Abstract: A mobile station is identified by a mobile directory number (MDN) and by a mobile station identifier (MSID). To communicate with a packet-switched network, the mobile station transmits its MSID, and a network access server, such as an interworking function (IWF), assigns an IP address to the mobile station and correlates the IP address with the MSID. A gateway receives a communication from the mobile station that includes the mobile station's IP address. The gateway identifies the mobile station's MDN based, at least in part, on the IP address, a correlation between IP address and MSID, and a correlation between MSID and MDN.

Abstract: A method for allowing multiple service providers to provide services via a common access network. The access network is arranged with multiple logical network layers, each specific to a respective service provider. Upon successful authentication of a subscriber by a given service provider, the access network assigns that subscriber to the logical layer specific to the authenticating service provider. The access network then handles communication traffic in that logic layer in a manner specific to the service provider.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for secure Mobile-IP traffic traversing network address translation (NAT). A virtual-private-network (VPN) tunnel extending between the mobile node and the home agent is established, wherein the home agent comprises a VPN function. Establishing the VPN tunnel comprises (i) the mobile node communicating with the home agent at a public address of the home agent via a private network, a NAT device, and a public network and (ii) the home agent assigning the mobile node a first public address. The mobile node is registered with the home agent. Registering the mobile node comprises (i) the mobile node communicating via the VPN tunnel with the home agent at the public address of the home agent and (ii) establishing the first public address as a home address for the mobile node for, for example, purposes of Mobile-IP communication.

Abstract: A method and system provides for tracking access to media content in a portable device and correlating the access with a location of the portable device. In one embodiment, a portable device can wirelessly receive media content during a media access session. The portable device can collect media access information, such as information on the media access session, information on the media content received, and a location of the portable device during the media access session. The portable device can then transmit the media access information through a wireless cellular telecommunications system to a network server.

Abstract: A banded billing system for data communication service is disclosed. A carrier's billing system maintains in data storage a banded-pricing schedule that divides a continuum of increments of data into a series of contiguous, mutually-exclusive increment-ranges and that specifies for each increment-range a respective cost. At the end of a billing period, the billing system determines a number of increments of data communicated by a given subscriber during the billing period. The billing system then queries the banded-pricing schedule to determine which increment-range the number of increments falls into, and to determine the cost specified by the banded-pricing schedule for that increment-range. The billing system then bills the determined cost to the subscriber, for data communication service in the billing period.

Abstract: A system for providing coordinate-based location information may include first, second and third wireless location transmitters. The wireless location transmitters may be located at fixed positions within an enclosure, such as a building. The wireless locations transmitters may each be programmed with a respective coordinate-based location, which the wireless location transmitters can in turn wirelessly transmit to a wireless device. The wireless device can then use the three respective coordinated-based locations of the wireless location transmitters to determine a coordinate-based location for the wireless device.

Abstract: An improved billing system for communication service is disclosed. A printed and/or online invoice will be generated for a subscriber's account and will be structured to include a visual gauge that depicts the extent of use for the billing period at issue. More particularly, the visual gauge will take the form of a table or listing that shows a continuum of possible time-increment or data-increment-ranges and that shows, for each range, the associated cost. The visual gauge will then include a visual marker that highlights or otherwise points out the increment-range into which the subscriber's use fell in the billing period at issue. Conveniently, the invention thus enables a subscriber to readily visualize where the subscriber's use fell within the continuum of possible increment-ranges.

Abstract: A client device transmits, via a voice-over-packet (VoP) access network, a message that requests an emergency services call. An outbound proxy server receives the message and obtains a network-provided location of the client device, e.g., by looking up the source address of the message in a location database maintained by the access network or by invoking an active network location function. The outbound proxy server inserts the network-provided location into the message, leaving any client-provided location in the message undisturbed, and forwards the message to an emergency services routing server. The emergency services routing server determines which public safety answering point (PSAP) should receive the call, based on at least one of the network-provided location and any client-provided location in the message.

Abstract: An interactive media system for an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture includes a media resource function processor (MRFP) and a media resource function controller (MRFC). The MRFP includes media resources, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR) engines and text-to-speech (TTS) engines, and a voice browser. A caller places a call to a telephone number to reach an interactive media service, and the MRFC establishes a real-time packet media session between the media gateway and the MRFP. The voice browser queries a location server to determine the location of an interactive application associated with the called telephone number and then queries an application server corresponding to the location to obtain the interactive application as a voice extensible markup language (VXML) document. The browser interprets the VXML document and responsively invokes the media resources, via the MRFC, to provide the interactive media service to the caller.

