Method for routing an emergency call from a voice over internet protocol phone to a public safety answering point

• US 20050213565A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., Mahajan, Sanjeev, Ruggerio, Raymond Leroy, McRoberts, Thomas Lee, Barclay, Deborah Lewandowski
• Application Number:
  US10/811,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213565A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone to a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). A VoIP service provider receives an emergency call request from a VoIP phone. The VoIP service provider identifies the location of the VoIP phone. The VoIP service provider determines a PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone, and routes the emergency call request to the PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone.

Claims

1. A method for routing an emergency call from a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), the method comprising:

receiving an emergency call request from a VoIP phone at a VoIP service provider;

determining a PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone; and

routing the emergency call request to the PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone.

2. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising the step of identifying the location of the VoIP phone.

3. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 2, wherein the step of identifying the location of the VoIP phone comprises associating the VoIP phone with a customer premises address.

4. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of associating the VoIP phone with an address comprises associating a customer modem MAC address with the customer premises address.

5. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of associating the VoIP phone with an address comprises associating a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) line number with the customer premises address.

6. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining a PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone comprises retrieving a PSAP routing number from a table, and wherein the PSAP routing number is in the same record as the VoIP phone.

7. A method for routing an emergency call from a VoIP phone to a PSAP in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of determining a PSAP associated with the location of the VoIP phone is done prior to the step of receiving an emergency call request from a VoIP phone.

8. A method for identifying a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone, the method comprising:

determining a location associated with the VoIP phone; and

determining a preferred PSAP for the VoIP phone.

9. A method for identifying a PSAP for a VoIP phone in accordance with claim 8, wherein the step of determining a preferred PSAP for the VoIP phone comprises choosing the PSAP that is located closest to the location associated with the VoIP Phone.

10. A method for registering a VoIP phone for emergency service, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for VoIP service from for a VoIP phone;

storing an identifier for the VoIP phone;

determining an address for the VoIP phone; and

determining a PSAP for the address utilizing the address for the VoIP phone.

11. A method for registering a VoIP phone for emergency service in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of storing an identifier for the VoIP phone comprises storing a customer modem MAC address of the VoIP phone.

12. A method for registering a VoIP phone for emergency service in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of storing an identifier for the VoIP phone comprises storing a DSL line number of the VoIP phone.