Protocol converting 9-1-1 emergency messaging center
View Patent ↗Delivery of Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency services to an Internet Protocol (IP) Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is enabled using an existing or legacy selective router and Automatic Location Information (ALI) database. Using a protocol converting 9-1-1 messaging center according to the principles of the present invention, existing or legacy selective router equipment can provide Enhanced 9-1-1 (E911) over time division multiplex (TDM) circuits to non-IP capable PSAPs.
1. A protocol converting messaging center, comprising:
a media gateway;
a back-to-back user agent (B2BUA) that uses Session Internet Protocol (SIP) Body rewrites to insert a current location of an emergency caller device into an emergency call during call setup;
a module adapted to integrate with said B2BUA and allow said B2BUA to query various databases using both standard and proprietary protocols; and
a module to determine a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database;
wherein said emergency caller device using a time division multiplex (TDM) trunk is able to access a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) using Internet Protocol (IP).
2. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a responder database including information regarding capabilities of a relevant PSAP intended to respond to said emergency caller device.
3. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a TDM-to-VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) protocol conversion module to convert an emergency call incoming via a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) using Internet Protocol.
4. The protocol converting messaging center according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a responder database including information regarding capabilities of a relevant agency intended to respond to said emergency caller device.
5. The protocol converting message center according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a selective router to route said emergency call from a TDM trunk line to said media gateway.
6. The protocol converting message center according to claim 5 , wherein:
said media gateway receives said routed emergency call over a TDM trunk line.
7. A method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP), comprising:
receiving an emergency call over a TDM trunk;
routing said emergency call to a protocol converting messaging center;
obtaining a current location of a caller device associated with said emergency call;
inserting said current location into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet associated with call setup of said emergency call;
routing said IP packet to an IP-capable Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP); and
determining a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database.
8. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7 , wherein:
said inserting inserts said current location into a SIP Invite Body of said IP packet in the form of Presence Information Document Format-Location Object (PIDF-LO).
9. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7 , wherein:
said obtaining obtains said current location via query to a location information server (LIS).
10. The method of enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 7 , wherein:
said obtaining obtains said current location via query to an automatic location information (ALI).
11. Apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP), comprising:
means for receiving an emergency call over a TDM trunk;
means for routing said emergency call to a protocol converting messaging center;
means for obtaining a current location of a caller device associated with said emergency call;
means for inserting said current location into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet associated with call setup of said emergency call; and
means for routing said IP packet to an IP-capable Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP); and
means for determining a protocol used to reach a proper responder to said emergency call using information contained in a responder database.
12. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11 , wherein:
said means for inserting inserts said current location into a SIP Invite Body of said IP packet in the form of Presence Information Document Format-Location Object (PIDF-LO).
13. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11 , wherein:
said means for obtaining obtains said current location via query to a location information server (LIS).
14. The apparatus for enabling an emergency call from a TDM trunk line to access a PSAP via Internet Protocol (IP) according to claim 11 , wherein:
said means for obtaining obtains said current location via query to an automatic location information (ALI).