DYNAMIC 911 LOCATION REGISTRATION FOR MOBILE VoIP DEVICE

• US 20140334346A1
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Inventors: Breault, Kevin, Shugart, Jason, Stephens, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 9,042,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/10 Architectures or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/185 wireless packet-switched
• 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 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for handling emergency calls from a mobile VoIP device. According to one embodiment, handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device can comprise registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device, periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device, dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device, and initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address.

Claims

1. A method for handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device, the method comprising:

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein periodically determining the current location of the mobile VoIP device and dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device comprises:

obtaining current location data indicating a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device;

converting the current location data to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device; and

comparing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device to the registered address.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device being different from the registered address:

substituting the current address for the registered address;

sending the current address with the emergency call; and

storing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered address, sending the registered address with the emergency call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current address:

using the current address to place the emergency call; and

storing the current address.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current address, using the registered address to place the emergency call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

receiving the current address from a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

comparing the received current address to Global Positioning System (GPS) data for the mobile VoIP device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to the received current address substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device:

using the current address to place the emergency call; and

storing the current address.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to the received current address not substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device, using the registered address to place the emergency call.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by;

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein periodically determining the current location of the mobile VoIP device and dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device comprises:

obtaining current location data indicating a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device;

converting the current location data to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

comparing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device to the registered address;

in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device being different from the registered address, substituting the current address for the registered address, sending the current address with the emergency call, and storing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device; and

in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered address, sending the registered address with the emergency call.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device;

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address;

in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current address, using the current address to place the emergency call, and storing the current address; and

in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current address, using the registered address to place the emergency call.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

receiving the current address from a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

comparing the received current address to Global Positioning System (GPS) data for the mobile VoIP device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising, in response to the received current address substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device:

using the current address to place the emergency call; and

storing the current address.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising, in response to the received current address not substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device, using the registered address to place the emergency call.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by:

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 21, wherein periodically determining the current location of the mobile VoIP device and dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device comprises:

obtaining current location data indicating a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device;

converting the current location data to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

comparing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device to the registered address;

in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device being different from the registered address substituting the current address for the registered address, sending the current address with the emergency call, and storing the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device; and

in response to the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered address, sending the registered address with the emergency call.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 22, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 22, wherein sending the current address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 21, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device;

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address;

in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current address, using the current address to place the emergency call, and storing the current address; and

in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current address, using the registered address to place the emergency call.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 21, wherein dynamically updating the current address associated with the mobile VoIP device further comprises:

receiving the current address from a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

comparing the received current address to Global Positioning System (GPS) data for the mobile VoIP device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 26, further comprising, in response to the received current address substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device:

using the current address to place the emergency call; and

storing the current address.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 26, further comprising, in response to the received current address not substantially matching the GPS data for the mobile VoIP device, using the registered address to place the emergency call.