Method and system for obtaining emergency caller location

• US 8,503,973 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TP Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi Fai, Chiu, Shin Cheung Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/337,038
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/435.1, 455/432.3, 455/425, 455/422.1
• 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 mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a wireless base station, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a phone system, comprising:

(a) obtaining by the mobile phone a current wireless base station identity for a current wireless base station to which the mobile phone is coupled;

(b) obtaining by the mobile phone a stored wireless base station identity;

(c) determining by the mobile phone that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity;

(d) obtaining by the mobile phone a subscriber location corresponding to the current base wireless station identity; and

(e) sending the subscriber location by the mobile phone to the phone system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the phone system is coupled to the current wireless base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining (d) comprises:

(d1) obtaining by the mobile phone the subscriber location comprising a physical or link layer property of the current wireless base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining (d) comprises:

(d1) obtaining by the mobile phone a geophysical property of the current wireless base station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the geophysical property of the current wireless base station comprises a geophysical location of the current wireless base station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) storing the subscriber location in a storage by the mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) in response to determining that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity, displaying an indication about the subscriber location on a display of the mobile phone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining (a), the obtaining (b), the determining (c), the obtaining (d), and the sending (f) are performed during a call with the mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(f) in response to determining that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity, displaying an indication about the subscriber location on a display of the mobile phone during the call with the mobile phone.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(f) obtaining a service by the mobile phone during the call with the mobile phone based on the subscriber location.

11. A system, comprising:

a wireless base station having a base station identity;

a mobile phone coupled to the wireless base station;

a subscriber location query system, comprising a subscriber location corresponding to the base station identity; and

a phone system coupled to the wireless base station,

wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a current wireless base station,

wherein the mobile phone obtains a current wireless base station identity for the current wireless base station, obtains a stored wireless base station identity, determines that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity, obtains from the subscriber location query system a subscriber location corresponding to the current base station identity, and sends the subscriber location to the phone system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile phone obtains the subscriber location comprising a physical or link layer property of the current wireless base station.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile phone obtains a geophysical property of the current wireless base station.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the geophysical property of the current wireless base station comprises a geophysical location of the current wireless base station.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile phone comprises a storage, wherein the mobile phone stores the subscriber location in the storage.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein in response to determining that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity, the mobile phone displays an indication about the subscriber location.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile phone performs obtains the current wireless base station identity for the current wireless base station, determines that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity, obtains from the subscriber location query system the subscriber location corresponding to the current wireless base station identity, and sends the subscriber location to the phone system during a call with the mobile phone.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile phone further displays an indication about the subscriber location during the call with the mobile phone, in response to determining that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile phone further obtains a service during the call with the mobile phone based on the subscriber location.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the phone system comprises a storage, wherein the phone system stores the subscriber location in the storage.

21. A method for obtaining a subscriber location for a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a wireless base station, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a location-based directory services system, comprising:

(a) obtaining by the mobile phone a current wireless base station identity for a current wireless base station to which the mobile phone is coupled;

(b) obtaining by the mobile phone a stored wireless base station identity;

(c) determining by the mobile phone that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity;

(d) obtaining by the mobile phone a subscriber location corresponding to the current wireless base station identity; and

(e) sending the subscriber location by the mobile phone to the location-based directory services system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sending (e) comprises:

(e1) sending the subscriber location by the mobile phone to the location-based directory services system during a call to the location-based directory services system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the sending (e) comprises:

(e1) sending the subscriber location and the current wireless base station identity by the mobile phone to the location-based services system.

24. A method for obtaining a subscriber location for a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a wireless base station, wherein the mobile phone is coupled to a toll-free services system, comprising:

(a) obtaining by the mobile phone a current wireless base station identity for a current wireless base station to which the mobile phone is coupled;

(b) obtaining by the mobile phone a stored wireless base station identity;

(c) determining by the mobile phone that the current wireless base station identity does not match the stored wireless base station identity;

(d) obtaining by the mobile phone a subscriber location corresponding to the current base wireless station identity; and

(e) sending the subscriber location by the mobile phone to the toll-free services system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the sending (e) comprises:

(e1) sending the subscriber location by the mobile phone to the toll-free services system during a call to the toll-free services system.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the sending (e) comprises:

(e1) sending the subscriber location and the current wireless base station identity by the mobile phone to the toll-free services system.