System and method for providing location based E-911 of network access devices registered with a network gateway

• US 20090086932A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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

A system and method for providing location information to a public safety answering point may include registering network access points with a gateway. The registration may include address location of each network access point to enable the gateway to look-up and communicate the address location of a registered network access point during an emergency 911 call. The network access points may be WiFi access points. The network access point address location information may be communicated using a type II caller ID data packets after the public safety answering point goes off-hook. By communicating both the access point address information and GPS location information, PSAPs that are configured as E911 Phase I and E911 Phase II may display address information of an emergency 911 caller.

Claims

1. A system for providing address location information to a public safety answering point during a wireless 911 call, said system comprising:

a plurality of network access points configured to receive calls from wireless devices;

a gateway in communication with said network access points, said gateway including;

a controller configured to receive communications from said network access points; and

an interpreter configured to interpret first signals having a protocol for communication over a first network into second signals having a protocol for communication over a second network, the second signals being communicated over the second network on which public safety answering points operating to service emergency 911 calls are operating;

a first database in communication with said gateway and configured to store network address information of selective routers associated with the public safety answering points; and

a second database in communication with said gateway and configured to store address location information of said network access points, said gateway configured to receive an emergency 911 call and, in response to receiving the emergency 911 call, (i) determine network address information of a selective router associated with a public safety answering point operating to service emergency 911 calls for an area in which said network access points are operating, (ii) determine an address location of the network access point that received the emergency 911 call, and (iii) send the address location of the network access point to the public safety answering point.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to receive a registration of each of said network access points, the registrations providing address location information of each of said network access points.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the address location information includes particular locations within buildings in which each respective network access point is operating.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said gateway is further configured to receive an abbreviated dialing code from the network access point that received the emergency 911 call and, in response to receiving the abbreviated dialing code, determine the address location of the network access point by sending a request for the network access point to said second database.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is further configured (i) to receive a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook in response to receiving a call signal from the gateway and (ii) to send the address location of the network access point in a type II caller ID data packet to the public safety answering point.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is further configured to receive GPS coordinates from the wireless device that placed the emergency 911 call and communicate the GPS coordinates to the public safety answering point.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network access points are WiFi network access points.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said network access points are configured to receive 911 DTMF signals and, in response, generate an abbreviated dialing code signal to notify said gateway that an emergency 911 call is being placed.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second database is configured to store address location information particular about the address location of each network access point depending on the type of building the respective network access point is located, and said gateway is further configured to format a type II caller ID data packet with the address location information of the network access point that received the emergency 911 call based on the type of building the respective network access point is located.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the address location information is a particular gate within an airport terminal building and wherein the gate is included in a field within the type II caller ID data packet.

11. A method for providing address location information to a public safety answering point during a wireless 911 call, said method comprising:

registering address location information of a plurality of network access points;

receiving a call from a wireless device via a network access point of the network access points;

determining, in response to receiving an emergency 911 call, that the call is an emergency 911 call;

requesting address information of a selective router associated with a public safety answering point operating to service emergency 911 calls from the network access point;

establishing a call with the public safety answering point via the selective router;

in response to receiving a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook, determining an address location of the network access point that received the emergency 911 call from the registered location information of the network access points; and

sending the address location of the network access point to the public safety answering point.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein registering the address location information includes storing address location information of each of said network access points in a database.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein registering the address location information includes storing particular locations within buildings in which each respective network access point is operating.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising receiving an abbreviated dialing code from the network access point that received the emergency 911 call and, in response to receiving the abbreviated dialing code, determining the registered address location of the network access point.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising (i) receiving a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook in response to receiving a call signal from the gateway and (ii) sending the address location of the network access point in a type II caller ID data packets to the public safety answering point.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving GPS coordinates from the wireless device that placed the emergency 911 call and communicating the GPS coordinates to the public safety answering point.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein registering includes registering address location information of WiFi network access points.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising storing address location information particular about the address location of each network access point depending on the type of building the respective network access point is located, and formatting a type II caller ID data packet with the address location information of the network access point that received the emergency 911 call based on the type of building the respective network access point is located.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein formatting the type II caller ID data packet includes including an indicia of a name of shopping location, floor number, and map code.

19. The method according to claim 19, wherein formatting the type II caller ID data packet includes including an indicia of a particular gate within an airport terminal building within a field within the type II caller ID data packet.