Abstract:
A system and method that provides economical and accurate data for a selected area (jurisdiction) from a centralized location by generating a base-line map from commercially available information and distributing portions of this map to local jurisdictions. Inaccuracies and other information only available locally are stored in a local database. Periodically these databases are uploaded to a central location and reconciled with the base line map. Advantageously, such reconciliation may include a rules based reconciliation wherein the geo-coordinates from the commercial vendors are used and applied to the local data. A new base line map is then generated and distributed back to the local user. In this manner, the local user has an accurate yet economical map.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to the field of geo-coordinate-based maps used by, for example, emergency calling centers and, more specifically, to a system that provides accurate, up to date maps for such applications.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Public safety answering points (PSAP) are increasingly using sophisticated geo-coordinate-based maps to pinpoint and display the location of the originator of an emergency call and to guide emergency response units to the location. Currently, such map data is limited to fixed telephones (i.e., wireline) but in the near future must include geo-coordinates of wireless (also known as cellular) telephones making emergency calls. Several problems must be solved before such pinpoint accuracy of both wireline and wireless maps are universally available.  
           [0003]    First of all, companies that create maps for large areas or even the entire country generate most maps to include geo-coordinates. These maps are carefully surveyed and the geo-coordinates carefully documented. However, such maps may include local inaccuracies and cannot keep up with the ever-changing landscape of a local community.  
           [0004]    Secondly, a PSAP serves one or more jurisdictions for several services (i.e., police, fire, animal control, etc.). These local PSAP&#39;s are not concerned with the majority of the commercially available maps; they are only concerned with their particular jurisdiction. Occasionally, however, a PSAP may be called upon to cover for a non-local jurisdiction.  
           [0005]    Thus, the economies of purchasing accurate, up to date for every possible jurisdiction quickly becomes overwhelming for small and/or rural jurisdictions.  
           [0006]    Therefore a problem in the art is that there is currently no economical accurate map data universally available.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    This problem is solved and the technical advance is achieved in the art by a system and method that provides economical and accurate data for a selected area (jurisdiction) from a centralized location. According to this invention, a base-line map is generated from commercially available information and portions of this map are distributed local jurisdictions. Inaccuracies and other information only available locally are stored in a local database. Periodically these databases are uploaded to a central location and reconciled with the base line map. Advantageously, such reconciliation may include a rules based reconciliation wherein the geo-coordinates from the commercial vendors are used and applied to the local data. A new base line map is then generated and distributed back to the local user. In this manner, the local user has an accurate yet economical map. Further, any jurisdiction may request any other jurisdiction&#39;s map; in case of an emergency situation, the jurisdiction may request the local map for whatever area it is covering for. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    A more complete understanding of this invention may be obtained from consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a public switched telephone network serving a large area in which an exemplary embodiment of this invention operates;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a further detailed block diagram of the operational portions of this invention in the context of FIG. 1; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a flow chart of operation at the centralized map generation facility according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of one possible implementation of this invention. This invention will be described in connection with map production for Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) usage; however, the application of this invention is much broader. In this exemplary embodiment a publicly switched telephone network (PSTN)  12  serves a geographic area  10 . PSTN  12  is well known in the art and comprises a plurality of telephone switching systems, tandem systems, long distance service, wireless systems, etc.  
         [0013]    Also in this exemplary embodiment, the geographic area of PSTN  12  is divided into three regions, region  14 , region  16  and region  18 . Regions  14 ,  16  and  18  represent, for example, jurisdictions for a fire protection district, police, animal control, etc. and/or any combination thereof. In a typical emergency telephone system (911 system) call set up, local and wireless (which is not shown, but is very well known in the art) are connected to a 911 tandem illustrated here as 911 tandem  20  and 911 tandem  22 . Each 911 tandem  20  and  22  is connected to one or more call-handling switches. In this exemplary embodiment, 911 tandem  20  is connected to call handling switch  24  and 911 tandem  22  is connected to call handling switches  26  and  28 . Call handling switches  24 ,  26  and  28  are each connected to a PSAP  30 ,  32  and  34  respectively. As will be described further below PSAPs  30 ,  32  and  34  comprise administrative and call handling facilities, as well as call answering positions.  
