Returning calls to emergency callers without valid telephone numbers

• US 8,903,051 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2013
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Mingxing S., Chen, Xuming, Lau, Priscilla
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US13/862,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A device is configured to detect an emergency call from a user device associated with a device identifier, the device identifier including information that identifies the user device. The device is configured to detect that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number, based on detecting the emergency call. The device is configured to determine a temporary originating telephone number, based on detecting that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number, and to store an association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number. The device is configured to transmit the emergency call, with information identifying the temporary originating telephone number, to an emergency call device, the temporary originating telephone number permitting the emergency call device to place a return call to the user device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

detect an emergency call from a user device associated with a device identifier,

the device identifier including information that identifies the user device;

determine that the user device is not associated with a user profile stored by a home subscriber server;

determine that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number based on the user device not being associated with the user profile;

determine a temporary originating telephone number, based on determining that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number;

store an association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number; and

transmit the emergency call, with information identifying the temporary originating telephone number, to an emergency call device,

the temporary originating telephone number permitting the emergency call device to place a return call to the user device.

2. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number, are further to:

detect that a service provider account associated with the user device is not activated, and

determine that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number based on the service provider account not being activated.

3. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine that the association is to be removed; and

remove the association based on determining that the association is to be removed.

4. The device of claim 3, where the one or more processors, when determining that the association is to be removed, are further to:

determine that the association is to be removed based on at least one of;

a lapse in time after the emergency call is transmitted;

a lapse in time after the emergency call ends;

input received from the user device;

or

input received from the emergency call device.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining the temporary originating telephone number, are further to:

receive information identifying the temporary originating telephone number from an external device; and

where the one or more processors are further to;

determine that the association is to be removed; and

notify the external device that the association is to be removed based on determining that the association is to be removed.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when detecting the emergency call from the user device, are further to:

detect emergency call information including at least one of;

information that identifies a device type associated with the user device;

information that identifies a location associated with the user device;

information that identifies a user associated with the user device;

information that identifies a time associated with the emergency call;

or

information that identifies a date associated with the emergency call; and

where the one or more processors, when transmitting the emergency call, are further to;

transmit the emergency call based on the emergency call information.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

detect the return call from the emergency call device,

the return call being directed to the temporary originating telephone number;

determine the device identifier associated with the temporary originating telephone number; and

transmit the return call to the user device based on the device identifier.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to;

detect an emergency call from a user device associated with a device identifier,

the device identifier including information that identifies the user device;

determine that the user device is not associated with a user profile stored by a home subscriber server;

determine that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number based on the user device not being associated with the user profile;

determine a temporary originating telephone number for the user device based on detecting that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number;

store an association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number;

transmit the emergency call, with information identifying the temporary originating telephone number, to an emergency call device;

detect a returning call from the emergency call device that receives the emergency call,

the returning call being directed to the temporary originating telephone number;

determine the device identifier associated with the temporary originating telephone number; and

transmit the returning call to the user device based on the device identifier.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions to determine that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number further include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect that a service provider account associated with the user device is not activated, and

determine that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number based on the service provider account not being activated.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the device identifier includes at least one of:

an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the user device;

a device serial number;

an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI);

a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN);

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID);

a mobile dialing number (MDN);

or

a service programming code (SPC).

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine that the association, between the device identifier and the temporary telephone number, is to be removed; and

remove the association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number based on determining that the association is to be removed.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, where the one or more instructions to determine that the association is to be removed include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine that the association is to be removed based on at least one of;

a lapse in time after the emergency call is transmitted;

a lapse in time after the emergency call ends;

input received from the user device;

or

input received from the emergency call device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions to determine the temporary originating telephone number include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive the temporary originating telephone number from an external device; and

where the instructions further comprise;

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine that the association, between the device identifier and the temporary telephone number, is to be removed; and

notify the external device that the association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number is to be removed based on determining that the association is to be removed.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions to detect the emergency call from the user device include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect emergency call information including at least one of;

information that identifies a device type associated with the user device;

information that identifies a location associated with the user device;

information that identifies a user associated with the user device,

information that identifies a time associated with the emergency call;

or

information that identifies a date associated with the emergency call; and

where the one or more instructions to transmit the emergency call include;

one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transmit the emergency call based on the emergency call information.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a device, an emergency call from a user device associated with a device identifier,

the device identifier including information that identifies the user device;

determining, by the device, that the user device is not associated with a user profile;

determining, by the device, that the user device is not associated with a valid originating telephone number based on the user device not being associated with the user profile;

transmitting, by the device, a request for a temporary originating telephone number;

receiving, by the device, a response, to the request, that identifies the temporary originating telephone number,

the temporary originating telephone number being one of a plurality of stored temporary originating telephone numbers;

storing, by the device, an association between the device identifier and the temporary originating telephone number; and

transmitting, by the device, the emergency call, with information identifying the temporary originating telephone number, to an emergency call device,

the temporary originating telephone number permitting the emergency call device to place a return call to the user device.

16. The method of claim 15, where the determining that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number further comprises:

determining that a service provider account associated with the user device is not activated; and

determining that the user device is not associated with the valid originating telephone number based on the service provider account not being activated.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the device, that the association is to be removed; and

removing, by the device, the association based on determining that the association is to be removed.

18. The method of claim 17, where the determining that the association is to be removed further comprises:

determining that the association is to be removed based on at least one of;

a lapse in time after the emergency call is transmitted;

a lapse in time after the emergency call ends;

input received from the user device;

or

input received from emergency call device.

19. The method of claim 15, where the detecting the emergency call from the user device further comprises:

detecting emergency call information including at least one of;

information that identifies a device type associated with the user device;

information that identifies a location associated with the user device;

information that identifies a user associated with the user device,

information that identifies a time associated with the emergency call;

or

information that identifies a date associated with the emergency call; and

where transmitting the emergency call further comprises;

transmitting the emergency call based on the emergency call information.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting the return call from the emergency call device,

the return call being directed to the temporary originating telephone number;

determining the device identifier associated with the temporary originating telephone number; and

transmitting the return call, to the user device, based on the device identifier.