Method and apparatus for providing E911 services via network announcements

• US 20070201433A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Croak, Marian, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• 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 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing emergency services, e.g., E911 services, for nomadic users by utilizing network announcements to remind customers to update location information used to provide services on packet networks, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks, are disclosed. For example, the method enables the VoIP or SoIP service provider to detect a change in the IP address associated with either the broadband modem or the router through which a terminal adaptor is used to access services when a customer is logging on from a new location. In turn, the method sends a reminder network announcement message to the terminal adaptor, e.g., to be played when the terminal adaptor goes off-hook.

Claims

1. A method for providing an emergency service in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a request from a customer for accessing at least one service;

detecting a change in an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said customer; and

sending a reminder network announcement to said customer to provide an update relating to location information of said customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network or a Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one service comprises at least one of:

a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service or a Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said IP address relates to a sub network IP address of a Terminal Adaptor (TA).

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if said TA is off-hook; and

playing said reminder network announcement if said TA is off-hook.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said sub network IP address of said Terminal Adaptor comprises at least one:

an IP address of said TA, an IP address of a modem, or an IP address of a router.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said modem comprises a broadband access modem.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said broadband access modem comprises at least one of:

a cable modem or a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said emergency service is an E911 service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said update relating to said location information from said customer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

validating said update relating to said location information received from said customer.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

deactivating said reminder network announcement when said update relating to said location information is received from said customer.

13. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing an emergency service in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a request from a customer for accessing at least one service;

detecting a change in an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said customer; and

sending a reminder network announcement to said customer to provide an update relating to location information of said customer.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said communication network is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network or a Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said IP address relates to a sub network IP address of a Terminal Adaptor (TA).

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining if said TA is off-hook; and

playing said reminder network announcement if said TA is off-hook.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said sub network IP address of said Terminal Adaptor comprises at least one:

an IP address of said TA, an IP address of a modem, or an IP address of a router.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said modem comprises a broadband access modem.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said emergency service is an E911 service.

20. A system for providing an emergency service in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a customer for accessing at least one service;

means for detecting a change in an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with said customer; and

means for sending a reminder network announcement to said customer to provide an update relating to location information of said customer.