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US 8,285,251 B2Granted
Systems and methods for providing wireless account feature notifications to mobile communication devices
AssigneeAT&T Mobility II LLC
InventorsThomas W. Bonner, Ted Stine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for providing wireless account calling feature indications to a device are described. Feature indications are provided to inform a user of the device that an incoming call or outgoing call is eligible for an account calling feature based on whether the conditions for the calling feature to apply are currently met. The feature indications are provided to a display of the device and/or to a speaker of the device.
Claims19
A wireless communications device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor, the memory having stored therein a feature-indication application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining whether a user account feature is applicable to a network service, wherein the network service comprises a call and the user account feature comprises free in-network calling, the determining including:
- searching an address book of the wireless communications device for an entry corresponding to the call;
- and
- checking an in-network flag of the entry to determine whether the call is an in-network call;
- and
- communicating a feature indication, prior to the call being answered, for notifying a user of the wireless communications device that the user account feature applies to a network service provided to the wireless communications device.
6 more elements
A network component comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor and having stored therein computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- receiving information corresponding to a network service to be provided to a first wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device being associated with a first user account, wherein the information includes (i) a first user account identifier for the first user account and (ii) a second user account identifier for a second user account associated with a second wireless communications device in communication with the first wireless communications device via a wireless network;
- querying the database to determine whether the first user account and the second user account have the same home public land network;
- determining, based upon the received information:
- whether an account feature applies to the first user account;
- and
- whether the account feature applies to the network service;
- and
- transmitting an account feature indication to the first wireless communications device if the account feature applies to the first user account and to the network service.
8 more elements
A wireless communications device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor and having stored therein computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining whether a user account feature is applicable to a network service, wherein the network service comprises a call and the user account feature comprises free calling during a specified time period, the determining including:
- obtaining a time from the clock;
- and
- comparing the time to a stored time period indicating when a free-calling feature applies;
- and
- communicating, if it is determined that the user account feature is applicable to the network service, a user feature indication for notifying a user of the wireless communications device that the user account feature applies to the network service provided to the wireless communications device.
6 more elements
A wireless communications device comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory in communication with the processor and having stored therein computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- determining whether a user account feature is applicable to a network service, wherein the network service comprises a call and the user account feature comprises free calling during a specified time period, the determining including:
- obtaining a date from a calendar associated with the wireless device;
- and
- comparing the date to date information indicating when a free calling feature applies;
- and
- communicating, if it is determined that the user feature is applicable to the network service, a user feature indication for notifying a user of the wireless communications device that the user account feature applies to a network service provided to the wireless communications device.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.