         [0014]    A 911 call, (as such calls for emergency service are known) arrives, for example, in Region  14  through 911 tandem  20 , which delivers the call to call handling switch  24 . Call handling switch  24  delivers the call to PSAP  30 , along with the calling identification number of the telephone (ANI). The PSAP requests automatic location information from call handling switch  24 ,  26  or  28 . The request for information is routed to an area wide automatic location information (ALI) database. In this exemplary embodiment call-handling switch  24  in Region  14  is connected to area ALI  36 . Call handling switches  26  and  28  are connected to area ALI  38 . ALI&#39;s  36  and  38  return location information associated with the calling telephone number back to its respective call handling switch and its information is displayed on the appropriate call handling position.  
         [0015]    Either as part of the PSTN  12 , or separately, there is a data network  40 , for example, the Internet which conveys data as is known in the art. According to this exemplary embodiment of this invention, a map service  50  is connected to the data network  40 . Alternatively, map service  50  may be connected to PSTN  12 , as shown by dash line  52 . According to this invention, map service  50  provides map information for Regions  14 ,  16  and  18 . This map information includes local roads, landmarks, names, etc., and the geo-coordinates for each. Further, each PSAP  30 ,  32  and  34  can keep a record of data inconsistencies of the map data provided by map service  50  and what is found in reality when attempting to dispatch local units to calling locations.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of portions of FIG. 1 illustrating more detail of region  14 . Region  14  includes (from PSTN  10 , FIG. 1) 911 call handling switch  24  and 911 tandem switch  20  is connected to a plurality of local switching systems and wireless systems represented by local switch  200  and wireless mobile switching center (MSC)  202 . Local switch  200  serves a plurality of landline-based telephones, represented by telephones  204 ,  206  and  208 .  
         [0017]    MSC  202  represents a plurality of base stations  210  and  212  and serves a region, which may overlap some, all or none of the territory served by local switch  200 . Base stations, such as base station  212 , communicate with wireless devices, such as wireless telephone  214 , via radio channels represented by  216 .  
         [0018]    PSAP  30  includes a call-handling server  220 , which is connected to 911 call handling switch  24 . Call handling server  220  receives 911 calls from 911 call handling switch  24  and delivers such calls to a plurality of call taker positions represented by call taker position  222 - 1  through call taker position  222 -n.  
         [0019]    Also connected to call handling server  220  is administration terminal  224 , which is known in the art, that controls call taker positions  222 - 1  through  222 -n. Call handling server  220  and according to this embodiment of this invention administers map data in map database  226 .  
         [0020]    In an exemplary emergency call from, for example, telephone  204 , the caller of telephone  204  dials 911. Local switch  200  responds by determining the appropriate 911 tandem to which this call is directed. Local switch  200  extends the call to 911 to tandem  220  and includes the telephone number of telephone  204 . 911 tandem  220  then extends the call to 911 call handling switch  24 , also including the telephone number of telephone  204 . 911 call handling switch  24  extends the call to call handling server  220  and call handling center  220  sets up the call to an available call taker position; in this example, call taker position  222 - 1 . Furthermore, call handling server  220  also sends an inquiry through 911 call handling switch  24  to ALI  36 . ALI  36  is an area wide server that includes ALI database  230 . ALI database  230  includes information such as address and special needs associated with the received telephone number. ALI database performs its look-up in database  230  and sends information back to call handling server  220  via 911 call handling switch  24 .  
         [0021]    Such ALI information is displayed at display  232  of call taker position  222 - 1 . According to this embodiment of this invention, call handling server  220  also queries administrative system  224  for map data  226  corresponding to the ALI information received from ALI  36 . Map data  226  is displayed in graphic form in display  234 .  
