Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) E911 Metro Street Address Guide (MSAG) Validation

Abstract

An overlay list of MSAG-valid addresses is created for use in lieu of (or in addition to) the lat/lon or postal address which otherwise would go with an E911 VoIP 911 call. This overlays the nation with a series of MSAG-addressed polygons, with center points identified in those polygons, and MSAG-valid addresses provided to the PSAPs for those centers, preferably along with the original latitude/longitude coordinates.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method of providing location of an emergency caller, comprising:
 receiving an emergency call from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device;   obtaining a current latitude/longitude (lat/lon) of said VoIP mobile device;   mapping, at a physical server, said obtained lat/lon into an appropriate one of a plurality of unique validated metro street address guide (MSAG)-addressed polygonal areas; and   routing, to a physical public safety answering point (PSAP), both an MSAG-validated address of a center point of said appropriate one of said plurality of MSAG-addressed polygonal areas and said current lat/lon of said VoIP mobile device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 said VoIP device is a mobile VoIP device.   
     
     
         21 . The method of providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 said VoIP device is not associated with a cell site with respect to said emergency call.   
     
     
         22 . The method of providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 each of said plurality of MSAG-addressed polygonal areas has both a center point identified, and an MSAG-validated address associated with said center point.   
     
     
         23 . The method of providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 said lat/lon is requested from a VoIP positioning center.   
     
     
         24 . The method of providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 said plurality of polygonal areas do not overlap one another.   
     
     
         25 . A method of creating a physical metro street address guide (MSAG) database, comprising:
 defining each of a plurality of polygonal areas with a plurality of boundary vectors, said plurality of polygonal areas covering an entire region of the country;   identifying a center point of each of said polygonal areas   associating an MSAG-valid address to each said center point of each of said polygonal areas; and   storing, within a physical MSAG database, an overlay list of said MSAG-validated addresses to overlay over said plurality of polygonal areas.   
     
     
         26 . The method of creating a physical metro street address guide (MSAG) database according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said plurality of polygonal areas do not overlap one another.   
     
     
         27 . Apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller, comprising:
 means for receiving an emergency call from a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device;   means for obtaining a current latitude/longitude (lat/lon) of said VoIP mobile device;   means for mapping, at a physical server, said obtained lat/lon into an appropriate one of a plurality of unique validated metro street address guide (MSAG)-addressed polygonal areas; and   means for routing, to a physical public safety answering point (PSAP), both an MSAG-validated address of a center point of said appropriate one of said plurality of MSAG-addressed polygonal areas and said current lat/lon of said VoIP mobile device.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 said VoIP device is a mobile VoIP device.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 said VoIP device is not associated with a cell site with respect to said emergency call.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 each of said plurality of MSAG-addressed polygonal areas has both a center point identified, and an MSAG-validated address associated with said center point.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 said lat/lon is requested from a VoIP positioning center.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus for providing location of an emergency caller according to  claim 27 , wherein:
 said plurality of polygonal areas do not overlap one another.