Converged emergency service call handling

• US 7,787,856 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Santharam, Arun, Durig, Dan, Williams, Stephen, McGinnis, Kevin, Klesper, Stevan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US11/280,777
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/521, 455/560, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• 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 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A communication network for emergency service call handling, the communication network comprising a mobile switching center (MSC) configured to receive an emergency call from a wireless end device and transmit first call signaling indicating a call key for the emergency call and a public safety answering point (PSAP) for the call, and a gateway system configured to receive the first call signaling, process the first call signaling to generate second call signaling indicating the call key and the PSAP, transmit the second call signaling to a routing system, and connect the emergency call from the MSC to the routing system.

Claims

1. A communication network for emergency service call handling, the communication network comprising:

a mobile switching center (MSC) configured to receive an emergency call from a wireless end device and transmit first call signaling indicating a call key for the emergency call and a public safety answering point (PSAP) for the call; and

a gateway system comprising;

a gateway controller configured to receive the first call signaling, process the first call signaling to generate second call signaling indicating the call key and the PSAP, and transmit the second call signaling to a selective router;

a first gateway configured to receive user communications for the emergency call from the MSC in a synchronous format, convert the user communications to an asynchronous format, and transfer the user communications; and

a second gateway configured to receive the user communications for the emergency call in the asynchronous format from the first gateway, convert the user communications to the synchronous format, and transfer the user communications to the selective router.

2. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the gateway system is configured to process the first call signaling to select the selective router from a group of routing systems based on the PSAP.

3. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the MSC is configured to transmit a key request indicating the emergency call, receive a key response identifying the call key for the emergency call and identifying the public safety answering point (PSAP).

4. A method of operating a communication network for emergency service call handling, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency call into a mobile switching center (MSC) from a wireless end device;

transmitting first call signaling from the MSC indicating a call key for the emergency call and a public safety answering point (PSAP) for the call;

receiving the first call signaling into a gateway controller of a gateway system;

processing the first call signaling in the gateway controller of the gateway system to generate second call signaling indicating the call key and the PSAP;

transmitting the second call signaling from the gateway system to a selective router;

receiving user communications for the emergency call from the MSC in a synchronous format into a first gateway of the gateway system;

converting the user communications to an asynchronous format in the first gateway of the gateway system;

transferring the user communications to a second gateway of the gateway system;

receiving the user communications for the emergency call in the asynchronous format from the first gateway into the second gateway of the gateway system;

converting the user communications to the synchronous format in the second gateway of the gateway system; and

transferring the user communication from the second gateway of the gateway system to the selective router.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising processing the first call signaling in the gateway system to select the selective router from a group of routing systems based on the PSAP.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting a key request from the MSC indicating the emergency call and receiving a key response into the MSC identifying the call key for the emergency call and identifying the public safety answering point (PSAP).