Method for confirming end point location of 911 calls

• US 9,036,792 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cacioppo, Christina, Gilboy, Christopher P., Shinners, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US12/648,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 379 45- 48, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method comprising receiving, from a user-operated telecommunications device, a user-initiated communication to a non-911 communications address. The method can comprise automatically providing a user with a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device. The method can comprise requesting, from the user, verification of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting, from a user, a verification of a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device in response to a user-initiated communication from a user-operated telecommunications device, wherein the user-operated telecommunications device is distinct from the user-associated telecommunications device, wherein the verification of the current location is performed by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor;

recording a communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device, wherein recording of the communications address is utilized to determine if the current location has been modified;

determining if the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device has been modified based on the communications address that has been recorded;

providing a different communications address to the user so as to obtain feedback from the user, wherein the feedback from the user is for verifying the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device;

updating the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device to a new location if the feedback sent to the different communications address confirms that the current location is not verified; and

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a rendered graphical representation of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with a spoken current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device in response to information from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at an internet site the communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from an automatic location information database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a mobile positioning center.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a triangulation source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from a global positioning system source.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device from an emergency service message entity.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the user-operated telecommunications device information indicative of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device via wireless packet data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device in an audible format without using a human operator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a text message.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via an internet web site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-associated telecommunications device is a wireless telecommunications device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications address of the user-operated telecommunications device is a non-911 communications address.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-initiated communication is an internet-assisted database query.

18. A system comprising:

a verification processor that executes instructions to performs operations comprising;

requesting, from a user, a verification of a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device in response to a user-initiated communication to a non-911 communications address received from a user-operated telecommunications device, wherein the user-operated telecommunications device is distinct from the user-associated telecommunications device;

recording a communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device, wherein recording of the communications address is utilized to determine if the current location has been modified;

determining if the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device has been modified based on the communications address that has been recorded;

providing a different communications address to the user so as to obtain feedback from the user, wherein the feedback from the user is for verifying the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device;

updating the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device to a new location if the feedback sent to the different communications address confirms that the current location is not verified; and

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a rendered graphical representation of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.

19. A machine-readable device storing machine-executable instructions, which when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

requesting from a user a verification of a current location of a user-associated telecommunications device in response to a user-initiated communication from a user-operated telecommunications device, wherein the user-operated telecommunications device is distinct from the user-associated telecommunications device;

recording a communications address of the user-associated telecommunications device, wherein recording of the communications address is utilized to determine if the current location has been modified;

determining if the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device has been modified based on the communications address that has been recorded;

providing a different communications address to the user so as to obtain feedback from the user, wherein the feedback from the user is for verifying the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device;

updating the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device to a new location if the feedback sent to the different communications address confirms that the current location is not verified; and

providing the user with a location of the user-associated telecommunications device via a rendered graphical representation of the current location of the user-associated telecommunications device.