Method and apparatus for locating a communication device using local area network switch information

• US 20020150086A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bishop, Fred, Bailey, William B., Swanson, Edward W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

The present invention includes a system and method for using Local Area Network (LAN) switch information of an internet protocol phone to determine the location of the internet protocol phone. The internet protocol phone communicates with a server and receives a dynamic internet protocol address. The internet protocol phone further communicates with a second server to receive LAN switch information for the internet protocol phone. The internet protocol phone transmits the dynamic internet protocol address and LAN switch information to a phone management module. The phone management module queries a LAN switch in order to gather further LAN switch information for the internet protocol phone. The phone management module transmits the dynamic internet protocol address and LAN switch information to a third party in order to more accurately determine the location of a user using the internet protocol phone.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device capable of communication with a service, wherein the service assigns a protocol address to the communication device; and

a communication device management module in communication with the communication device for facilitating registration of the communication device with the communication device management module, wherein the communication device management module receives at least one of the protocol address and Local Area Network switch information in order to locate the communication device.

2. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a MIB structure on a LAN switch coupled to the communication device and the communication device management module to aid in providing at least one of the protocol address and the LAN switch information associated with the communication device to at least one of the communication device management module and the communication device.

3. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the User to User Identification field of a user identification record associated with the communication device to a third party in order to locate the communication device.

4. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the Calling Line Identification field of a user identification record associated with the communication device to a third party in order to locate the communication device.

5. A communication system, comprising:

an internet protocol capable of communication with a service, wherein the service dynamically assigns an internet protocol address to the internet protocol phone; and

a phone management module in communication with the internet protocol phone for registering the internet protocol phone with the phone management module, wherein the phone management module receives Local Area Network switch information in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

6. The communication system of claim 5, further comprising that the Local Area Network switch information may be further transmitted to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

7. The communication system of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the Calling Line Identification field of a user identification record associated with the internet protocol phone to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

8. The communication system of claim 5, further comprising transmitting the User to User Identification field of a user identification record associated with the internet protocol phone to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

9. A method of facilitating locating a communication device, comprising the steps of:

registering at least one of the protocol address and LAN switch information associated with the communication device with a communication device management module; and

using at least one of the protocol address and LAN switch information to locate the communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of creating a MIB structure on the LAN switch to aid in providing at least one of the protocol address and the LAN switch information associated with the communication device to the communication device management module.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

gathering the protocol address and LAN switch information associated with the communication device;

retrieving at least one of the protocol address and the LAN switch information from the MIB structure; and

providing at least one of the protocol address and the LAN switch information to the communication device management module via a user identification record associated with the communication device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the User to User Identification field of a user identification record associated with the communication device to a third party in order to locate the communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the Calling Line Identification field of a user identification record associated with the communication device to a third party in order to locate the communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

gathering the dynamic internet protocol address and Local Area Network switch information associated with the internet protocol phone; and

querying a LAN switch in order to retrieve and register the LAN switch information associated with the internet protocol phone with the phone management module.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the Calling Line Identification field of a user identification record associated with the internet protocol phone to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the User to User Identification field of a user identification record associated with the internet protocol phone to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

14. A method of facilitating locating an internet protocol phone, comprising the steps of:

registering the internet protocol phone with a phone management module, wherein the phone management module receives at least one of the dynamic internet protocol address and Local Area Network switch information associated with the internet protocol phone from the internet protocol phone; and

transmitting at least one of the dynamic internet protocol address and the Local Area Network switch information from at least one of the phone management module and the communication device to a third party in order to locate the internet protocol phone.

18. A communication system, comprising:

a communication device having an associated protocol, wherein the associated protocol is transmitted via a network in order to facilitate the location of the communication device.

19. A method for facilitating the location of a communication device, comprising the step of:

receiving at least one of a protocol associated with the communication device and LAN switch information associated with the communication device via a network to facilitate locating the communication device.