Emergency alert for voice over internet protocol (VoIP)

• US 7,933,385 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Croy, Jonathan, Mitchell, Don, Dickinson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/508,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 45, 370352-356, 709/207, 709/206, 455/466, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/52 Telephonic communication in combination with fax communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC) is implemented in configuration with support from a text-to-voice module, emergency routing database, and VoIP switching points (VSPs) to allow a public safety access point (PSAP) or other emergency center to effectively communicate the nature of an emergency alert notification and the area of notification to the VoIP positioning center (VPC). The inventive VPC in turn determines which phones (including wireless and/or VoIP phones) are currently in the area for notification, and reliably and quickly issues the required warning to all affected wireless and VoIP phones.

Claims

1. A method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

receiving an emergency alert text message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

converting said emergency alert text message into emergency alert voice data; and

routing said converted emergency alert voice data to each of said plurality of wireless phones determined to be located within said given geographical region.

2. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a target list of wireless phones to be alerted based on said passed given geographical region.

3. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 2, wherein:

said VPC determines which wireless phones are in said target list of wireless phones to be alerted.

4. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 3, wherein:

said VPC determines which wireless phones are in said target list of wireless phones to be alerted, using an emergency routing database (ERDB).

5. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said wireless phones are voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

6. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said emergency alert text message comprises text.

7. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said emergency alert text message is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

8. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 1, wherein:

said information defining said given geographical region is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

9. Apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

receiving an emergency alert text message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

means for receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

means for converting said emergency alert text message into emergency alert voice data; and

means for routing said converted emergency alert voice data to each of said plurality of wireless phones determined to be located within said given geographical region.

10. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for determining a target list of wireless phones to be alerted based on said passed given geographical region.

11. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 10, wherein:

said VPC determines which wireless phones are in said target list of phones to be alerted.

12. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 11, wherein:

said VPC determines which wireless phones are in said target list of wireless phones to be alerted, using an emergency routing database (ERDB).

13. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 9, wherein:

said wireless phones are voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

14. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 9, wherein:

said emergency alert text message comprises text.

15. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 9, wherein:

said emergency alert text message is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

16. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 9, wherein:

said information defining said given geographical region is passed to said VPC via an Internet.

17. A method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

receiving an emergency alert text message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

converting said emergency alert text message into emergency alert VoIP voice data; and

routing said converted emergency alert VoIP voice data to each of said plurality of wireless phones determined to be located within said given geographical region.

18. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an expiration time of said received emergency alert text message.

19. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert text message to any given one of said plurality of wireless phones.

20. The method to alert a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert text message to any given one of said plurality of wireless phones.

21. Apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region, comprising:

means for receiving an emergency alert text message passed to a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) positioning center (VPC);

means for receiving information defining said given geographical region, passed to said VPC;

means for converting said emergency alert text message into emergency alert VoIP voice data; and

means for routing said converted emergency alert VoIP voice data to each of said plurality of wireless phones determined to be located within said given geographical region.

22. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving an expiration time of said received emergency alert text message.

23. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for receiving a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert text message to any given one of said plurality of wireless phones.

24. The apparatus for alerting a plurality of wireless phones currently located within a given geographical region according to claim 23, further comprising:

means for receiving a number of retry attempts to send said emergency alert text message to any given one of said plurality of wireless phones.