Local point of presence

• US 8,331,945 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (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:
  US13/409,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 wireless gateway device in a wireless network, a first wireless data request from a first wireless client, wherein the first wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

receiving, by the wireless gateway device in the wireless network, a second wireless data request from a second wireless client, wherein the second wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

providing, by the wireless gateway device, a local exchange point of presence to the first wireless client in response to the first wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on a determination that a current geographic proximity location of the first wireless client is in close proximity to the wireless gateway device and physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the first wireless client;

denying, by the wireless gateway device, a local exchange point of presence to the second wireless client in response to the second wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence being denied based on a determination that a current geographic location of the second wireless client is not in close proximity to the wireless gateway device and is not physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area;

providing a wireless data service to the first wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence for communications between the first wireless client located in the second calling area and the wireless gateway device without incurring long-distance charges; and

providing a wireless data service to the second wireless client through a telephone number associated with the assigned first calling area for communications between the second wireless client located outside the second calling area and the wireless gateway device located in the second calling area thereby incurring long-distance charges, wherein providing the wireless data service comprises routing messages from the wireless gateway device over an intermediate network to a remote second gateway of a remote wireless client.

2. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

3. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data 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.

4. 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.

5. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the wireless data network comprises a cellular communications network.

6. The communications method of claim 1, wherein proximity of a wireless client to the wireless gateway device is determined by detecting a location identifier within control signals transmitted by the wireless client.

7. The communications method of claim 1, wherein proximity of a wireless client to the wireless gateway device is determined from gauging a strength of signals transmitted by the wireless client.

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

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

10. A communications system, comprising:

a gateway receiver device in a wireless network configured to receive a wireless data request from a first wireless client, wherein the first wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

the gateway receiver device further configured to receive, in the wireless network, a second wireless data request from a second wireless client, wherein the second wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

a gateway control device configured to provide a local exchange point of presence to the first wireless client in response to the first wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on a determination that a current geographic location of the first wireless client is in close proximity to the gateway receiver device and physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the first wireless client;

the gateway control device further configured to deny a local exchange point of presence to the second wireless client in response to the second wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence being denied based on a determination that a current geographic location of the second wireless client is not in close proximity to the wireless gateway device and is not physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area;

a gateway transmitter device configured to establish a wireless data service to the first wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence for communications between the first wireless client located in the second calling area and the wireless gateway device without incurring long-distance charges; and

the gateway transmitter device further configured to provide a wireless data service to the second wireless client through a telephone number associated with the assigned first calling area for communications between the second wireless client located outside the second calling area and the wireless gateway device located in the second calling area thereby incurring long-distance charges, wherein establishing the wireless data service comprises routing messages from the gateway transmitter device over an intermediate network to a remote gateway of a remote wireless client.

11. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

12. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the wireless data 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.

13. The communications system of claim 10, wherein the wireless data network comprises a cellular communications network.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a program executable by a computer, the program comprising:

code to receive, in a wireless network, a wireless data request from a first wireless client, wherein the first wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

code to receive, in the wireless network, a second wireless data request from a second wireless client, wherein the second wireless client is geographically outside of its assigned first calling area within the wireless network;

code to provide a local exchange point of presence to the first wireless client in response to the first wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence selected based on a determination that a current geographic location of the first wireless client is in close proximity to a wireless gateway device for the wireless network and physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area, wherein the local exchange point of presence comprises a local telephone number that is provided to the first wireless client;

code to deny a local exchange point of presence to the second wireless client in response to the second wireless data request, the local exchange point of presence being denied based on a determination that a current geographic location of the second wireless client is not in close proximity to the wireless gateway device and is not physically within the wireless gateway device'"'"'s assigned second calling area;

code to provide a wireless data service to the first wireless client with the local telephone number through the local exchange point of presence for communications between the first wireless client located in the second calling area and the wireless gateway device without incurring long-distance charges; and

code to provide a wireless data service to the second wireless client through a telephone number associated with the assigned first calling area for communications between the second wireless client located outside the second calling area and the wireless gateway device located in the second calling area thereby incurring long-distance charges, wherein providing the wireless data service comprises routing messages from the wireless gateway device over an intermediate network to a remote second gateway of a remote wireless client.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the intermediate network comprises at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the wireless data 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.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the wireless data network comprises a cellular communications network.