System, method and apparatus for supporting E911 emergency services in a data communications network

A network access device that supports enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services, comprising:

• an input port;
• a switching fabric for routing data received via said input port to at least one output port;
• and
• control logic adapted to
• assign a physical location identifier to said input port,
• transmit an automatic report to an E911 database management system (DBMS) when a user device is coupled to said input port,
• transmit a unique device identifier to said E911 DBMS in response to a first query from said E911 DBMS, whereby said E911 DBMS determines whether said user device is a VoIP telephone, and
• if said user device is a VoIP telephone, transmit said physical location identifier to said E911 DBMS in response to a second query from said E911 DBMS, thereby permitting said E911 database management system to store said physical location identifier in association with said unique device identifier.

A network system for supporting enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services, comprising:

• a host network communicatively coupled to an E911 database management system (DBMS);
• a network access device communicatively coupled to said host network;
• and
• a user device communicatively coupled to an input port of said network access device;
• wherein said network access device is adapted to assign a physical location identifier to said input port, to automatically transmit a report to said E911 DBMS when said user device is coupled to said input port, to transmit a unique device identifier to said E911 DBMS in response to a first query from said E911 DBMS, and, if said user device is a VoIP telephone, to transmit said physical location identifier to said E911 DBMS in response to a second query from said E911 DBMS;
• thereby permitting said E911 database management system to store said physical location identifier in association with said unique device identifier.

A method of supporting enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services in a network access device, comprising:

• (a) assigning a physical location identifier to an input port of the network access device;
• (b) transmitting an automatic report to an E911 database management system (DBMS) when a user device is coupled to said input port;
• (c) transmitting a unique device identifier of said user device to said E911 DBMS in response to a first query from said E911 DBMS;
• and
• (d) if said user device is a VoIP telephone, then transmitting said physical location identifier to said E911 DBMS in response to a second query from said E911 DBMS.