Wireless communication system for routing emergency calls from a VoIP network

• US 8,542,611 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: English, Eric C., Cole, Jay Douglas, Kunkel, Philip Martin, Jamshidi, Talat, Xue, Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JOSHUA Y
• Application Number:
  US12/886,180
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for providing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) emergency calls via a wireless communication network. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving an emergency call request from a VoIP communication network initiated by a VoIP communication client operating on the VoIP communication network. The method further provides processing the emergency call request to determine a wireless device associated with the VoIP communication client. The method further provides determining a location of the wireless device and determining a public safety answering point (PSAP) based on the location of the wireless device. The method further provides establishing an emergency call between the VoIP communication client and the PSAP via the wireless communication system and the VoIP communication network based on the location of the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication system comprising:

receiving an emergency call request from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication network initiated by a VoIP communication client operating on the VoIP communication network;

processing the emergency call request to determine a wireless device associated with the VoIP communication client;

transferring a message to the wireless device requesting confirmation that a user associated with a emergency call is in possession of the wireless communication device;

in response to receiving the confirmation that the user is in possession of the wireless device, determining a location of the wireless device and determining a public safety answering point (PSAP) based on the location of the wireless device;

if the confirmation is not received, then determining a probability that the user associated with the emergency call is in possession of the wireless device;

if the probability is above a threshold, then determining the location of the wireless device and determining the PSAP based on the location of the wireless device;

if the probability is below the threshold, then determining the PSAP based on a default location; and

establishing the emergency call between the VoIP communication client and the PSAP via the wireless communication system and the VoIP communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring a phone number for the wireless device to the PSAP.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the PSAP initiates a call to the phone number if the emergency call connection with the VoIP communication client is interrupted.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-establishing the emergency call between the PSAP and the wireless device if the emergency call connection with the VoIP communication client is interrupted.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is a text message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the default location is a default address associated with the VoIP communication client.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the default location is determined based on the network address of the VoIP communication client.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the emergency call request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request.

9. A communication gateway system in a wireless communication system comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive an emergency call request from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication network initiated by a VoIP communication client operating on the VoIP communication network;

a processing system configured to process the emergency call request to determine a wireless device associated with the VoIP communication client;

the communication interface configured to transfer a message to the associated wireless device requesting confirmation that a user associated with an emergency call is in possession of the wireless device and receive a response from the wireless device confirming that the user is in possession of the wireless communication device;

if the confirmation that the user is in possession of the wireless device is received, then the processing system is configured to determine a location of the wireless device, and determine a public safety answering point (PSAP) based on the location of the wireless device;

if the confirmation is not received, then the processing system is configured to determine a probability that the user associated with the emergency call is in possession of the wireless communication device, and if the probability is below a threshold then, the processing system is configured to determine the PSAP based on a default location; and

the communication interface further configured to establish the emergency call between the VoIP communication client and the PSAP via the wireless communication system and the VoIP communication network.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the communication interface is further configured to transfer a phone number for the wireless device to the PSAP.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the PSAP initiates a call to the phone number if the emergency call connection with the VoIP communication client is interrupted.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the communication interface is further configured to re-establish the emergency call between the PSAP and the wireless device if the emergency call connection with the VoIP communication client is interrupted.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the message is a text message.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the default location is a default address associated with the VoIP communication client.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the default location is determined based on the network address of the VoIP communication client.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the emergency call request is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request.