Cellular phone network that provides location-based information

• US 6,157,841 A
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuntebeck, Peter H., Rosen, Kenneth H., Weber, Roy Philip, Bolduc, Raymond L., Salimando, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US08/933,516
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/404, 455/412, 455/414, 455/422, 379/216
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A cellular phone network provides location-based information to a user of a cellular phone. The cellular phone network includes a plurality of antennas coupled to at least one server. The server is coupled to a database. Stored on the database is a plurality of location-based information that is indexed to the plurality of antennas. The cellular phone transmits communication signals to one of the antennas. A phone call is established between the server and the user, and the server receives an identification of the antenna that the user transmits to. The server then queries the database and retrieves information local to the user. This information is then presented to the user in the form of menus.

Claims

1. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a server coupled to said plurality of antennas;

a database coupled to said server, said database having stored thereon a first plurality of location-based information indexed to said plurality of antennas;

wherein said server is programmed to present a second plurality of location-based information retrieved from a query of the database by the server to the user; and

wherein the second plurality of location-based information comprises a plurality of names of merchants local to the user, and wherein said server is programmed to bridge an existing phone call to one of the merchants.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mobile switching offices coupled to said plurality of antennas and said server.

3. The wireless network of claim 2, wherein a user of the wireless network transmits communication signals to one of said antennas, and wherein one of said mobile switching offices sends an identification of said one antenna to said server.

4. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein said server is programmed to present the second plurality of location based-information in response to said network receiving a pre-determined dialed number from a user, the dialed number indicating a request for location-based information.

5. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein said second plurality of location-based information is presented to the user via a display.

6. A method of operating a wireless network that includes a plurality of antennas, wherein a mobile phone of a user of the wireless phone network transmits communication signals to one of the plurality of antennas, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first identification of the one antenna;

(b) querying a database using said first identification;

(c) presenting location-based information retrieved from the database to the user in response to the query, wherein the location-based information comprises a plurality of names of merchants;

(d) determining whether the user has requested a call to one of the merchants; and

(e) bridging an existing call to one of the merchants.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

(f) receiving a pre-determined dialed number from the user, the dialed number indicating a request for location-based information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of presenting includes presenting the location-based information to the user via a display.

9. A method of providing access to a plurality of merchants for a user of a mobile phone comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a first plurality of merchant names on a database, wherein the first plurality of merchant names are indexed to a plurality of locations of the mobile phone;

(b) receiving a location identification of the mobile phone;

(c) querying the database using the location identification; and

(d) presenting a second plurality of merchant names to the user in response to the query;

(e) determining whether the user has requested a call to one of the second plurality of merchant names; and

(f) bridging an existing call to a merchant associated with the one of the second plurality of merchant names.

10. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a server coupled to said plurality of antennas;

a database coupled to said server, said database having stored thereon a first plurality of location-based information, the location-based information including a plurality of names of merchants, indexed to said plurality of antennas;

wherein said location-based information is automatically updatable using information from at least one of said plurity of merchants.

11. A method of operating a wireless network that includes a plurality of antennas, wherein a cellular phone of a user of the cellular phone network transmits communication signals to one of the plurality of antennas, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first identification of the one antenna;

(b) querying a database using said first identification;

(c) presenting location-based information retrieved from the database to the user in response to the query, wherein the location-based information comprises a plurality of names of merchants, and wherein the location-based information is automatically updatable using information from at least one of said plurity of merchants.

12. A network node coupled to a wireless network that comprises a plurality of antennas, said network node comprising:

a server coupled to the plurality of antennas;

a database coupled to said server, said database having stored thereon a first plurality of location-based information, the location-based information including a plurality of names of merchants, indexed to the plurality of antennas; and

wherein said location-based information is automatically updatable using information from at least one of said plurity of merchants.

13. A method of providing access to a plurality of merchants for a user of a mobile phone comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a first plurality of merchant names on a database, wherein the first plurality of merchant names are indexed to a plurality of locations of the mobile phone, and wherein said first plurality of merchant names is automatically updatable kusing information from at least one of said plurality of merchants

(b) receiving a location identification of the mobile phone;

(c) querying the database using the location identification; and

(d) presenting a second plurality of merchant names to the user in response to the query.

14. A wireless network comprising:

a plurality of antennas;

a server coupled to said plurality of antennas;

a database coupled to said server, said database having stored thereon a plurality of location-based information, the location-based information including a plurality of names of merchants, indexed to said plurality of antennas;

wherein said server, responsive to a user request for location-based information and wherein the location-based information is automatically updatable using information from at least one of said plurality of merchants, is programmed to send the user said location-based information using the database.

15. A method of operating a wireless network that includes a plurality of antennas, wherein a mobile phone of a user of the wireless network transmits communication signals to one of the plurality of antennas, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a user request for location-based information, the location-based information including a plurality of merchant names, and wherein said location-based information is automatically updatable using information from at least one of said plurality of merchants;

(b) querying a database based on said user request;

(c) presenting said location-based information retrieved from the database to the user in response to the query, wherein the location-based information comprises a plurality of names of merchants.

16. A network node coupled to a wireless network that comprises a plurality of antennas, said network node comprising:

a server coupled to the plurality of antennas;

a database coupled to said server, said database having stored thereon a first plurality of location-based information indexed to the plurality of antennas;

wherein said server is programmed to present a second plurality of location-based information retrieved from a query of the database by the server to the user; and

wherein the second plurality of location-based information comprises a plurality of names of merchants local to the user, and wherein said server is programmed to bridge an existing phone call to one of the merchants.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein a mobile phone of a user of the wireless network transmits communication signals to one of the plurality of antennas, and wherein said server receives an identification of the one antenna.