Abstract: A method for providing called party phone line availability information to a calling party terminal attempting to call a called party terminal is provided. The method includes determining that the called party phone line is busy and engaged in an Internet call session, and sending the calling party terminal an Internet-busy notification indicating that the called party phone line is busy and engaged in an Internet call session, and providing Internet call session duration information to the calling party terminal which can indicate how much time is remaining in the Internet call session.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for routing 911 or other emergency calls from VoIP terminal equipment, wherein the terminal includes GPS or other means to obtain geographic location information for the current location when a 911 call is initiated, and the terminal includes the geographic location information in a call setup request message to the service provider. Routing logic receives the set request and uses the geographic information to search one or more databases to identify the proper emergency service center to which the call is routed, and also the street address corresponding to the caller's current location. The emergency call is then routed to the selected service center, where the call may be delivered with the street address or the street address information is updated in an ALI database of the 911 system by the routing logic before or during call delivery to ensure the emergency service operator or dispatcher knows where to direct emergency services.

Abstract: A method of scheduling and establishing a conference call in a telecommunications network including a conference call server and a database for storing conference call information. The method includes scheduling a conference call with at least one private chat room for a conference call originator, establishing the conference call with at least one private chat room, and disconnecting the conference call.

Abstract: A method of supporting a secure caller ID service (22) is provided in connection with a telecommunications network (30). The method includes: processing a call from a calling party to a called party, the called party employing an end user terminal (10) served by a facility (20) of the telecommunications network (30) to receive the call; maintaining a voice sample database (28) containing a plurality of voice samples; sampling the calling party's voice; comparing the sampled voice of the calling party to a voice sample selected from the voice sample database (28); and, communicating to the called party a result based upon an outcome of the comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing network support for management of household consumables are provided. A modified network system utilizes a scanner-enabled wireless mobile device and a product database (e.g. a national product database) to provide consumers with a convenient manner in which to manage an inventory of household consumable items. In one form, such items can be added and deleted from the inventory by scanning UPC labels for the item. In addition, in one form, a shopping list is generated by comparison of a current inventory list with a desired inventory list.

Abstract: A method of supporting a call rejection feature is provided in a telecommunications network (30). The method includes: receiving at a facility (20) of the telecommunications network (30), a call from a calling party, the call being for a called party served by the facility (20); determining for the received call if caller ID information for the calling party is available to be provided to the called party; if the calling party's caller ID information is available to be provided to the called party, then connecting the call to the called party, otherwise if the calling party's caller ID information is not available to be provided to the called party, then providing the calling party with an option to connect the call to the called party; and, connecting the call to the called party if the calling party exercises the option, otherwise not connecting the call to the called party if the calling party does not exercise the option.

Abstract: A wireless communication network is described that includes a control system and a plurality of network nodes, such as MSCs. The network nodes communicate with mobile wireless devices, such as cell phones. The control system receives national security information for a geographic region. The control system identifies one or more network nodes serving the geographic region indicated in the national security information, and transmits the national security information to the identified network nodes. Each of the identified network nodes receives the national security information from the control system. The network nodes generate security alert messages based on the national security information, and transmit the security alert messages to one or more mobile wireless devices being served by that network node. In response to a security alert message, each mobile wireless device provides the security alert message, or a representation thereof, to a wireless subscriber using the mobile wireless device.

Abstract: A method of providing a certified digital copy of a certified document for display on a requesting party mobile terminal display screen is provided. The method includes retrieving the certified digital copy from a repository, sending the certified digital copy to the requesting party mobile terminal as unsaveable displayable information for immediate display on the requesting party terminal display screen, wherein the unsaveable displayable information cannot be stored at the terminal, sending an electronic certification associated with the certified digital copy certifying the authenticity of the digital copy.

