IP Library Granted Patent US 10,292,013
Granted Patent B2
US 10,292,013 · App. 15/939,704 · Granted May 14, 2019

Location-based alerting

Inventors: Scott M. Frank (Dunwoody, GA); Robert Jackson Starr (Decatur, GA); John P. Ruckart (Atlanta, GA); Steven Neil Tischer (Atlanta, GA); Samuel N. Zellner (Dunwoody, GA)
Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
H04W4/025G06Q30/02H04L67/18H04M1/67H04W4/02H04L67/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,292,013
App. No.
15/939,704
Granted
May 14, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method may use location information to transmit alert information to a communications device. Such a method may include receiving location information identifying a physical location of a mobile device; responsive to receiving an indication of communication intended for the mobile device, selecting an alerting tone based on the physical location of the mobile device; and providing instructions to adjust an alerting mechanism of the mobile device based on the selecting of the alerting tone. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Claims (41)

1. A network device communicating with one more other network devices over wireless or wired communication, the network device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving location information identifying a physical location of a mobile device;

responsive to receiving an indication of communication intended for the mobile device from a remote mobile device, selecting an alerting tone based on the physical location of the mobile device;

providing instructions to adjust an alerting mechanism of the mobile device based on the selecting of the alerting tone, wherein the adjustment of the alerting mechanism comprises limiting the alerting tone to an audio channel associated with an earphone of the mobile device; and

retrieving the alerting tone from a remote storage when the remote mobile device is at a first physical location and retrieving the alerting tone from a local storage of the mobile device when the remote mobile device is at a second physical location.

2. The network device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising providing the mobile device an estimate of a location range over which security control of an alerting setting of the mobile device is surrendered.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the physical location is within a first geographic zone of a plurality of geographic zones associated with a respective third party.

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the alerting tone is music.

5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the communication is a phone call.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the selected alerting tone causes an alerting mechanism to be changed in the mobile device to a new nonsilent setting.

7. The network device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising defining a first geographic zone, wherein the alerting tone is transmitted when the mobile device is detected to be inside the first geographic zone, the first geographic zone being defined by coordinates of a polygon that circumscribes the first geographic zone, wherein the coordinates are transmitted to the mobile device.

8. The network device of claim 7 , the operations further comprising determining whether the location information matches the first geographic zone for which a feature may be adjusted.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, location information identifying a physical location of a mobile device;

responsive to receiving an indication of communication intended for the mobile device from a remote mobile device, selecting, by the computing device, an alerting tone based on the physical location of the mobile device;

providing, by the computing device, instructions to adjust an alerting mechanism of the mobile device based on the selecting of the alerting tone, wherein the adjustment of the alerting mechanism comprises limiting the alerting tone to an audio channel associated with an earphone of the mobile device; and

retrieving the alerting tone from a remote storage when the remote mobile device is at a first physical location and retrieving the alerting tone from a local storage of the mobile device when the remote mobile device is at a second physical location.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising providing the mobile device an estimate of a location range over which security control of an alerting setting of the mobile device is surrendered.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the physical location is within a first geographic zone of a plurality of geographic zones associated with a respective third party.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the alerting tone is music.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the communication is a phone call.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selected alerting tone causes an alerting mechanism to be changed in the mobile device to a new nonsilent setting.

15. A system comprising:

a communications device comprising a processor, memory, and network interface; and

a network device communicating with the communications device over wireless or wired communication, the network device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving location information regarding the communications device, the location information identifying a physical location of the communications device;

responsive to receiving an indication of an incoming call intended for the communications device from a remote mobile device, selecting an alerting tone from a database of alerting tones residing in a network, based on the physical location of the communications device, wherein the physical location is within a first geographic zone of a plurality of geographic zones associated with a respective third party;

receiving a first security credential, the first security credential associated with the first geographic zone;

receiving a priority level associated with the incoming call, the priority chosen before entering the first geographic zone;

determining authorization of a device associated with the third party of the first geographic zone to control the alerting tone based on the priority level and the first security credential;

providing instructions to adjust an alerting mechanism of the communications device based on the determined authorization, wherein the alerting mechanism comprises the alerting tone; and

retrieving the alerting tone from a remote storage when the remote mobile device is at a first physical location and retrieving the alerting tone from a local storage of the communications device when the remote mobile device is at a second physical location.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alerting tone is dependent on operating rules of the communications device.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alerting tone is dependent on operating rules of the communications device, the system further comprising a network-based interface for configuring operating rules.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alerting tone comprises music.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the selected alerting tone causes an alerting setting to be changed in the communications device to a new nonsilent setting.

20. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising providing instructions to limit the alerting tone to an audio channel associated with an earphone.

Assignments (9)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2022
From: FRANK, SCOTT; STARR, ROBERT J.; RUCKART, JOHN P.; TISCHER, STEVEN N.; ZELLNER, SAMUEL N.
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060314/0398 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2022
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: WORKDAY, INC.
Reel/Frame 059591/0066 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 048657 FRAME: 0245. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Dec 13, 2021
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058961/0051 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S EXECUTION DATE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 048657 FRAME: 0120. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Dec 13, 2021
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 058961/0417 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 048657/0087 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROEPRTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 048657/0120 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: AT&T BLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC
To: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
Reel/Frame 048657/0245 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: AT&T DELAWARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INC.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 048657/0465 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2018
From: FRANK, SCOTT; STARR, ROBERT; ZELLNER, SAMUEL; TISCHER, STEVEN; RUCKART, JOHN
To: BELLSOUTH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045385/0828 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14974909 · Dec 18, 2015
Continuation 11747613 · May 11, 2007
Provisional Application 60799762 · May 12, 2006
Related Publication 20180227713A1 · Aug 9, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,642,873