DETERMINATION BY PSAPS OF CALLER LOCATION BASED ON THE WIFI HOT SPOTS DETECTED AND REPORTED BY THE CALLER'S DEVICE(S)

• US 20130122851A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Michaelis, Paul Roller, Mohler, David S., Vick, Jason H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• 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 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 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Location information associated with a wireless access point is used to assist with emergency call routing. Additionally, the location information can be used to assist with determining where an emergency call is physically originating from. This location information is one or more of enterable, detectable and/or populated with the assistance of a location determining device, such as a GPS, associated with the wireless network. The location information can also be dynamic to account for mobile wireless access points, such as a mobile access point provided on public transportation. The location information is also associatiable with an outbound communication, such as an emergency communication, with this location information usable to route the communication to an appropriate entity(ies).

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of a communication originating on a WiFi network comprising:

receiving a communication from a communication device, the communication having associated therewith WiFi network information, the WiFi network information correlatable to or associated with previously stored location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the WiFi network is a wireless data network and the communication device has no GPS functionality and no cellular connectivity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information is included in a SIP message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of:

the location information is dynamically updated as the WiFi network moves;

when relative signal strengths among detected WiFi networks are constant and non-varying, it is assumed a caller is not moving; and

when it is detected that relative signal strengths among detected WiFi networks are changing, such that some signals are getting stronger while others are getting weaker, it is assumed that the caller is moving and a direction of movement can be obtained.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the communication to one or more responsible entities based on the location information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the routing is to a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) and the communication is an emergency communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is further associated with presence information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining one or more available WiFi networks, the WiFi networks each having associated therewith their respective location information and one or more of forwarding this location information to a PSAP and routing an emergency call based on the location information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a cluster of WiFi networks are used to determine one or more of communication routing and caller location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless network location logger records WiFi network locations, the recorded information storable in a WiFi database.

11. A system for determining a location of a communication originating on a WiFi network comprising:

a communication device that initiates a communication, the communication having associated therewith WiFi network information, the WiFi network information correlatable to or associated with previously stored location information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the WiFi network is a wireless data network and the communication device has no GPS functionality and no cellular connectivity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the location information is included in a SIP message.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location information is dynamically updated as the WiFi network moves.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a network resource that routes the communication to one or more responsible entities based on the location information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the routing is to a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) and the communication is an emergency communication.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication is further associated with presence information.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a processor that determines one or more available WiFi networks, the WiFi networks each having associated therewith their respective location information and one or more of forwarding this location information to a PSAP and routing an emergency call based on the location information.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein a cluster of WiFi networks are used to determine one or more of communication routing and caller location.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein a wireless network location logger records WiFi network locations, the recorded information storable in a WiFi database.