Reverse 911 using multicast session internet protocol (SIP) conferencing of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) users

• US 9,369,294 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Morin, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, NAM TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/292,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 379 39- 44, 379/48, 379/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A reverse 911 system uses voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)/Session Internet Protocol (SIP) conferencing. An emergency alert message may be a text, video, MMS, hyperlink and/or image communicated simultaneously to multiple VoIP users via a SIP conference. Multiple SIP conferences may be cascaded to communicate with a larger number of users in a relevant group of users to be communicated with.

Claims

1. A reverse 911 emergency alert system, comprising:

a SIP conference focus server to establish a SIP conference triggered by an appropriate reverse 911 trigger event; and

a Session Internet Protocol (SIP) conference bridge, initiated by said SIP conference focus server, to establish a listen-only SIP conference with said SIP conference focus server as host;

wherein said SIP conference focus server is adapted to issue a SIP INVITE to each of a plurality of user agent devices designated in a user agent database for listen-only participation in said listen-only SIP conference;

wherein said SIP conference focus server further establishes at least one other listen-only SIP conference triggered by said appropriate reverse 911 trigger event, and issues a SIP INVITE to each of a said plurality of user agent devices designated in said user agent database for listen-only participation in said listen-only SIP conference or said at least one other listen-only SIP conference;

wherein said SIP conference focus server cascades said listen-only SIP conference with said at least one other listen-only SIP conference until a total of all said plurality of user agent devices designated in said user agent database; and

wherein said plurality of user agent devices are provided listen-only access to said SIP conference bridge.

2. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an emergency text message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

3. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an emergency voice message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

4. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an emergency digital file through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

5. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an emergency video message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

6. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an emergency message by way of a hyperlink to an Internet web page through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

7. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides an image file through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

8. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides a static emergency message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

9. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides a dynamic emergency message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

10. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server provides a live emergency message through said SIP conference bridge to each of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge.

11. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said plurality of user agent devices having listen-only participation in said SIP conference bridge is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client.

12. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of user agent devices receive a reverse 911 emergency message from said SIP conference focus server using any of a plurality of different modes of communication through said SIP conference bridge.

13. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference bridge pushes said SIP INVITE to each of said plurality of user agent devices.

14. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 1, wherein:

said SIP conference focus server initiates limited broadcast capability in said listen-only SIP conference.

15. The reverse 911 emergency alert system according to claim 14, wherein:

said limited broadcast capability is SIP multicast.

16. A method of providing a reverse 911 service, comprising:

receiving a reverse 911 trigger event at a SIP conference focus server;

establishing a Session Internet Protocol (SIP) conference bridge, initiated by said SIP conference focus server, to establish a listen-only SIP conference with said SIP conference focus server as host;

issuing a SIP INVITE to each of a plurality of user agent devices designated in a user agent database for listen-only participation in said listen-only SIP conference, each of said plurality of user agent devices being provided listen-only access to said SIP conference bridge;

establishing at least one other listen-only SIP conference, by said SIP conference focus server also in response to said reverse 911 trigger event;

issuing a SIP INVITE to each of a plurality of user agent devices designated in said user agent database for listen-only participation in said listen-only SIP conference or said at least one other listen-only SIP conference;

wherein said SIP conference focus server cascades said listen-only SIP conference with said at least one other listen-only SIP conference until a total of all said plurality of user agent devices designated in said user agent database are provided listen-only access to said SIP conference bridge; and

inputting a reverse 911 emergency message into said SIP conference bridge.

17. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said reverse 911 emergency message is a text message.

18. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said reverse 911 emergency message is a voice message.

19. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said reverse 911 emergency message includes an image.

20. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said reverse 911 emergency message is a video message.

21. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein said reverse 911 emergency message comprises:

a hyperlink to an Internet web page.

22. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said reverse 911 emergency message is live.

23. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

at least one of said plurality of user agent devices is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client.

24. The method of providing a reverse 911 service according to claim 16, wherein:

said plurality of user agent devices receive said reverse 911 emergency message from said SIP conference focus server using any of a plurality of different modes of communication through said SIP conference.