System and method for selectively transferring wireless caller location information

• US 7,805,147 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rotondo, John A., Rosen, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/985,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/417, 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 379/142.02, 379/0.4, 379/142.1, 379/210.02, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A system and method for providing for a wireless calling party to configure his or her wireless service on a call-by-call or on a permanent basis so that only those calls where the caller wants his or her location to be available carry location information. To enable the capability of blocking and/or altering location, the caller can pre-configure his or her service so that the location information of the wireless calling party is either altered or blocked to the called party on a permanent basis. The wireless caller can also select on a call-by-call basis to either alter or block the location information to the called party by entering a particular code prior to making a call. Furthermore, a wireless caller may also select to block the storage of location information in the network by entering a pre-defined number prior to making a call, which in turn can then be used to place the outgoing call.

Claims

1. A system to restrict transfer of location information associated with a wireless calling device to a called device comprising:

a telecommunications network linking the wireless calling device with the called device; and

a database operatively coupled to the telecommunications network, the database configured to store parameters related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device,

the telecommunications network configured to

receive a call with correct location information for said calling device from said wireless calling device,

retrieve said parameters related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device,

replace the correct location information received with the telephone call from the calling device with incorrect location information stored by the telecommunication network in response to said parameters, the incorrect location information including address information provided by the wireless calling device, and

transmit the telephone call and the incorrect location information stored by the telecommunications network to the called device in accordance with said parameters, the telecommunications network providing the address information included in the incorrect location information in response to said parameters,

wherein the telecommunications network transmits the incorrect location information on a call-by-call basis.

2. The system defined by claim 1, wherein data less specific than the location information is provided to the called device in response to the parameter.

3. The system defined by claim 1, wherein transmission of a calling number identification associated with the wireless calling device is blocked in response to the parameter.

4. The system defined by claim 1, wherein transmission of a calling name identification associated with the wireless calling device is blocked in response to the parameter.

5. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computing device, wherein execution of the instructions implements a method of restricting transfer of location information associated with a wireless calling device to a called device, the method comprising:

establishing parameters related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device, wherein said parameters related to transfer of location information are configurable to prevent disclosure of the location information associated with said wireless calling device;

receiving a telephone call with correct location information for said calling device at a telecommunications network from said wireless calling device;

retrieving said parameters related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device;

replacing by the telecommunication network the correct location information received with the telephone call from the calling device with incorrect location information stored by the telecommunication network in response to said parameters, the incorrect location information including address information provided by the wireless calling device; and

transmitting by the telecommunications network the telephone call and the incorrect location information stored by the telecommunications network to the called device in accordance with said parameters, the telecommunications network providing the address information included in the incorrect location information in response to said parameters,

wherein the telecommunications network transmits the incorrect location information on a call-by-call basis.

6. The medium according to claim 5, wherein said parameters relating to the transfer of location information include disclosing less specific data of the location information.

7. The medium according to claim 6, further comprising forwarding the telephone call to the called device with the less specific data of the location information of the wireless calling device.

8. The medium according to claim 5, wherein said parameters relating to the transfer of location information includes instructions regarding replacing the location information with an address information.

9. The medium according to claim 8, wherein the address information is different from the location information of the wireless calling device.

10. The medium according to claim 8, wherein the address information is established by the wireless calling device.

11. The medium according to claim 8, further comprises forwarding the telephone call to the called device with the address information.

12. A method of restricting transfer of location information associated with a wireless calling device to a called device, the method comprising:

establishing parameters stored in a telecommunications network that are related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device, wherein said parameters related to transfer of location information are configurable to prevent disclosure of the location information associated with said wireless calling device;

receiving a telephone call with correct location information for said calling device at a telecommunications network from said wireless calling device;

retrieving said parameters related to transfer of location information associated with said wireless calling device;

replacing by the telecommunication network the correct location information received with the telephone call from the calling device with incorrect location information stored by the telecommunication network in response to said parameters, the incorrect location information including address information provided by the wireless calling device; and

transmitting by the telecommunications network the telephone call and the incorrect location information stored by the telecommunications network to the called device in accordance with said parameters, the telecommunications network providing the address information included in the incorrect location information in response to said parameters,

wherein the telecommunications network transmits the incorrect location information on a call-by-call basis.