Dynamic 911 location registration for mobile VoIP device

• US 9,042,309 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bandwidth Inc.
• Inventors: Stephens, Greg, Breault, Kevin, Shugart, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/337,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20140334346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/10 Architectures or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/185 wireless packet-switched
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for handling emergency calls from a mobile VoIP device. According to one embodiment, handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device can comprise registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device, periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device, dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device, and initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address.

Claims

1. A method for handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device, the method comprising:

registering a permanent physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device via Global Positioning System (GPS) data;

converting the current physical location data to a current physical address;

dynamically updating a the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current physical location of the mobile VoIP device including;

presenting the current physical address to a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current physical address; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered permanent physical address or the dynamically updated current physical address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the current physical address being different from the registered permanent physical address:

substituting the current physical address for the registered permanent physical address;

sending the current physical address with the emergency call; and

storing the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered permanent physical address, sending the registered permanent physical address with the emergency call.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current physical address:

using the current physical address to place the emergency call; and

storing the current physical address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current physical address, using the registered permanent physical address to place the emergency call.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by;

registering a permanent physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device via Global Positioning System (GPS) data;

converting the current physical location data to a current physical address;

dynamically updating a the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current physical location of the mobile VoIP device including;

presenting the current physical address to a user of the mobile VoIP device;

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current physical address;

in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current physical address, using the current physical address to place the emergency call, and storing the current physical address; and

in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current physical address, using the registered permanent physical address to place the emergency call; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered permanent physical address or the dynamically updated current physical address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein

in response to the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device being different from the registered permanent physical address, substituting the current physical address for the registered permanent physical address, sending the current physical address with the emergency call, and storing the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

and

in response to the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered permanent physical address, sending the registered permanent physical address with the emergency call.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by:

registering a permanent physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current physical location of the mobile VoIP device via Global Positioning System (GPS) data;

converting the current physical location data to a current physical address;

dynamically updating a the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current physical location of the mobile VoIP device including;

presenting the current physical address to a user of the mobile VoIP device;

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current physical address;

in response to the user selection indicating acceptance of the presented current physical address, using the current physical address to place the emergency call, and storing the current physical address; and

in response to the user selection indicating rejection of the presented current physical address, using the registered permanent physical address to place the emergency call; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call selectively using either the registered permanent physical address or the dynamically updated physical current address.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 12, wherein

in response to the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device being different from the registered permanent physical address substituting the current physical address for the registered permanent physical address, sending the current physical address with the emergency call, and storing the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

and

in response to the current physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device matching the registered permanent physical address, sending the registered permanent physical address with the emergency call.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein sending the current physical address with the emergency call further comprises:

sending a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) message containing the current physical address to a VoIP service switching center over an IP connection, the IP connection one of an 802.11 WiFi connection or a cellular IP data connection.

16. A method for handling an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device, the method comprising:

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device;

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address based on the received user selection.

17. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by;

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device;

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address based on the received user selection.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable memory comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to handle an emergency call from a Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device by:

registering a physical address associated with the mobile VoIP device;

periodically determining a current location of the mobile VoIP device;

dynamically updating a current address associated with the mobile VoIP device based on the determined current location of the mobile VoIP device;

presenting the current address to a user of the mobile VoIP device; and

receiving a user selection indicating acceptance or rejection of the presented current address; and

initiating an emergency call from the mobile VoIP device, the emergency call using either the registered physical address or the dynamically updated current address based on the received user selection.