Enhanced E911 Network Access for a Call Center Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Messaging

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).

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), comprising:
 converting into a packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication, at a call server, an incoming communication initiated on a wireless device from a given location;   injecting location information into said converted packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication;   routing said converted packetized IP communication to a PSAP selected based on said given location; and   routing a return packetized IP communication from said PSAP to said wireless device.   
     
     
         14 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 injecting a callback number associated with said wireless device, into said converted packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication.   
     
     
         15 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said communication is a PSTN phone call.   
     
     
         16 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said communication is an Internet Protocol (IP) communication.   
     
     
         17 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said communication is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.   
     
     
         18 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said routing is based on an emergency services routing key (ESRK) determined based on said given location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 injecting into said converted packetized IP communication, as a callback address associated with said wireless device, an address of a VoIP positioning center.   
     
     
         20 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said location information of said wireless device is determined using a global positioning system (GPS) device within said wireless device.   
     
     
         21 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 said GPS device is vehicle-based.   
     
     
         22 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said IP communication is routed to a designated session initiation protocol (SIP) Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with said PSAP.   
     
     
         23 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said call server is associated with a wireless telematics call center.   
     
     
         24 . The method of passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 said call server is associated with an alarm monitoring service.   
     
     
         25 . A system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), comprising:
 means for converting into a packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication, at a call server, an incoming communication initiated on a wireless device from a given location;   means for injecting location information into said converted packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication;   means for routing said converted packetized IP communication to a PSAP selected based on said given location; and   means for routing a return packetized IP communication from said PSAP to said wireless device.   
     
     
         26 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 means for injecting a callback number associated with said wireless device, into said converted packetized Internet Protocol (IP) communication.   
     
     
         27 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said communication is a PSTN phone call.   
     
     
         28 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said communication is an Internet Protocol (IP) communication.   
     
     
         29 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said communication is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.   
     
     
         30 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said routing is based on an emergency services routing key (ESRK) determined based on said given location.   
     
     
         31 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , further comprising:
 means for injecting into said converted packetized IP communication, as a callback address associated with said wireless device, an address of a VoIP positioning center.   
     
     
         32 . The system for passing an incoming wireless device communication to a call center, to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 said location information of said wireless device is determined using a vehicle-based global positioning system (GPS) device.