Method and apparatus for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN
First Claim
1. An endpoint telephone device for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN comprising:
- a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
a telephone line interface to be connected to a telephone line;
a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set; and
a controller configured to receive information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service on the packet network interface where required, to sense the telephone line interface to verify accessibility to emergency service over the telephone line interface, and to route or restrict calls dependent on the information and sensed accessibility.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The Federal Communications Commission Order 05-116, E911 Requirements for IP-Enabled Service Providers, (FCC Order) requires interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers to deliver all emergency service calls to a VoIP service user'"'"'s local emergency service operator as a standard feature of the service. Under the FCC Order, VoIP service providers must supply emergency service if the VoIP service user accesses the VoIP service over broadband and if the VoIP service provider interconnects to and from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Embodiments of the present invention guarantee compliance with the FCC Order by routing a call as either a VoIP call over the Internet or as a conventional call over the PSTN, verifying that at least one of the VoIP or PSTN telephony connections supports emergency service and routing calls over that connection or, if there is no connection supplying emergency service, restricting calling over the VoIP connection.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. An endpoint telephone device for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN comprising:
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a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
a telephone line interface to be connected to a telephone line;
a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set; and
a controller configured to receive information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service on the packet network interface where required, to sense the telephone line interface to verify accessibility to emergency service over the telephone line interface, and to route or restrict calls dependent on the information and sensed accessibility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN comprising:
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providing a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
providing a telephone line interface to be connected to a telephone line;
providing a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set;
receiving information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service over the packet network interface where required;
sensing the telephone line interface to verify accessibility to emergency service over the telephone line interface; and
routing or restricting calls dependent on the information and sensed accessibility. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An endpoint telephone device for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP comprising:
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a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set; and
a controller configured to receive information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service on the packet network interface where required and to route or restrict calls dependent on the information. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP comprising:
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providing a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
providing a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set;
receiving information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service over the packet network interface where required;
routing or restricting calls dependent on the information. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method for ensuring accessibility to emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN comprising:
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configuring an account of a VoIP service user of a VoIP service provider for emergency service;
registering an endpoint telephone device of the VoIP service user with the VoIP service provider;
sensing whether emergency service is available over a telephone line interface and notifying the VoIP service provider of the sensed availability;
notifying the endpoint telephone device whether the VoIP service provider is required to supply emergency service to the endpoint telephone device;
notifying the endpoint telephone device whether the VoIP service user'"'"'s account is configured for VoIP emergency service;
notifying the endpoint telephone device whether the VoIP service provider supplies emergency service to the endpoint telephone device; and
routing calls over the packet network interface or over telephone line interface dependent on the information conveyed by the sensing and notifying. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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47. An endpoint telephone device for ensuring emergency service via VoIP or via PSTN comprising:
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means for providing a packet network interface to be connected to a packet network;
means for providing a telephone line interface to be connected to a telephone line;
means for providing a telephone set interface to be connected to a telephone set;
means for receiving information from a VoIP service provider indicating accessibility of emergency service over the packet network interface where required;
means for sensing the telephone line interface to verify accessibility to emergency service over the telephone line interface; and
means for routing or restricting calls dependent on the information and sensed accessibility
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Specification