         [0022]    In exemplary embodiment, it is determined that display  234  indicates that telephone  204  is located along Route  36 . Further, it is determined by in the field that Route  36  has a nickname “Butterfield Road” by which it is commonly known. According to this exemplary embodiment, the operator at call taker position  222 - 1  records the alternate name for the road, which is sent to administrative server  224  and stored with local map data  226 .  
         [0023]    Further, if, for example, a 911 call arrives at PSAP  30  from telephone  206 , call taker position  222 - 1  receives map information from database  226 , which is displayed as display  234  on display  232 . In this example, a new stoplight  240  has been installed on the road just north of the location of telephone  206 . Therefore, this information is entered by the call taker at call taker position  222 - 1  and is stored by administrative service server  224  in map data  226 .  
         [0024]    Finally, an emergency call (911 call) may arrive at PSAP  3  from wireless telephone  214 . Wireless telephone  214  send signal  216  which is received by base station  212  and delivered to MSC  202 . Information is derived by MSN (or base station  212 ) to determine the location of mobile station  214 . This data is currently required by law and therefore will not be further discussed. MSC  202  delivers the call and the data to 911 tandem  20 , which delivers the call through 911 call handling switch  24  to call handling server  220 , along with the geo-location of mobile station  214 . Administrative server  224  determines the geo-location of base station  214  in map data  226  using, for example, latitude and longitude and causes a map, including that information, to be displayed at call taker position  222 - 1  on display  234 . In this instance, the road on which mobile station  214  is located (“Lucent Lane”)  242  is not on map  234 . Therefore, the operator at call taker position  222 - 1  adds this information when it is available ( e.g. from the emergency personnel). This data is then delivered to administrative server  224  and to map data  226 . The next time any of the above locations are displayed, the new data is displayed.  
         [0025]    According to another aspect of this exemplary embodiment of this invention, administrative server  224  periodically establishes a connection through data network  40  to map service  50 . Administrative server  224  formats and up loads map data  226  in a package which is delivered to map service  50  to be incorporated into local maps.  
         [0026]    Incoming data at map service  50  is received at map data processing unit  250 . Map data processing unit first checks account administration to verify that PSAP  30  has an account with map service  50 . Assuming that PSAP  30  has an account with map service  50 , map data processing  250  stores the incoming data from administrative server  224  on local database  254 . Map data processing unit  250  then reconciles the new local data  254  with commercial data on databases  256 - 1  and  256 - 2 . Local databases  256 - 1  and  256 - 2  are commercially available databases provided by data supplier  1  and data supplier  2  respectively. Map data processing unit  250  then performs a rules-based reconciliation of local data and commercial data. According to this exemplary embodiment, commercial databases  256 - 1  and  256 - 2  are given priority for geo-locations (i.e., latitude and longitude) and local data  254  is assumed to be correct for local names, land marks and new features.  
         [0027]    After the data reconciliation, map data processing unit  250  stores the map on national map data server  260 . National map data server  260  includes all map data for all subscribers to this service, regardless of their location. Map data processing unit  250  then sends the reconciled map data back through data network  40  to administrative server  224 , which then stores the new map data in map data  226 .  
         [0028]    Briefly returning to FIG. 1, it is now clear that any local PSAP may back up any other PSAP and still be able to provide directional information to police, fire or other services. Therefore, if call handling switch  24  or 911 tandem  20  PSAP  30  within Region  114  is temporarily unavailable, PSAP  34  can handle all 911 calls with minimal rerouting through PSTN  12  by PSAP  34  requesting the map data for PSAP  30  from map service  50 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of operation at the centralized map generation facility according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention. The method begins at step  266 , the map data processing unit, and a step  268  the a synchronization process begins with the process receiving the PSAP upload package for processing. The steps following from step  268  include the processing of the PSAP edits with entries as appropriate in the transaction table, ASP edit tables and the national map data server. At step  270 , the reconciliation is processed resulting in an output to step  272  with new data in a local data package for PSAP download.  
         [0030]    It is to be understood that the above-described invention embodiments are merely aspects of the invention and that many variations may be made by those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims.