System and method for providing location based E-911 of network access devices registered with a network gateway

• US 8,964,945 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/904,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 51
• 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: 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

A system and method for providing location information to a public safety answering point may include registering network access points with a gateway. The registration may include address location of each network access point to enable the gateway to look-up and communicate the address location of a registered network access point during an emergency 911 call. The network access points may be WiFi access points. The network access point address location information may be communicated using a type II caller ID data packets after the public safety answering point goes off-hook. By communicating both the access point address information and GPS location information, PSAPs that are configured as E911 Phase I and E911 Phase II may display address information of an emergency 911 caller.

Claims

1. A system for providing address location information to a public safety answering point during a wireless 911 call, said system comprising:

a plurality of WiFi network access points configured to wirelessly receive calls from wireless devices;

a gateway in communication with said WiFi network access points, said gateway including;

a controller configured to receive communications from said WiFi network access points; and

an interpreter configured to interpret first signals having a protocol for communication over a first network into second signals having a protocol for communication over a second network, the second signals being communicated over the second network on which public safety answering points operating to service emergency 911 calls are operating;

a first database in communication with said gateway and configured to store network address information of selective routers associated with the public safety answering points; and

a second database in communication with said gateway and configured, prior to the receipt of a wireless 911 call, to receive a registration of each of said network access points and upon registration, store physical address location information of said WiFi network access points, said gateway configured to receive the wireless 911 call and, in response to receiving the emergency 911 call, (i) determine network address information of a selective router associated with a public safety answering point operating to service emergency 911 calls for an area in which said WiFi network access points are operating from the first database, (ii) determine a physical address location of the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call from the second database, and (iii) send the physical address location of the WiFi network access point to the public safety answering point, in response to the public safety answering point going off-hook to answer the emergency 911 call.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the address location information includes particular locations within buildings in which each respective WiFi network access point is operating.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is further configured to receive an abbreviated dialing code from the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call and, in response to receiving the abbreviated dialing code, determine the address location of the WiFi network access point by sending a request for the WiFi network access point to said second database.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is further configured (i) to receive a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook in response to receiving a call signal from the gateway and (ii) to send the address location of the WiFi network access point in a type II caller ID data packet to the public safety answering point.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said gateway is further configured to receive GPS coordinates from the wireless device that placed the emergency 911 call and communicate the GPS coordinates to the public safety answering point.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said WiFi network access points are configured to receive 911 DTMF signals and, in response, generate an abbreviated dialing code signal to notify said gateway that an emergency 911 call is being placed.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second database is configured to store address location information particular about the address location of each WiFi network access point depending on the type of building the respective WiFi network access point is located, and said gateway is further configured to format a type II caller ID data packet with the address location information of the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call based on the type of building the respective WiFi network access point is located.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the address location information is a particular gate within an airport terminal building and wherein the gate is included in a field within the type II caller ID data packet.

9. A method for providing address location information to a public safety answering point during a wireless 911 call, said method comprising:

prior to receiving a wireless 911 call, registering a physical address location information of a plurality of WiFi network access points with a WiFi network access point physical address location database;

wirelessly receiving a wireless 911 call from a wireless device via one WiFi network access point of the registered WiFi network access points;

determining, in response to receiving the wireless 911 call, that the call is an emergency 911 call;

requesting address information of a selective router associated with a public safety answering point operating to service emergency 911 calls from the WiFi network access point, wherein said selective router address information is stored on a selective router address database which is separate from the WiFi network access point physical address location database;

establishing a call with the public safety answering point via the selective router;

in response to receiving a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook, determining the physical address location of the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call from the WiFi network access point physical address location database; and

sending the physical address location of the WiFi network access point to the public safety answering point, in response to the public safety answering point going off-hook to answer the emergency 911 call.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein registering the address location information includes storing particular locations within buildings in which each respective WiFi network access point is operating.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving an abbreviated dialing code from the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call and, in response to receiving the abbreviated dialing code, determining the registered address location of the WiFi network access point.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising (i) receiving a signal indicative of the public safety answering point going off-hook in response to receiving a call signal from the gateway and (ii) sending the address location of the WiFi network access point in a type II caller ID data packets to the public safety answering point.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving GPS coordinates from the wireless device that placed the emergency 911 call and communicating the GPS coordinates to the public safety answering point.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising storing address location information particular about the address location of each WiFi network access point depending on the type of building the respective WiFi network access point is located, and formatting a type II caller ID data packet with the address location information of the WiFi network access point that received the emergency 911 call based on the type of building the respective WiFi network access point is located.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein formatting the type II caller ID data packet includes including an indicia of a particular gate within an airport terminal building within a field within the type II caller ID data packet.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein formatting the type II caller ID data packet includes including an indicia of a name of shopping location, floor number, and map code.