Personalized electronic address book

• US 8,478,309 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, John Potts III, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton, Cenciarelli, Fulvio, Hardin, Stephen Thomas, Shaw, Venson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US11/947,686
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 370351-360, 37920101-21802, 709/204
• US Class Current: 455/461
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Communication with a member of a class is established based on the location of a mobile device initiating the communication and the physical address of the member. A class can include members that share common attributes, characteristics, and/or traits. Example classes can include business types (e.g., restaurants), brand names (BEST BUY®, COMPUSA®), services, etc. To establish the communication, the mobile device provides a message to set up a call. Upon receipt of the call setup message, a particular member of the class is selected from members of the class based on the location of the mobile device sending the call setup message and the physical addresses of members of the class. Upon determination of the particular member, communication is established between the mobile device and the particular member.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, by a network entity, a particular member of a class in response to receiving a call setup message, wherein;

the call setup message identifies the class;

the particular member is selected in accordance with a determination of a current location of a mobile device that transmitted the call setup request and a current location of the particular member;

the current location of the mobile device is variable; and

the current location of the particular member is variable;

selecting, by the network entity, a telephone number in accordance with a plurality of similar user profiles similar to a user profile of a user associated with the mobile device;

using the telephone number to establish a communication session with the particular member of the class; and

transmitting, by the network entity, the current location of the particular member, wherein an intended recipient of the transmitted current location of the particular member is the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the class is generated in accordance with the user profile of the user associated with the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular member is identified in accordance with the user profile of the user associated with the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of members is categorized into a class in accordance with a user defined criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call setup message further comprises a number that is associated with the class.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying a particular member of the class further comprises:

determining that the number is associated with the class otherwise determining that the number identifies a network termination point and routing a call to a telephone exchange when the number indicates a network termination point.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting the number associated with the class to the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the mobile device, the current location of the particular member.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on the mobile device, the current location of the mobile device and the particular member.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal per se, the computer readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to effectuate operations comprising:

transmitting, by a mobile device, a request to establish a communications session with an unidentified member of a class, wherein the class includes a plurality of members, each member of the plurality associated with a telephone number and a current location;

connecting the mobile device to a particular member of the class, wherein the particular member of the class is selected in accordance with a current location of the mobile device and a current location of the particular member, wherein;

the current location of the mobile device is variable;

the current location of the particular member is variable; and

the current location of the particular member is indicative of being selected by a network entity; and

rendering, by a user interface of the mobile device, the current location of the particular member.

9. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the particular member of the class is selected in accordance with a user profile of a user associated with the mobile device.

10. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

rendering, by a user interface of the mobile device, a telephone number of the particular member.