Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a telecommunications network; a mobile terminal and a subscriber database in the telecommunications network; a MLS controller module in the telecommunications network; at least one MLS database operatively coupled to the MLS controller; and the MLS database being accessible by the mobile terminal via the MLS controller.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a mobile terminal having a camera; a further terminal; a communication network operative coupled to the mobile terminal and to the further terminal; the communication network having remote mobile phone camera operation functionality such that the further terminal in the communications network remotely controls the camera in the mobile terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: an RF-based base station in a telecommunications network; the RF-based base station having a base station transceiver; the telecommunications network having a network transceiver; and the base station transceiver and the network transceiver being structured for backhaul traffic and signaling for incoming and outgoing mobile calls to a mobile terminal that is operatively coupled to the base station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing location based vendor information to a wireless mobile terminal is provided. The method includes receiving subscriber provisioned response criteria from a subscriber, receiving a request for location based vendor information from a subscriber mobile terminal, determining the location of the subscriber mobile terminal, retrieving location based vendor information for the mobile terminal's location, and sending the location based vendor information in a response satisfying the subscriber provisioned response criteria to the subscriber mobile terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a plurality spaces in a predefined three dimensional area; at least one mobile terminal in a wireless telecommunications network; a tracking system structured to track the at least one mobile terminal in the plurality of predefined spaces in the predefined three dimensional area; and a monitor module in the wireless telecommunications network, the monitor module operatively coupled to receive, via the tracking system, a current position of the at least one mobile terminal in the plurality of predefined spaces in the predefined three dimensional area.

Abstract: An apparatus in one example has: a mobile switching center having a voice mail system, a subscriber database with voicemail information, and a greetings database; the greetings database having a plurality of lists, and at least one phone number in each of the lists; and the greetings database also having a plurality of recorded greetings, respective greetings in the plurality of recorded greetings being associated with respective lists in the plurality of lists.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented for blocking nuisance calls to communications devices, in which incoming calls are selectively blocked if the caller has made a threshold number of attempts to call a communications unit within a specified interval of time. The nuisance call blocking service may be selectively performed only for communications customers subscribing to the service, and the service may include the ability to designate a list of allowed callers who can make unlimited call attempts, with non-designated calling parties being limited to the threshold number of call attempts within the specified time period before being blocked.

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 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: 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: An apparatus in one example has: lost call alerting functionality in a communication network that later alerts a mobile terminal of calls which could not be delivered because the mobile terminal was located in an area of RF degradation when the delivery of the call was attempted; and a storage for lost call data in the communication network.

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 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 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 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 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 is provided for paging a mobile station (40) served by a wireless telecommunications network (A). The method includes: using a plurality of band-classes to selectively communicate with the mobile station (40); remembering which one of the plurality of band-classes was last used to communicate with the mobile station (40); and, selectively paging the mobile station (40) over the wireless telecommunications network (A) when the mobile station (40) is being sought, the paging covering at least the remembered band-class for the mobile station (40) being paged.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for sending a message to a calling phone when a called phone aborts an incoming call request. A mobile unit receives a call request from a calling phone. The communication network determines that the mobile unit has aborted the call request during ringing. For example, the mobile unit may abort the call request by pressing a predetermined key, such as the <END> key, on the mobile unit. The communication network alerts the calling phone that the mobile unit aborted the call request during ringing. The network can play a message to the calling phone that the mobile unit has aborted the call request during ringing, and the message can include additional information, such as the expected length of time that the mobile unit will be unavailable or other predetermined messages.