Local point of presence

• US 8,150,400 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• 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: Jordan, Royce D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US10/098,698
• Time in Patent Office: 3,672 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/445, 455/412.1, 455/458, 455/422.1, 455/41.1, 370/310, 370/401
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/17 Selecting a data network PoA [Point of Attachment]

Abstract

Systems and techniques for providing a telecommunications service by receiving a request for a telecommunications service from a wireless client, providing a local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request, and providing the telecommunications service to the wireless client through the local exchange point of presence. The local exchange point of presence may be based on the geographic location of the wireless client.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

receiving by a cellular base station in a cellular network a wireless data request for a telecommunications cellular service from a wireless client, wherein the wireless data request is from a cellular device that is outside of its assigned calling area within the cellular network;

providing by the cellular base station a local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on the current geographic location of the wireless client, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the wireless client; and

providing the telecommunications cellular service to the wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence, wherein the cellular base station provides cellular telephone services,

wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service comprises routing messages from a local first gateway over an intermediate through at least a top node to a remote second gateway, thereby avoiding long distance charges, wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service further comprises communicating with the wireless client from the local first gateway local to the geographic location of the wireless client;

communicating with a second wireless client from the remote second gateway local to a geographic location of the second wireless client, the first and second gateways being geographically remote from each other; and

routing messages from the local first gateway to the remote second gateway through at least one of the intermediate network and the top node, thereby avoiding long distance charges,

wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

2. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications cellular service comprises at least one of a messaging service, an information service, a paging service, a voicemail service, a facsimile service, an interactive voice response service, and a text-to-speech service.

3. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the wireless client comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, and an interactive pager.

4. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a connection to the wireless client and providing a menu of telecommunications services capable of being displayed by the wireless client.

5. The communications method of claim 4, wherein establishing the connection to the wireless client comprises exchanging user information over a control channel.

6. The communications method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request for telecommunications cellular service comprises receiving a user input through a graphical user interface displayed on the wireless client.

7. The communications method of claim 1, wherein providing the local exchange point of presence to the wireless client comprises detecting a geographic location of the wireless client.

8. The communications method of claim 7, wherein the geographic location of the wireless client is detected during call set-up.

9. The communications method of claim 1, wherein providing the local exchange point of presence to the wireless client comprises referencing a lookup table associating geographic locations with local contact information, the local contact information including the local telephone number.

10. The communications method of claim 1, wherein providing the local exchange point of presence comprises providing the local telephone number to the wireless client.

11. The communications method of claim 10, wherein the local telephone number includes an exchange corresponding to the geographic location of the wireless client.

12. The communications method of claim 1, wherein providing the local exchange point of presence further comprises providing a local Internet protocol address to the wireless client.

13. The communications method of claim 1, wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service further comprises

communication with the remote server system from the remote second gateway local to a geographic location of the server system.

14. The communications method of claim 1,

wherein receiving the wireless data request for the telecommunications cellular service from the wireless client comprises:

establishing a connection to the wireless client including exchanging user information over a control channel;

examining the user information to verify that telecommunication cellular services are available to the wireless client

providing a menu of available telecommunication services; and

receiving input from the wireless client, the input chosen from the menu of available telecommunication services;

wherein providing by the cellular base station the local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request comprises;

detecting the geographic location of the wireless client, the geographic location encompassing a business or residential address;

referencing the geographic location in a lookup table; and

providing local contact information from the lookup table, the local contact information associated with the geographic location in the lookup table and the local contact information including the local telephone number; and

wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service to the wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence comprises;

receiving the message at a local first gateway;

determining the remote second gateway for transmission of the message; and

routing the message to the remote second gateway through at least one of the intermediate network and a top node.

15. A communication apparatus comprising a gateway configured to:

receive in a cellular network a wireless data request for a telecommunications cellular service from a wireless client, wherein the wireless data request from the wireless client is outside of its assigned calling area within the cellular network;

provide by a cellular base station a local exchange point of presence, wherein the cellular base station provides cellular telephone services to the wireless client in response to the request, the local exchange point of presence based on a geographic location of the wireless client, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the wireless client; and

provide the telecommunications cellular service to the wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence, wherein the cellular base station provides cellular telephone services,

wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service comprises routing messages from a local gateway over an intermediate network through at least a top node to a remote gateway, thereby avoiding long distance charges wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service further comprises communicating with the wireless client from the local gateway local to the geographic location of the wireless client;

communicating with a remote wireless client from the remote gateway local to a geographic location of the remote wireless client, the gateways being geographically remote from each other; and

routing messages from the local gateway to the remote gateway through at least one of the intermediate network and the top node, thereby avoiding long distance charges,

wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

16. A communications apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving in a cellular network by a cellular base station a wireless data request for a telecommunications cellular service from a wireless client, wherein the wireless data request from the wireless client is outside of its assigned calling area within the cellular network;

means for providing by a cellular base station a local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on a geographic location of the wireless client, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the wireless client; and

means for providing the telecommunications cellular service to the wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence, wherein the cellular base station provides cellular telephone service,

wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service comprises routing messages from a local gateway over an intermediate network through at least a top node to a remote gateway, thereby avoiding long distance charges wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service further comprises communicating with the wireless client from the local gateway local to the geographic location of the wireless client;

communicating with a remote wireless client from the remote gateway local to a geographic location of the remote wireless client, the gateways being geographically remote from each other; and

routing messages from the local gateway to the remote gateway through at least one of the intermediate network and the top node, thereby avoiding long distance charges,

wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

17. A computer readable medium encoded with a program executable by a computer comprising:

logic configured to receive in a cellular network by a cellular base station a wireless data request for a telecommunications cellular service from a wireless client, wherein the wireless data request from the wireless client is outside of its assigned calling area within the cellular network;

logic configured to provide by a cellular base station a local exchange point of presence to the wireless client in response to the request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on a geographic location of the wireless client, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the wireless client; and

logic configured to provide the telecommunications cellular service to the wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence, wherein the cellular base station provides cellular telephone services,

wherein providing the telecommunications cellular service comprises routing messages from a local gateway over an intermediate network through at least a top node to a remote gateway, thereby avoiding long distance charges, providing the telecommunications cellular service further comprises communicating with the wireless client from the local gateway local to the geographic location of the wireless client;

communicating with a remote wireless client from the remote gateway local to a geographic location of the remote wireless client, the gateways being geographically remote from each other; and

routing messages from the local gateway to the remote gateway through at least one of the intermediate network and the top node, thereby avoiding long distance charges,

wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium comprises at least one of a disk, a client device, and a network device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the telecommunications cellular service comprises at least one of a messaging service, an information service, a paging service, a voicemail service, a facsimile service, an interactive voice response service, and a text-to-speech service.