9-1-1 Call Routing

• US 20170155764A1
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zampiello, Geoffrey R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,645,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A provider edge router for handling 9-1-1 call routing is disclosed herein. The provider edge router can receive an Internet protocol (“IP”) call and can determine whether the IP call is associated with a 9-1-1 service. If so, the provider edge router can set a priority for the IP call to be routed to a 9-1-1 edge router. The IP call, in some embodiments, includes a session initiation protocol (“SIP”) call. In some embodiments, the provider edge router includes one or more dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interfaces through which the provider edge router routes the IP call to the 9-1-1 edge router or multiple 9-1-1 edge routers. In some embodiments, the priority can be set in a differentiated services field (“DSF”) that includes a differentiated services codepoint (“DSCP”) marking that cannot be removed by any router along a routing path for the IP call.

Claims

1. A provider edge router comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving an Internet protocol call,

determining whether the Internet protocol call is associated with a 9-1-1 service,

in response to determining that the Internet protocol call is associated with the 9-1-1 service, setting a priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to a 9-1-1 edge router, and

routing the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

2. The provider edge router of claim 1, wherein the Internet protocol call comprises a session initiation protocol call.

3. The provider edge router of claim 1, further comprising a dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface through which the provider edge router routes the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

4. The provider edge router of claim 3, wherein the dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface is dedicated to the 9-1-1 edge router.

5. The provider edge router of claim 3, wherein the dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface is dedicated to the 9-1-1 edge router and at least one other 9-1-1 edge router.

6. The provider edge router of claim 1, wherein setting the priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to the 9-1-1 edge router comprises setting a differentiated services field such that Internet protocol packets associated with the Internet protocol call are prioritized.

7. The provider edge router of claim 6, wherein the differentiated services field comprises a differentiated services codepoint marking that cannot be removed by any router during routing of the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

8. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a provider edge router, cause the provider edge router to perform operations comprising:

receiving an Internet protocol call;

determining whether the Internet protocol call is associated with a 9-1-1 service;

in response to determining that the Internet protocol call is associated with the 9-1-1 service, setting a priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to a 9-1-1 edge router; and

routing the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the Internet protocol call comprises a session initiation protocol call.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise a dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface through which the provider edge router routes the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface is dedicated to the 9-1-1 edge router.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface is dedicated to the 9-1-1 edge router and at least one other 9-1-1 edge router.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein setting the priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to the 9-1-1 edge router comprises setting a differentiated services field such that Internet protocol packets associated with the Internet protocol call are prioritized.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the differentiated services field comprises a differentiated services codepoint marking that cannot be removed by any router during routing of the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a provider edge router, an Internet protocol call;

determining, by the provider edge router, whether the Internet protocol call is associated with a 9-1-1 service;

in response to determining that the Internet protocol call is associated with the 9-1-1 service, setting, by the provider edge router, a priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to a 9-1-1 edge router; and

routing, by the provider edge router, the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving, by the provider edge router, the Internet protocol call comprises receiving a session initiation protocol call.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein routing, by the provider edge router, the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router comprises routing, by the provider edge router, the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router via a dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dedicated 9-1-1 outbound interface is dedicated to the 9-1-1 edge router.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein setting, by the provider edge router, the priority for the Internet protocol call to be routed to the 9-1-1 edge router comprises setting, by the provider edge router a differentiated services field such that Internet protocol packets associated with the Internet protocol call are prioritized.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the differentiated services field comprises a differentiated services codepoint marking that cannot be removed by any router during routing of the Internet protocol call to the 9-1-1 edge router.