Systems and methods for location management and emergency support for a voice over internet protocol device

• US 9,019,870 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated, Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khan, Richard L., Qiu, Chaoxin, Dailey, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): DECKER, CASSANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US14/021,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140016634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An example method stores a nomadic service designator and an operating mode designator in association with a public user identifier. The nomadic service designator indicates whether an IP device is allowed to access VoIP services from different network locations. The public user identifier facilitates establishing a call with the IP device. The operating mode designator indicates when the IP device is in a suspended operating mode and an unrestricted mode. The suspended operating mode restricts the IP device to a subset of communication services associated with a service subscription of the IP device, and to a 911 service. The unrestricted operating mode is based on a registered geographic location associated with the IP device being a current geographic location of the IP device, and is based on a service provider being able to provide an E911 service including a location-identification service at the current geographic location of the IP device.

Claims

1. A method to associate voice over internet protocol information with emergency services information for an internet protocol device, the method comprising:

storing a first nomadic service designator in association with a first public user identifier, the first nomadic service designator to indicate whether the internet protocol device is allowed to access voice over internet protocol services in association with the first public user identifier from different network locations, and the first public user identifier to facilitate establishing a first call with the internet protocol device;

storing a second nomadic service designator in association with a second public user identifier, the second nomadic service designator to indicate whether the internet protocol device is allowed to access the voice over internet protocol services in association with the second public user identifier from the different network locations, the second public user identifier to facilitate establishing a second call with the internet protocol device, wherein the first and second nomadic service designators are configurable to respectively different nomadic permissions for the first and second public user identifiers; and

storing an operating mode designator in association with the first public user identifier, the operating mode designator to;

indicate when the internet protocol device is in a suspended operating mode that restricts the internet protocol device to using a subset of communication services associated with a service subscription of the internet protocol device, and to using a 911 service, and

indicate when the internet protocol device is in an unrestricted operating mode, the unrestricted operating mode based on a registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device being a current geographic location of the internet protocol device, and based on a service provider being able to provide an enhanced 911 (E911) service including a location-identification service at the current geographic location of the internet protocol device.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the operating mode designator is further to indicate when the internet protocol device is in a restricted operating mode in which the internet protocol device is restricted to using fewer or none of the communication services in the subset of the communication services that the internet protocol device is allowed to use in the suspended operating mode.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein storing the operating mode designator to indicate when the internet protocol device is in the unrestricted operating mode is performed in response to receiving a response from a user of the internet protocol device confirming that the registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device is the current geographic location of the internet protocol device.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing a public internet protocol address in association with the first and second public user identifiers, the public internet protocol address associated with the internet protocol device, wherein the public internet protocol address is registered to a gateway providing Internet access to the internet protocol device.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the internet protocol device is a voice over internet protocol telephone.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first nomadic service designator is stored in association with the first public user identifier in a first data structure, the operating mode designator is stored in association with the first public user identifier in a second data structure, and the first nomadic service designator and the operating mode designator being in association with one another across the first and second data structures based on the same first public user identifier.

7. An apparatus to associate voice over internet protocol information with emergency services information for an internet protocol device, the apparatus comprising:

a memory to store;

a public internet protocol address in association with a first public user identifier, the public internet protocol address associated with the internet protocol device, and the first public user identifier used to establish a first call with the internet protocol device;

a first nomadic service designator in association with the first public user identifier, the first nomadic service designator to indicate whether the internet protocol device is allowed to access voice over internet protocol services in association with the first public user identifier from different network locations;

a second nomadic service designator in association with a second public user identifier, the second nomadic service designator to indicate whether the internet protocol device is allowed to access the voice over internet protocol services in association with the second public user identifier from the different network locations, the second public user identifier to facilitate establishing a second call with the internet protocol device, wherein the first and second nomadic service designators are configurable to respectively different nomadic permissions for the first and second public user identifiers; and

an operating mode designator in association with the first public user identifier, the operating mode designator to;

indicate when the internet protocol device is in a suspended operating mode that restricts the internet protocol device to using a subset of communication services associated with a service subscription of the internet protocol device, and to using a 911 service, and

indicate when the internet protocol device is in an unrestricted operating mode, the unrestricted operating mode based on a registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device being a current geographic location of the internet protocol device, and based on a service provider being able to provide an enhanced 911 (E911) service including a location-identification service at the current geographic location of the internet protocol device; and

a processor to access the public internet protocol address, the first and second nomadic service designators, and the operating mode designator to provide the internet protocol device with the 911 service or the E911 service.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the operating mode designator is further to indicate when the internet protocol device is in a restricted operating mode in which the internet protocol device is restricted to using fewer or none of the communication services in the subset of the communication services that the internet protocol device is allowed to use in the suspended operating mode.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the operating mode designator is set to indicate when the internet protocol device is in the unrestricted operating mode in response to receiving a response from a user of the internet protocol device confirming that the registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device is the current geographic location of the internet protocol device.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the public internet protocol address is registered to a gateway providing Internet access to the internet protocol device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first public user identifier is a telephone number or an email address.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first nomadic service designator is stored in association with the first public user identifier in a first data structure, the operating mode designator is stored in association with the first public user identifier in a second data structure, and the first nomadic service designator and the operating mode designator being in association with one another across the first and second data structures based on the same first public user identifier.

13. A tangible machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method comprising:

storing a first nomadic service designator in association with a first public user identifier, the first nomadic service designator to indicate whether an internet protocol device is allowed to access voice over internet protocol services in association with the first public user identifier from different network locations, and the first public user identifier to facilitate establishing a first call with the internet protocol device;

storing a second nomadic service designator in association with a second public user identifier, the second nomadic service designator to indicate whether the internet protocol device is allowed to access the voice over internet protocol services in association with the second public user identifier from the different network locations, the second public user identifier to facilitate establishing a second call with the internet protocol device, wherein the first and second nomadic service designators are configurable to respectively different nomadic permissions for the first and second public user identifiers; and

storing an operating mode designator in association with the first public user identifier, the operating mode designator to;

indicate when the internet protocol device is in a suspended operating mode that restricts the internet protocol device to using a subset of communication services associated with a service subscription of the internet protocol device, and to using a 911 service, and

indicate when the internet protocol device is in an unrestricted operating mode, the unrestricted operating mode based on a registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device being a current geographic location of the internet protocol device, and based on a service provider being able to provide an enhanced 911 (E911) service including a location-identification service at the current geographic location of the internet protocol device.

14. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13, wherein the operating mode designator is further to indicate when the internet protocol device is in a restricted operating mode in which the internet protocol device is restricted to using fewer or none of the communication services in the subset of the communication services that the internet protocol device is allowed to use in the suspended operating mode.

15. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13, wherein storing the operating mode designator to indicate when the internet protocol device is in the unrestricted operating mode is performed in response to receiving a response from a user of the internet protocol device confirming that the registered geographic location associated with the internet protocol device is the current geographic location of the internet protocol device.

16. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13, wherein the first public user identifier is a telephone number or an email address.

17. A tangible machine readable storage device as defined in claim 13, wherein the first nomadic service designator is stored in association with the first public user identifier in a first data structure, the operating mode designator stored in association with the first public user identifier in a second data structure, and the first nomadic service designator and the operating mode designator being in association with one another across the first and second data structures based on the same first public user identifier.