Provisioning access points to mobile devices for emergency calls
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are described herein for provisioning mobile devices to wireless access points to provide 911 and other emergency services to the mobile devices via communication networks, such as wireless communication networks. For example, the systems and methods provide a mobile device with the functionality to determine cell sites are unavailable at a location or and provision one or more access points for 911 and emergency communications.
1. A method performed by a mobile device for accessing emergency services provided by a communications network, the method comprising:
determining via the mobile device that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device,
wherein the location that contains the mobile device is a physical structure associated with previous instances of known low threshold quality levels;
identifying a wireless access point available to the mobile device at the location that contains the mobile device; and
transmitting an emergency services provisioning request from the mobile device to the wireless access point,
wherein the emergency services provisioning request causes the mobile device to connect to the communications network via the wireless access point to receive emergency services from the communications network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes:
determining there is no cellular network coverage provided by a carrier that includes a user of the mobile device as a subscriber of the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device; and
determining there is no cellular network coverage provided by a carrier that includes a user of the mobile device as a roaming user of the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that there is no cellular network coverage at the location that contains the mobile device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that a signal strength for the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold signal strength for providing the emergency services to the mobile device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting an emergency services provisioning request to the wireless access point to connect to the communications network via the wireless access point in order to receive emergency services from the communications network includes transmitting access credentials that include a username for the mobile device and an emergency services access password associated with authorizing mobile devices to provision wireless access points for emergency services.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving input from a user of the mobile device associated with placing an emergency call; and
transmitting the emergency call to the communications network via the wireless access point.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emergency services provided by a communications network include enhanced 911 services provided by the communications network, and wherein the access point is a wireless local area network access point that employs unlicensed wireless spectrum.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that the mobile device is at a geographical location associated with previous instances of known low threshold quality levels.
9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a method of accessing emergency services provided by a communications network, the method comprising:
determining via the mobile device that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device,
wherein the location that contains the mobile device is a physical structure associated with previous instances of known low threshold quality levels;
identifying a wireless access point available to the mobile device at the location that contains the mobile device; and
transmitting an emergency services provisioning request from the mobile device to the wireless access point,
wherein the emergency services provisioning request causes the mobile device to connect to the communications network via the wireless access point to receive emergency services from the communications network.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes:
determining there is no cellular network coverage provided by a carrier that includes a user of the mobile device as a subscriber of the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device; and
determining there is no cellular network coverage provided by a carrier that includes a user of the mobile device as a roaming user of the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that there is no cellular network coverage at the location that contains the mobile device.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that a signal strength for the communications network at the location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold signal strength for providing the emergency services to the mobile device.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein transmitting an emergency services provisioning request to the wireless access point to connect to the communications network via the wireless access point in order to receive emergency services from the communications network includes transmitting access credentials that include a username for the mobile device and an emergency services access password associated with authorizing mobile devices to provision wireless access points for emergency services.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving input from a user of the mobile device associated with placing an emergency call; and
transmitting the emergency call to the communications network via the wireless access point.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the emergency services provided by a communications network include enhanced 911 services provided by the communications network, and wherein the access point is a wireless local area network access point that employs unlicensed wireless spectrum.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining that cellular network quality at a location that contains the mobile device is below a threshold quality level for providing the emergency services to the mobile device includes determining that the mobile device is at a geographical location associated with previous instances of known low threshold quality levels.
17. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:
determining that the mobile device is within a physical structure associated with previous instances of known low threshold quality levels for providing emergency services to the mobile device via a communications network, wherein the known low threshold quality levels include cellular network quality levels that are below threshold cellular network quality levels for providing the emergency services to the mobile device;
identifying a wireless access point available to the mobile device; and
transmitting an emergency services provisioning request from the mobile device to the wireless access point.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein transmitting an emergency services provisioning request to the wireless access point includes transmitting access credentials that include a username for the mobile device and an emergency services access password associated with authorizing mobile devices to provision wireless access points for emergency services.