Device Independent Caller Data Access for Emergency Calls

• US 20140051381A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Ali, Salman, Ginter, Thomas Jr., Pann, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/40 Security arrangements using identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event. A call server intercepts an emergency call and determines the capabilities of a calling device. Based on calling device capability, the call server uses one or more of the following device independent methods to ascertain a caller identity, independent of a calling device: interactive voice response redirect, HTTP authentication, SIP INFO method, biometric recognition, human interaction, and alternate number dialing. A caller identity is then used to query a subscriber database for a unique caller profile database key (CPDBK) assigned to the caller (unless a CPDBK is already determined). A call server uses a CPDBK to query a caller profile database (CPDB) for relevant caller data. Relevant caller data and the intercepted emergency communications event are then passed to an emergency call processing system, whereby relevant caller data may be used to more effectively address an emergency situation.

Claims

1. A method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event, comprising:

intercepting an emergency communications event;

determining a capability of a calling device;

obtaining a caller identity of said calling device;

retrieving relevant caller data relating to said calling device from a caller profile database (CPDB); and

routing said caller data and said intercepted emergency communications event to an emergency call processing system.

2. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 1, wherein:

said caller identity is determined independent of said calling device.

3. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 1, wherein said retrieving relevant caller data comprises:

retrieving a caller profile database (CPDB) key for said calling device; and

retrieving relevant caller data from a caller profile database (CPDB) based on said caller profile database key.

4. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is selected for said emergency communications event based on calling device capabilities.

5. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 1, wherein:

said device capabilities are determined based on an incoming trunk type and a type of signaling carried thereon.

6. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 1, wherein:

said caller profile database (CPDB) maintains caller profiles for individual subscriber entities.

7. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 6, wherein:

said caller profiles comprise rich subscriber information for use during an emergency communications event.

8. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 1, wherein:

said caller profile database (CPDB) key points to a specific caller profile in said caller profile database (CPDB).

9. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is determined via an interactive voice recognition (IVR) redirect method.

10. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is determined via a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) authentication method.

11. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is determined via a biometric recognition method.

12. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is determined via a session initiation protocol (SIP) INFO method.

13. The method of providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 2, wherein:

said device independent caller identification is determined via an alternate number dialing method.

14. A call server for providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event, comprising:

a subscriber database;

access to a caller profile database (CPDB);

means for intercepting an emergency communications event; and

means for routing caller data to an emergency call processing system.

15. The call server for providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 14, wherein:

said caller profile database (CPDB) maintains caller profiles for individual subscriber entities.

16. The call server for providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 14, wherein:

said caller profiles comprise rich subscriber information for use during an emergency communications event.

17. The call server for providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 14, wherein:

said subscriber database maintains a mapping of subscriber entities and unique caller profile database (CPDB) keys.

18. The call server for providing device independent access to stored caller data during an emergency communications event according to claim 17, wherein:

said caller profile database (CPDB) key points to a specific caller profile in a caller profile database (CPDB).