Associating Metro Street Address Guide (MSAG) validated addresses with geographic map data

• US 20080065628A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Bansal, Ritesh, Byron, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/05 Anti-theft or abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Master Street Address Guide (MSAG)-validated street address data is correlated with real-world geographic (e.g., latitude/longitude) data. Conventional MSAG-validated street address data is processed, or geocoded, into an additional (or integrated) database that associates latitude/longitude information with a particular entry in the existing MSAG-validated database. The association of the lat/lon data may be direct, or indirect using link ID or other unique tags indicating a particular entry in the MSAG-validated database. The geocoding need be performed only once by a service provider, e.g., as part of the deployment of an emergency service system. In this way, the closest public service answering point (PSAP) to a given latitude/longitude position of a wireless or VoIP device may be determined quickly, providing emergency services with the smallest possible reliable response time.

Claims

1. A geocoder device, comprising:

a module to input data from a metro street address guide (MSAG) database;

a module to associate a latitude/longitude location with a plurality of entries in said MSAG database; and

a module to store said associated latitude/longitude location information in a lat/lon association database.

2. The geocoder device according to claim 1, wherein:

said lat/lon association database is integrated with said MSAG database.

3. The geocoder device according to claim 1, wherein:

said lat/lon association database is maintained separate from said MSAG database.

4. The geocoder device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a module to generate street link data from geographic map data; and

a module to assign a unique link ID to each generated street link;

wherein said associated lat/lon association database associates each unique link ID with a latitude/longitude location of a network device.

5. The geocoder device according to claim 4, wherein:

said latitude/longitude location is a location of a center of a respective street link.

6. A lat/lon association database for communication over a phone network, comprising:

a plurality of entries, each of said plurality of entries associating a street link with its latitude/longitude.

7. The lat/lon association database for communication over a phone network according to claim 6, wherein:

said street link is identified by a link ID.

8. The lat/lon association database for communication over a phone network according to claim 6, wherein:

said phone network is an emergency services network.

9. The lat/lon association database for communication over a phone network according to claim 6, wherein:

said phone network is a wireless network.

10. The lat/lon association database for communication over a phone network according to claim 6, wherein:

said phone network is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network.

11. A method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location, comprising:

obtaining a latitude/longitude of an active network device;

determining an addressable street link associated with said obtained latitude/longitude of said active network device; and

searching in a metro street address guide (MSAG) database for a matching MSAG-validated street address entry to said determined addressable street link.

12. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 11, further comprising:

extracting an emergency services number (ESN) associated with said matching MSAG-validated street address entry.

13. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 12, further comprising:

routing a call from said active network device based on said extracted ESN.

14. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 13, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

15. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 13, wherein:

said network device is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device.

16. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 15, wherein:

said VoIP network device is a wireless VoIP network device.

17. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 11, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

18. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 11, wherein:

said network device is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device.

19. The method of determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 18, wherein:

said VoIP device is a VoIP phone.

20. Apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location, comprising:

means for obtaining a latitude/longitude of an active network device;

means for determining an addressable street link associated with said obtained latitude/longitude of said active network device; and

means for searching in a metro street address guide (MSAG) database for a matching MSAG-validated street address entry to said determined addressable street link.

21. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 20, further comprising:

means for extracting an emergency services number (ESN) associated with said matching MSAG-validated street address entry.

22. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for routing a call from said active network device based on said extracted ESN.

23. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 22, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

24. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 22, wherein:

said network device is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device.

25. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 24, wherein:

said VoIP network device is a wireless VoIP network device.

26. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 20, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

27. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 20, wherein:

said network device is a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device.

28. The apparatus for determining a validated entry in a metro street address guide (MSAG) associated with a given geographic location according to claim 27, wherein:

said VoIP device is a VoIP phone.

29. A method to geocode validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data, comprising:

inputing data from a metro street address guide (MSAG) database;

associating a latitude/longitude location with a plurality of entries in said MSAG database; and

storing said associated latitude/longitude location information in a lat/lon association database.

30. The method to geocode validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 29, wherein:

said lat/lon association database is integrated with said MSAG database.

31. The method to geocode validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 30, further comprsing:

maintaining said lat/lon association database separate from said MSAG database.

32. The method to geocode validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 29, further comprising:

generating street link data from geographic map data; and

assigning a unique link ID to each generated street link;

wherein said associated lat/lon association database associates each unique link ID with a latitude/longitude location of a network device.

33. The method to geocode validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 32, wherein:

said latitude/longitude location is a location of a center of a respective street link.

34. Apparatus for geocoding validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data, comprising:

means for inputing data from a metro street address guide (MSAG) database;

means for associating a latitude/longitude location with a plurality of entries in said MSAG database; and

means for storing said associated latitude/longitude location information in a lat/lon association database.

35. The apparatus for geocoding validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 34, wherein:

said lat/lon association database is integrated with said MSAG database.

36. The apparatus for geocoding validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 35, further comprsing:

means for maintaining said lat/lon association database separate from said MSAG database.

37. The apparatus for geocoding validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 34, further comprising:

means for generating street link data from geographic map data; and

means for assigning a unique link ID to each generated street link;

wherein said associated lat/lon association database associates each unique link ID with a latitude/longitude location of a network device.

38. The apparatus for geocoding validated metro street address guide (MSAG) data according to claim 37, wherein:

said latitude/longitude location is a location of a center of a respective street link.