Processing an emergency services call

• US 10,616,412 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Geo-Comm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Geo-Comm Incorporated
• Inventors: Brosowsky, John, Loberg, Erik, Mitchell, Donald Le Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lafontant, Gary
• Application Number:
  US16/107,327
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1285 Details of finding and selecting a gateway for a particular call
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A code generator can receive a data object from a legacy network gateway location interwork function (LNG-LIF) for an emergency services call initiated by an end-user device, wherein the data object includes location information in a legacy format. The code generator can select fields of the location information for the emergency services call. The code generator can convert data object in the legacy format into a presence information data format location object (PIDF-LO) based on the selected fields of the location information in the data object for the emergency services call. The PIDF-LO embeds location information for the end-user device. Additionally, the code generator can send the PIDF-LO to the LNG-LIF, wherein the PIDF-LO is a format consumable by an Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF).

Claims

1. A code generator comprising one or more computing devices that:

receives a data object from a legacy network gateway location interwork function (LNG-LIF) for an emergency services call initiated by an end-user device, wherein the data object comprises location information in a legacy format;

selects fields of the location information for the emergency services call;

converts the data object in the legacy format into a presence information data format location object (PIDF-LO) based on the selected fields of the location information in the data object for the emergency services call, wherein the PIDF-LO embeds location information for the end-user device; and

sends the PIDF-LO to the LNG-LIF, wherein the PIDF-LO is a format consumable by an Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF).

2. The code generator of claim 1, where the data object is in the E2 interface format.

3. The code generator of claim 2, wherein the location information of the PIDF-LO includes a cell site sector and a cell site identifier (ID) for the end-user device.

4. The code generator of claim 2, wherein the location information of the PIDF-LO includes latitude and longitude coordinates for a Wi-Fi hotspot communicating with the end-user device.

5. The code generator of claim 2, wherein the location information of the PIDF-LO includes a civic address assigned to the end-user device.

6. The code generator of claim 2, wherein the code generator validates the location information for the end-user device.

7. The code generator of claim 6, wherein the code generator replaces location information of the PIDF-LO with data identifying a network component that communicates with the end-user device in response to determining that the location information of the PIDF-LO is invalid.

8. A system comprising:

a legacy network gateway location interwork function (LNG-LIF) that;

receives an emergency services call from an emergency gateway, the emergency services call comprising an E2 interface formatted object that includes a locator key for an end-user device that initiated the emergency services call and location information for the end-user device;

a code generator that;

receives the E2 interface formatted object from the LNG-LIF;

selects fields in the E2 interface formatted object;

generates a presence information data format location object (PIDF-LO) based on the selected fields of the E2 interface formatted object, wherein the PIDF-LO characterizes a geographic location associated with the end-user device; and

provides the PIDF-LO to the LNG-LIF;

wherein the LNG-LIF selects an Emergency Services Routing Proxy (ESRP) for the emergency services call; and

transfers the emergency services call comprising the PIDF-LO to the selected ESRP, wherein the selected ESRP transfers the emergency services call to a given Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with jurisdiction over the geographic location characterized by the PIDF-LO.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selecting by the LNG-LIF comprises:

querying an Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF) for an ESRP; and

receiving data identifying the selected ESRP from the ECRF.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the ECRF:

identifies geographic coordinates characterized in the PIDF-LO in response to the query;

identifies the given PSAP with jurisdiction over the geographic point; and

identifies the selected ESRP, wherein the selected ESRP is associated with the given PSAP.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the identity of the given PSAP changes over time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographic coordinates corresponds to a landmark.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographic coordinates corresponds to a highway, wherein the given PSAP has jurisdiction over the highway.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the query to the ECRF includes the locator key for an end-user device that initiated the emergency services call.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the geographic location of the PIDF-LO is characterized by a cell site sector and a cell site identifier (ID) for the end-user device embedded in the PIDF-LO.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the geographic location of the PIDF-LO includes latitude and longitude coordinates for a Wi-Fi hotspot communicating with the end-user device embedded in the PIDF-LO.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the geographic location of the PIDF-LO includes a civic address assigned to the end-user device embedded in the PIDF-LO.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the code generator validates the geographic location of the PIDF-LO and the code generator replaces the geographic location of the PIDF-LO with data identifying a network component that communicates with the end-user device in response to determining that the location information of the PIDF-LO is invalid.

19. A method comprising:

receiving an E2 interface formatted object from a legacy network gateway location interwork function (LNG-LIF) for an emergency services call initiated by an end-user device, wherein the E2 interface formatted object comprises location information for the end-user device;

determining a type for the end-user device;

selecting fields of the location information in the legacy format for the emergency services call based on the type of the end-user device;

transforming the E2 interface formatted object into a presence information data format location object (PIDF-LO), wherein the PIDF-LO embeds location information for the end-user device; and

sending the PIDF-LO to the LNG-LIF, wherein the PIDF-LO is a format consumable by an Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF).

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether the location information of the PIDF-LO is valid; and

replacing the geographic region of the PIDF-LO with data identifying a network component that communicates with the end-user device in response to determining that the location information of the PIDF-LO is invalid.