EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CALLING FOR VOICE OVER IP COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

• US 20130329864A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digifonica (International) Limited (VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: BJRSELL, JOHAN EMIL VIKTOR, Sobolyev, Maksym
• Granted Patent: US 9,565,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• 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 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• 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

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a process for handling emergency calls from a caller in a voice over IP system is described. The process involves receiving a routing request message including a caller identifier and a callee identifier. The process also involves setting an emergency call flag active in response to the callee identifier matching an emergency call identifier pre-associated with the caller. The process further involves producing an emergency response center identifier in response to the emergency call identifier. The process also involves determining whether the caller identifier is associated with a pre-associated direct inward dialing (DID) identifier. The process further involves producing a direct inward dialing (DID) identifier for the caller by associating a temporary DID identifier with the caller identifier when the emergency call flag is active and it is determined that the caller has no pre-associated DID. The process also involves producing a routing message including the emergency response center identifier and the temporary DID identifier for receipt by a routing controller operable to cause a route to be established between the caller and the emergency response center.

Claims

1. A process for routing emergency communications having a caller identifier associated with a caller and a callee identifier associated with a callee, the process comprising:

using the caller identifier to identify a dialing profile associated with the caller, said dialing profile including an emergency call identifier and an emergency response center identifier associated with the caller;

when said callee identifier matches said emergency call identifier;

producing a routing message for receipt by a call controller operable to cause a route to be established between the caller and an emergency response center, said routing message having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including said emergency response center identifier; and

initiating a search of a direct inward dial (DID) database for a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller; and

when said search finds a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller, causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record; and

when said search does not find a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller, associating a temporary DID identifier with said caller and causing said second portion to include said temporary DID identifier.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record comprises copying said DID identifier from said DID record to a DID identifier buffer.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record comprises causing the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said DID identifier in said second portion of said routing message.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein associating said temporary DID identifier with said caller comprises associating with said caller identifier a DID identifier from a pool of pre-determined DID identifiers.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein associating said DID identifier from said pool comprises associating a temporary DID record with said caller, said temporary DID record having a DID identifier field populated with said DID identifier from said pool.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein associating said DID identifier from said pool comprises copying said DID identifier from said temporary DID record to a DID identifier buffer.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein causing said second portion of said routing message to include said temporary DID identifier comprises causing the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said temporary DID identifier in said routing message.

8. The process of claim 5, further comprising canceling said temporary DID record after a pre-defined period of time.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein producing said routing message comprises copying an emergency response center identifier from said emergency response center identifier field of said dialing profile associated with said caller to a routing message buffer such that the emergency response center identifier is included in the routing message.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein producing said routing message further comprises causing said routing message to specify a maximum call time for said emergency call, said maximum call time being greater than an average call time.

11. The process of claim 1, further comprising receiving a routing request message including said caller identifier and said callee identifier.

12. An apparatus for routing emergency communications having a caller identifier associated with a caller and a callee identifier associated with a callee, the apparatus comprising:

means for using the caller identifier to identify a dialing profile associated with the caller, said dialing profile including an emergency call identifier and an emergency response center identifier associated with the caller;

means for determining whether said callee identifier matches said emergency call identifier;

means for producing a routing message, when said callee identifier matches said emergency call identifier, said routing message being prepared for receipt by a call controller operable to cause a route to be established between the caller and an emergency response center, said routing message having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including said emergency response center identifier;

means for initiating a search of a direct inward dial (DID) database for a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller;

means for causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record when said search finds a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller;

means for associating a temporary DID identifier with said caller when said search does not find a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller; and

means for causing said second portion to include said temporary DID identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for using the caller identifier comprises means for accessing a dialing profile database of dialing profiles associated with respective subscribers to said system to identify said dialing profile associated with said caller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a DID identifier buffer and wherein said means for causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record comprises means for copying said DID identifier from said DID record to said DID identifier buffer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said means for causing said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record comprises means for causing the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said DID identifier in said second portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for accessing a pool of pre-determined DID identifiers and wherein said means for associating said temporary DID identifier with said caller comprises means for associating a DID identifier from said pool of pre-determined DID identifiers with said caller identifier.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for associating said DID identifier from said pool comprises means for associating a temporary DID record with said caller, said temporary DID record having a DID identifier field populated with said DID identifier from said pool.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for associating said temporary DID identifier comprises means for copying said DID identifier from said temporary DID record to a DID identifier buffer.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for causing said second portion to include said temporary DID identifier comprises means for causing the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said temporary DID identifier in said second portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for canceling said temporary DID record after a period of time.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a routing message buffer and means for copying the contents of said emergency response center identifier field of said dialing profile associated with said caller to said routing message buffer such that said contents of said emergency response center identifier field are included as said emergency response center identifier in said routing message.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for producing said routing message further comprises means for causing said routing message to include a maximum call time for said emergency call, said maximum call time being greater than an average call time.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a routing request message including said caller identifier and said callee identifier.

24. An apparatus for routing emergency communications having a caller identifier associated with a caller and a callee identifier associated with a callee, the apparatus comprising a processor circuit operably configured to:

use the caller identifier to identify a dialing profile associated with the caller, said dialing profile including an emergency call identifier and an emergency response center identifier associated with the caller;

when said callee identifier matches said emergency call identifier;

produce a routing message for receipt by a call controller operable to cause a route to be established between the caller and an emergency response center, said routing message having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including said emergency response center identifier; and

initiate a search of a direct inward dial (DID) database for a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller and;

when said search finds a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller, cause said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record; and

when said search does not find a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller, associate a temporary DID identifier with said caller and cause said second portion to include said temporary DID identifier.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to copy said DID identifier from said DID record to a DID identifier buffer.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to cause the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said DID identifier in said routing message.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to associate with said caller identifier a DID identifier from a pool of pre-determined DID identifiers.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to associate a temporary DID record with the caller, said temporary DID record having a DID identifier field populated with said DID identifier from said pool.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to copy said temporary DID identifier from said temporary DID record to a DID identifier buffer.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to cause the contents of said DID identifier buffer to define said temporary DID identifier in said routing message.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to cancel said temporary DID record after a period of time.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a routing message buffer and wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to copy an emergency response center identifier from said dialing profile associated with said caller to said routing message buffer such that said emergency response center identifier is included in said routing message.

33. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to cause said routing message to include a maximum call time for said emergency call, said maximum call time being greater than an average call time.

34. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said processor circuit is operably configured to receive a routing request message including said caller identifier and said callee identifier.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with codes for directing a processor circuit to route emergency communications having a caller identifier associated with a caller and a callee identifier associated with a callee, the computer readable medium being encoded with codes for directing the processor circuit to:

use the caller identifier to identify a dialing profile associated with the caller, said dialing profile including an emergency call identifier and an emergency response center identifier associated with the caller;

produce a routing message, when said callee identifier matches said emergency call identifier, for receipt by a call controller operable to cause a route to be established between the caller and an emergency response center, said routing message having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion including said emergency response center identifier;

initiate a search of a direct inward dial (DID) database for a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller;

cause said second portion to include said DID identifier from said DID record when said search finds a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller; and

associate a temporary DID identifier with said caller and cause said second portion to include said temporary DID identifier when said search does not find a DID record associating a DID identifier with said caller.