Location-based forwarding of a communication

• US 8,068,854 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Contractor, Sunil H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US12/646,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20100098237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/459, 4554561-4566, 455417-420, 455/445, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/214.01, 379/213.01
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a system for forwarding a telephone call. The inventive method includes receiving a telephone call from a calling party line to a called party line, determining a location of the called party, determining a proximity of the location of the called party to one or more subscriber locations, and directing the telephone call to the one or more subscriber locations based on the determined proximity. The subscriber locations may be predefined by the called party. The location of the called party may be determined using a global position system and/or a radio frequency signal, for example.

Claims

1. A method for directing a communication, comprising:

receiving, from a called party, a called-party-defined subscriber location;

receiving, from a service provider, a service-provider-defined subscriber location;

receiving a temporary subscriber location;

receiving a telephone call from a calling party to the called party at an original subscriber location;

determining a current location of the called party;

determining a proximity of the current location of the called party to the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location; and

directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, based on the proximity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, based on the proximity comprises:

determining whether the proximity is within a predetermined range of one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the called-party-defined subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the called party defined subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the service-provider-defined subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the service-provider-defined subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the temporary subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the temporary subscriber location; and

in response to determining that the proximity is not within the predetermined range of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to a default location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location is associated with the called party.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the default location is associated with a third party different from the called party.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the default location comprises a telephone number associated with the third party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the temporary subscriber location comprises receiving multiple temporary subscriber locations based on expected travel plans of the called party.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location of the called party comprises:

querying a location detection system for the current location of the called party; and

receiving the current location of the called party from the location detection system.

8. A system for directing a communication, comprising:

a memory for storing a program containing code for directing the communication; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and configured to at least

receive, from a called party, a called-party-defined subscriber location

receive, from a service provider, a service-provider-defined subscriber location,

receive a temporary subscriber location,

receive a telephone call from a calling party to the called party at an original subscriber location,

determine a current location of the called party,

determine a proximity of the current location of the called party to the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, and

direct the telephone call from the original subscriber location to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, based on the proximity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein to direct the telephone call to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, based on the proximity, the processor is further configured to at least

determine whether the proximity is within a predetermined range of one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location,

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the called-party-defined subscriber location, direct the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the called-party-defined subscriber location,

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the service-provider-defined subscriber location, direct the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the service-provider-defined subscriber location,

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the temporary subscriber location, direct the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the temporary subscriber location, and

in response to determining that the proximity is not within the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, direct the telephone call from the original subscriber location to a default location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location is associated with the called party.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the default location is associated with a third party different from the called party.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the default location comprises a telephone number associated with the third party.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein to receive the temporary subscriber location, the processor is further configured to at least receive multiple temporary subscriber locations based on expected travel plans of the called party.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to provide a method for directing a communication, the method comprising:

receiving, from a called party, a called-party-defined subscriber location;

receiving, from a service provider, a service-provider-defined subscriber location;

receiving a temporary subscriber location;

receiving a telephone call from a calling party to the called party at an original subscriber location;

determining a current location of the called party;

determining a proximity of the current location of the called party to the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location; and

directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location on the proximity.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein directing the telephone call to one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, based on the proximity comprises:

determining whether the proximity is within a predetermined range of one or more of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the called-party-defined subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the called-party defined subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the service-provider-defined subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the service-provider-defined subscriber location;

in response to determining that the proximity is within the predetermined range of the temporary subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to the temporary subscriber location; and

in response to determining that the proximity is not within the predetermined range of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location, directing the telephone call from the original subscriber location to a default location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the called-party-defined subscriber location, the service-provider-defined subscriber location, and the temporary subscriber location is associated with the called party.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the default location is associated with a third party different from the called party.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the default location comprises a telephone number associated with the third party.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving a the temporary subscriber location comprises receiving multiple temporary subscriber locations based on expected travel plans of the called party.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining the current location of the called party comprises:

querying a location detection system for the current location of the called party; and

receiving the current location of the called party from the location detection system.