Location announcement for mobile devices

• US 8,099,087 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shopify Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Steven I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/818,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 455/433, 455/456.4, 455/457, 455/461, 455/569.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/412.1, 455/452.2, 455/415, 455/436, 370/328, 370/88.19, 370/457, 379/374.02, 379/201.07, 379/142.06, 379/201.06, 379/142.01
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A network includes a switch and at least one network element to track the locations of wireless devices that interact with the network. The network further includes at least one network element to convert location information for a wireless device obtained from the at least one network element to track locations to a voice announcement, and to interact with the switch to provide the announcement to at least one of a calling wireless device and a called wireless device.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information to a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving a location and a name of a called party from a Service Control Point (SCP), the location being determined from an address of the called party at a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC);

converting the location to a first voice information;

converting the name to a second voice information;

connecting to a wireless device of the calling party through a voice connection; and

announcing the first and second voice information to the wireless device,

wherein the SCP locates a friend finder ID corresponding to the address of the called party, transmits the friend finder ID to the GMLC, and in response receives the location of the called party from the GMLC.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using text-to-speech to generate the first and second voice information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the address of the called party is provided to the SCP from a Mobile Switching Center (MSC).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the SCP determines the name using Calling Name Address Presentation (CNAP).

5. The method of claim 1, embodied on a computer readable medium and executable by a computer processor.

6. A system for providing location information as a voice announcement, the system comprising:

a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) that initiates a voice connection between a first and a second wireless device on a network;

a Service Control Point (SCP) that determines a name for at least one of the first and second wireless devices;

a Gateway Mobile Location Center to determine a location of at least one of the first and second wireless devices; and

at least one Intelligent Peripheral (IP) coupled to the Mobile Service Center, the IP including logic to convert the location and the name to a voice announcement, and to announce the voice announcement to at least one of the first and second wireless devices over the voice connection;

wherein the first wireless device belongs to a calling party and the second wireless device belongs to a called party;

wherein the name and the location correspond to the called party, and

wherein the IP announces the name and location to the first wireless device.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a Line Information Database (LIDB).

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a Base Station Subsystem (BSS) that provides the location to the GMLC.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the SCP registers with the MSC such that the MSC invokes the SCP to initiate the voice connection between the first and second wireless devices.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the SCP is coupled to the GMLC via a portal that provides an interface between a network protocol or service and an Internet protocol or service.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising the first and second wireless devices.