Device, System, and Process for Providing Emergency Calling Service for a Wireless Device Using Voice Over Data

• US 20170149983A1
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Vagelos, Theodore
• Granted Patent: US 10,334,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0066 Details of access arrangements to the networks where the access arrangement is a PSTN/ISDN access H04M7/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

Abstract

A system for providing emergency telephone call solutions for wireless devices using a voice over data network, the system having the voice over data network to recognize an emergency call from one of the wireless devices, to determine whether a cellular network is available to receive the emergency call, and to transmit the emergency call to the cellular network, a gateway for converting the emergency call between a first format for the voice over data network and a second format for a public switched telephone network associated with the cellular network, a mobile virtual network operator to communicate information associated with the emergency call to the cellular network and to the voice over data network, and the voice over data network and the cellular network to route the emergency call and the information associated with the emergency call to an emergency authority.

Claims

1. A wireless device configured to operate over a voice over data network and further configured to provide emergency telephone call solutions, the device comprising:

a transceiver configured to connect to a voice over data network and provide voice services;

a processor configured to recognize an emergency call placed from the wireless devices while operating over the voice over data network; and

the processor further configured to determine whether a cellular network is available to receive the emergency call, if the cellular network is available, the processor further configured to transmit the emergency call over the cellular network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured, if the cellular network is not available, to transmit the emergency call over the voice over data network.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit information associated with the emergency call that includes location information for the wireless device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the location information for the wireless device is determined by one of the following:

a global navigation satellite system and a mobile network operator.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store an application executed by the processor configured to provide the voice services over the voice over data network and determine whether a call is the emergency call.

6. A system implementing a voice over data network configured to provide emergency telephone call solutions to a wireless device, the system comprising:

a server configured to implement, at least in part, a voice over data network and provide voice services to a wireless device;

the server further configured to recognize an emergency call placed from the wireless devices while providing the voice services over the voice over data network; and

the server further configured to determine whether a cellular network is available for the wireless device to receive the emergency call, if the cellular network is available, the server further configured to direct the wireless device to transmit the emergency call over the cellular network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured, if the cellular network is not available, to transmit the emergency call over the voice over data network.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to transmit information associated with the emergency call that includes location information for the wireless device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the location information for the wireless device is determined by one of the following:

a global navigation satellite system and a mobile network operator.

10. A process of operating a wireless device over a voice over data network to provide emergency telephone call solutions, the process comprising:

connecting to a voice over data network and providing voice services with a transceiver over the voice over data network;

recognizing an emergency call placed from the wireless devices with the processor; and

determining whether a cellular network is available to receive the emergency call with the processor, if the cellular network is available, transmitting the emergency call over the cellular network with the transceiver.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, if the cellular network is not available, the emergency call over the voice over data network.

12. The process of claim 10, further comprising transmitting information associated with the emergency call that includes location information for the wireless device with the transceiver.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the location information for the wireless device is determined by one of the following:

a global navigation satellite system and a mobile network operator.

14. The process of claim 10, further comprising storing in a memory an application executed by the processor for providing the voice services over the voice over data network voice and determining whether a call is the emergency call.

15. A process for implementing a voice over data network and providing emergency telephone call solutions to a wireless device, the system comprising:

implementing a voice over data network and providing voice services to a wireless device with a server;

recognizing an emergency call placed from the wireless devices with the server; and

determining whether a cellular network is available with the server for the wireless device to receive the emergency call, if the cellular network is available, directing the wireless device to transmit the emergency call to the cellular network with the server.

16. The process of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the emergency call over the voice over data network with the server if the cellular network is not available, to transmit.

17. The process of claim 15, further comprising controlling a routing of information associated with the emergency call that includes location information for the wireless device with the server.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the location information for the wireless device is determined by one of the following:

a global navigation satellite system and a mobile network operator.

19. The process of claim 15, further comprising transmitting the emergency call over the voice over data network with the server if the cellular network is not available, to transmit;

and controlling a routing of information associated with the emergency call that includes location information for the wireless device with the server.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the location information for the wireless device is determined by one of the following:

a global navigation satellite system and a mobile network operator.