Emergency alert for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)

• US 20070047692A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Don Mitchell, Jonathan Croy, Richard Dickinson
• Original Assignee: Don Mitchell, Jonathan Croy, Richard Dickinson
• Inventors: Croy, Jonathan, Mitchell, Don, Dickinson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/41
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/52 Telephonic communication in combination with fax communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• 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: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC) is implemented in configuration with support from a text-to-voice module, emergency routing database, and VoIP switching points (VSPs) to allow a public safety access point (PSAP) or other emergency center to effectively communicate the nature of an emergency alert notification and the area of notification to the VoIP positioning center (VPC). The inventive VPC in turn determines which phones (including wireless and/or VoIP phones) are currently in the area for notification, and reliably and quickly issues the required warning to all affected wireless and VoIP phones.

Claims

1. A method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

receiving either voice or text data as an emergency alert message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

converting said text data into voice data; and

routing said voice data to each of said plurality of phones determined to be within said given geographical region.

2. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a target list of phones to be alerted based on said passed given geographical region.

3. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 2, wherein:

said VPC determines which phones are in said target list of phones to be alerted.

4. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 3, wherein:

said VPC determines which phones are in said target list of phones to be alerted, using an emergency routing database (ERDB).

5. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said phones are voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

7. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said emergency alert message comprises data.

8. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said data is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

9. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said information defining said given geographical region is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

6.

10. Apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

means for receiving voice or text data as an emergency alert message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

means for receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

means for converting said text data into voice data; and

means for routing said voice data to each of said plurality of phones determined to be within said given geographical region.

11. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for determining a target list of phones to be alerted based on said passed given geographical region.

12. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 11, wherein:

said VPC determines which phones are in said target list of phones to be alerted.

13. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 12, wherein:

said VPC determines which phones are in said target list of phones to be alerted, using an emergency routing database (ERDB).

14. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, wherein:

said phones are voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

15. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, wherein:

said emergency alert message comprises text data.

16. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, wherein:

said voice or text data is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

17. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, wherein:

said information defining said given geographical region is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

18. A method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

receiving as a first input an emergency alert message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

receiving as a second input information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

converting said received emergency alert message into VoIP data; and

routing said VoIP data to each of said plurality of phones determined to be within said given geographical region.

19. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving as a third input an expiration time of said received emergency alert message.

20. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving as a third input a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert message to any given one of said plurality of phones.

23. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for receiving as a third input an expiration time of said received emergency alert message.

24. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for receiving as a third input a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert message to any given one of said plurality of phones.

21. The method to alert a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 21, further comprising:

receiving as a fourth input a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert message to any given one of said plurality of phones.

22. Apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

means for receiving as a first input an emergency alert message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

means for receiving as a second input information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

means for converting said received emergency alert message into VoIP data; and

means for routing said VoIP data to each of said plurality of phones determined to be within said given geographical region.

25. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for receiving as a fourth input a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert message to any given one of said plurality of phones.