System and Method for Providing Location Information to a Public Safety Answering Point During an Emergency 911 Call From a WiFi Handset

• US 20130012156A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar N., Chakravarthy, Cadathur V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/5116 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 4/90 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

Abstract

A system and method for providing location information to a public safety answering point may include receiving, at a network access point, an emergency 911 call signal including GPS location information and mobile directory number of a wireless device. The GPS location information and mobile directory information may be communicated to a selective router associated with a public safety access point servicing an area including the network access point. The network access point may be a WiFi access point. The access point address information may be communicated using a type II caller ID data packet after the public safety answering point goes off-hook. By communicating both the access point address information and GPS location information, both PSAPs that are configured as E911 Phase I and E911 Phase II may display address location information of an emergency 911 caller.

Claims

1. A system for providing location information to a public-safety answering point during an emergency 911 call, the system comprising:

a network access point configured to;

store location information about a physical location associated with a wireless device;

receive an emergency 911 call from the wireless device;

in response to receiving the emergency 911 call, generate a modified caller identification frequency shift keying (CIFSK) signal containing the physical address information of the network access point, wherein generating a modified CIFSK signal comprises;

retrieving the stored location information; and

modifying the CIFSK signal by replacing data in one or more call identification information data fields with the retrieved location information, the physical address information comprising street number and name; and

transmit the generated CIFSK signal to cause a public safety answering point (PSAP) receiving the emergency 911 call to display the physical address.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network access point comprises a WiFi access point, and wherein the wireless device is a WiFi enabled wireless device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stored location information comprises physical address information about a physical location of the network access point.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the network access point is configured to receive GPS location information and a mobile directory number from the wireless device during the emergency 911 call, the GPS location information identifying a location of the wireless device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the stored location information comprises the GPS location information.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the stored location information further comprises physical address information about a physical location of the network access point.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the network access point is further configured to communicate the GPS location information, mobile directory number, and port ID information of the network access point during the emergency 911 call.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the system communicates the GPS location information and the mobile directory number while the PSAP is on-hook.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the modified CIFSK signal comprises a type II caller ID data packet.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller in communication with the network access point and configured to receive information associated with the wireless device from the network access point;

a database in communication with the controller, the database including network address information of selective routers through which information is communicated to public safety answering points; and

a gateway in communication with the database, the gateway in communication with a network on which the selective routers are operating;

wherein

the controller configured to request, from the database, selective router information identifying a selective router through which information is to be sent to a public safety answering point servicing an area including the network access point during the emergency 911 call.

11. A method for providing location information to a public safety answering point, the method comprising:

storing, at a network access point, location information about a physical location associated with a wireless device.

receiving an emergency 911 call from the wireless device;

in response to receiving the emergency 911 call, generating a modified caller identification frequency shift keying (CIFSK) signal containing the physical address information of the network access point, wherein generating a modified CIFSK signal comprises;

retrieving the stored location information; and

modifying the CIFSK signal by replacing data in one or more call identification information data fields with the retrieved location information, the physical address information comprising street number and name; and

transmitting the generated CIFSK signal to cause a public safety answering point (PSAP) receiving the emergency 911 call to display the physical address.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the network access point comprises a WiFi access point, and wherein the wireless device is a WiFi enabled wireless device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the stored location information comprises physical address information about a physical location of the network access point.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the network access point, GPS location information and a mobile directory number from the wireless device during the emergency 911 call, the GPS location information identifying a location of the wireless device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the stored location information comprises the GPS location information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the stored location information further comprises physical address information about a physical location of the network access point.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

communicating the GPS location information, mobile directory number, and port ID information of the network access point during the emergency 911 call.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

communicating the GPS location information and the mobile directory number while the PSAP is on-hook.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the modified CIFSK signal comprises a type II caller ID data packet.

20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at a controller in communication with the network access point, information associated with the wireless device from the network access point;

storing, at a database in communication with the controller, network address information of selective routers through which information is communicated to public safety answering points; and

requesting, with the controller and from the database, selective router information identifying a selective router through which information is to be sent to a public safety answering point servicing an area including the network access point during the emergency 911 call.