Method for confirming end point location of 911 calls

• US 7,664,234 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cacioppo, Christina, Shinners, Stephen, Gilboy, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Stella L
• Application Number:
  US12/258,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/90.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.25, 379/201.06, 455/456.5, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/18 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method comprising receiving, from a user-operated telecommunications device, a user-initiated communication to a non-911 communications address. The method can comprise automatically providing a user with a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device. The method can comprise requesting, from the user, verification of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

responsive to a user-initiated communication from a user-operated telecommunications device to a communications address, requesting from a user a verification of a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device, the user-operated telecommunications device distinct from the user-associated telecommunications device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically providing the user with a spoken current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to information from the user, modifying the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at an Internet site a communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from an Automatic Location Information database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a mobile positioning center.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a triangulation source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a GPS source.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from an Emergency Service Message Entity.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

via wireless packet data, providing to the user-operated telecommunications device information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device in an audible format without using a human operator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a rendered graphical representation of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a text message.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via an Internet web site.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-associated telecommunications device is a wireless telecommunications device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications address is a non-911 communications address.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated communication is an Internet-assisted database query.

19. A system comprising:

a verification processor adapted to, responsive to a user-initiated communication to a non-911 communications address received from a user-operated telecommunications device, request from a user a verification of a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device, the user-operated telecommunications device distinct from the user-associated telecommunications device.

20. A machine-readable medium storing machine-executable instructions for activities comprising:

in response to receipt from a user-operated telecommunications device a user-initiated communication to an Internet usable address, receiving from a user a verification of a current location of the user-operated telecommunications device, the current location automatically provided to the user via a request to the user to verify the current location of the user-operated telecommunications device.