US-12627946-B2 - Method and system for supporting non-emergency community services over wireless local area network (WLAN)

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed for supporting non-emergency community services in a wireless communication network. An end user device may detect activation of an over-the-top (OTT) application, which may be configured to monitor surrounding wireless networks. The end user device may also receive broadcasts identifying a wireless network from an access point that is located nearby, and determine whether the wireless network supports non-emergency community services based on the received broadcasts. In response to determining that the wireless network supports non-emergency community services, the end user device may send a request for details about supported non-emergency community services to the access point, receive a response message from the access point identifying location-specific non-emergency community services offered by the wireless network, and display the offered location-based non-emergency community services.

Inventors

• Venkata Ramana Divvi
• Christopher J. Teague

Assignees

• CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230228

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of supporting non-emergency community services in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: detecting, by an end user device, activation of an over-the-top (OTT) application, wherein the OTT application is configured to monitor surrounding wireless networks; receiving, by the end user device, broadcasts from an access point that is located nearby and wherein the broadcasts identify a wireless network; determining, by the end user device, whether the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services based on the received broadcasts; and in response to determining that the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services: sending, by the end user device, a request for details about supported non-emergency community services to the access point; receiving, by the end user device, a response message from the access point identifying location-specific non-emergency community services offered by the wireless network; and displaying, by the end user device, the offered location-based non-emergency community services.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the offered non-emergency community services is done at least in part through the OTT application.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasts from the nearby access point are beacon frames that include at least a service set identifier (SSID) for the wireless network.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to determining that the identified wireless network supports non-emergency community services: determining, by the end user device, whether user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is a numeric short code.
6. 6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising, in response to determining that user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected: linking, by the end user device, the detected service request with contact information for a target location-based call center; and establishing, by the end user device, a voice call with the target location based call center.
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein linking the detected service request with contact information for the target location-based call center is performed at least in part by the OTT application.
8. 8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the voice call with the target location-based call center is a communication using voice-over-IP (VOIP) or voice-over-wireless local area network (WLAN).
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-emergency services are selected from one or more of community information/referral services, non-emergency police services, directory assistance services, transportation information services, telecommunications relay services, and underground public utility location services.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for details about supported non-emergency community services sent to the access point is a probe request frame.
11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-specific community non-emergency community services offered by the wireless network are set by a network operator and stored on a provisioning server in communication with the access point.
12. 12 . A method of supporting non-emergency community services in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: broadcasting, by an access point, information identifying a wireless network associated with the access point and an indication that non-emergency community services are supported; receiving, by the access point, a request from a user device for details about the supported non-emergency community services; sending, by the access point, a message with location and capabilities of the user device to a provisioning server; receiving, by the access point, a non-emergency community services profile from the provisioning server, wherein the profile identifies location-based non-emergency community services available through the wireless network to the user device; and sending, by the access point, a message to the user device identifying the available location-based non-emergency community services.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the non-emergency community services profile is provisioned by a network operator through an interface on the provisioning server.
14. 14 . A computing device, comprising: a processor configured with executable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising: detecting activation of an over-the-top (OTT) application, wherein the OTT application is configured to monitor surrounding wireless networks; receiving broadcasts from an access point that is located nearby and wherein the broadcasts identify a wireless network; determining whether the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services based on the received broadcasts; and in response to determining that the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services: sending a request for details about supported non-emergency community services to the access point; receiving a response message from the access point identifying location-specific non-emergency community services offered by the wireless network; and displaying the offered location-based non-emergency community services.
15. 15 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured with executable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that displaying the offered non-emergency community services is done at least in part through the OTT application.
16. 16 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the broadcasts from the nearby access point are beacon frames that include at least a service set identifier (SSID) for the wireless network.
17. 17 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured with executable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising, in response to determining that the identified wireless network supports non-emergency community services: determining, by the end user device, whether user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected.
18. 18 . The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is a numeric short code.
19. 19 . The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured with executable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations further comprising, in response to determining that user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected: linking the detected service request with contact information for a target location-based call center; and establishing a voice call with the target location-based call center.
20. 20 . The computing device of claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured with executable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations such that linking the detected service request with contact information for the target location-based call center is performed at least in part by the OTT application.

Description

BACKGROUND Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are becoming increasingly popular access networks, both in public and private areas. Another development of the past years has been the growing use of Internet Protocol (IP)-based data networks for the transmission of real-time data such as voice and video. Several standards dealing with voice-over-IP (VOIP) applications have been introduced, such as the codec standards G.711 and G.729, and the real-time transport protocol (RTP). Therefore, updates to current WLAN technology are typically desired in order to handle real-time applications, such as voice over WLAN, as subscribers require the same voice quality, reliability and functionality as exists using a legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) telephone or through a mobile network (e.g., third generation partnership project (3GPP) access network, such as a Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM) EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) or Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)). Legacy landline (Public Switched Telephone Network, PSTN) integrated with intelligent networks and existing wide area cellular wireless networks supports the short code dialing for various emergency and non-emergency services. However, the existing standards lacking the support Wi-Fi calling using short codes for non-emergency community services. In recent years, WLAN has been adopted as access technology for both broadband internet and voice services (over the top VoIP applications & Wi-Fi calling) inside and outside of the cellular coverage areas. While voice over WLAN technology is deployed by many wireless service providers, there have been limitations in supporting voice calls over WLAN for non-emergency community services that are typically accessible by abbreviated three-digit phone number (i.e., “N-1-1”). In the absence of regular cellular coverage, existing standards do not enable the use of N11 short codes to access non-emergency community services over WLAN voice calls. SUMMARY Various disclosed aspects may include apparatuses and methods for supporting non-emergency community services in a wireless communication network. Embodiments include detecting activation of an over-the-top (OTT) application, receiving broadcasts from an access point that is located nearby which identify a wireless network, and determining whether the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services based on the received broadcasts. In some embodiments, the OTT application may be configured to monitor surrounding wireless networks. Some embodiments may further include, in response to determining that the wireless network identified by the broadcasts supports non-emergency community services, sending a request for details about supported non-emergency community services to the access point, receiving a response message from the access point identifying location-specific non-emergency community services offered by the wireless network, and displaying the offered location-based non-emergency community services. In some embodiments, displaying the offered non-emergency community services may be done at least in part through the OTT application. In some embodiments, the broadcasts from the nearby access point may be beacon frames that include at least a service set identifier (SSID) for the wireless network. Some embodiments may further include, in response to determining that the identified wireless network supports non-emergency community services, determining whether user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected. In some embodiments, the user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services may be a numeric short code. Some embodiments may further include, in response to determining that user input requesting one of the offered location-based non-emergency services is detected, linking the detected service request with contact information for a target location-based call center, and establishing a voice call with the target location-based call center. In some embodiments, linking the detected service request with contact information for the target location-based call center may be performed at least in part by the OTT application. In some embodiments, the voice call with the target location-based call center may be a communication using voice-over-IP (VOIP) or voice-over-wireless local area network (WLAN). In some embodiment, the non-emergency services may be selected from one or more of community information/referral services, non-emergency police services, directory assistance services, transportation information services, telecommunications relay services, and underground public utility location services. In some embodiments, the request for details about supported non-emergency community services sent to the access point