Virtual Identifier for Emergency Call Location Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current VoIP services face challenges in accurately determining the location of users making emergency calls, especially when users move or use mobile devices, leading to potential misdirection of emergency services due to imprecise GPS coordinates in dense environments.
Innovation Solution
An IP telephony communication system with a location server that obtains and manages virtual identifiers associated with different physical locations, providing the appropriate identifier to emergency services based on the actual emergency location, and prompts users to update their location information upon changes, using a combination of network data and GPS coordinates for precise location determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS coordinates are used to determine location for emergency calls, then location information can be obtained automatically, but precision is insufficient in dense urban environments where multiple buildings share similar coordinates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments location identification into multiple hierarchical levels: first using GPS coordinates to identify a general area, then using virtual identifiers to pinpoint specific buildings or floors within that area. This segmentation allows the system to overcome GPS imprecision by breaking down the location determination process into manageable stages, each contributing to the final precise location identification.
Solution Approach 2:
Virtual identifiers serve as intermediaries between GPS coordinates and actual physical locations. Instead of directly mapping GPS coordinates to emergency service routing, the system introduces virtual identifiers that link multiple GPS coordinate sets to specific physical locations (buildings, floors, units). This intermediary layer resolves the ambiguity of GPS coordinates in dense environments by providing an additional identification mechanism.
2Reliability
If a single address is provided to VoIP service for location tracking, then emergency calls can be routed based on that address, but accuracy decreases when users move to different physical locations without updating the address
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static address-based location model to a dynamic virtual identifier model. Virtual identifiers are automatically updated as users move between different physical locations, allowing the system to adapt to user mobility while maintaining reliable emergency call routing. The virtual identifier associated with a user's current location changes dynamically, ensuring that emergency services are always directed to the correct location regardless of user movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the VoIP service continuously monitors user location through GPS coordinates and network data, compares this information against stored virtual identifiers, and automatically updates the active virtual identifier when location changes are detected. This feedback loop ensures that the location information provided to emergency services remains accurate and up-to-date without requiring user intervention.
3Measurement precision
If virtual identifiers are implemented to improve location precision, then emergency services can be directed more accurately, but system complexity increases due to multiple identifiers and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual identifiers are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as location identifiers, building identifiers, floor identifiers, and unit identifiers depending on the context. A single virtual identifier system handles diverse location identification needs across different scenarios (single-building deployments, multi-building complexes, multi-floor buildings), reducing the need for separate identification systems for each function and thereby managing complexity while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
In one of its aspects the technology disclosed herein concerns an Internet Protocol (IP) telephony communication system (20) comprising a location server (150(13)) and a call server (52). The location server (150(13)) is configured to obtain a first virtual identifier associated with a first telephony visit associated with a customer account to a first physical location and to obtain a second virtual identifier associated with a second telephony visit associated with the customer account to a second physical location. The location server (150(13)) is configured to obtain the first virtual identifier and the second virtual identifier in coordination with an emergency answering service (58). The call server (52) is configured to provide the emergency answering service (58) with an appropriate one of the first virtual identifier and the second virtual identifier in accordance with whichever of the first physical location and the second location is an emergency location from which an emergency call associated with the customer account is placed.