Enhanced E911 network access for call centers

• US 20070190968A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Croy, Jonathan, Dickinson, Richard, Hines, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• 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

An emergency call (e.g., a 911 call, an alarm company call) forwarded by a telematics call center is routed over the switched PSTN to a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call server, where the switched call is converted to a session initiating protocol (SIP) packetized IP call for presentation to an emergency services gateway, which reconverts the call to TDM and connects to a selective router via dedicated circuits, gaining full access to the Enhanced 911 network. This provides a PSAP receiving a call from a telematics call center or other call center with all features available in an Enhanced 911 network, e.g., callback number of the 911 caller, and location of the 911 caller. Location of the caller is provided using a VoIP positioning center (VPC).

Claims

1. A method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP), comprising:

determining a unique PSAP having jurisdictional responsibility for a physical current location of a caller to said call center;

forwarding said caller via a switched telephone network to a VoIP call server;

converting said switched telephone call into a session initiating protocol (SIP) packetized phone call;

querying a VoIP positioning center from said VoIP call server for call routing instructions for said SIP packetized phone call; and

forwarding said SIP packetized phone call based on said call routing instructions to an emergency services gateway for conversion back into a TDM phone call.

2. The method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding said TDM phone call via dedicated trunks to a selective router serving said unique PSAP.

3. The method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

said call center is a telematics call center.

4. The method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 3, wherein:

said telematics call center is one of ONSTAR™

, ATX, Cross Country, or ADT.

5. The method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

said call center is an alarm monitoring center.

6. The method of providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 1, wherein:

said switched telephone call is forwarded to said VoIP call server via a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

7. Apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP), comprising:

means for determining a unique PSAP having jurisdictional responsibility for a physical current location of a caller to said call center;

means for forwarding said caller via a switched telephone network to a VoIP call server;

means for converting said switched telephone call into a session initiating protocol (SIP) packetized phone call;

means for querying a VoIP positioning center from said VoIP call server for call routing instructions for said SIP packetized phone call; and

means for forwarding said SIP packetized phone call based on said call routing instructions to an emergency services gateway for conversion back into a TDM phone call.

8. The apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for forwarding said TDM phone call to a selective router serving said unique PSAP.

9. The apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said call center is a telematics call center.

10. The apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 9, wherein:

said telematics call center is an ONSTAR™

call center.

11. The apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said call center is an alarm monitoring center.

12. The apparatus for providing a call center with access to an Enhanced 911 network supporting a public safety answering point (PSAP) according to claim 7, wherein:

said means for forwarding said caller via a switched telephone network forwards via a public switched telephone network (PSTN).