System and method for providing location information for addressed based E-911 calls to public safety answering points

• US 9,031,207 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• 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., Chakravarthy, Cadathur V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US11/640,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,067 Days
• Field of Search: 379/25, 379/37, 379/45, 379/142.1, 379/221.02, 379/272
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A system and method for communicating location information of a VoIP subscriber to a public-safety answering point may include receiving an E-911 telephone call from a VoIP telephone. Location information associated with the VoIP telephone stored in a database may be requested. The location information may be received in a signal formatted substantially the same as a signal format for communicating caller identification information. The location information may be displayed at a public-safety answering point. In one embodiment, the location information may be displayed on a video display.

Claims

1. A system for providing location information to a public-safety answering point during a 911 telephone call by a person using a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone, said system comprising:

a database managed by a third party other than a telecommunications carrier providing a VoIP telephone service, the database being configured to store location information associated with subscribers of the VoIP telephone service, wherein said location information is registered by the subscribers through a website and graphical user interface;

a database access server in communication with said database;

a media gateway in communication with an Internet protocol (IP) network;

an emergency service gateway in communication with the IP network;

a telephone switch in communication with said database access server, said media gateway, and said emergency service gateway;

a selective router in communication with said telephone switch;

a public-safety answering point in communication with said selective router;

a call server in communication with a VoIP telephone and configured to;

receive a telephone call from a VoIP telephone;

determine if the call is a non-emergency call or a 911 call, and

if the call is a non-emergency call, then route the call to the media gateway,

otherwise, route the call to the emergency service gateway to cause the VoIP telephone to be in communication with said public-safety answering point;

in response to receiving the 911 call, said public-safety answering point is further configured to;

request location information associated with the VoIP telephone from said database via said telephone switch and database access server;

receive the location information associated with the VoIP telephone;

wherein the location information is communicated in a signal configured the same as a signal for communicating caller identification information, and wherein the location information signal comprises a first data field of 168 bits of data and a second data field of 144 bits of data, and wherein the first data field comprises data representing a street address and zip code and the second data field comprises data representing a time, date and telephone number; and

display the location information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone switch is a class 5 switch.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database access server is configured to receive the location information from said database and communicate the address information in data packets to said telephone switch.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said telephone switch is configured to receive the location information from said database access server and communicate the location information to said public-safety access provider via a frequency shift keying signal.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the frequency shift keying signal is configured with data fields the same as used to communicate caller ID information.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the data fields are filled with the location information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said database is not managed by a telecommunications carrier.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an interactive voice response system in communication with said database, said interactive voice response system operable to prompt a subscriber using the VoIP telephone for the location information and configured to store the location information in said database.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data fields are filled with the location information.

9. A method for providing location information to a public-safety answering point during a 911 telephone call by a person using a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone, said method comprising:

providing a database managed by a third party other than a telecommunications carrier providing a VoIP telephone service, the database being configured to store location information associated with subscribers of the VoIP telephone service, wherein said location information is registered by the subscribers through a website and graphical user interface;

providing a database access server in communication with said database;

providing a media gateway in communication with an Internet protocol (IP) network;

providing an emergency service gateway in communication with the IP network;

providing a telephone switch in communication with said database access server, said media gateway, and said emergency service gateway;

providing a selective router in communication with said telephone switch;

providing a public-safety answering point in communication with said selective router;

providing a call server in communication with a VoIP telephone and configured to;

receive a telephone call from a VoIP telephone;

determine if the call is a non-emergency call or a 911 call, and

if the call is a non-emergency call, then route the call to the media gateway,

otherwise, route the call to the emergency service gateway to cause the VoIP telephone to be in communication with said public-safety answering point;

in response to receiving the 911 call, said public-safety answering point is further configured to;

request location information associated with the VoIP telephone from said database via said telephone switch and database access server;

receive the location information associated with the VoIP telephone;

wherein the location information is communicated in a signal configured the same as a signal for communicating caller identification information, and wherein the location information signal comprises a first data field of 168 bits of data and a second data field of 144 bits of data, and wherein the first data field comprises data representing a street address and zip code and the second data field comprises data representing a time, date and telephone number; and

display the location information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said telephone switch is a class 5 switch.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said database access server is configured to receive the location information from said database and communicate the address information in data packets to said telephone switch.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said telephone switch is configured to receive the location information from said database access server and communicate the location information to said public-safety access provider via a frequency shift keying signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the frequency shift keying signal is configured with data fields the same as used to communicate caller ID information.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein said database is not managed by a telecommunications carrier.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising providing an interactive voice response system in communication with said database, said interactive voice response system operable to prompt a subscriber using the VoIP telephone for the location information and configured to store the location information in said database.