Location-based forwarding of a communication

• US 7,664,510 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Contractor, Sunil H
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US11/276,392
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 455/461, 455/459, 455/456.6, 455417-420, 455/456.3, 455/456.2, 455/456.1, 379/214.01, 379/213.01, 379/211.01, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The invention provides a method and a system for forwarding a telephone call. The inventive method includes receiving a telephone call from a calling party line to a called party line, determining a location of the called party, determining a proximity of the location of the called party to one or more subscriber locations, and directing the telephone call to the one or more subscriber locations based on the determined proximity. The subscriber locations may be predefined by the called party. The location of the called party may be determined using a global position system and/or a radio frequency signal, for example.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forwarding a telephone call, the apparatus comprising:

memory storing a plurality of predetermined designators that are designated by a service provider, the plurality of predetermined designators comprising alphanumeric designators capable of identifying communication devices, the memory further storing a subscriber location of a communication device associated with a predetermined designator, wherein the subscriber location is one among a plurality of subscriber locations associated with the plurality of predetermined designators;

a receiver that receives signals indicating a location of a called party; and

a location detection system that determines a proximity of the location of the called party to the subscriber location among the plurality of subscriber locations based on the signals received by the receiver,

wherein, if the determined proximity is within a predefined range, the location detection system signals that calls directed to the called party are to be forwarded to the subscriber location,

wherein, if the determined proximity is not within the predefined range, the location detection system signals that calls directed to the called party are to be forwarded to one or more default locations, the default locations being designated by the called party.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a global positioning system receiver and the location of the called party is determined using a global position system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a radio frequency receiver and the location of the called party is determined using a radio frequency signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one of the subscriber locations is identified by a directory number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch that forwards the telephone call to a wireless communication device based on the determined proximity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch that forwards the telephone call to a voice message system based on the determined proximity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a service node, a customer premise equipment unit, and a service control point, receiving a signal manipulated by the location detection system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one of the subscriber locations comprises a wire line telephone, a public pay telephone, or a wireless communication device.

9. A method for directing a communication, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction to subscribe a called party to a forwarding service;

in response to receiving instruction to subscribe the called party to the forwarding service, establishing a trigger in a service switching point of a first communication device associated with the called party;

receiving a communication directed to the first communication device, the trigger operative to recognize the communication received;

upon receiving the communication directed to the first communication device, querying a location detection system for a location of the called party;

receiving the location of the called party from the location detection system;

determining whether the location of the called party is within a predetermined range of one of a plurality of subscriber locations designated by a service provider in real-time;

upon determining that the location of the called party is within the predetermined range of the one of the subscriber locations designated by the service provider in real-time, directing the communication from the first communication device to a second communication device associated with the one of the subscriber locations; and

upon determining that the location of the called party is not within the predetermined range of the one of the subscriber locations designated by the service provider in real-time, directing the communication from the first communication device to a third communication device, the third communication device associated with a default location designated by the called party.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication is voice-based.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication is text-based.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one of the subscriber location is a directory number.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the directory number is associated with a wired telephone subscriber location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the directory number is associated with a wireless communication device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication is directed to a voice message system.

16. A system comprising:

memory configured to receive a plurality of predetermined designators that are designated by a service provider, the predetermined designators comprising alphanumeric designators capable of identifying communication devices, the predetermined designators associated with a plurality of subscriber locations, the memory further configured to receive a temporary designator that is designated by a called party, the temporary designator associated with a temporary location;

a transponder that transmits a location of a user;

a processor that determines whether a designated day corresponds to a day that a communication is received, and whether a designated time corresponds to a time the communication is received; and

a routing switch in communication with the processor that (i) directs the communication to the temporary location upon determining that the designated day corresponds to the day that the communication is received and the designated time corresponds to the time the communication is received and (ii) directs the communication to one of the subscriber locations upon determining that the designated day does not correspond to the day that the communication is received and the designated time does not correspond to the time the communication is received.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the transponder communicates the location of the user to a subscriber telephone.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the transponder communicates the location of the user to the processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the transponder uses one of a global positioning signal and a radio frequency signal.