Communicating forwarding information for a communications device based on detected physical location

• US 7,929,976 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Negrón; Daniell L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy D
• Application Number:
  US11/745,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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

Detecting a physical location change of a mobile communications device may initiate a process to initiate, or cancel, forwarding of future incoming communications to the mobile communications device. Forwarding information for a mobile communications device may be accessed and modified using an interface that communicates using an Internet Protocol network.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for communicating forwarding information, the method comprising:

detecting a first location of a first mobile communications device, within a first communications network, that is configured to receive incoming communications, the incoming communications being received at the first mobile communications device;

comparing the detected first location to a second location of the first mobile communications device to detect a change in location; and

automatically sending a signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location, wherein the signal requests a rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device within a second communications network such that the future incoming communications are received at the second communications device as a result of the rerouting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the further comprising:

initiating the requested rerouting in the absence of incoming communications and without human intervention.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

initiating a canceling process to cancel the requested rerouting based on results yielded from comparison of the detected first location to the second location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal further comprises:

first information when the detected first location is associated with a first site, the first information identifying a telephone at the first site as the second communications device to which incoming communications are to be rerouted; and

second information when the detected first location is associated with a second site, the second information identifying a telephone at the second site as the second communications device to which incoming communications are to be rerouted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal specifies an instant messaging address associated with the second communications device to which the future incoming communications are to be routed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the further comprising:

accessing rerouting information from a mobile service provider via an IP network interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein accessing rerouting information comprises:

modifying the accessed rerouting information using the IP network interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a first location comprises:

detecting a physical placement of the first mobile communications device in a communication access mechanism.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a first location comprises:

detecting the physical placement by detecting a position of a switch.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises:

detecting a presence of the first mobile communications device in a communication access mechanism based on at least one of an electronic serial number and mobile identification number associated with the first mobile communications device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location further comprises:

sending a text message, wherein the text message requests the rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to the second communications device within the second communications network.

12. A system for communicating forwarding information, the system configured to:

detect a first location of a first mobile communications device, within a first communications network, that is configured to receive incoming communications, the incoming communications being received at the first mobile communications device;

compare the detected first location to a second location of the first mobile communications device to detect a change in location; and

automatically send a signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location, wherein the signal requests a rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device within a second communications network such that the future incoming communications are received at the second communications device as a result of the rerouting.

13. The system of claim 12 further configured to:

reroute future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device in response to the requested rerouting.

14. The system of claim 13, further configured to:

initiate the requested rerouting in the absence of incoming communications.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the signal further comprises:

first information identifying a telephone at a first site to which to forward future incoming communications, when the detected first location is associated with the first site; and

second information identifying a telephone at a second site to which to forward future incoming communications, when the detected first location is associated with the second site.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the signal specifies an instant messaging address associated with the second communications device to which the future incoming communications are to be routed.

17. The system of claim 12 further configured to:

initiate the requested rerouting by accessing an IP network interface.

18. The system of claim 17 further configured to:

initiate a canceling process to cancel the requested rerouting based on results yielded from comparison of the detected first location to the second location.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the detected first location includes a physical placement of the first mobile communications device in a communication access mechanism.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location further comprises:

a text message, wherein the text message requests the rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to the second communications device within the second communications network.

21. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a storage medium, the computer program product comprising instructions that execute by a processor to cause the processor to:

detect a first location of a first mobile communications device, within a first communications network, that is configured to receive incoming communications, the incoming communications being received at the first mobile communications device;

compare the detected first location to a second location of the first mobile communications device to detect a change in location; and

automatically send a signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location, wherein the signal requests a rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device within a second communications network such that the future incoming communications are received at the second communications device as a result of the rerouting.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the signal from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the change in location further comprises:

a text message, wherein the text message requests the rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to the second communications device within the second communications network.

23. A computer-implemented method for communicating forwarding information, the method comprising:

detecting a first change of location of a first mobile communications device, within a first communications network, that is configured to receive incoming communications, the incoming communications being received at the first mobile communications device;

automatically sending a first text message from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the first change in location, wherein the first text message requests a rerouting of future incoming communications directed to the first mobile communications device to a second communications device within a second communications network such that the future incoming communications are received at the second communications device as a result of the rerouting;

detecting a second change of location of the first mobile communications device; and

automatically sending a second text message from the first mobile communications device to the first communications network in response to detecting the second change in location, wherein the second text message requests a cancellation of the rerouting.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the second communications device is a telephone device and the second communications network is a Public Switched Telephone Network.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the second communications device is a general purpose computer and the second communications network is an IP network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the future incoming communications are received at the second communications device via instant messaging.