Abstract: A method for notifying a religious contact designated by a subscriber that the subscriber has been admitted to a hospital is provided. The method includes determining that a person is an admitted patient admitted to a hospital, determining that the admitted patient subscribes to a hospital admission notification service, retrieving a stored identification of a religious contact designated by the patient, retrieving a contact number for the designated religious contact, and sending an automated notification message to the contact number via a telecommunications network notifying the designated religious contact of the admitted patient's hospital admission.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a network service provider; a mobile terminal operatively coupled to the network service provider; a credit card company system operatively coupled to the network service provider; and the network service provider structured such that, when the credit card company system notifies the network service provider of charges to credit cards associated with the mobile terminal, the network service provider notifies the mobile terminal of such charges.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for provisioning network support to allow an authorized mobile subscriber to update message content of a remote signage system having variable content capabilities such as an electronic road sign or the like. The authorized subscriber does so by transmitting a text message, which is processed by the network and provided to the sign as content for display.

Abstract: A method of forming a conference call between a call session party mobile terminal engaged in a call session and an invited party mobile terminal is provided. The method includes sending an SMS invitation message from the call session mobile terminal to the invited party mobile terminal inviting the invited party to join the call session, receiving an SMS reply message from the invited party mobile terminal accepting the invitation to join the call session, associating the invited party mobile terminal with the call session, and bridging the invited party mobile terminal into the call session. A system for performing this SMS based conference call feature is also provided.

Abstract: A method of delivering travel information to a first wireless telecommunications network mobile terminal is provided. The method includes obtaining geolocation information for first and second mobile terminals over the wireless telecommunications network, a network element obtaining travel information using the geolocation information for the first and second mobile terminals, delivering the travel information to the first mobile terminal via the wireless telecommunications network. The travel information can include the location of the second mobile terminal and travel directions from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal.

Abstract: Communication systems and methods are disclosed that provide a voice mail bridging service. A communication network attempts to connect a call between a calling party and a called party. The called party has a plurality of telephone numbers corresponding with a plurality of voice mail systems. Responsive to the communication network determining that the called party has not answered the call attempt, the communication network prompts the calling party to record a voice message. The communication network receives a voice message from the calling party. The communication network identifies a plurality of telephone numbers for the called party, such as a home number, a mobile number, a business number, etc. The communication network then transmits the voice message to the voice mail systems corresponding with the identified telephone numbers for the called party. The called party can thus access any of the voice mail systems to retrieve the voice message.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: at least one microcell in a wireless telecommunications network, the at least one microcell defining a security zone; and a storage in the network, the storage having a secure zone occupant list of any mobile terminals presently within the security zone.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a telecommunications network having at least an image recognition and comparison module and an scanned image database; a mobile terminal having image scan functionality and image capture functionality, the mobile terminal operative coupled to the telecommunications network; and a database system operatively coupled to the telecommunications network, the database system having at least an image database.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: at least one high security area in the wireless telecommunications network; a storage in the wireless telecommunications network, the storage having at least one phone number corresponding to the at least one mobile terminal; detection module in the wireless telecommunications network that outputs a signal when at least one mobile terminal, corresponding to the stored phone number, enters the at least one high security area, the detection module operatively coupled to the storage; and notification module in the wireless telecommunications network that outputs a notification message when the at least one of the mobile terminal enters the at least one high security area, the notification module operatively coupled to the detection module.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a mobile terminal, the mobile terminal having a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit and a dialing disable unit; a GPS module in a wireless telecommunications network having an input to receive GPS location data from the mobile terminal; a blocking module operatively coupled to the GPS module; and the blocking module having an output that provides a dialing disable/enable signal to the dialing disable unit in the mobile terminal as a function of the received GPS data.

Abstract: A method is provided for supporting a call record suppression feature in a telecommunications network (30). The method includes: handling a call for an end user terminal (10) served by a facility (20) of the telecommunications network (30); determining if the call record suppression feature is active for the end user terminal (10); processing a call record for the handled call if it is determined that the call record suppression feature is not active for the end user terminal (10); and, suppressing the processing of the call record if it is determined that the call record suppression feature is active for the end user terminal (10).

Abstract: A wireless telecommunication system is used to provide alert notifications such as weather alerts to affected mobile units in a geographic area. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving an alert notification, an MSC identifies one or more affected mobile units located within the coverage area and sends a message including indicia of the alert notification to the affected mobile units. In another embodiment, a subscriber service center (SSC) receives an alert notification and consults a database to identify one or more mobile units eligible to receive the alert notification. The SSC queries a mobile position center to identify one or more affected mobile units located within the coverage area and sends a message including indicia of the alert notification to the affected mobile units.