Protocol converting 9-1-1 emergency messaging center

• US 8,149,997 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Poremba, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US12/453,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20100074419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 379/45, 370/352
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Delivery of Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency services to an Internet Protocol (IP) Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is enabled using an existing or legacy selective router and Automatic Location Information (ALI) database. Using a protocol converting 9-1-1 messaging center according to the principles of the present invention, existing or legacy selective router equipment can provide Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) over time division multiplex (TDM) circuits to non-IP capable PSAPs.

Claims

1. A protocol converting messaging center, comprising:

a media gateway;

a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) that uses Session Internet Protocol (SIP) Body rewrites to insert a current location of an emergency caller device into an emergency call during call setup;

a module adapted to integrate with said B2BUA and allow said B2BUA to query various databases using both standard and proprietary protocols; and

a module to determine a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database;

wherein said emergency caller device using a time division multiplex (TDM) trunk is able to access a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) using Internet Protocol (IP).

2. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 1, further comprising:

a responder database including information regarding capabilities of a relevant PSAP intended to respond to said emergency caller device.

3. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 1, further comprising:

a TDM-to-VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) protocol conversion module to convert an emergency call incoming via a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) using Internet Protocol.

4. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 3, further comprising:

a responder database including information regarding capabilities of a relevant agency intended to respond to said emergency caller device.

5. The protocol converting message center according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selective router to route said emergency call from a TDM trunk line to said media gateway.

6. The protocol converting message center according to claim 5, wherein:

said media gateway receives said routed emergency call over a TDM trunk line.

7. A method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP), comprising:

receiving an emergency call over a TDM trunk;

routing said emergency call to a protocol converting messaging center;

obtaining a current location of a caller device associated with said emergency call;

inserting said current location into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet associated with call setup of said emergency call;

routing said IP packet to an IP-capable Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP); and

determining a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database.

8. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said inserting inserts said current location into a SIP Invite Body of said IP packet in the form of Presence Information Document Format-Location Object (PIDF-LO).

9. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said obtaining obtains said current location via query to a location information server (LIS).

10. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said obtaining obtains said current location via query to an automatic location information (ALI).

11. Apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP), comprising:

means for receiving an emergency call over a TDM trunk;

means for routing said emergency call to a protocol converting messaging center;

means for obtaining a current location of a caller device associated with said emergency call;

means for inserting said current location into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet associated with call setup of said emergency call; and

means for routing said IP packet to an IP-capable Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP); and

means for determining a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database.

12. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11, wherein:

said means for inserting inserts said current location into a SIP Invite Body of said IP packet in the form of Presence Information Document Format-Location Object (PIDF-LO).

13. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11, wherein:

said means for obtaining obtains said current location via query to a location information server (LIS).

14. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11, wherein:

said means for obtaining obtains said current location via query to an automatic location information (ALI).