FAULT ROUTING OF AN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION

• US 20130051213A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaushal, Arvind, Boone, Jon, Sherman, Brett
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• 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 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to routing of an emergency communication under fault conditions. Routing can be implemented in a packet-switching (PS) network that provides voice service. For a network node of the PS network, availability to route the emergency communication through a specific emergency service routing number (ESRN) can be determined and, in response to the network node being unavailable, administrative data associated with the ESRN can be accessed. In addition, an identifier associated with the administrative data can be updated (e.g., created or modified) with data indicative of the device that originated the emergency communication. The administrative data and the resulting identifier can be delivered to a second network node that can route the emergency communication to an emergency service network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, at a first network node, unavailability of a second network node for an emergency service routing number (ESRN) related to an emergency communication;

querying, at the first network node, a database for administrative data associated with the ESRN, in response to the second network node being unavailable for the ESRN;

updating, at the first network node, an identifier associated with the administrative data with data indicative of a user device originating the emergency communication; and

delivering, by the first network node, the updated identifier in a session initiation message to the second network node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the first network node, the session initiation message with the administrative data to the second network node, wherein the administrative data comprises a number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying step is performed in response to the second network node being unavailable, and wherein the updating step comprises configuring a metadata tag to convey the data indicative of the user device originating the emergency communication, wherein the administrative data comprises a number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

delivering, by the first network node, a first session initiation message to the second network node, the first session initiation message comprising the ESRN and a first trunk group number associated with a public safety answering point (PSAP), the first trunk group number being related to the ESRN; and

receiving, by the first network node, a second initiation message from the second network node, the second initiation message having a second trunk group number different from the first trunk number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first session initiation message is a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE message.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second session initiation message is a SIP INVITE message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first session initiation message and the second initiation message are both SIP INVITE messages.

8. A method, comprising:

determining, by a first network node, unavailability of a second network node for an emergency service routing number (ESRN) related to an emergency communication;

querying, by the first network node, a database for administrative data associated with the ESRN;

updating, by the first network node, an identifier associated with the administrative data with data indicative of a user device originating the emergency communication; and

delivering, by the first network node, the updated identifier in a session initiation message to a third network node.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising delivering the session initiation message with the administrative data to the third network node.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the querying step is performed in response to the second network node being unavailable, and wherein the updating step comprises configuring a metadata tag to convey the data indicative of the user device originating the emergency communication.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises:

delivering, by the first network node, a first session initiation message to the second network node, the first session initiation message comprising a first trunk group number associated with a public safety answering point (PSAP), the first trunk group number being related to the ESRN; and

receiving, by the first network node, a second initiation message from the second network node, the second initiation message having a trunk group number disparate from the first number.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory comprising computer-executable instructions; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory and configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to

determine unavailability of a first network node for an emergency service routing number (ESRN) related to an emergency communication;

query a database for administrative data associated with the ESRN;

update an identifier associated with the administrative data with data indicative of a user device originating the emergency communication, wherein the update yields an updated identifier; and

deliver the updated identifier in a session initiation message to a second network node.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to deliver the session initiation message with the administrative data to the second network node, wherein the administrative data comprises a 10-digit contingency routing number (CRN), and wherein the processor is configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to query the database for the administrative data associated with the ESRN in response to the first network node being unavailable for the ESRN, and.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein to determine unavailability of the first network node for the ESRN, the processor is further configured, by the computer-executable instructions, to:

deliver a first session initiation message to the second network node, the first session initiation message comprising a first trunk group number associated with a public safety answering point (PSAP), the first trunk group number being related to the ESRN; and

receive a second initiation message from the second network node, the second initiation message having a second trunk group number different from the first trunk group number.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first session initiation message is a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE message.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second session initiation message is a SIP INVITE message.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first session initiation message and the second initiation message are both SIP INVITE messages.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first network node is the same as the second network node, wherein the first network node is a call management server (CMS).

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first network node is a call management server (CMS) and the second network node is a session border controller (SBC).

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the database is an intelligent routing database (IRDB).