Handling emergency service calls originating from internet telephony

Abstract

A method and system for interfacing internet protocol-enabled emergency calls to a public 9-1-1 system are described. The method can include routing an emergency call originating from internet protocol telephony to a data network via a routing device which may include an identifier. The method can include transferring the routed emergency call to a predetermined public service answering point based on the identifier.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 identifying, by a server, a call signal received via a routing device as an emergency call;   determining, by the server and based on information included in the call signal, whether the emergency call originated from a registered location;   determining, by the server, when the emergency call originated from the registered location, whether at least one of an automatic number identification (ANI) or automatic location information (ALI) is identifiable from the call signal;   when the emergency call did not originate from the registered location or neither the at least one of the ANI or the ALI is identifiable, retrieving, from a database associated with the server, location information associated with the routing device;   identifying, by the server, a public service answering point (PSAP) based on the retrieved location information or the at least one of the ANI or the ALI; and   transmitting, by the server, the call signal to the PSAP.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 attaching information identifying the PSAP to the call signal.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 selecting a public switched telephone network (PSTN) from a plurality of PSTNs based on the identified PSAP.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , where transmitting the call includes:
 transferring the call signal to the selected PSTN.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 querying the routing device for an identity of the routing device.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 determining, based on a response to the querying, a physical location of the routing device identified in the location information; and   where identifying the PSAP includes:
 identifying the PSAP based on the physical location of the routing device. 
   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , where the identifying the PSAP further includes:
 correlating the physical location of the routing device to stored PSAP information for a plurality of PSAPs, and   identifying the PSAP based on correlating the physical location of the routing device to the stored PSAP information.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , where the identifying the PSAP further includes:
 selecting the PSAP from a plurality of PSAPs based on the physical location of the routing device.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining, from a plurality of routing devices routing the call signal to the server, that the routing device is a nearest one of the plurality of routing devices to a point of origination for the call signal.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the physical location of the routing device, an emergency service number of emergency service personnel associated with the physical location of the routing device; and   where transmitting the call signal includes:
 providing information identifying the emergency service number to the PSAP. 
   
     
     
         32 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a server via a routing device, an emergency call from Internet protocol (IP) telephony selectively used at a registered location and locations other than the registered location;   determining, by the server and from profile information associated with the routing device, whether the emergency call originated from the registered location or at one of the locations other than the registered location;   determining, by the server and when the emergency call originated from the registered location, whether at least one of an automatic number identification (ANI) or automatic location information (ALI) is identifiable from information in the emergency call;   identifying, by the server and when the emergency call originated from the one of the locations other than the registered location or when neither the at least one of the ANI or the ALI is identifiable, a physical location for the routing device;   designating, by the server, an assigned public safety answering point (PSAP) based on the identified physical location of the routing device or the at least one of the ANI or the ALI; and   forwarding, by the server, the emergency call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) based on the assigned PSAP.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 retrieving the physical location of the routing device from a database associated with the server.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 storing information for the assigned PSAP in the database; and   correlating the assigned PSAP to a geographic location that includes the physical location of the routing device.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 modifying the emergency call to include information identifying the assigned PSAP.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 modifying the emergency call to include information identifying the physical location of the routing device.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , where identifying the physical location of the routing device comprises:
 transmitting a query from the server to the routing device;   receiving, based on transmitting the query, information identifying the routing device; and   using the information identifying the routing device to identify the physical location of the routing device.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the physical location of the routing device, an emergency service number of emergency service personnel associated with the physical location of the routing device; and   providing information identifying the emergency service number to the PSAP.   
     
     
         39 . A system comprising:
 a server to:
 store, in a memory, information identifying a physical location of a routing device via which an Internet protocol (IP)-enabled call is received; 
 correlate, based on the physical location of the routing device, a public safety answering point (PSAP), associated with an emergency communication system, to the routing device; 
 determine whether the IP-enabled call originated from a fixed location; 
 determine, when the emergency call originated from the fixed location, whether the IP-enabled call includes at least one of an automatic number identification (ANI) or automatic location information (ALI); 
 attach, when the emergency call did not originate from the fixed location or the IP-enabled call does not include the at least one of the ANI or the ALI, information identifying the PSAP to the IP-enabled call; and 
 forward the IP-enabled call based on the information identifying the PSAP. 
   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , where, when forwarding the IP-enabled call, the server is to:
 re-direct the IP-enabled call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN).   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , where the server is further to:
 determine, based on the physical location of the routing device, an emergency service number of emergency service personnel associated with the physical location of the routing device; and   where, when forwarding the IP-enabled call, the server is to:
 provide information identifying the emergency service number to the PSAP.