Automatic remote communication using network telephony

• US 8,886,159 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Consortium US LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: Zonoun, Mohammad R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US13/929,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/404.1, 455/456.1, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to provide remote communication using network telephony. In a transmitter, an activation message is decoded to generate an activation command. The activation message is sent from an activator via a communication medium in response to a telephony call. An information message is transmitted, responsive to the activation command, to a receiver using a communication protocol. In a receiver, an activation message is decoded to generate an activation command. The activation message is sent in response to a telephone call. An information message is received, responsive to the activation command. The information message is sent from a transmitter according to a communication protocol via a communication medium.

Claims

1. A location transmitter, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive an activation request generated in response to a call by a call device in proximity to the location transmitter, the activation request being a query for a location of the location transmitter as an indication of a location of the call device; and

a transmission unit configured to respond to receipt of the activation request by the reception unit by broadcasting a signal modulated from an information message containing the location of the location transmitter.

2. The location transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to broadcast the respective location information on a substantially periodic basis.

3. The location transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to broadcast the respective location information on a substantially continuous basis.

4. The location transmitter of claim 1, wherein the location transmitter is one of a group of geographically dispersed location transmitters which form a distributed location broadcast system.

5. The location transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit is configured to broadcast respective location information in a format consistent with at least one of an identification tag, an absolute location, and a relative location.