GPS-assisted architecture for VoIP 9-1-1

• US 8,280,341 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Edelmann, Paul, Durmer, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US11/304,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A system receives a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 call and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data from a first network device and identifies a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) using the received GPS data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network device, of an emergency service provider, configured to;

receive, from a mobile device of a user, first Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data independent of receiving a call from the mobile device,

update location information, stored in an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database, with the first GPS data, the location information corresponding to identification information of the mobile device,

the ALI database being updated to enable at least one Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to provide a service, to the user at a location identified by the first GPS data, independent of a call from the mobile device,

receive second GPS data and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 call from the mobile device,

receive, from the mobile device, the identification information,

identify a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), that is geographically closest to the received second GPS data, out of a plurality of PSAPs,

obtain a pseudo telephone number for the identified PSAP,

forward, using the obtained pseudo telephone number, information associated with the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call to the identified PSAP, and

update, based on receiving the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call, the location information stored in the ALI database,

the location information being updated, in the ALI database, using the second GPS data.

2. The system of claim 1, where the network device is to:

receive the identification information with the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call.

3. The system of claim 2, where the identification information includes a telephone number of the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 1 where, when forwarding the information associated with the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call, the network device is further to:

convert the second GPS data from a first format to a second format that is compatible with the identified PSAP, and

forward the converted second GPS data to the identified PSAP.

5. The system of claim 4 where the second format includes a wireless Phase I format.

6. The system of claim 4 where the second format includes a wireless Phase II format.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device and from a mobile device of a user, first Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data independent of receiving a call from the mobile device;

updating, by the network device, location information, stored in an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database, with the first GPS data, the location information corresponding to identification information of the mobile device,

the ALI database being updated to enable emergency services to be provided, to the user at a first location identified by the first GPS data, independent of a call from the mobile device,

receiving, by the network device and from the mobile device, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 call, the identification information, and second GPS data that identifies a second location of the mobile device;

identifying, by the network device, a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) using the received second GPS data;

obtaining, by the network device, a pseudo telephone number for the identified PSAP, the pseudo telephone number being used to route the received VoIP 9-1-1 call and the received second GPS data to the identified PSAP; and

updating, by the network device, the location information, stored in the ALI database, using the received second GPS data.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

routing, using the pseudo telephone number, the received VoIP 9-1-1 call to the identified PSAP.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

routing information associated with the received second GPS data, to the PSAP, with the VoIP 9-1-1 call.

10. The method of claim 9 where the routed information includes the received second GPS data.

11. The method of claim 9 where the routed information includes a converted version of the received second GPS data.

12. A system comprising:

a first network device, of a service provider, configured to;

receive, from a second network device of a user, first Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data independent of receiving a call from the second network device,

update location information, stored in an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database, with the first GPS data, the location information corresponding to identification information, of the second network device, stored in the ALI database,

the ALI database being updated to enable emergency services to be provided, to the user at a location identified by the first GPS data, independent of a call from the mobile device,

receive, from the second network device, second GPS data and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 call,

identify a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the second GPS data,

route the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call to the identified PSAP, and

update, using the second GPS data, the location information stored in the ALI database.

13. The system of claim 12, where, when receiving the second GPS data, the first network device is to:

receive the second GPS data with the identification information of the second network device.

19. The system of claim 12, where the first network device is to receive, from the second network device and at particular time intervals, GPS data independent of receiving a call from the second network device, and

where the particular time intervals are configured by the user.

20. The system of claim 12, where the first network device is to route the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call to the identified PSAP after updating the ALI database using the second GPS data.

21. The system of claim 12, where the first network device is to route the second GPS data and the VoIP 9-1-1 call to the identified PSAP and update the ALI database using the second GPS data, in parallel.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device of an emergency service provider, first Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data from a second device of a user;

updating, by the first device, location information, stored in an Automatic Location Identification (ALI) database, with the first GPS data, the location information corresponding to identification information of the second device,

the ALI database being updated to enable emergency services to be provided, to the user at a location identified by the first GPS data, independent of a call from the second device,

receiving, by the first device and from the second device, second GPS data, the identification information, and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) 9-1-1 call;

identifying, by the first device, a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the second GPS data;

obtaining, by the first device, a pseudo telephone number for the identified PSAP;

forwarding, by the first device, the VoIP 9-1-1 call and information relating to the second GPS data to the identified PSAP, using the obtained pseudo telephone number; and

updating, by the first device, the location information, stored in the ALI database, using the second GPS data.

15. The method of claim 14 where the information, relating to the second GPS data, includes Phase I formatted location information corresponding to the second GPS data.

16. The method of claim 14 where the information, relating to the second GPS data, includes Phase II formatted location information corresponding to the second GPS data.

17. The method of claim 14, where the identification information comprises an Automatic Number Identifier (ANI) associated with the first device, and where the obtained pseudo telephone number includes a pseudo ANI that cannot be assigned to the second device.

18. The method of claim 14, where:

the second GPS data corresponds to GPS data captured by the second device prior the user placing the VoIP 9-1-1 call.