Enhanced E911 network access for a call center using session initiation protocol (SIP) messaging

• US 9,125,039 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Dickinson, Richard, Hines, Gordon John, Croy, Jonothan
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US14/176,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554141-4144
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A switched emergency call (e.g., a 911 call, an alarm company call) forwarded by a telematics call center is converted into a session initiation protocol (SIP) packetized phone call at the call center, and routed over an IP network, for presentation to an emergency services gateway, which 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), queried from the call center. In this way, the switched emergency call is converted into a SIP packetized phone call and routed without further passage through the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Claims

1. A method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks, comprising:

converting, at a call server, an incoming call initiated on a network device from a given location, into a packetized IP call;

routing said converted packetized IP call to a call center selected based on said given location; and

routing packetized IP communications from said call center to said call server; and

converting said packetized IP communications from said call center into a non-IP format call routed back to said network device.

2. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a callback number of a VoIP positioning center, to said call center, as a callback number associated with said network device.

3. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing said location to said call center.

4. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing said location to said call center.

5. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, wherein:

said packetized IP call is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.

6. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

7. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining said location of said network device using a GPS device.

8. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 7, wherein:

said GPS device is vehicle-based.

9. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, wherein:

said converted packetized IP call is routed to a designated session initiation protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with said call center.

10. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, wherein:

said call server is associated with a wireless telematics call center.

11. The method of passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 1, wherein:

said call server is associated with an alarm monitoring service.

12. Apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks, comprising:

a call server to convert an incoming call initiated on a network device from a given location, into a packetized IP call;

means for routing said converted packetized IP call to a call center selected based on said given location;

means for routing packetized IP communications from said call center to said call server; and

means for converting said packetized IP communications from said call center into a non-IP format call routed back to said network device.

13. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for providing a callback number of a VoIP positioning center, to said call center, as a callback number associated with said network device.

14. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, further comprising:

providing said location to said call center.

15. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, wherein:

said packetized IP call is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.

16. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, wherein:

said network device is a wireless phone.

17. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for determining said location of said network device using a GPS device.

18. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 17, wherein:

said GPS device is vehicle-based.

19. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, wherein:

said converted packetized IP call is routed to a designated session initiation protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with said call center.

20. The apparatus for passing calls between non-IP and Internet Protocol (IP) phone networks according to claim 12, wherein:

said call server is associated with a wireless telematics call center.