Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) E911 metro street address guide (MSAG) validation

• US 8,913,983 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Lorello, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US13/067,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20120282883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/439, 455/414.1, 455/67.1, 455/414.2, 455418-419, 370/356, 370/352, 370/466, 370/329, 379 37- 38, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 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: 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 40/20 based on geographic position or location

Abstract

An overlay list of MSAG-valid addresses is created for use in lieu of (or in addition to) the lat/Ion or postal address which otherwise would go with an E911 VoIP 911 call. This overlays the nation with a series of MSAG-addressed polygons, with center points identified in those polygons, and MSAG-valid addresses provided to the PSAPs for those centers, preferably along with the original latitude/longitude coordinates.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP), comprising:

receiving, at a physical server, latitude/longitude information associated with a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) caller device;

mapping, at said physical server, said latitude/longitude information to a polygon;

retrieving, at said physical server, an MSAG-valid address associated with an approximate center point of said polygon; and

providing said MSAG-valid address associated with said polygon to a public safety answering point (PSAP) responsible for said approximate center point of said polygon.

2. The A method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said latitude/longitude information to said PSAP.

3. The A method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

at least some, but not all, of a plurality of MSAG-valid addresses are defined by a street address of a corresponding cell tower.

4. The method providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

each of a plurality of polygons are defined by a single street address.

5. The method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 4, wherein:

said single street address is a street address of an approximate center point of each of a respective plurality of polygons.

6. The method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

each of a plurality of existing polygons is defined by a single street address.

7. The method of providing location information to a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

each of a plurality of polygons are defined by a plurality of latitude/longitude coordinates.