Emergency services call delivery from a legacy communications device to a VoIP PSAP

• US 8,149,269 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Sherry, Robert Allen, Ciesla, Lawrence W., McCalmont, Patti L.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US11/733,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 379/37, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 348/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

An Emergency Services Application Server (ES-AS) that obtains routing instructions for both VoIP-originated and non-VoIP-originated calls to emergency services numbers (e.g., 9-1-1). If the emergency request is a VoIP-originated call and includes a location object, the ES-AS queries its database using the location object to obtain routing information. If a location object is not provided, the ES-AS queries a location information server to obtain a location object. The ES-AS then uses the location object to query its database. If the call is originated by legacy user equipment, the ES-AS accesses a legacy automatic location information system to obtain location information and the associated PSAP. The ES-AS then queries its database with the returned information to refine routing information needed to route the call to the identified PSAP. The ES-AS includes a web services interface that allows a PSAP or authorized agency to change routing instructions dynamically, which overrides any static data in the ES-AS'"'"'s routing database.

Claims

1. An application server for use by a public emergency services network comprising:

a logic control configured to determine routing instructions responsive to routing instructions requests from said public emergency services network and also configured to determine whether said routing instructions request includes a location object and an identification of a requesting communications device;

a public database configured to return a destination identification responsive to a query comprising said location object from said logic control; and

a data communications module configured to query a remote public database responsive to a query comprising said identification of said requesting communications device and configured to forward a destination identification to said logic control responsive to receipt of said destination identification from said public remote database.

2. An application server in accordance with claim 1 wherein said location object comprises geo-coordinates.

3. An application server in accordance with claim 2 wherein said public database comprises a geo-coordinates-to-destination-identification database.

4. An application server in accordance with claim 3 wherein said destination identification comprises a public safety answering point identification (PSAP ID).

5. An application server in accordance with claim 1 wherein said location object comprises a civic address.

6. An application server in accordance with claim 5 wherein said public database comprises a civic-address-to-destination-identification database.

7. An application server in accordance with claim 6 wherein said destination identification comprises a PSAP ID.

8. An application server in accordance with claim 1 wherein said public remote database comprises a location information server (LIS) and wherein said data communications module is configured to query said LIS and forward said destination identification from said LIS to said logic control.

9. An application server in accordance with claim 8 wherein said destination identification comprises a PSAP ID.

10. An application server in accordance with claim 8 wherein said destination identification comprises a location object and wherein said logic control is further configured to query said public database with said location object from said LIS to determine a PSAP ID.

11. An application server in accordance with claim 1 wherein said public remote database comprises an automatic location information (ALI) database and wherein said data communications module is configured to query said ALI and forward said destination identification from said ALI to said logic control.

12. An application server in accordance with claim 11 wherein said destination identification comprises a PSAP ID.

13. An application server in accordance with claim 11 wherein said destination identification comprises a location object and wherein said logic control is further configured to apply said location object to said public database to determine a PSAP ID.

14. An application server in accordance with claim 11 wherein said logic control is further configured to determine an emergency services routing number (ESRN) and emergency services query key (ESQK) responsive to said destination identification and configured to forward said ESRN and said ESQK to said public emergency services network for call routing purposes.

15. An application server in accordance with claim 14 wherein said logic control is further configured to store said identification of said requesting communications device.

16. A method for use in a public emergency services network for routing an emergency services call to a public safety answering point (PSAP), said emergency services call comprising an identification of a calling communications device, said method comprising:

determining whether a location object is included with said emergency services call;

querying a public remote database with said identification of said calling communications device to obtain a location object if said location object is not present in said emergency services call;

obtaining an identification of a PSAP (PSAP ID) responsive to said location object; and

routing said emergency services call responsive to said PSAP ID.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said location object comprises geo-coordinates and wherein obtaining an identification of a PSAP ID responsive to said location object comprises applying said geo-coordinates to a geo-coordinate-to-PSAP ID public database.

18. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said location object comprises a civic address and wherein obtaining an identification of a PSAP ID responsive to said location object comprises applying said civic address to a civic-address-to-PSAP ID public database.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said public remote database comprises a location information server (LIS) and wherein querying a public remote database comprises querying said LIS with said identification of said calling communications device to obtain said location object.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said public remote database comprises an automatic location information (ALI) database and wherein querying a public remote database comprises querying said ALI with said identification of said calling communications device to obtain said location object.

21. A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein querying a public remote database comprises querying said ALI with said identification of said calling communications device to obtain said location object and said PSAP ID.

22. A method in accordance with claim 16 further including:

selecting an emergency services routing number (ESRN) and an emergency services query key (ESQK) if said PSAP ID is not in said emergency services network.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 further including:

storing said identification of said calling communications device and said location object in relation to said ESQK.

24. A method in accordance with claim 22 further including:

routing said emergency services call through said public emergency services network to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) responsive to said ESRN and said ESQK; and

routing said emergency services call through said PSTN to said PSAP based on said ESRN and said ESQK.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24 further including:

forwarding said identification of said calling communications device and said location object to said PSAP responsive to receipt of said ESQK from said PSAP.

26. A method for use in a public emergency services network for routing an emergency services call to a public safety answering point (PSAP), said emergency services call comprising an identification of a calling communications device, said method comprising:

registering a PSAP ID responsive to a request from a PSAP;

determining whether a location object is included with said public emergency services call includes a location object;

querying a public remote database with said identification of said calling communications device to obtain a location object if said location object is not present in said emergency services call;

obtaining an identification of a PSAP (PSAP ID) responsive to said location object;

determining whether said PSAP ID is registered; and

routing said emergency services call responsive to said PSAP ID responsive to a determination that said PSAP ID is registered.

27. A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said step of registering said PSAP ID comprises said PSAP registering its availability.

28. A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said step of registering said PSAP ID comprises said PSAP registering an alternate PSAP ID.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28 further including routing said emergency services call using said alternate PSAP ID responsive to a determination that said PSAP ID is not registered.

30. A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said step of registering said PSAP ID comprises said PSAP registering a plurality of PSAP ID'"'"'s.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30 further including routing said emergency services call using one of said plurality of alternate PSAP ID'"'"'s responsive to a determination that said PSAP ID is not registered.

32. A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein said plurality of PSAP ID'"'"'s comprise an ordered list of PSAP ID'"'"'s, said method further including:

determining whether a first alternate PSAP ID is registered responsive to a determination that said PSAP ID is not registered; and

sequentially determining whether any of said ordered list of PSAP ID'"'"'s is registered responsive to determining that a previous alternate PSAP ID is not registered.

33. A method in accordance with claim 26 routing said emergency services call to a default PSAP ID if said PSAP ID is not registered.