Method and apparatus for routing emergency services calls in an intelligent network

• US 6,721,395 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Martinez, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US09/974,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/37, 379/201, 379/211, 379/212, 379/221, 379/220, 379/219, 379/258, 379/260, 379/207, 379/229, 379/230, 379/46, 379/47, 379/48, 379/49, 379/265.01, 455/404, 455/461
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• 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

Emergency services calls may be alternate-routed in an intelligent network having at least one Service Control Point (SP) with access to a routing table, a plurality of Service Switching Points (SSP) equipped with point-in-call triggers and one or more emergency services stations (PSAP). The routing table lists a routing number for each of the emergency services stations. The method comprise the steps of:

(i) at a Service Switching Point, presetting a point-in-call trigger to operate at a predetermined point in a call for emergency services,

(ii) subsequently, during processing of an emergency services call, interrupting processing of the call and transmitting to the SCP a query signalling message requesting routing information,

(iii) at the SCP, accessing the routing table in dependence upon parameters in the query signalling message and obtaining a routing number for a selected emergency services operator station, forming a response signalling message including the routing number and returning such response signalling message to the SSP,

(iv) at the SSP, detecting the routing number, and routing the call to the emergency services operator station.

There is also provided a method of translating signalling message parameters from a mobile protocol to an intelligent network protocol, and vice versa, to enable emergency services calls from mobile users to be routed to one or more PSAPs in the network.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications network comprising a Service Control Point (SCP), a plurality of Servicing Switching Points (SSP), one or more Public Service Access Points (PSAP) and a Signal Mediation Point (SMP), and a mobile network portion comprising a Mobile Services Switching Centre (MSC) for routing calls from mobile users in cell sites associated with such MSC and a Home Location Register (HLR), the MSC and SSPs being interconnected by trunks for routing calls therebetween, the MSC and SSPs being connected to the SMP by Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) signaling links, the SMP being connected to the SCP and the HLR by respective SS7 links, the SCP having access to a routing table including entries correlating routing numbers of PSAPs with cell site identifiers, the SMP having basic SCP software for handling mobile or wireline TCAP messages and additional conversion software and tables from translating TCAP message parameters according to mobile protocols to TCAP message parameters using intelligent network protocols, the method comprising the steps of:

at the MSC;

upon receipt of a 9-1-1 call from a mobile station, forming a TCAP query message addressed to the destination point code of the HLR and routing the message to the SMP, the message including a mobile identification number (MIN) for the mobile station, a cell site number, and a mobile network address for the MSC, and the dialed digits,

at the SMP;

detecting the dialed digits identifying the call as an emergency services call;

translating the parameters in the message as received into corresponding AIN/IN parameters according to the intelligent network protocol being used by the SCP;

forming an AIN/IN TCAP message including the translated parameters, the network address of the MSC and the cell site number being combined in an Original Calling Party number; and

overriding the destination point code of the HLR and routing the message to the SCP;

at the SCP;

accessing the mobile routing table using the Original Calling Party number from the received query and obtaining a routing number for a PSAP; and

including the PSAP routing number in a TCAP response message and sending this response message to the SMP;

at the SMP;

translating the intelligent network parameters of the TCAP response message into corresponding mobile network parameters; and

routing the response message to the MSC,

at the MSC;

extracting the PSAP routing number from the TCAP message and routing the emergency services call thereto via one or more of the SSPs.

2. Signal Mediation Point apparatus comprising SS7 software for processing TCAP messages and conversion software for translating parameters of such TCAP messages formulated according to one mobile protocol into parameters according to a different intelligent network protocol, the SMP having signaling links for connection to a Mobile Switching Centre (MSC), a Service Control Point (SCP) and a Home Location Register (HLR), the conversion software being operative, upon receipt of a query from the MSC containing a destination point code for the HLR and dialed digits of an emergency services call to detect said digits, translate the parameters into corresponding intelligent network parameters, override the destination point code of the HLR and rotate the message to the SCP, and on receipt of a response from the SCP, translate the parameters into corresponding mobile network parameters, and route the response message to the MSC.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conversion software is operative to determine a network address of the mobile switching centre and a cell site identifier and combine both into an Original Calling Party number in the intelligent network TCAP message sent to the SCP.