Methods and apparatus for proximity based call termination

• US 8,989,759 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage Business Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Guerrero, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US13/292,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20120230486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/445, 379/220.01
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• 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 3/54 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

A system and method for automatic proximity based call termination determines when a mobile telephony device enters a predetermined area. When that occurs, call termination instructions are automatically issued to re-direct incoming telephone calls directed to the mobile telephony device to an alternate telephone number. In some instances, incoming telephone calls directed to the mobile telephony device may be simultaneously sent to both the mobile telephony device, and to an alternate telephone number. When the mobile telephony device leaves the predetermined area, the call termination instructions are automatically canceled, and calls directed to the mobile telephony device are only sent to the mobile telephony device.

Claims

1. A method of terminating a telephony-based communication request, comprising:

determining when a first telephony device moves to a location within a predefined area

sending a message to the first telephony device when the first telephony device is first determined to have entered the predefined area, the message causing the first telephony device to present a user of the first telephone device with a first query asking whether telephony-based communication requests should be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area;

receiving a first message from the first telephony device that reflects the user'"'"'s response to the first query; and

sending first termination instructions from a first telephony service provider to a second telephony service provider that provides the first telephony device with its telephony service only if the received first message indicates that the user wishes for telephone-based communication requests to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area, the first termination instructions causing a telephony-based communication request directed to the first telephony device to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a telephony based communication request directed to the first telephony device is routed only to the first telephony device if the first telephony device is not determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first termination instructions cause the telephony-based communication request to be routed to a device other than a telephony device, the device being located within the predefined area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first termination instructions cause the telephony-based communication request to be routed to a second telephony device that is located within the predefined area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area, and the telephony based communication request is a telephone call, and the call is not answered at the second telephony device, the first termination instructions also cause the telephone call to be routed to a voicemail service associated with the second telephony device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first termination instructions cause the telephony-based communication request to be substantially simultaneously routed to both the first telephony device and a second telephony device located within the predefined area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first termination instructions cause the telephony-based communication request to be connected to whichever of the first and second telephony devices that first answer the communication request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises utilizing location information reported from the first telephony device to determine when the first telephony device moves to a location within the predefined area.

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

determining when the first telephony device moves to a location outside the predefined area;

sending a message to the first telephony device when the first telephone device is first determined to have moved outside the predefined area, the message causing the first telephone device to present the user with a second query asking whether telephony-based communication requests should be routed only to the first telephony device;

receiving a second message from the first telephony device that reflects the user'"'"'s response to the second query; and

sending a second termination instructions from the first telephony service provider to the second telephony service provider only if the received second message indicates that telephony-based communications requests should be routed only to the first telephony device, wherein the second termination instructions cause telephony-based communication requests directed to the first telephony device to be routed only to the first telephony device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein sending first termination instructions comprises sending call forwarding instructions to the second telephony service provider.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the location information comprises location coordinates determined by a global positioning system (GPS) unit that is present in the first telephony device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when the first telephony device has moved to a location outside the predefined area; and

sending, when the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location outside the predefined area, second termination instructions from the first telephony service provider to the second telephony service provider, the second termination instructions causing a telephony-based communication request directed to the first telephony device to be routed only to the first telephony device, instead of to the one or more devices located within the predefined area.

10. A system for terminating a telephony-based communication request, comprising:

means for determining when a first telephony device moves to a location within a predefined area;

means for sending a message to the first telephony device when the first telephony device is first determined to have entered the predefined area, the message causing the first telephony device to present a user of the first telephony device with a first query asking whether telephony-based communication requests should be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area;

means for receiving a first message from the first telephony device that reflects the user'"'"'s response to the first query; and

means for sending termination instructions from a first telephony service provider to a second telephony service provider that provides the first telephony device with its telephony service only if the received first message indicates that the user wishes for telephony-based communication requests to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area, the termination instructions causing a telephony-based communication request directed to the first telephony device to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefines area.

11. A system for terminating a telephony-based communication request, comprising:

a determining unit that determines when a first telephony device moves to a location within a predefined area; and

a terminating unit which is part of a first telephony service provider, the terminating unit;

sending a message to the first telephony device when the first telephony device is first determined to have entered the predefined area, the message causing the first telephony device to present a user of the first telephony device with a first query asking whether telephony-based communication requests should be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area;

receiving a first message from the first telephony device that reflects the user'"'"'s response to the first query; and

sending first termination instructions to a second telephony service provider that provides the first telephony device with its telephone service only if the received first message indicates that the user wishes for telephony-based communication requests to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area, the first termination instructions causing a telephony-based communication request directed to the first telephony device to be routed to one or more devices located within the predefined area.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein when the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area, the first termination instructions sent from the terminating unit cause the telephony-based communication request to be routed to a device other than a telephony device, the device being located within the predefined area.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein when the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area, the first termination instructions sent from the terminating unit cause the telephony-based communication request to be routed to a second telephony device that is located within the predefined area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein when the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area, and the telephony based communication request is a telephone call, and the call is not answered at the second telephony device, the terminating unit causes the telephone call to be routed to a voicemail service associated with the second telephony device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first telephony device is determined to have moved to a location within the predefined area, the termination instructions send from the terminating unit cause the telephony-based communication request to be substantially simultaneously routed to both the first telephony device and a second telephony device located within the predefined area.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining unit uses location information reported from the first telephony device to determine when the first telephony device moves to a location within the predefined area.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first termination instructions are call forwarding instructions.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the location information comprises location coordinates determined by a global positioning system (GPS) unit that is present in the first telephony device.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining unit also determines when the first telephony device has moved to a location outside the predefined area, and wherein the terminating unit sends second termination instructions to the second telephony service provider, the second termination instructions causing a telephony-based communication request directed to the first telephony device to be routed only to the first telephony device, instead of to the one more devices located within the predefined area.

23. A method of terminating a telephony-based communication request, comprising:

determining when a first telephony device has moved to a location outside of a predefined area;

sending a message to the first telephony device when the first telephony device is first determined to have moved outside the predefined area, the message causing the first telephony device to present the user of the first telephony device with a query asking whether telephony-based communication requests should be routed only to the first telephony device;

receiving a message from the first telephony device that reflects the user'"'"'s response to the query; and

sending termination instructions from a first telephony service provider to a second telephony service provider that provides the first telephony device with its telephony service only if the received message indicates that telephony-based communication requests should be routed only to the first telephony device, the termination instructions canceling previously implemented call forwarding instructions that caused telephony-based communication requests directed to the first telephony device to be forwarded to a second telephony device and resulting in telephony-based communication requests directed to the first telephony device being routed only to the first telephony device.