Abstract: The invention disclosed is a location blocking service for use in a wireless network that tracks the location and identity of network users, such as networks complying with enhanced 911 standards. The service provides a network user with the ability to prevent the location of her wireless handheld device from being disclosed to parties other than the wireless network provider and PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points). The network user blocks the forwarding of location information by signaling to the wireless handheld device when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device, or by signaling to the network when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device or the network. Primary components of the present invention include at least one user interface and at least one location block processor provisioned in the wireless handheld device and/or the wireless network.

Abstract: A system for determining the lowest cost long distance carrier is disclosed. The system uses long distance rate information to determine the lowest cost long distance carrier for a particular long distance telephone call. The system can also retrieve the dialing prefix for the long distance carrier. Once a dialed telephone number is received by the system, the system determines the lowest cost long distance carrier, adds the dialing prefix to the dialed number, and then outputs the entire string, that is, the prefix and the dialed number so that the long distance call is completed using the lowest cost long distance carrier.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in a user's household in the event of emergency so as to more productively monitor the emergency situation on a real-time basis. The monitoring devices may include a number of multimedia instruments such as a telephone with an answering machine, a computer with a built-in digital camera, a video recording device, a cellular phone with an integrated digital camera, etc. An emergency service provider may remotely activate the monitoring devices in the user's vicinity upon receiving an emergency help request from the user, and receive the information sent by the monitoring devices to enable the service personnel to plan appropriate response to the emergency at hand. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user's vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in a user's household in the event of emergency so as to more productively monitor the emergency situation on a real-time basis. The monitoring devices may include a number of multimedia instruments such as a telephone with an answering machine, a computer with a built-in digital camera, a video recording device, a cellular phone with an integrated digital camera, etc. An emergency service provider may remotely activate the monitoring devices in the user's vicinity upon receiving an emergency help request from the user, and receive the information sent by the monitoring devices to enable the service personnel to plan appropriate response to the emergency at hand. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user's vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation.

Abstract: A portable telecommunication test set, such as a telephone line butt set, with a web browser incorporated therein. A standard HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) browser may be incorporated within the portable test set, allowing a network technician to access the Internet as well as other remotely-located sources of information to retrieve data and other useful technical information while in the field for communication network or telephone line maintenance, troubleshooting or repair. The test set may contain memory to locally store certain technical information, e.g., telephone line-specific data or circuit information, that may be retrieved and “read” by the built-in browser module when prompted by the network technician. The web browser may display the content of the requested information on a display provided on the test set.

Abstract: A portable telecommunication test set, such as a telephone line butt set, with a web browser incorporated therein. A standard HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) browser may be incorporated within the portable test set, allowing a network technician to access the Internet as well as other remotely-located sources of information to retrieve data and other useful technical information while in the field for communication network or telephone line maintenance, troubleshooting or repair. The test set may contain memory to locally store certain technical information, e.g., telephone line-specific data or circuit information, that may be retrieved and “read” by the built-in browser module when prompted by the network technician. The web browser may display the content of the requested information on a display provided on the test set.

Abstract: A system whereby subscribers are provided with a universal resource locator (URL), that uniquely identifies, e.g., a web site maintained by the calling party. In a preferred embodiment, when the telephone call reaches the subscriber's handset, a special character, e.g., an “*” is added to the display, e.g., at the end of the calling party's telephone number to let the subscriber know that additional information is available. The subscriber can then obtain detailed information about the calling party by, e.g., pressing a special “send” button on the handset, using a softkey or entering a special code. This establishes a link from the subscriber's telephone to a website on the internet maintained by the calling party. The subscriber's handset then downloads the information stored on the calling party's website for display on the subscriber's handset.

Abstract: Location-blocking and identity-blocking services that can be commercially offered by a service promoter, e.g., a cellular service provider or a web advertiser. In the identity-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the current physical location of a mobile subscriber (i.e., a cellular phone operator) to a third party (e.g., a web advertiser) subscribing to the identity-blocking service. However, the service promoter may not send any identity information for the mobile subscriber to the third party. On the other hand, in the location-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the mobile subscriber's identity information to the third party, but not the current physical location of the mobile subscriber. Blocking of the mobile subscriber's identity or location information may be desirable for privacy reasons, to comply with a government regulation, or to implement a telecommunication service option selected by the mobile subscriber.

Abstract: Location-blocking and identity-blocking services that can be commercially offered by a service promoter, e.g., a cellular service provider or a web advertiser. In the identity-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the current physical location of a mobile subscriber (i.e., a cellular phone operator) to a third party (e.g., a web advertiser) subscribing to the identity-blocking service. However, the service promoter may not send any identity information for the mobile subscriber to the third party. On the other hand, in the location-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the mobile subscriber's identity information to the third party, but not the current physical location of the mobile subscriber. Blocking of the mobile subscriber's identity or location information may be desirable for privacy reasons, to comply with a government regulation, or to implement a telecommunication service option selected by the mobile subscriber.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in a user's household in the event of emergency so as to more productively monitor the emergency situation on a real-time basis. The monitoring devices may include a number of multimedia instruments such as a telephone with an answering machine, a computer with a built-in digital camera, a video recording device, a cellular phone with an integrated digital camera, etc. An emergency service provider may remotely activate the monitoring devices in the user's vicinity upon receiving an emergency help request from the user, and receive the information sent by the monitoring devices to enable the service personnel to plan appropriate response to the emergency at hand. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user's vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation.

