System and method of communicating position data

• US 8,615,251 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fay, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Htun, San
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US11/543,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,637 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/559, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for communicating position data are disclosed. A method includes receiving a position query at a communication device. The method also includes determining a position of the communication device in response to the position query. The method also includes transmitting data related to the position from the communication device to a remote communication device of another party to a call when the position query is received while the communication device is connected to the call.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving position signals from a global positioning system;

receiving communication signals from a local positioning system;

receiving a position query at a communication device;

determining a position of the communication device in response to the communication device being handed off between cells of a wireless communication network without the communication device receiving a request from a remote communication device to determine the position, wherein the position of the communication device is determined based on both the position signals and the communication signals;

determining whether the position query is received from a position query button of the communication device or from the remote communication device, wherein the position query button includes a hardware button or a user selectable option of a menu and wherein the position query button is dedicated to sending position queries in response to user selections of the position query button;

in response to determining that the position query is received from the remote communication device;

determining whether the position query is from an authorized party;

discarding the position query in response to determining that the position query is from an unauthorized party; and

transmitting data related to the position from the communication device to the remote communication device in response to determining that the position query is from an authorized party; and

in response to determining that the position query is received from the position query button;

determining whether the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device;

transmitting the data related to the position from the communication device to the remote communication device in response to determining that the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device; and

displaying the data related to the position at the communication device in response to determining that the communication device is not in communication with the remote communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data related to the position as a record at the communication device when the communication device is outside a communication range of a communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, transmitting the record stored at the communication device to a remote network device when the communication device subsequently enters within the communication range of the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a plurality of position related options in response to the position query.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of position related options comprises at least one local business position option.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of position related options comprises at least one travel directions option.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data related to the position is transmitted via a short message service message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a record of the data related to the position at the communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting data related to the record in response to receiving a second position query from an authorized party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device when the communication device is connected to the remote communication device via an incoming call.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device when the communication device is connected to the remote communication device via an outgoing call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein when the communication device is not in communication with the remote communication device, more than one position query is initiated at the communication device to maintain a record of position data.

13. A communication device, comprising:

a position query button including a hardware button or a user selectable option of a menu, wherein the position query button is configured to send position queries in response to user selections of the position query button;

a receiver module configured to receive a position query;

a position module configured to determine a position of the communication device in response to the communication device being handed off between cells of a wireless communication network without the communication device receiving a request from a remote communication device to determine the position, wherein the position is determined based on position signals received from a global positioning system, a local positioning system, or any combination thereof;

a transceiver module

a display;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

store data related to the position when the position is determined while the communication device is not in communication with the remote communication device;

determine whether the position query is received from the position query button or from the remote communication device;

in response to determining that the position query is received from the remote communication device;

determine whether the position query is from an authorized party;

discard the position query in response to determining that the position query is from an unauthorized party; and

initiate transmission, via the transceiver module, of data related to the position from the communication device to the remote communication device in response to determining that the position query is from an authorized party; and

in response to determining that the position query is received from the position query button;

determine whether the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device;

initiate transmission, via the transceiver module, of the data related to the position from the communication device to the remote communication device in response to determining that the communication device is in communication with the remote communication device; and

initiate display of the data related to the position at the display in response to determining that the communication device is not in communication with the remote communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the is instructions are further executable to generate a record of the data related to the position.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the transceiver module is further configured to:

receive the record from the logic; and

transmit the record to a remote network device.

16. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the memory is configured to store a record of the data related to the position.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the communication device transmits the record to the remote communication device in response to receiving an authorized position query from the remote communication device.

18. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the position module includes a global positioning system (GPS) module.

19. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the position module includes an enhanced global positioning system (EGPS) module.

20. The communication device of claim 13, wherein when the communication device is not in communication with the remote communication device, more than one position query is initiated at the communication device to maintain a record of position data.

21. A computer readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving position signals from a positioning system;

receiving a position query at a communication device;

determining position data of a communication device based on the position signals, wherein the position data is determined in response to the communication device being handed off between cells of a wireless communication network without the communication device receiving a request from a remote communication device to determine the position;

determining whether the position query is received from a position query button of the communication device or from the remote communication device, wherein the position query button includes a hardware button or a user selectable option of a menu and wherein the position query button is dedicated to sending position queries in response to user selections of the position query button;

in response to determining that the position query is received from the remote communication device;

determining whether the position query is from an authorized party;

discarding the position query in response to determining that the position query is from an unauthorized party; and

transmitting data related to the position from the communication device to the remote communication device in response to determining that the position query is from an authorized party; and

in response to determining that the position query is received from the position query button;

determining whether the communication device is connected to a call with the remote communication device;

transmitting the position data from the communication device in response to determining that the communication device is connected to the call with the remote communications device; and

displaying the position data at the communication device in response to determining that the communication device is not connected to the call with the remote communications device.

22. The computer readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the position signals include global positioning system signals, local positioning signals, or any combination thereof.

23. The computer readable storage device of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the position data from the communication device to the remote communications device without the communication device receiving a request from the remote communications device to communicate the position data.