Method and system for locating a voice over internet protocol (voip) device connected to a network

Abstract

A method and system for locating a device connected to a network by determining a current network address for the device and comparing the current network address to a network address in a user profile. If the network addresses match, the device is located based on a physical address associated with the network address in the user profile.

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:
 receiving data from a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application running on a device connected to a network;   determining a current network address for the VoIP application;   searching a database associated with the VoIP application, the database including a plurality of network addresses and a plurality of physical addresses, wherein each of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with at least one of the plurality of network addresses; and   when the current network address for the VoIP application matches one of the plurality of network addresses in the database, determining a location of a user of the VoIP application to be at one of the plurality of physical addresses, wherein the one of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with the one of the plurality of network addresses that matches the current network address of the VoIP application.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the VoIP application is configured to support video, data, and voice communications. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the database is a user profile database. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) network. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a videophone. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs: associating a number with the device within the database, the one of the plurality of physical addresses being located based on the number. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs: associating a user identifier (ID) with the device within the database, the one of the plurality of physical addresses being located based on the user ID. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs: when the current network address for the VoIP application does not match any of the plurality of network addresses in the database, contacting the VoIP application running on the device to determine the location of the user of the VoIP application to be at one of the plurality of physical addresses or a new physical address that is associated with the current network address. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the processor further performs: when the new physical address is determined, storing information related to an association between the new physical address and the current network address in the database. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs: when the current network address for the VoIP application does not match any of the plurality of network addresses in the database, running a location matching application (LMA) to determine when one of a first set of hops in a first traceroute to the current network address matches one of a second set of hops in other traceroutes to one of the plurality of network addresses stored in the database. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein the processor further performs: when the one of the first set of hops in the first traceroute to the current network address matches the one of the second set of hops in the other traceroutes to the one of the plurality of network addresses stored in the database, determining the location of the user of the VoIP application to be at the one of the plurality of physical addresses associated with the one of the plurality of network addresses whose traceroute includes the one of the second set of hops. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs: routing the data to one of a plurality of public safety answering points (PSAPs) based on the determined location of the user. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a memory having stored therein computer executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method of:   receiving a first request from an application for location information related to a user of a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application;   transmitting the location information to the application, wherein the transmitted location information includes a plurality of physical addresses and a plurality of network addresses, wherein each of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with at least one of the plurality of network addresses;   transmitting information related to an emergency; and   connecting to one of a plurality of public safety answering points (PSAPs), wherein the one of the plurality of PSAPs is associated with one of the plurality of physical addresses, and wherein the one of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with one of the plurality of network addresses.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of physical addresses includes a city, state, and zip code. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the processor further performs: when the information related to the emergency is transmitted, receiving a second request for confirmation that a determined one of the plurality of physical addresses is a current location of the user of the VoIP application. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the transmitting the location information and the transmitting the information related to the emergency occurs through use of the VoIP application. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the emergency occurs at the one of the plurality of physical addresses and the transmitting the information related to the emergency occurs from the one of the plurality of network addresses. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving data from a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application running on a device connected to a network;   determining a current network address for the VoIP application;   searching a database associated with the VoIP application, the database including a plurality of network addresses and a plurality of physical addresses, wherein each of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with at least one of the plurality of network addresses; and   when the current network address for the VoIP application matches one of the plurality of network addresses in the database, determining a location of a user of the VoIP application to be at one of the plurality of physical addresses, wherein the one of the plurality of physical addresses is associated with the one of the plurality of network addresses that matches the current network address of the VoIP application.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the data is related to an emergency call. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , routing the emergency call to one of a plurality of public safety answering points (PSAPs) based on the determined location.