Method and system for obtaining emergency caller location

• US 8,219,061 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lab Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/206,522
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.5, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 379/45, 379/37, 379/51, 379/88.19, 379/67.1, 379/88.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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

Methods and systems for obtaining the location of a caller during an emergency or other telephone call. Before or during a call, a phone system can obtain from one or more sources a subscriber access line identity associated with a subscriber location record that includes a subscriber access line identity attribute and a subscriber location attribute. A phone system can send a query that includes the subscriber access line identity to a subscriber location query system that returns a subscriber location record or a subscriber location to the phone system. The phone system can then display the caller location information to a phone system, an agent or operator so that emergency services can be quickly and accurately dispatched. Using similar procedure and a memory, phone systems can also determine if a subscriber phone has or is changing location. Methods for testing the emergency call capabilities of a subscriber access line.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a subscriber location for a call from a phone, comprising:

(a) determining by a phone system a subscriber access line identity of a subscriber access line, wherein the phone is coupled to a subscriber access line module via the subscriber access line, wherein the phone system receives and processes the call from the phone;

(b) sending a query from the phone system to a subscriber location query system, wherein the query comprises the subscriber access line identity;

(b1) receiving the query by the subscriber location query system, wherein the query comprises the subscriber access line identity, wherein the subscriber location query system comprises a datastore, wherein the datastore comprises a plurality of subscriber location records, wherein each subscriber location record comprises a subscriber access line identity attribute and a corresponding subscriber location attribute;

(b2) comparing the subscriber access line identity from the query to the subscriber access line identity attributes of the plurality of subscriber location records; and

(b3) if a match is found, returning to the phone system the subscriber location according to the matching subscriber location record; and

(c) receiving from the subscriber location query system the subscriber location corresponding to the subscriber access line identity, wherein the subscriber location comprises a physical or link layer property of the subscriber access line module to which the subscriber access line is coupled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber access line comprises a radio network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining (a) comprises:

(a1) sending a query to the subscriber access line module for the subscriber access line identity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining (a1) comprises:

(a1i) sending the query from a subscriber phone equipment to the subscriber access line module for the subscriber access line identity, wherein the subscriber phone equipment is coupled to the phone system; and

(a1ii) receiving by the subscriber phone equipment the subscriber access line identity from the subscriber access line module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the phone stores the subscriber access line identity, wherein the determining (a) comprises:

(a1) obtaining the subscriber access line identity from the phone by the phone system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the returning (b3) comprises:

(b3i) extracting the subscriber location from the subscriber location attribute of the matching subscriber location record; and

(b3ii) returning the subscriber location to the phone system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the returning (b3) comprises:

(b3i) returning the matching subscriber location record to the phone system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) presenting the call and the subscriber location to an emergency response agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber access line module is coupled to the phone system via a line separate from the subscriber access line.

10. A method for providing a subscriber location for a call from a phone, comprising:

(a) receiving a query from a phone system to a subscriber location query system, wherein the query comprises a subscriber access line identity of a subscriber access line, wherein the phone is coupled to a subscriber access line module via the subscriber access line, wherein the phone system receives and processes the call from the phone, wherein the subscriber location query system comprises a datastore, wherein the datastore comprises a plurality of subscriber location records, wherein each subscriber location record comprises a subscriber access line identity attribute and a corresponding subscriber location attribute;

(b) comparing the subscriber access line identity from the query to the subscriber access line identity attributes of the plurality of subscriber location records; and

(c) if a match is found, returning to the phone system the subscriber location according to the matching subscriber location record, wherein the subscriber location comprises a physical or link layer property of the subscriber access line module to which the subscriber access line is coupled.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the returning (c) comprises:

(c1) extracting the subscriber location from the subscriber location attribute of the matching subscriber location record; and

(c2) returning the subscriber location to the phone system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the returning (c) comprises:

(c1) returning the matching subscriber location record to the phone system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the subscriber access line module is coupled to the phone system via a line separate from the subscriber access line.

14. A system, comprising:

a subscriber access line having a subscriber access line identity;

a subscriber access line module;

a phone coupled to the subscriber access line module via the subscriber access line;

a subscriber location query system, comprising a subscriber location corresponding to the subscriber access line identity; and

a phone system coupled to the subscriber access line module via a line separate from the subscriber access line, wherein the phone system receives and processes a call from the phone,

wherein the phone system determines the subscriber access line identity,

wherein the phone system sends a query to the subscriber location query system, wherein the query comprises the subscriber access line identity,

wherein the subscriber location query system comprises a datastore, wherein the datastore comprises a plurality of subscriber location records, wherein each subscriber location record comprises a subscriber access line identity attribute and a corresponding subscriber location attribute,

wherein the subscriber location query system receives the query from the phone system, compares the subscriber access line identity from the query to the subscriber access line identity attributes of the plurality of subscriber location records, and

if a match is found, returning to the phone system the subscriber location according to the matching subscriber location record; and

wherein the phone system receives from the subscriber location query system the subscriber location, wherein the subscriber location comprises a physical or link layer property of the subscriber access line module to which the subscriber access line is coupled.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the subscriber access line comprises a radio network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the phone system determines the subscriber access line identity by sending a query to the subscriber access line module for the subscriber access line identity.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the phone system determines the subscriber access line identity by sending the query from a subscriber phone equipment to the subscriber access line module for the subscriber access line identity, wherein the subscriber phone equipment is coupled to the subscriber access line module, wherein the subscriber phone equipment receives the subscriber access line identity from the subscriber access line module.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the phone stores the subscriber access line identity, wherein the phone system obtains the subscriber access line identity from the phone.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the subscriber location query system extracts the subscriber location from the subscriber location attribute of the matching subscriber location record, and returns the subscriber location to the phone system.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the subscriber location query system returns the matching subscriber location record to the phone system.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the phone system presents the call and the subscriber location to an emergency response agent.