Location and events reporting in a wireless telecommunications network

Abstract

A wireless telecommunications network ( 10 ) that is operable to collect and report data relating to the status and use of a wireless phone ( 34 ) or other telecommunications device in near real-time in response to data collection requests made by subscribers or other authorized persons.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:  
     
         1 . A method of collecting and reporting data relating to a telecommunications device served by a network, wherein the network includes a switching center and a control point, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a data collection request relating to the telecommunications device;    (b) setting a trigger in the switching center for the telecommunications device;    (c) launching a query from the switching center to the control point in response to triggering of the trigger;    (d) sending a data collection query from the control point to the switching center in accordance with the data collection request;    (e) sending data relating to the telecommunications device from the switching center in response to the data collection query;    (f) collecting the data relating to the telecommunications device; and    (g) reporting the data.    
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications device is a wireless mobile unit.  
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the data relates to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the data does not relate to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is an origination rigger that is triggered when a communication is originated from the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is a destination trigger that is triggered when a communication is directed to the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         7 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the data collection request specifies a particular type of data to be reported.  
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further including the step of providing a template in the form of a World Wide Web document adapted to facilitate creation and transmittal of the data collection request.  
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further including the step of sorting the data in accordance with the data collection request, wherein such sorting occurs following collecting and prior to reporting the data.  
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the data is reported in the form of a World Wide Web document.  
     
     
         11 . A method of collecting and reporting data relating to a telecommunications device served by a network, wherein the network includes a switching center and a control point, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a data collection request relating to the telecommunications device;    (b) launching a query to the control point;    (c) sending a data collection query from the control point to the switching center in accordance with the data collection request;    (d) collecting data relating to the telecommunications device from the switching center in response to the data collection query; and    (e) reporting the data.    
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the telecommunications device is a wireless mobile unit.  
     
     
         13 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the data relates to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         14 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the data does not relate to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         15 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the data collection request specifies a particular type of data to be reported.  
     
     
         16 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , further including the step of providing a template in the form of a World Wide Web document adapted to facilitate creation and transmittal of the data collection request.  
     
     
         17 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , further including the step of sorting the data in accordance with the data collection request, wherein such sorting occurs following collecting and prior to reporting the data.  
     
     
         18 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the data is reported in the form of a World Wide Web document.  
     
     
         19 . A method of collecting and reporting data relating to a telecommunications device served by a network, wherein the network includes a switching center and a control point, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a template in the form of a World Wide Web document adapted to facilitate creation and transmittal of a data collection request for data relating to the telecommunications device, wherein the data collection request specifies a particular type of data to be reported;    (b) receiving the data collection request relating to the telecommunications device;    (c) launching a query to the control point;    (d) sending a data collection query from the control point to the switching center in accordance with the data collection request;    (e) collecting data relating to the telecommunications device from the switching center in response to the data collection query; and    (f) reporting the data in the form of a World Wide Web document.    
     
     
         20 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the telecommunications device is a wireless mobile unit.  
     
     
         21 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the data relates to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         22 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the data does not relate to active use of the telecommunications device.  
     
     
         23 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , further including the step of sorting the data in accordance with the data collection request, wherein such sorting occurs following collecting and prior to reporting the data.