Automatic Location (ALI) Service Requests Steering, Connection Sharing and Protocol Translation

Abstract

An ALI/ESME steering gateway bridges the nationwide ALI/ESME network notes (or PSAPs) with the GMLC/MPCs of various different XPC networks. The steering gateway provides a unified interface between the PSAP/ALI network and positioning centers (GMLC/MPC/VPCs). Using the steering gateway, an E911 service provider accesses positioning centers (GMLC/MPC/VPC) of any XPC network. This access by the ALI to the positioning center is accomplished with any type of interface, irregardless of the protocol type. The connectivity of each virtual communication path between ALIs and PSAPs is managed. The ALI/ESME steering gateway also provides translation of the protocols between the two ALI-MPC interface sets (inbound and outbound). The ALI/ESME steering gateway also consolidates (or “de-duplicates”) any/all duplicated requests from a same ALI or PSAP for the same emergency call so that only one request is then sent to the destined positioning center within the relevant network.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . An automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway, comprising:
 a plurality of protocol interfaces for communicating with respective ones of a plurality of ALI gateways each having a different one of a plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols for communicating with a respective one of a plurality of mobile positioning centers, said plurality of protocol interfaces including:
 an inbound ALI interface for connecting each of said plurality of protocol interfaces to said respective one of said plurality of ALI gateways, 
 an outbound ALI interface for connecting each of said plurality of protocol interfaces to said plurality of mobile positioning centers; and 
   an gateway including an XPC selection lookup database, to map said plurality of mobile positioning centers to carriers.   
     
     
         29 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM);   National Emergency Number Association (NENA); and   E2.   
     
     
         30 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM); and   E2.   
     
     
         31 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM); and   National Emergency Number Association (NENA).   
     
     
         32 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 National Emergency Number Association (NENA); and   E2.   
     
     
         33 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 an ALI request de-duplicator to consolidate a plurality of ALI requests received by said ALI steering gateway into a fewer number of ALI requests transmitted by said ALI steering gateway.   
     
     
         34 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein:
 said XPC selection lookup table further associates each of said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols with a given one of said plurality of mobile positioning centers.   
     
     
         35 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM);   National Emergency Number Association (NENA); and   E2.   
     
     
         36 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM); and   National Emergency Number Association (NENA).   
     
     
         37 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 National Emergency Number Association (NENA); and   E2.   
     
     
         38 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of different Internet Protocol (IP) communication protocols comprise:
 Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM); and   E2.   
     
     
         39 . The automatic location identification (ALI) steering gateway according to  claim 28 , wherein:
 said ALI steering gateway is comprised in an E911 service provider network.   
     
     
         40 . Apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol, comprising:
 means for receiving an ALI request of an inbound ALI interface using a first type Internet Protocol;   means for converting said ALI request into a second type Internet Protocol different from said first type Internet Protocol; and   means for transmitting said converted ALI request over an outbound ALI interface using said second type Internet Protocol;   wherein an ALI request of one type Internet Protocol is able to access a mobile positioning center using a different type Internet Protocol.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , wherein:
 said received ALI request is sourced from a public safety access point (PSAP).   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , further comprising:
 means for determining, upon receipt of said ALI request, a wireless carrier servicing a particular location using a location to carrier lookup table.   
     
     
         43 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , further comprising:
 means for determining, upon receipt of said ALI request, an interface type of a given mobile positioning center of a wireless carrier servicing a relevant emergency caller.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , further comprising:
 means for multiplying a single ALI request from at least one of an ALI and a public safety access point (PSAP);   wherein an additional ALI request is directed to an additional mobile positioning center.   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , further comprising:
 de-duplicating a plurality of ALI requests into a fewer number of ALI requests directed to said mobile positioning center.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus for steering automatic location identification (ALI) requests of one type IP protocol to a mobile positioning center of another type IP protocol according to  claim 40 , wherein said first type Internet Protocol and said second type Internet Protocol each comprise one of:
 PAM;   NENA; and   E2.