Location determination capabilities for emergency call services

• US 7,742,578 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Williams, Stephen, Klesper, Stevan, Santharam, Arun, Durig, Dan, McGinnis, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi; Maria
• Application Number:
  US11/369,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A communication system comprising an access system configured to provide a plurality of end devices with access to a packet communication network, a first end device of the plurality of end devices configured to transmit a first query to the access system, receive a first response indicating a first identifier for the access system, transmit a registration message indicating the first identifier and a second identifier for the first end device, and transmit a first call request for a call wherein the first call request indicates the second identifier, and a call processing system in communication with the first end device and configured to receive the registration message, store the first identifier in association with the second identifier, receive the first call request, process the second identifier to determine the first identifier stored in association with the second identifier, and transmit a second call request indicating the first identifier.

Claims

1. A communication system for determining a location of a caller obtaining an emergency service comprising:

an access system configured to provide a plurality of end devices with access to a packet communication network;

a first end device of the plurality of end devices configured to transmit a first query to the access system, receive a first response indicating a first identifier for the access system, transmit a registration message indicating the first identifier and a second identifier for the first end device, and transmit a first call request for a call wherein the first call request indicates the second identifier; and

a call processing system in communication with the first end device and configured to receive the registration message, store the first identifier in association with the second identifier, receive the first call request, process the second identifier to determine the first identifier stored in association with the second identifier, and transmit a second call request indicating the first identifier.

2. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a location determining system configured to receive the second call request and process the first identifier to determine a location for the call.

3. The communication system of claim 2 wherein the location determining system is further configured to generate a key for the call, transmit a second response to the call processing system indicating the key and a public safety answering point, and transfer the location to the public safety answering point.

4. The communication system of claim 3 wherein the call processing system is configured to transfer the key to the public safety answering point.

5. The communication system of claim 4 wherein the public safety answering point is configured to transfer a second query to the location determining system indicating the key and receive a third response from the location determining system indicating the location responsive to the second query.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the end device comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein the call processing system comprises a SIP proxy server.

8. A method of operating a communication system for determining a location of a caller obtaining an emergency service comprising:

an access system configured to provide a plurality of end devices with access to a packet communication network, a first end device of the plurality of end devices, and a call processing system in communication with the first end device, the method comprising;

in the first end device, transmitting a first query to the access system, receiving a first response from the access system indicating a first identifier for the access system, transmitting a registration message indicating the first identifier and a second identifier for the first end device, and transmitting a first call request for a call wherein the first call request indicates the second identifier; and

in the call processing system receiving the registration message, storing the first identifier in association with the second identifier, receiving the first call request, processing the second identifier to determine the first identifier stored in association with the second identifier, and transmitting a second call request indicating the first identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising in a location determining system receiving the second call request and processing the first identifier to determine a location for the call.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising in the location determining system generating a key for the call, transmitting a second response to the call processing system indicating the key and a public safety answering point, and transferring the location to the public safety answering point.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transferring the key from the call processing system to the public safety answering point.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising transferring a second query from the public safety answering point to the location determining system indicating the key and receive a third response from the location determining system indicating the location responsive to the second query.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the end device comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the call processing system comprises a SIP proxy server.

15. A call processing system for determining a location of a caller obtaining an emergency service comprising:

an interface configured to receive a registration message from a first end device wherein the registration message indicates a first identifier and a second identifier wherein the first identifier identifies an access system configured to provide the first end device with access to a packet communication network wherein the first end device receives a response indicating the first identifier from the access system responsive to a query from the first end device and wherein the second identifier identifies the first end device, receive a first call request for a call wherein the first call request indicates the second identifier;

a processing system configured to store the first identifier in association with the second identifier, process the second identifier to determine the first identifier stored in association with the second identifier, and generate a second call request indicating the first identifier; and

wherein the interface is further configured to transmit the second call request.

16. The call processing system of claim 15 wherein the interface is configured to transmit the second call request to a location determining system wherein the location determining system receives the second call request, processes the first identifier to determine a location for the call, generates a key for the call, transmit a second response to the call processing system indicating the key and a public safety answering point, and transfers the location to the public safety answering point.

17. The call processing system of claim 16 wherein the interface is configured to transfer the key to the public safety answering point.

18. The call processing system of claim 15 wherein the registration message comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) registration message.

19. The call processing system of claim 18 wherein the first call request message comprises a first SIP invite message.

20. The call processing system of claim 19 wherein the second call request message comprises a second SIP invite message.