireless mobile communication device no longer receives the identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is withdrawn in response to a user action.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user action is a key sequence.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user action is a voice request.

13. A system comprising:

a first wireless telephone configured to communicate using a wide area wireless protocol and configured to communicate using a proximal wireless protocol, the first wireless telephone including a call forward module and including a cancel call forward module, the call forward module including a table of alternate network addresses associated with recognized wireless beacon identifiers; and

a first wireless beacon device associated with a first alternate network address and configured to communicate with the first wireless telephone using the proximal wireless protocol, the call forward module of the first wireless telephone configured to send a first call forward message using the wide area wireless protocol when the first wireless telephone receives a recognized first wireless beacon identifier of the first wireless beacon, the first call forward message directing that calls addressed to the first wireless telephone be redirected to the first alternate network address associated with the first wireless beacon identifier.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cancel call forward module is configured to send a cancel call forward message using the wide area wireless protocol after detecting that the wireless telephone has moved out of range of the first wireless beacon.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second wireless telephone, the second wireless telephone configured to communicate using the wide area wireless protocol and the proximal wireless protocol, the second wireless telephone including a table of alternate network addresses associated with recognized wireless beacon identifiers, the second wireless telephone configured to send a second call forward message after receiving the recognized first wireless beacon identifier.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a second wireless beacon having a second wireless beacon identifier associated with a second alternate network address, the second wireless beacon configured to communicate with the first wireless telephone using the proximal wireless protocol, the call forward module of the first wireless telephone configured to send a second call forward message using the wide area wireless protocol when the first wireless telephone receives the second wireless beacon identifier, the second call forward message directing that calls addressed to the first wireless telephone be directed to the second alternate network address.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first wireless telephone is a multi-mode telephone capable of communicating via a wireline network and the first alternate network address is a network address of the first wireless telephone on the wireline network.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first wireless beacon identifier comprises a user selected identifier.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the first wireless beacon is further configured to request a recognized user password before sending the first wireless beacon identifier.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising a device associated with the first alternate network address capable of receiving forwarded calls and capable of providing a first distinctive notification of receipt of a first call redirected from the first wireless telephone and a second distinctive notification of receipt of a second call redirected from the second wireless telephone.