System, method and apparatus for supporting E911 emergency services in a data communications network

• US 8,437,340 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Foundry Networks LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Anthony W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASSIM, KHALED M
• Application Number:
  US13/075,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 370351-356, 370/395.52, 370/329, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for supporting enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services, in a data communications network that includes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones. A network system includes a host network communicatively coupled to an E911 database management system, a network access device, and a VoIP telephone communicatively coupled to an input port of the network access device. The network access device is adapted to assign a physical location identifier to an input port, to authenticate the VoIP telephone, wherein the authentication includes receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone, and to transmit the location identifier and the unique device identifier to the E911 database management system. The E911 database management system is permitted to store the physical location identifier in association with the unique device identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a network access device having an input port, detecting a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone coupled to the input port, the network access device comprising a memory for storing a physical location identifier that identifies a physical location of a termination point of the input port;

authenticating the VoIP telephone, the authenticating comprising receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone;

when the network access device detects the VoIP telephone coupled to the input port, transmitting an automatic report towards an enhanced 911 (E911) database management system (DBMS);

transmitting the unique device identifier towards the enhanced 911 (E911) DBMS in response to an identification query from the E911 DBMS; and

transmitting the physical location identifier of the termination point towards the E911 DBMS in response to a physical location query from the E911 DBMS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating includes authenticating the VoIP telephone in accordance with an IEEE 802.1x protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating includes receiving a unique device identifier that comprises a telephone number of the VoIP telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating includes receiving a unique device identifier that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the VoIP telephone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating includes receiving a unique device identifier that comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the VoIP telephone.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an input port;

a memory for storing a physical location identifier that identifies a physical location of a termination point of the input port;

a switching fabric configured to route data received via the input port towards at least one output port of the apparatus; and

control logic adapted to;

detect a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone coupled to the input port;

authenticate the VoIP telephone, the authenticating comprising receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone;

when the apparatus detects the VoIP telephone coupled to the input port, transmit an automatic report towards an enhanced 911 (E911) database management system (DBMS);

transmit the unique device identifier towards the enhanced 911 (E911) DBMS in response to an identification query from the E911 DBMS; and

transmit the physical location identifier of the termination point towards the E911 DBMS in response to a physical location query from the E911 DBMS.

7. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the control logic adapted to authenticate includes control logic adapted to authenticate the VoIP telephone in accordance with an IEEE 802.1x protocol.

8. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the control logic adapted to authenticate includes control logic adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises a telephone number of the VoIP telephone.

9. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the control logic adapted to authenticate includes control logic adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the VoIP telephone.

10. The network access device of claim 6, wherein the control logic adapted to authenticate includes control logic adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the VoIP telephone.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an input port;

a memory for storing a physical location identifier that identifies a physical location of a termination point of the input port; and

control logic adapted to;

detect a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone coupled to the input port;

authenticate the VoIP telephone, the authenticating comprising receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone;

when the apparatus detects the VoIP telephone coupled to the input port, transmit an automatic report towards an enhanced 911 (E911) database management system (DBMS);

transmit the unique device identifier towards the enhanced 911 (E911) DBMS in response to an identification query from the E911 DBMS; and

transmit the physical location identifier of the termination point towards the E911 DBMS in response to a physical location query from the E911 DBMS.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further adapted to authenticate the VoIP telephone in accordance with an IEEE 802.1x protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises a telephone number of the VoIP telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the VoIP telephone.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control logic is further adapted to receive a unique device identifier that comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the VoIP telephone.

16. A nontransitory program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

by a network access device having an input port, detecting a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone coupled to the input port, the network access device comprising a memory for storing a physical location identifier that identifies a physical location of a termination point of the input port;

authenticating the VoIP telephone, the authenticating comprising receiving a unique device identifier from the VoIP telephone;

when the network access device detects the VoIP telephone coupled to the input port, transmitting an automatic report towards an enhanced 911 (E911) database management system (DBMS);

transmitting the unique device identifier towards the enhanced 911 (E911) DBMS in response to an identification query from the E911 DBMS; and

transmitting the physical location identifier of the termination point towards the E911 DBMS in response to a physical location query from the E911 DBMS.