METHODS AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE ENHANCED 911 (E911) SERVICES FOR NOMADIC USERS

• US 20090003312A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Velazquez, Leonardo, Rys, Stephen, Lenhart, Sandra C., Gopal, Sudha
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide enhanced 911 (E911) services for nomadic users are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device and a media access control (MAC) address associated with the VoIP device, detecting when the VoIP device is outside an access network based on the MAC address and the IP address, prompting a user of the VoIP device to provide geographic location information for the VoIP device when the VoIP device is outside the access network, and updating enhanced 911 (E911) information for the VoIP device based on the geographic location information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device and a media access control (MAC) address associated with the VoIP device;

detecting when the VoIP device is outside an access network based on the MAC address and the IP address;

prompting a user of the VoIP device to provide geographic location information for the VoIP device when the VoIP device is outside the access network; and

updating enhanced 911 (E911) information for the VoIP device based on the geographic location information.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the VoIP device is outside the access network when the VoIP device is not communicatively coupled to a VoIP service network via the access network, the VoIP service network to provide a VoIP service to the VoIP device.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the access network is operated by a service provider operating the VoIP service network.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the VoIP device is communicatively coupled to the VoIP service network via a second access network when the VoIP device is outside the access network, and wherein the IP address is assigned by the second access network.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the second access network is operated by a different service provider.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting when the VoIP device is inside the access network based on the MAC address and the IP address; and

updating E911 information for the VoIP endpoint automatically based on the MAC address and the IP address when the VoIP device is inside the access network without prompting the user of the VoIP device to provide the geographic location information.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the VoIP device is inside the access network when the VoIP device is communicatively coupled to a VoIP service network via the access network, the VoIP service network to provide a VoIP service to the VoIP device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein detecting when the VoIP device is outside the access network comprises:

determining whether the MAC address was previously associated with the IP address;

determining whether the IP address is listed in a database of IP addresses associated with the access network when the MAC address was not previously associated with the IP address; and

prompting the user of the VoIP device to provide geographic location information for the VoIP device when the MAC address was not previously associated with the IP address and when the IP address is not listed in the database of known IP addresses.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising adding the IP address and the received geographic location information to the database of known IP addresses.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein determining whether the IP address is listed in the database of known IP addresses comprises performing a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) query.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising updating E911 information for the VoIP endpoint automatically based on the MAC address and the IP address when the IP address is listed in the database of known IP addresses.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the database of known IP addresses includes known roaming locations.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the IP address and the MAC address are received during a VoIP device registration.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving the geographic location information from the VoIP device.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the geographic location information is received via at least one of an interactive voice response (IVR) system or a web-based interface.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the E911 information for the VoIP endpoint can be used to determine a geographic location of the VoIP device.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a protocol messaging interface to receive an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) device and a media access control (MAC) address of the VoIP device;

a location identifier to detect when the VoIP device is outside an access network based on the MAC address and the IP address;

a user interface to prompt a user of the VoIP device to provide geographic location information for the VoIP device when the VoIP device is outside the access network; and

a location information server (LIS) database interface to update enhanced 911 (E911) information for the VoIP device based on the geographic location information.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the protocol messaging interface comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) interface.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the VoIP device is outside the access network when the VoIP device is not communicatively coupled to a VoIP service network via the access network, the VoIP service network to provide a VoIP service to the VoIP device.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the VoIP device is communicatively coupled to the VoIP service network via a second access network when the VoIP device is outside the access network, the IP address is assigned by the second access network.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein the access network and the second access networks are operated by different service providers.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the location identifier is to detect when the VoIP device is inside the access network based on the MAC address and the IP address, and the LIS interface is to update E911 information for the VoIP endpoint automatically based on the MAC address and the IP address when the VoIP device is inside the access network without prompting the user of the VoIP device to provide the geographic location information.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the VoIP device is inside the access network when the VoIP device is communicatively coupled to a VoIP service network via the access network, the VoIP service network to provide a VoIP service to the VoIP device.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising:

an address comparer to determine whether the MAC address was previously associated with the IP address; and

a database interface to compare the IP address with a database of IP addresses associated with the access network to determine when the VoIP device is outside the access network

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the VoIP device is outside the access network when the IP address is not listed in the database of known IP addresses.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein database interface comprises a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server interface.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises an interface to at least one of an interactive voice response (IVR) system or a web-based interface.

28-41. -41. (canceled)