Method and apparatus for providing enhanced communication capability for mobile devices on a virtual private network

Abstract

A communication system has a cellular telephony interface in individual ones of two or more mobile vehicles, a position determination system in individual ones of the mobile vehicles, a network of cellular base stations coupled to the mobile vehicles, individual base stations coupled to one or both of a packet-switched or a line-switched telephony system, a router coupled to the base stations and enabled to retrieve GPS position from the telephony events, and a plurality of service centers coupled to one or both of the telephony systems. Telephony events from individual ones of the mobile vehicles are routed according to position reported by the position determination system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication transaction router, comprising:
 a port receiving communication transactions from mobile units, the transactions including information regarding position of the mobile units initiating the transactions; 
 one or more ports to a network for routing transactions to individual ones of a plurality of service centers; and 
 an information repository storing information regarding individual ones of the plurality of service centers, the information accessible to the transaction router; 
 wherein the information regarding position of the mobile units and the information regarding individual ones of the plurality of service centers is accessed and used by the routing intelligence in routing transactions. 
 
     
     
       2. The transaction router of  claim 1  wherein the communication transactions from mobile units are telephone transactions. 
     
     
       3. The transaction router of  claim 1  wherein the information regarding position of the mobile units is Global Positioning System (GPS) position indication appended to the transactions. 
     
     
       4. The transaction router of  claim 1  wherein the information regarding individual ones of the plurality of service centers includes global position of the service centers, and the information regarding position of the mobile units is global position of the mobile units, and transactions are routed according to proximity of the mobile units to service centers. 
     
     
       5. The transaction router of  claim 1  wherein the ports to a network for routing transactions connect to a packet-switched network. 
     
     
       6. The transaction router of  claim 1  wherein the ports to a network for routing transactions connect to a line-switched network. 
     
     
       7. The transaction router of  claim 1  further comprising a facility for interacting with a caller to determine a purpose for the call, wherein the purpose determined and the position are both used to route the call to an individual one of the plurality of service centers. 
     
     
       8. A communication transaction router, comprising:
 a port for receiving communication transactions from mobile units, the transactions including information regarding position of the mobile units;   one or more ports to a network for routing transactions to individual ones of a plurality of service centers; and   an information repository storing information regarding individual ones of the plurality of service centers,   wherein the information regarding the position of the mobile units and the information regarding the individual ones of the plurality of service centers is accessed and used in routing transactions.   
     
     
       9. A routing system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:   receive transactions from a mobile unit, the transactions comprising position information of the mobile unit;   store information regarding a plurality of service centers; and   determine a destination for the transactions from among the plurality of service centers based on the position information and the information regarding the plurality of service centers.   
     
     
       10. The routing system of claim 9, wherein the transactions are telephone transactions. 
     
     
       11. The routing system of claim 9, wherein the position information comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) information of the mobile unit. 
     
     
       12. The routing system of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the plurality of service centers comprises a global position of each of the service centers and the position information comprises a global position of the mobile unit, and wherein the destination for the transactions is determined according to proximity of the mobile unit to a respective one of the service centers. 
     
     
       13. The routing system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to access information regarding a purpose of an individual transaction, and wherein the destination for the individual transaction is determined based on the position information and the information regarding the purpose of the transaction. 
     
     
       14. A method for routing transactions, the method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, transactions from a mobile unit, the transactions comprising position information of the mobile unit;   storing, by the one or more processors, information regarding a plurality of service centers; and   determining, by the one or more processors, a destination for the transactions from among the plurality of service centers based on the position information and the information regarding the plurality of service centers.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transactions are telephone transactions. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 14, wherein the position information comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) information of the mobile unit. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 14, wherein the information regarding the plurality of service centers comprises a global position of each of the service centers and the position information comprises a global position of the mobile unit, and wherein the destination for the transactions is determined according to proximity of the mobile unit to a respective one of the service centers. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 14, further comprising accessing information regarding a purpose of an individual transaction, and determining the destination for the individual transaction based on the position information and the information regarding the purpose of the transaction.