Correlating media types of emergency communication requests

• US 9,066,201 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Chen, Bonnie, Schumacher, Gregory David
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/683,073
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for correlating media types of emergency communication requests in wireless communication networks are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a wireless communication system which routes communications between user devices and emergency service providers is provided. The method includes monitoring communication requests for emergency communication sessions between the user devices and service nodes of the emergency service providers to determine which media types of the communication requests are supported by the service nodes receiving the communication requests, identifying geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests, identifying the service nodes receiving the communication requests, and creating a data structure correlating the geographic locations of the user devices and identifiers of the service nodes to the media types supported by the service nodes.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication system which routes communications between user devices and emergency service providers, the method comprising:

monitoring communication requests for emergency communication sessions between the user devices and service nodes of the emergency service providers to determine which media types of the communication requests are supported by the service nodes receiving the communication requests;

identifying geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests;

identifying the service nodes receiving the communication requests;

creating a data structure correlating the geographic locations of the user devices and identifiers of the service nodes to the media types supported by the service nodes;

receiving communication requests from further user devices for emergency communication sessions;

processing at least geographic locations of the further user devices and media types of the communication requests against the data structure to determine which of the media types are supported by the geographic locations of the further user devices; and

indicating to the further user devices which of the media types are supported for associated ones of the communication requests.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication requests comprise session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE messages directed to the service nodes of the emergency service providers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests comprises determining wireless access node identifiers for wireless access nodes providing wireless access to the user devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests comprises determining geographic coordinates of the user devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media types comprise ones of voice calls, video calls, and text messages.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service nodes comprise public-safety answering points (PSAPs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure comprises a database configured to correlate the geographic locations of the user devices and identifiers of the service nodes to the media types supported by the service nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first communication request for a first emergency communication session from a first of the further user devices;

processing at least a first geographic location of the first of the further user devices and a first media type of the first communication request against the data structure to determine when a first service node associated with the first geographic location supports the first media type.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when the data structure indicates the first media type of the first communication request is not supported by the service node, then providing a notification to the first of the further user devices indicating at least a suggestion of a second media type for the first emergency communication session.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when the data structure indicates the first media type of the first communication request is supported by the service node, then establishing the first emergency communication session between the first of the further user devices and the first service node.

11. A wireless communication system which routes communications between user devices and emergency service providers, comprising:

a control node configured to monitor communication requests for emergency communication sessions between the user devices and service nodes of the emergency service providers to determine which media types of the communication requests are supported by the service nodes receiving the communication requests;

the control node configured to identify geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests;

the control node configured to identify the service nodes receiving the communication requests;

a data structure configured to correlate the geographic locations of the user devices and identifiers of the service nodes to the media types supported by the service nodes;

the control node configured to monitor communication requests from further user devices for emergency communication sessions;

the control node configured to process at least geographic locations of the further user devices and media types of the communication requests against the data structure to determine which of the media types are supported by the geographic locations of the further user devices; and

the control node configured to indicate to the further user devices which of the media types are supported for associated ones of the communication requests.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the communication requests comprise session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE messages directed to the service nodes of the emergency service providers.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 11, comprising:

the control node configured to identify wireless access node identifiers for wireless access nodes providing wireless access to the user devices to identify the geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 11, comprising:

the control node configured to identify geographic coordinates of the user devices to identify the geographic locations of the user devices for the communication requests.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the media types comprise ones of voice calls, video calls, and text messages.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the service nodes comprise public-safety answering points (PSAPs).

17. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the data structure comprises a database node configured to correlate the geographic locations of the user devices and identifiers of the service nodes to the media types supported by the service nodes.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 11, comprising:

a wireless access node configured to receive a first communication request for a first emergency communication session from a first of the further user devices;

the control node configured to process at least a first geographic location of the first of the further user devices and a first media type of the first communication request against the data structure to determine when a first service node associated with the first geographic location supports the first media type.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18, comprising:

when the data structure indicates the first media type of the first communication request is not supported by the service node, then the control node is configured to provide a notification to the first of the further user devices indicating at least a suggestion of a second media type for the first emergency communication session.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 18, comprising:

when the data structure indicates the first media type of the first communication request is supported by the service node, then the wireless access node is configured to establish the first emergency communication session between the first of the further user devices and the first service node.