Distributed locater, alert, repeater, and/or call technologies for communication devices

• US 9,113,439 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Faulkner, Max, Haughn, Erick, Lewis, John
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/627,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/567, 455/566, 455/458, 455/417, 455/466, 379/201.01, 701/16, 701/18, 340/970, 340/951, 380/270
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/06 using multi-step notification by changing the notification area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Distributed locater, alert, repeater, and call technologies for communication devices can be employed. A base component can be configured to receive a message at a base unit, the message corresponding to at least one of a call directed to a wireless communication device or another message directed to at least one of the wireless communication device or a wired communication device. The base component can distribute an alert to at least one remote unit based on the message. A remote component can be configured to receive the alert at the at least one remote unit, and broadcast the alert or another alert from the at least one remote unit. An interface component can be configured to receive an input at the at least one remote unit based on the alert. Further, the remote component can be configured to transmit a response based on the input.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor and a memory, from a network device of a service provider network, a signal that indicates a communication is being directed to a wireless device associated with a macro communication coverage area that is served by a base station device and the network device; and

in response to the signal, distributing, by the system, an alert to a remote device via a set of interfaces to facilitate communicating a corresponding alert to another communication coverage area located outside of the macro communication coverage area to facilitate providing a notification regarding the communication being directed to the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the other communication coverage area is served by the remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, acceptance information from the remote device, wherein the acceptance information indicates a subscriber identity associated with the wireless device is accepting the communication; and

in response to receiving the acceptance information, transmitting, by the system, the communication to the remote device to facilitate presentation of the communication to the subscriber identity by the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, input information from an input device, wherein the input information comprises account configuration information that has been received by the input device from a subscriber identity associated with the wireless device; and

managing, by the system, a subscriber account associated with the subscriber identity based on the input information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system, alert customization information from an input device, wherein the alert customization information has been received by the input device from a subscriber identity associated with the wireless device; and

generating, by the system, the corresponding alert as a customized alert that is associated with the subscriber identity and is customized based on the alert customization information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the alert to the remote device via the set of interfaces further comprises distributing the alert to the remote device via a wireless interface of the set of interfaces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the alert to the remote device via the set of interfaces further comprises distributing the alert to the remote device via a wired interface of the set of interfaces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises data.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a network device, a signal that indicates a communication is being directed to a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is not operating in a macro communication coverage area associated with a base station device, and wherein the macro communication coverage area is served by the base station device and the network device; and

in response to the signal, distributing a notification signal to a remote device via a set of interfaces to facilitate broadcast of a corresponding notification signal to facilitate notification that the communication is being directed to the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is determined not to be operating in the macro communication coverage area associated with the base station device due to the mobile device being in an off state.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is determined not to be operating in the macro communication coverage area associated with the base station device due to the mobile device being determined not to be located in the macro communication coverage area.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving acceptance information from the remote device, wherein the acceptance information indicates a user identity associated with the mobile device is accepting the communication; and

in response to receiving the acceptance information, transmitting the communication to the remote device to facilitate presentation of the communication to the user identity by the remote device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving account configuration information from an input device, wherein the account configuration information has been received by the input device from a user identity associated with the mobile device; and

configuring a user account associated with the user identity based on the input information.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication comprises a data message.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting sender identification data associated with the communication to the remote device to facilitate presentation of the sender identification data by the remote device, wherein the sender identification data identifies the sender identity that initiated the communication.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, by a remote device, an alert distributed by a base device via a set of interfaces based on a communication directed to a wireless device located in a macro communication coverage area, wherein the base device receives, via a network device of a service provider network, a signal that indicates the communication is being directed to the wireless device, and wherein the macro communication coverage area is served by the base station device and the network device; and

in response to receiving the alert, transmitting the alert to a second communication coverage area located outside of the macro communication coverage area to facilitate providing a notification of the communication being directed to the wireless device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the second communication coverage area is served by the remote device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving input information from an input device, wherein the input information comprises alert customization information that has been received by the input device from a user identity associated with the wireless device; and

in response to receiving the input information, generating the alert as a customized alert that is associated with the user identity and is customized based on the alert customization information.