System and method for providing host geographic location information in a packet data network

Claim 2

A packet data network geographic location identification method, comprising the steps of: generating a request for geographic location information at a requesting node that is adapted to consume said geographic location information; sending said request to a target node that provisions or derives node geographic location information about itself; providing said node geographic location information to said requesting node; said request being sent to said target node through one or more intermediate routing nodes that provision or derive node geographic location information about themselves; and said intermediate routing nodes providing their geographic location information to said requesting mode.

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said requesting node implements a packet telephony server that uses said geographic location information to identify the geographic location of a calling party served by said target node.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said packet telephony server is an emergency response telephony server.

Claim 5

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said requesting node implements an authentication server that uses said geographic location information to verify identification information of an entity served by said target node.

Claim 6

A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said authentication server is part of an online merchandising system.

Claim 7

A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said authentication server is part of an online electronic voting system.

Claim 8

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said requesting node implements a network management server that uses said geographic location information to generate a network topology map showing the geographic location said target node.

Claim 9

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said target node is a user access node.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said target node is a network routing node.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said geographic location information includes latitude, longitude and altitude.

Claim 12

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said geographic location information includes Country, State, City, Street, and Floor or Suite information.

Claim 13

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said generating and sending steps include generating and sending traceback packets to said target node by way of said intermediate routing nodes that provision or derive geographic location information about themselves.

Claim 14

A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein said providing step includes sending response packets containing said geographic location information about said target node and said intermediate routing nodes in response to said traceback packets.

Claim 15

A packet data network geographic location identification system, comprising: means in a requesting node for generating a request for geographic location information; means in said requesting node for sending said request to a target node that provisions or derives node geographic location information about itself; means in said target node for providing said node geographic location information to said requesting node; means in said requesting node for consuming said node geographic information; said sending means being adapted to send said request to said target node through one or more intermediate routing nodes that provision or derive node geographic location information about themselves; and said system including means in said intermediate routing nodes for providing their geographic location information to said requesting node.

Claim 16

A packet data network geographic location identification system, comprising: means in a requesting node for generating a request for geographic location information; means in said requesting node for sending said request to a target node that provisions or derives node geographic location information about itself; means in said target node for providing said node geographic location information to said requesting node; means in said requesting node for consuming said node geographic information; said sending means being adapted to send said request to said target node through one or more intermediate routing nodes that provision or derive node geographic location information about themselves; and said system including means in said intermediate routing nodes for providing their geographic location information to said requesting node.

Claim 17

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said requesting node implements a packet telephony server that uses said geographic location information to identify the geographic location of a calling party served by said target node.

Claim 18

A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said packet telephony server is an emergency response telephony server.

Claim 19

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said requesting node implements an authentication server that uses said geographic location information to verify identification information of an entity served by said target node.

Claim 20

A system in accordance with claim 17 wherein said authentication server is part of an online merchandising system.

Claim 21

A system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said authentication server is part of an online electronic voting system.

Claim 22

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said requesting node implements a network management server that uses said geographic location information to generate a network topology map showing the geographic location said target node.

Claim 23

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said target node is a user access node.

Claim 24

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said target node is a network routing node.

Claim 25

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said geographic location information includes latitude, longitude and altitude.

Claim 26

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said geographic location information includes Country, State; City, Street, and Floor or Suite information.

Claim 27

A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said generating means and said sending means respectively generate and send traceback packets to said target node by way of said intermediate routing nodes that provision or derive geographic location information about themselves.

Claim 28

A system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said providing means sends response packets containing said geographic location information about said target node and said intermediate routing nodes in response to said traceback packets.

Claim 29

In a packet telephony network, a method for providing caller geographic location identification service, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet telephony network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet telephony network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of a node to be located in said packet telephony network; and said requesting node serving a called party in a packet telephony session and said node to be located serving a calling party in said packet telephony session.

Claim 30

In a packet telephony network, a method for providing caller geographic location identification service, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet telephony network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet telephony network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of a node to be located in said packet telephony network; and said requesting node serving a called party in a packet telephony session and said node to be located serving a calling party in said packet telephony session.

Claim 31

A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein said requesting node implements an emergency response server.

Claim 32

In a packet data network, a method for authenticating identification information provided by remote entity, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet data network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet data network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of a node to be located in said packet data network; and said requesting node serving on authenticating entity in a packet data session and said node to he located serving un information providing entity in said packet data session.

Claim 33

In a packet data network, a method for authenticating identification information provided by remote entity, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet data network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet data network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of a node to be located in said packet data network; and said requesting node serving on authenticating entity in a packet data session and said node to he located serving un information providing entity in said packet data session.

Claim 34

A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein said authentication server is part of an online merchandising system.

Claim 35

A method to accordance with claim 29 wherein said authentication server is part of an online electronic voting system.

Claim 36

In a packet data network, a method for managing said network, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet data network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet data network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of nodes to be located in said packet data network; and said requesting node serving a network management entity.

Claim 37

In a packet data network, a method for managing said network, comprising the steps of: provisioning or deriving geographic location information at network nodes that comprise the packet data network such that each network node provisions or derives geographic location information about itself; providing said geographic location information to a requesting node in said packet data network; processing said geographic location information at said requesting node to determine the geographic location of nodes to be located in said packet data network; and said requesting node serving a network management entity.

Claim 38

A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein said processing step includes generating a network topology map.