Systems, methods, devices and arrangements for emergency call services

• US 9,247,389 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Bryan, Judge, Garth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harley, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/269,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A variety of methods, systems, devices and arrangements are implemented for emergency call centers. According to one such method, a location database is populated from a plurality of endpoint devices. The location database determines locations for nodes in a data transmission route from information received from the endpoint devices. Emergency calls using these nodes are located using the populated database.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a plurality of endpoint devices, each endpoint device being configured and arranged to provide physical location data about the physical location of the endpoint device to an external network, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication circuit configured and arranged to receive over one or more wireless communication channels, venue information that characterizes physical location data corresponding to at least two network access points for each of the plurality of endpoint devices; and

a server configured and arranged with a memory circuit to respond to the wireless communication circuit by

receiving the venue information from one of the plurality of the endpoint devices;

calculating respective physical locations for one or more nodes in a transmission route between said one of the plurality of the endpoint devices and the server, as a function of the venue information and the transmission route;

storing the calculated respective physical locations corresponding to the one or more nodes in a transmission route; and

in response to an emergency call from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device;

identifying one or more nodes in a transmission route used to send data from the VoIP device;

retrieving the stored physical locations for the identified nodes; and

providing a probable physical location for the VoIP device to an emergency operator based on the stored locations for the identified nodes and a probable location algorithm that is configured and arranged to;

assign respective weightings to the calculated physical locations of a plurality of the nodes based on a degree of certainty of the location data, the location data of the endpoint device having a greater certainty than other end point devices indicated by the probable location algorithm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured and arranged to use physical location data obtained from the endpoint device as a training dataset for a learning algorithm that defines the probable location algorithm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a processing circuit in the endpoint device is further configured to provide feedback to users of the endpoint device in the form of a system linked to a social networking application.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to update a current calculated physical location for the one or more of the identified nodes in the transmission route based upon receipt of additional populating data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a calculated physical location for one of the identified nodes in the transmission route is a geographic area determined as a function of the probability that an endpoint device connected to one of the identified nodes in the transmission route is within the geographic area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display, and wherein each endpoint device is configured and arranged to transmit a data packet to at least two network access points.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display, and wherein each endpoint device is configured and arranged to transmit a data packet to at least two network access points, the data packet including

a unique identifier of the endpoint device, and

a request for the network access point receiving the request to send a data transmission that includes the unique identifier to the location determination server that is remote from the network access point, and for the network access point to add a respective identifier of the access point to the data transmission.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display, and wherein each endpoint device is configured and arranged to

transmit a data packet to at least two network access points, and

subsequent to transmission of the data packet, transmit the one or more populating data packets to the location-determination server with information correlating the physical location data in the one or more populating data packets with the unique identifier of the endpoint device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the plurality of endpoint devices, wherein each of the endpoint devices is a wireless handheld device including a display, and wherein each endpoint device is configured and arranged to

transmit a data packet to at least two network access points without establishing a bidirectional communication with the at least two network access points, the data packet including

a unique identifier of the endpoint device;

and

a request for the network access point receiving the request to send a data transmission that includes the unique identifier to the location determination server that is remote from the network access point, and for the network access point to add a respective identifier of the access point to the data transmission; and

subsequent to transmission of the data packet, transmit the one or more populating data packets to the location-determination server with information correlating the physical location data in the one or more populating data packets with the unique identifier of the endpoint device.

13. An apparatus for use with a plurality of endpoint devices, each endpoint device being configured and arranged to provide physical location data about the physical location of the endpoint device to an external network, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication circuit configured and arranged to receive over one or more wireless communication channels, venue information that characterizes physical location data corresponding to at least two network access points for each of the plurality of endpoint devices; and

server means for responding to the wireless communication circuit for

receiving the venue information from one of the plurality of the endpoint devices;

calculating respective physical locations for one or more nodes in a transmission route between said one of the plurality of the endpoint devices and the server, as a function of the venue information and the transmission route;

storing the calculated respective physical locations corresponding to the one or more nodes in a transmission route; and

in response to an emergency call from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device;

identifying one or more nodes in a transmission route used to send data from the VoIP device;

retrieving the stored physical locations for the identified nodes; and

providing a probable physical location for the VoIP device to an emergency operator based on the stored locations for the identified nodes and a probable location algorithm that is configured and arranged to;

assign respective weightings to the calculated physical locations of a plurality of the nodes based on a degree of certainty of the location data, the location data of the endpoint device having a greater certainty than other end point devices indicated by the probable location algorithm.

14. For use with a plurality of endpoint devices, each endpoint device being configured and arranged to provide physical location data about the physical location of the endpoint device to an external network, a method comprising:

receiving over one or more wireless communication channels, venue information that characterizes physical location data corresponding to at least two network access points for each of the plurality of endpoint devices; and

responding to the wireless communication circuit by

receiving the venue information from one of the plurality of the endpoint devices;

calculating respective physical locations for one or more nodes in a transmission route between said one of the plurality of the endpoint devices and the server, as a function of the venue information and the transmission route;

storing the calculated respective physical locations corresponding to the one or more nodes in a transmission route; and

in response to an emergency call from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device;

identifying one or more nodes in a transmission route used to send data from the VoIP device;

retrieving the stored physical locations for the identified nodes; and

providing a probable physical location for the VoIP device to an emergency operator based on the stored locations for the identified nodes and a probable location algorithm that is configured and arranged to;

assign respective weightings to the calculated physical locations of a plurality of the nodes based on a degree of certainty of the location data, the location data of the endpoint device having a greater certainty than other end point devices indicated by the probable location algorithm.