Wireless device location for emergency calls

• US 8,718,596 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Xue, Wen, Jamshidi, Talat, Guirguis, Ihab Amin, Klesper, Stevan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US12/369,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A wireless device identifier and an access point identifier are associated with location information that identifies a location associated with a network access point that is associated with the access point identifier. Call signaling information requesting a call to an emergency service is received from a wireless device connected wirelessly to the network access point via a wireless network connection. The access point identifier is received from the wireless device. Based on the access point identifier, and the wireless device identifier, the location information is retrieved. The location information is transferred to an emergency service system. The call for the emergency service is established to the emergency service system.

Claims

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

associating at least a network identifier of a network access point with a geographic location of the network access point;

receiving call signaling information requesting a call to an emergency service from a wireless user device which receives wireless network access from the network access point;

based on at least the network identifier of the network access point, identifying the geographic location of the network access point, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is received by the wireless user device during a dynamic host configuration (DHCP) process with the network access point;

transferring the geographic location of the network access point for delivery to an emergency service system for use as a location of the wireless user device for the call to the emergency service, wherein the wireless user device transfers the geographic location of the network access point with the call signaling information for delivery to the emergency service system; and

,

establishing the call for the emergency service to the emergency service system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network identifier of the network access point comprises a service set identifier (SSID) of the network access point as broadcast by the network access point and received by the wireless user device, and wherein the SSID of the network access point is provided by the wireless user device with the call signaling information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is received by the wireless user device from the network access point during a wireless network registration process with the network access point, and wherein the wireless user device transfers the geographic location of the network access point with the call signaling information for delivery to the emergency service system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is provided in a vendor specific area of a DHCP protocol message during the DHCP configuration process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a user inputs the geographic location of the network access point into the wireless user device, and wherein the wireless user device transfers the geographic location of the network access point with the call signaling information for delivery to the emergency service system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is stored in the network access point and provided to the wireless user device during a wireless network registration process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is stored by a location information system, wherein the location information system provides the geographic location of the network access point for delivery to the emergency service system, and wherein the wireless user device provides the network identifier of the network access point for receipt by the location information system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in a location information system coupled to a network that establishes the call for the emergency service to the emergency service system:

storing the geographic location of the network access point;

associating the network identifier of the network access point with the geographic location of the network access point;

identifying the geographic location of the network access point responsive to at least receiving the network identifier of the network access point with the call signaling information; and

providing the geographic location of the network access point for delivery to the emergency service system for use as a location of the wireless user device for the call to the emergency service.

9. A communication system, comprising:

a storage system configured to associate at least a network identifier of a network access point with a geographic location of the network access point;

a communication network configured to receive call signaling information requesting a call to an emergency service from a wireless user device which receives wireless network access from the network access point;

a processing system configured to identify the geographic location of the network access point based on at least the network identifier of the network access point, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is received by the wireless user device during a dynamic host configuration (DHCP) process with the network access point;

the communication network configured to establish the call for the emergency service to the emergency service system; and

the emergency service system configured to receive the geographic location of the network access point from the communication network for use as a location of the wireless user device for the call to the emergency service, wherein the wireless user device transfers the geographic location of the network access point with the call signaling information for delivery to the emergency service system.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the network identifier of the network access point comprises a service set identifier (SSID) of the network access point as broadcast by the network access point and received by the wireless user device, and wherein the SSID of the network access point is provided by the wireless user device with the call signaling information.

11. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is received by the wireless user device from the network access point during a wireless network registration process with the network access point.

12. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is provided in a vendor specific area of a DHCP protocol message during the DHCP configuration process.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein a user inputs the geographic location of the network access point into the wireless user device.

14. The communication system of claim of claim 9, wherein the geographic location of the network access point is stored in the network access point and provided to the wireless user device during a wireless network registration process, and wherein the wireless user device comprises the storage system and the processing system.

15. The communication system of claim of claim 9, wherein the geographic location is stored by the communication network, wherein the communication network provides the geographic location of the network access point for delivery to the emergency service system, wherein the communication network comprises the storage system and the processing system, and wherein the wireless user device provides the network identifier of the network access point for receipt by the communication network.

16. A method of operating a wireless user device, comprising:

receiving a network identifier of a network access point;

receiving wireless network access from the network access point;

identifying a geographic location of the network access point based on at least the network identifier of the network access point by at least receiving the geographic location of the network access point during a dynamic host configuration (DHCP) process with the network access point;

receiving a user request to establish a call to an emergency service over the wireless network access provided by the network access point;

sending call signaling information requesting the call to the emergency service;

sending the geographic location of the network access point with the call signaling information for use as a location of the wireless user device for the call to the emergency service; and

establishing the call for the emergency service to an emergency service system.