Abstract: Location-blocking and identity-blocking services that can be commercially offered by a service promoter, e.g., a cellular service provider or a web advertiser. In the identity-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the current physical location of a mobile subscriber (i.e., a cellular phone operator) to a third party (e.g., a web advertiser) subscribing to the identity-blocking service. However, the service promoter may not send any identity information for the mobile subscriber to the third party. On the other hand, in the location-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the mobile subscriber's identity information to the third party, but not the current physical location of the mobile subscriber. Blocking of the mobile subscriber's identity or location information may be desirable for privacy reasons, to comply with a government regulation, or to implement a telecommunication service option selected by the mobile subscriber.

Abstract: Location-blocking and identity-blocking services that can be commercially offered by a service promoter, e.g., a cellular service provider or a web advertiser. In the identity-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the current physical location of a mobile subscriber (i.e., a cellular phone operator) to a third party (e.g., a web advertiser) subscribing to the identity-blocking service. However, the service promoter may not send any identity information for the mobile subscriber to the third party. On the other hand, in the location-blocking service, the service promoter may disclose the mobile subscriber's identity information to the third party, but not the current physical location of the mobile subscriber. Blocking of the mobile subscriber's identity or location information may be desirable for privacy reasons, to comply with a government regulation, or to implement a telecommunication service option selected by the mobile subscriber.

Abstract: A payphone or coin-operated telephone that functions as an information transmittal device that dispenses user-selected information audibly to the user via the speaker in the payphone handset. A variety of information is stored in an information storage unit provided within the payphone unit. The information includes frequently-requested information on topics such as, for example, news, weather, sports, financial market reports, local travel information, local telephone yellow pages, etc. The user of the payphone may incur a nominal charge to retrieve the information from the payphone. A processing unit within the payphone or the information storage unit may update the content of the information with the help of an external information server or the Internet. The information server may be located within a telephone company central office and the central office switch may connect the information server to the processing unit in the payphone for desired data transfer.

Abstract: Providing data services using idle cell capacity in a cellular communications system. The system and method assign priorities to each remote user device in the cellular communications system. In response to a request for service for a remote user device, the mobile switch determines whether an idle channel is available for the remote user device. If no idle channel is available, the mobile switch determines whether a remote use device with a lower priority than the requesting remote user device is using a channel. If a lower priority remote use is using a channel, its call is terminated and the channel is assigned to the requesting remote user device. If no lower priority remote user device is using a channel, the request for service is put into an ordered queue to wait for the next available idle channel.

Abstract: A system and method for providing wireless broadcast on shared channels in a cellular communications system. The system and method in response to a request from a remote user for broadcast service designates a voice channel as a broadcast channel, disables the quality monitoring for the designated broadcast channel, activates the designated broadcast channel, and instructs the requesting remote user to tune to the designated broadcast channel. Each subsequent requesting remote user is also instructed to tune to the same broadcast channel. Similarly, in response to a request from broadcaster, the system and method identifies the remote user to receive the broadcast, designates a voice channel as a broadcast channel, disables the quality monitoring for the designated broadcast channel, activates the designated broadcast channel, and instructs the identified remote users to tune to the designated broadcast channel.

Abstract: A wireless digital personal communications system (or PCS) having a plurality of intelligent base stations and portable handset terminals, each having a predetermined radio cell coverage area. The radio cell, radio-telephone PCS has a full digital network interface. The personal communications system facilitates direct interconnection and switching of PCS call traffic through the digital network interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network. The personal communications system has voice/data/image (or any combination thereof), and incoming and outgoing calling capability. The PCS is fully operational and compatible with any modulation approach selected. The intercell protocol hand-off being provided through distributed logic which is implemented in software that is resident in the intelligent portable handset terminals, in the intelligent base stations, and in the public switched telephone network (or any switched network).

Abstract: A wireless digital personal communications system (or PCS) having a plurality of intelligent base stations and portable handset terminals, each having a predetermined radio cell coverage area. The radio cell, radio-telephone PCS has a full ISDN interface. The personal communications system facilitates direct interconnection and switching of PCS call traffic through the ISDN interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network. The personal communications system has voice/data/image (or any combination thereof), and incoming and outgoing calling capability. The PCS is fully operational and compatible with any modulation approach selected The intercell protocol hand-off being provided through distributed logic which is implemented in software that is resident in the intelligent portable handset terminals, in the intelligent base stations, and in the public switched telephone network (or any switched network).