Abstract: A method and system for delivering messages to a user in a computerized communication system, such as an instant messaging (IM) system. When a computer system receives a registration message indicating that a user is currently active at a given station, the computer system responsively sets the given client station as a target station for messages directed to the user. If no user activity is detected at the given client station for a predefined period of time, however, the computer system then automatically sets a new client station as the target station for subsequent messages directed to the user.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automatic over-the-air updating of a preferred roaming list (PRL) in a multi-mode device, based on an account association between the device and a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point. For each of a plurality of subscriber accounts, a set of subscriber account data is maintained in data storage, indicating an association between the subscriber account and one or more telecommunication devices. A determination is made that a given subscriber account is associated with both (i) a multi-mode device and (ii) a WLAN access point. In response to the determination, a PRL for the multi-mode device is automatically updated to include access data for the WLAN access point.

Abstract: A method and system for providing an audible calling party identification and/or an audible calling/called party ringback services (“services”) is disclosed. The system may include (and the method may perform the services in) a network having source, network, and destination nodes. The source and destination nodes may be equipped with ringtone-generation engines to generate ringtones. Each of the ringtones includes at least one audible tone. The method may include the source and/or destination node receiving from the network node information for producing a ringtone (“ringtone information”). The ringtone information is originated toward the destination node in response to the source node initiating a call to the destination node. After receipt, the source and/or destination nodes may generate the ringtone using their ringtone-generation engines and the ringtone information.

Abstract: A method and system for routing incoming calls by assigning weights to the call. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises receiving an incoming call, generating one or more prompts to solicit respective responses from the caller and receiving, from the caller, the respective responses. The method further comprises assigning one or more respective weights to the call, the one or more respective weights corresponding to each of the one or more responses, processing the weights to determine one or more overall weights of the call, and routing the call to an appropriate location based, at least in part, on the overall weights of the call.

Abstract: A gateway receives network presence information regarding a mobile station. The network presence information is based, at least in part, on status messages that a network access server, such as a packet data serving node (PDSN), sends, for example, to an accounting server. The network presence information identifies the mobile station, such as by Internet Protocol (IP) address, network access identifier (NAI), and/or mobile directory number (MDN). When the gateway receives a request from a mobile station to access a content server, e.g., an HTTP GET request, the gateway inserts identifying information, such as NAI and/or MDN, into the request to identify the mobile station to the content server.

Abstract: A Domain Name Server (DNS) directs web communications to an intermediation platform. The DNS comprises data storage containing (i) host data that correlates each of a plurality of domain names with a respective host server network address and (ii) whitelist data that correlates at least a given domain name with an intermediation platform network address; a communication interface for receiving correlation requests and for transmitting correlation responses, wherein, when the DNS receives a correlation request that seeks a network address correlated with the given domain name, the DNS determines by reference to the whitelist data that the given domain name is correlated with the intermediation platform network address, and the DNS responsively returns a correlation response providing the intermediation platform network address as the network address correlated with the given domain name.

Abstract: A method for setting up a call to a subscriber station. The method comprises, at a first telecommunications platform, receiving a first request to set up a call to a subscriber station. The first request is processed at a second telecommunications platform. The second platform provides a second request to set up the call to the subscriber station, where the second request includes a non-loop parameter. The second request is received at the first platform and the first platform responsively sends a service request including the non-loop parameter to a third telecommunications platform. The third platform detects the non-loop parameter and, in response to at least the non-loop parameter, directs the first platform to set up the call to the subscriber station.

Abstract: A wireless device may receive a first identifier from an access point for first wireless network that uses a first air interface protocol and a second identifier from an access point for a second wireless network that uses a second air interface protocol. The first and second identifiers may both be transmitted, for example, via the first air interface protocol. After receiving the identifiers, the wireless device may perform one or more predetermined actions. For example, the wireless device may, based on the identifiers, determine that it should communicate with the second wireless network and responsively check an availability of the second wireless network.

Abstract: A wireless handset may connect to a media server in order to receive streaming media content. The wireless handset may send the media server one or more indications of the wireless handset's presentation capabilities. In response, the media server may send the wireless handset a list of media content and transmission modes, and the list of media content and transmission modes may be tailored, at least in part, based on the presentation capabilities of the wireless handset. A user of the wireless handset may then select from the list of media content, and the media server may stream the media content to the wireless handset using the selected transmission mode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method to condition removal of a carrier frequency from a wireless coverage area. The method involves evaluating handoff statistics for the coverage area, and applying results of past carrier frequency removal (preferably from a morphologically similar cluster) to predict a net change in hard handoffs that will result if the carrier frequency is removed. The method then involves using the predicted net change in hard handoffs as a basis to determine whether to remove the carrier frequency. The predicted net change in hard handoffs may be converted to a corresponding predicted net change in call drops, and the carrier frequency may be removed only if the predicted net change in call drops does not exceed a threshold.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for implementing mobile-station and macro-network-aided location determination of a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB). In an embodiment, a location of a mobile station that is associated with an LCIB is determined. The location of the mobile station is used to determine a location of the LCIB.