IP Library Granted Patent US 8,897,793
Granted Patent B2
US 8,897,793 · App. 14/305,391 · Granted Nov 25, 2014

Location based contact routing

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,897,793
App. No.
14/305,391
Granted
Nov 25, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The location of a mobile terminal associated with a user is determined using GPS or by monitoring signals generated and received by the mobile terminal, etc. Coordinates for at least one hot spot defined by the user are accessed to determine whether the location of the mobile terminal is within the hot spot. When an incoming contact is received for the user, a determination is made as to whether there are any contact routing rules associates with the user. If so, the record of contact routing rules associated with the user is accessed. If the record of contact routing rules includes at least one contact routing rule assigned to a hot spot, the contact is routed according to the at least one contact routing rule, based on whether or not the mobile terminal is determined to be within the hot spot.

Claims (36)

1. A method for location based contact routing of incoming contacts, the method comprising:

determining a location of a mobile terminal associated with a user, the user associated with additional terminals, each terminal including the mobile terminal associated with one or more of a network address, an SMS/MMS messaging address, an IP address, or a telephone number;

receiving an incoming contact for the user on one of the terminals;

determining that the location of the mobile terminal is within a user defined hot spot;

accessing a record of contact routing rules associated with the user, the record including at least one contact routing rule assigned to the hot spot, the at least one contact rule specifying that the contact is to be routed to a first terminal and, if the first terminal does not respond to the contact within a period of time, then the contact is to be routed to a second terminal; and

routing the contact to the designated terminal according to the contact routing rule for the hot spot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incoming contact is one of a phone call, video call, a text message, a chat request, and a multimedia message.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising manipulating a graphical user interface to define the hot spot.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inputting an address and selecting an area or volume that includes the input address to define the hot spot.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a pin point on an interactive map and defining an area or volume that includes the pin point to define the hot spot.

6. A contact server for implementing location based contact routing of incoming contacts comprising:

a network interface for connecting the contact server to a packet-based network;

a memory for storing one or more program modules; and

a processor for executing the one or more program modules, wherein the one or more program modules comprise computer-executable instructions for causing the contact server to:

determine a location of a mobile terminal associated with a user, the user associated with additional terminals, each terminal including the mobile terminal associated with one or more of a network address, an SMS/MMS messaging address, an IP address, or a telephone number;

receive an incoming contact for the user on one of the terminals;

determine that the location of the mobile terminal is within a user defined hot spot;

access a record of contact routing rules associated with the user, the record including at least one contact routing rule assigned to the hot spot, the at least one contact rule specifying that the contact is to be routed to a first terminal and, if the first terminal does not respond to the contact within a period of time, then the contact is to be routed to a second terminal; and

route the contact to the designated terminal according to the contact routing rule for the hot spot.

7. The contact server of claim 6 , wherein the incoming contact is one of a phone call, video call, a text message, a chat request, and a multimedia message.

8. The contact server of claim 6 , wherein the one or more program modules further comprise computer-executable instructions for causing the contact server to manipulate a graphical user interface to define the hot spot.

9. The contact server of claim 6 , wherein the one or more program modules further comprise computer-executable instructions for causing the contact server to receive an input of an address and select an area or volume that includes the input address to define the hot spot.

10. The contact server of claim 6 , wherein the one or more program modules further comprise computer-executable instructions for causing the contact server to identify a pin point on an interactive map and define an area or volume that includes the pin point to define the hot spot.

11. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a set of instructions executable on a computing device to cause the computing device to:

determine a location of a mobile terminal associated with a user, the user associated with additional terminals, each terminal including the mobile terminal associated with one or more of a network address, an SMS/MMS messaging address, an IP address, or a telephone number;

receive an incoming contact for the user on one of the terminals;

determine that the location of the mobile terminal is within a user defined hot spot;

access a record of contact routing rules associated with the user, the record including at least one contact routing rule assigned to the hot spot, the at least one contact rule specifying that the contact is to be routed to a first terminal and, if the first terminal does not respond to the contact within a period of time, then the contact is to be routed to a second terminal; and

route the contact to the designated terminal according to the contact routing rule for the hot spot.

12. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the incoming contact is one of a phone call, video call, a text message, a chat request, and a multimedia message.

13. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions executable on the computing device to cause the computing device to:

manipulate a graphical user interface to define the hot spot.

14. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions executable on the computing device to cause the computing device to:

input an address and selecting an area or volume that includes the input address to define the hot spot.

15. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions executable on the computing device to cause the computing device to:

identify a pin point on an interactive map and defining an area or volume that includes the pin point to define the hot spot.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 27, 2021
From: REPUBLIC WIRELESS, INC.
To: RELAY, INC.
Reel/Frame 056753/0703 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NO. 9,014,138 SHOULD BE PATENT NO. 9,014,038 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 041030 FRAME 0123. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 17, 2020
From: BANDWIDTH.COM, INC.
To: REPUBLIC WIRELESS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053583/0771 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2016
From: BANDWIDTH.COM, INC.
To: REPUBLIC WIRELESS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041030/0123 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2016
From: BANDWIDTH.COM, INC.
To: REPUBLIC WIRELESS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040821/0231 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2014
From: MULCAHY, JAMES; BROWNWORTH, ANDERS
To: BANDWIDTH.COM, INC.
Reel/Frame 033182/0013 →