Bi-directional messaging for an emergency services network

• US 20050201528A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intrado Incorporated (West Corporation)
• Inventors: Ciesla, Lawrence W., Bruening, Gregory Wilfred, Nelson, Michael Jay, Meer, Stephen Marc, Schmidt, Peter Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,177,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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

The invention includes a communication network that comprises a conforming emergency system coupled to an emergency services network by a media channel. The emergency services network includes a resource coupled to a plurality of emergency services. When in operation, the conforming emergency system transmits an emergency event message to the resource over the media channel. The emergency event message includes a retrieval key. Responsive to receiving the emergency event message and the retrieval key, the resource initiates an emergency event session corresponding with the retrieval key. During the emergency event session, the resource transmits multiple responses to the conforming emergency system. Also during the emergency event session, the resource receives information corresponding with the retrieval key from at least one of the emergency services, and transmits the multiple responses containing the information.

Claims

1. A communication network for providing emergency services, the communication network comprising:

an emergency services network comprising a resource connected to a plurality of emergency services; and

a conforming emergency system (CES) connected to the resource of the emergency services network by a media channel, the CES, responsive to an emergency event, transmits an emergency event message to the resource, where the emergency event message includes a retrieval key;

the resource receives the retrieval key in the emergency event message, initiates an emergency event session corresponding with the retrieval key, and transmits multiple responses to the CES during the emergency event session responsive to the emergency event message.

2. The communication network of claim 1 wherein:

the resource receives information corresponding with the retrieval key from at least one of the emergency services, and transmits the multiple responses containing the information from the at least one emergency service.

3. The communication network of claim 2 wherein:

the resource transmits individual responses further responsive to receiving information from individual emergency services.

4. The communication network of claim 1 wherein:

the resource queries a first emergency service for first information corresponding with the retrieval key, receives the first information from the first emergency service, and transmits a first response containing the first information to the CES responsive to receiving the first information from the first emergency service.

5. The communication network of claim 4 wherein:

the resource queries a second emergency service for second information corresponding with the retrieval key, receives the second information from the second emergency service, and transmits a second response containing the second information to the CES responsive to receiving the second information from the second emergency service.

6. The communication network of claim 5 wherein:

the resource queries a third emergency service for third information corresponding with the retrieval key, receives the third information from the third emergency service, and transmits a third response containing the third information to the CES responsive to receiving the third information from the third emergency service.

7. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the CES comprises a computer system for a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

8. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the CES comprises a computer system for one of a hospital, a police department, a fire station, a fire alarm company, a security company, an ambulance service, a state 9-1-1 coordinator, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security, the National Geophysical Data Center, or the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

9. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the resource comprises a response gateway.

10. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the resource comprises at least one of an ALI database, a Mobile Positioning Center (MPC), a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), an Emergency Auxiliary Service Provider (EASP), and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) server.

11. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the retrieval key comprises one of a telephone number, a network address, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address, a trunk ID, a social security number, a street address, an employee ID, an email address, or an incident ID.

12. The communication network of claim 1 wherein information contained in the responses comprises one of streaming video, streaming audio, graphics data, voice, text or binary data, or executable instructions or scripts.

13. The communication network of claim 1 wherein the resource transmits the responses in XML messages.

14. The communication network of claim 1 wherein:

the resource transmits another emergency event message to the CES, where the other emergency event message includes another retrieval key, initiates another emergency event session corresponding with the other retrieval key, and transmits multiple responses to the CES during the other emergency event session.

15. A method of operating a communication network for providing emergency services, wherein the communication network includes an emergency services network comprising a resource connected to a plurality of emergency services and a conforming emergency system (CES) connected to the resource of the emergency services network by a media channel, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an emergency event message that includes a retrieval key from the CES to the resource; and

receiving the emergency event message in the resource, initiating an emergency event session corresponding with the retrieval key, and transmitting multiple responses to the CES during the emergency event session responsive to the emergency event message.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

receiving information corresponding with the retrieval key from at least one of the emergency services, and transmitting the multiple responses containing the information from the at least one emergency service.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of transmitting multiple responses comprises transmitting individual responses further responsive to receiving information from individual emergency services.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

querying a first emergency service for first information corresponding with the retrieval key, receiving the first information from the first emergency service, and transmitting a first response containing the first information to the CES responsive to receiving the first information from the first emergency service.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

querying a second emergency service for second information corresponding with the retrieval key, receiving the second information from the second emergency service, and transmitting a second response containing the second information to the CES responsive to receiving the second information from the second emergency service.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

querying a third emergency service for third information corresponding with the retrieval key, receiving the third information from the second emergency service, and transmitting a third response containing the third information to the CES responsive to receiving the third information from the third emergency service.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the CES comprises a computer system for a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the CES comprises a computer system for one of a hospital, a police department, a fire station, a fire alarm company, a security company, an ambulance service, a state 9-1-1 coordinator, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Homeland Security, the National Geophysical Data Center, or the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

23. The method of claim 15 wherein the resource comprises a response gateway.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the resource comprises at least one of an ALI database, a Mobile Positioning Center (MPC), a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC), an Emergency Auxiliary Service Provider (EASP), and a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) server.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the retrieval key comprises one of a telephone number, a network address, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address, a trunk ID, social security number, a street address, an employee ID, an email address, or an incident ID.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein information contained in the responses comprises one of streaming video, streaming audio, graphics data, voice, text or binary data, or executable instructions or scripts.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting multiple responses to the CES comprises:

transmitting the responses to the CES in XML messages.

28. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting another emergency event message from the resource to the CES, where the other emergency event message includes another retrieval key, initiating another emergency event session corresponding with the other retrieval key, and transmitting multiple responses to the CES during the other emergency event session.