Method and apparatus for emergency call routing using an end node

• US 8,116,720 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Stuart O., Rollender, Douglas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Application Number:
  US11/124,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/417, 455/521, 370/352, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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

A method is provided for routing an emergency call. The method comprises receiving an emergency call and identifying an end node associated with the call. The end node may be a communications device involved in establishing the emergency call that is geographically near the originator of the emergency call. A look-up table is then accessed to identify the appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP) associated with the end node, and the emergency call is routed to the identified PSAP.

Claims

1. A method for routing an emergency call wherein the call sequentially traverses two or more nodes in a transmission path of the call, the method comprising:

providing a data base in which respective, unique node identifiers for the two or more nodes in the transmission path may be mapped to a public safety answering point (PSAP) established to serve calls arriving at the mapped node, wherein ones of the two or more nodes operate to embed in the call the respective, unique identifiers for the traversed nodes;

receiving an emergency call;

sequentially evaluating the node identifiers, beginning with the identifier for the node most proximate to an originator of the emergency call until a node identifier is found having a mapping in the data base to a PSAP;

selecting the node having a mapping to a PSAP as an end node for the call; and

routing the emergency call to the public safety answering point associated with the selected end node.

2. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein selecting one of the first and second nodes as the end node as a function of the proximity of the first and second nodes to the originator of the emergency call further comprises selecting the node closest to the originator of the emergency call as the end node.

3. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein selecting the node closest to the originator of the emergency call as the end node further comprises selecting the node closest to the originator of the emergency call that has a public safety answering point associated therewith as the end node.

4. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein routing the emergency call to the public safety answering point associated with the end node further comprises accessing a look-up table using a unique identifier associated with the end node to determine the appropriate public safety answering point.

5. A method, as set forth in claim 4, further comprising maintaining the look-up table with information correlating unique identifiers associated with end nodes and appropriate public safety answering points.

6. A method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein routing the emergency call to the public safety answering point associated with the end node further comprises accessing a map using a unique identifier associated with the end node to determine the appropriate public safety answering point.

7. A method, as set forth in claim 6, further comprising maintaining the map with information correlating unique identifiers associated with end nodes and appropriate public safety answering points.