Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to mobile telephony devices
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to a mobile telephony device that is roaming outside of its native service area make use of a mobile roaming termination service. The mobile roaming termination service causes the native mobile telephony service provider that provides service to the mobile telephony device to forward incoming telephony communications directed the native telephone number of the mobile telephony device to a forwarding access number. The mobile roaming termination service receives telephony communications directed to the forwarding access number, and then terminates the telephony communication to the mobile telephony device via any one of multiple different methods. The mobile telephony service provider can be instructed to implement and cancel call forwarding instructions by dialing a special character string on the mobile telephony device.
1. A method of assisting a subscriber to a mobile telephony service in causing the mobile telephony service to activate a call forwarding feature, comprising:
determining a character string that can be dialed from the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the mobile telephony service provider that provides native telephony service to the subscriber's mobile telephony device to activate a call forwarding feature which results in telephony communications that are directed to a native telephone number of the subscriber's mobile telephony device to be forwarded to a forwarding access telephone number; and
providing the determined character string to the subscriber's mobile telephony device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises causing a message to be displayed or played on the subscriber's mobile telephony device, the message including the determined character string.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises sending a text message to the subscriber's mobile telephony device, wherein the text message includes the determined character string.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises sending a push notification to the subscriber's mobile telephony device, wherein the push notification includes the determined character string.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises providing the determined character string to a software application loaded on the subscriber's mobile telephony device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step comprises sending a telephony communication to the subscriber's telephony device, wherein the telephony communication includes caller ID information that includes the determined character string.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determined character string is provided as the calling telephone number in the caller ID information of the telephony communication.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning the forwarding access telephone number.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step comprises:
determining a type of call forwarding that the subscriber would like to activate; and
determining the character string that will cause the subscriber's mobile telephony service to implement the desired type of call forwarding.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the type of call forwarding that the subscriber would like to activate comprises:
issuing a query to the subscriber that asks what type of call forwarding the subscriber would like to activate; and
receiving, from the subscriber, a response to the query.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the character string that will cause the subscriber's mobile telephony service to implement the desired type of call forwarding comprises consulting a database of call forwarding codes for a plurality of mobile telephony service providers.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of causing the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string comprises instructing a native dialer of the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of causing the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string comprises instructing a software application on the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of instructing a software application on the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string comprises sending a push notification to the subscriber's mobile telephony device, wherein the push notification instructs the software application on the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
16. A method for terminating telephony communications to a mobile telephony device comprising:
determining a character string that can be dialed from the mobile telephony device to activate a call forwarding feature;
providing the determined character string to the mobile telephony device;
invoking a communication from the mobile telephony device to a telephony service provider native to the mobile telephony device regarding the determined character string;
receiving a telephony communication that was originally directed to a native telephone number of the mobile telephony device but which has been forwarded to a forwarding access telephone number; and
terminating the received telephony communication to the mobile telephony device.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the invoking is a result of a communication that is automatically sent from the mobile telephony device to a telephony service provider native to the mobile telephony device.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the invoking is a result of a communication that is manually sent from the mobile telephony device to a telephony service provider native to the mobile telephony device.
19. A system for assisting a subscriber to a mobile telephony service in causing the mobile telephony service to activate a call forwarding feature, comprising:
means for determining a character string that can be dialed from the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the mobile telephony service provider that provides native telephony service to the subscriber's mobile telephony device to activate a call forwarding feature which results in telephony communications that are directed to a native telephone number of the subscriber's mobile telephony device to be forwarded to a forwarding access telephone number; and
means for providing the determined character string to the subscriber's mobile telephony device.
20. A system for assisting a subscriber to a mobile telephony service in causing the mobile telephony service to activate a call forwarding feature, comprising:
a mobile roaming connection unit that determines a character string that can be dialed from the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the mobile telephony service provider that provides native telephony service to the subscriber's mobile telephony device to activate a call forwarding feature which results in telephony communications that are directed to a native telephone number of the subscriber's mobile telephony device to be forwarded to a forwarding access telephone number; and
a forwarding instruction unit that provides the determined character string to the subscriber's mobile telephony device.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit causes a message to be displayed or played on the subscriber's mobile telephony device, the message including the determined character string.
22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit sends a text message to the subscriber's mobile telephony device, wherein the text message includes the determined character string.
23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit sends a push notification to the subscriber's mobile telephony device, wherein the push notification includes the determined character string.
24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit provides the determined character string to a software application on the subscriber's mobile telephony device.
25. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit sends a telephony communication to the subscriber's telephony device, wherein the telephony communication includes caller ID information that includes the determined character string.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the determined character string is provided as the calling telephone number in the caller ID information of the telephony communication.
27. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mobile roaming connection unit determines a type of call forwarding that the subscriber would like to activate, and determines the character string that will cause the subscriber's mobile telephony service to implement the desired type of call forwarding.
28. The system of claim 20 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit causes the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit instructs a native dialer of the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.
30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the forwarding instruction unit instructs a software application on the subscriber's mobile telephony device to cause the subscriber's mobile telephony device to dial the determined character string.