EMERGENCY CALL METHODOLOGY FOR VOIP COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090252067A1
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Faith Mcgary
• Original Assignee: Faith Mcgary
• Inventors: McGary, Faith
• Application Number:
  US12/362,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252067A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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: 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 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• 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: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A method for determining the location of a VoIP caller includes receiving an emergency call from a VoIP phone from the internet via a VoIP enabling device. A device identifier of the VoIP enabling device through which the call from the VoIP device originated is received. The device identifier is compared against a pre-defined table of device identifiers, where each device identifier in the table has an associated physical location. The physical location of the VoIP enabling device is returned during the call from the VoIP phone.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a VoIP caller, said method comprising the step of:

receiving an emergency call from a VoIP phone, said VoIP phone accessing the internet via a VoIP enabling device;

receiving a device identifier of said VoIP enabling device, through which said call from said VoIP device originated;

comparing said device identifier against a pre-defined table of device identifiers, each device identifier in said table having an associated physical location; and

returning said physical location of said VoIP enabling device during said call from said VoIP phone.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said VoIP enabling device is a WiFi router.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said device identifier is the MAC (Media Access Control) address of said WiFi router.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pre-defined table of device identifiers, includes a table of MAC (Media Access Control) addresses for registered WiFi routers and a corresponding physical location of said registered WiFi routers.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of sending invitations to owners of said WiFi routers requesting their physical locations.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, where in the event said table of MAC address does not include an entry corresponding to the MAC address associated with said incoming VoIP call, further comprising the step of making a record of the transaction and sending an invitation to an owner of said WiFi router requesting its physical location.

7. A method for handling VoIP emergency calls where first and second call-paths are available, said first call-path connecting through the internet and said second call path non connecting through the internet, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an entered dial string for a call from a user of a VoIP device;

parsing said dial string dialed by said user; and

if said user dials an emergency dial string, re-routing said call to the emergency service provider from said first call-path connecting through the internet to said second call-path not connecting through the internet.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said emergency dial string is 9-1-1.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first internet call-path is via a WiFi router.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second non-internet call-path is the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said second non-internet call-path is cellular telephone path.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein if said call is sent via said cellular telephone path, then the originating location of said call is determine using either one of cell tower triangulation or GPS (Global Positioning System).

13. A method for determining the location of a VoIP caller, said method comprising the step of:

receiving an emergency call from a VoIP phone, said VoIP phone accessing the internet via one of a plurality of VoIP enabling devices, where each of said plurality of VoIP enabling devices is within range of said VoIP phone;

receiving device identifiers of said VoIP enabling devices, including both said VoIP enabling device through which said call from said VoIP device originated and at least one other VoIP enabling device which is not used for the call handling;

receiving signal strength indications from said VoIP enabling devices through which said call from said VoIP device originated and said at least one other VoIP enabling device which is not used for the call handling;

comparing said signal strengths of said VoIP enabling devices through which said call from said VoIP device originated and said at least one other VoIP enabling device which is not used for the call handling; and

determining a location of said VoIP phone based on the VoIP enabling device that has the highest signal strength.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, where said step of determining said location is performed by comparing a device identifier against a pre-defined table of device identifiers, each device identifier in said table having an associated physical location.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said step of determining a location of said VoIP phone based on the VoIP enabling device that has the highest signal strength is done based on said VoIP enabling device that is not used for the call handling.