Telephonic communications – Emergency or alarm communications – Central office responsive to emergency call or alarm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-01
2001-07-24
Woo, Stella (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Emergency or alarm communications
Central office responsive to emergency call or alarm
C379S037000, C379S093070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of modem telecommunication technologies and devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of interfacing devices to be used with a telephone system terminal for transmitting information to a telephone provider's central office which is in turn connected to one or more public safety answering points (PSAPs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many cities and communities, public safety answering points (PSAPs) have been established to answer emergency phone calls. In an emergency situation, a caller from the emergency spot places an emergency phone call through the telephone system and the emergency phone call will be routed to a PSAP. Currently most telephone systems have the function of identifying the emergency telephone number to the PSAP so that the PSAP can locate the emergency spot and provide quick response.
In many business establishments such as a large company, hotels, department stores, etc., private branch exchange (PBX) systems are used which handle many extension telephone stations. This poses a problem for identifying the exact emergency location within such business establishment. With the current telephone systems, when an emergency phone call is placed from an extension station within a PBX system, the phone call can be routed to a PSAP.
However, since the phone call from the extension station passes through the PBX system first, the PSAP will only know the identification of the PBX system without knowing the particular extension stations. As a result, when the emergency personnel arrive at the business establishment, they are often at a loss as to where exactly the emergency location is and they have to search through many offices in the office building or many suites in the hotel or many floors in the department store.
Therefore, there is a need in the telephone network and emergency response network to provide further identification of the extension station within a PBX system from which an emergency phone call is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,568 issued to Moody et al. on Sep. 13, 1994 for “Emergency Call Station Identification System” discloses a device for identifying a specific station, among a plurality of geographically-dispersed stations represented by a common telephone number and serviced by a common PBX, which has initiated an emergency “9-1-1” telephone call. The device can identify the specific station which initiated the emergency “9-1-1” telephone call to the appropriate PSAP which is connected to an enhanced “9-1-1” emergency call network. The device has functions to convert the protocol of the PBX to the protocol of the emergency call network. It also assigns an arbitrary designation representing the specific station which initiated the emergency phone call.
In many emergency situations, simply identifying the extension station from which an emergency phone call is made is insufficient. For example, it is also desirable for the emergency crew to know where the extension station is located, directions to that particular location, etc.
In addition, it is also desirable for the on-site management personnel or the security staff to be alerted as well when an emergency phone call was made by one of the extension stations of the PBX system.
Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide an interfacing device to be used with a telephone system for translating extended station information to one or more PSAP.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and emergency interfacing device to be used with a telephone system terminal, such as a private branch exchange (PBX) trunk, for transmitting extended station information to an emergency call handling center, such as a public safety answering point (PSAP).
It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency interfacing device connected between a telephone system terminal and a telephone provider's central office for transmitting extended station information during an emergency situation to one or more PSAPs.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an emergency interfacing device to alert on-site management personnel or security staff in the local facility that an emergency phone call has been made by one of the extension stations within the facility at the inception of the call, and to provide information about the extension station from which the emergency phone call is made.
Described generally, the present invention is an interfacing device connected between a telephone system terminal and a telephone provider's central office which in turn is connected to one or more PSAPs, wherein the telephone system terminal services a plurality of extension stations within a local facility.
The present invention interfacing device includes a PBX interface means for connecting to the telephone system terminal and receiving an emergency call from a specified one of the plurality of extension stations which initiated the emergency call. The interfacing device also includes a memory means for storing information of the plurality of extension stations within the local facility. The interfacing device further includes a first interface means and a second interface means both connected to the telephone provider's central office.
At the heart of the present invention interfacing device is a central processing unit (CPU), which is connected to the PBX interface means, the memory means, the first interface means and the second interface means. The CPU performs sequential logical operations. It connects the audio signal of the emergency call to the first interface means which in turn transmits the audio signal to the central office which in turn transmits to one or more PSAPs. Meanwhile, the CPU searches the memory means for information about the specified one of the plurality of extension stations which initiated the emergency call. The CPU then sends the extended station information to the central office over the second interface means, while maintaining contact between the specified one of the plurality of extension stations which initiated the emergency phone call and the central office through the first interface means.
Basically, when an emergency call is initiated from one of the plurality of extension stations within a telephone system terminal in the local facility, the present invention interfacing device can transmit extended station information of the extension station to a central office which in turn transmits to one or more PSAPs, and also alert on-site personnel or security staff in the local facility that an emergency phone call has been initiated by one of the extension stations within the facility at the inception of the call.
The present invention has many unique features and advantages. It can provide not only the identity of the extension station within a telephone system that made the emergency phone call but also other vital information about the emergency situation, such as the location of the extension station, direction to that location, physical description of the location, etc. It can also alert at the inception of the emergency phone call the on-site management personnel or security staff of the same information so that immediate response can be made and further assistance to the emergency personnel can be provided. Where the PBX serves a large site, the device, due to stored information unique to each extension of the PBX can provide the information to the PSAP which they would need to direct responding emergency people to different entry points to the site. If the site is large enough to cover more than one political area resulting in service by more than one PSAP, it can direct calls to the PSAP specific to the specific station originating the emergency call.
The present invention can be part of a manufactured telephone system.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in co
Chen Tony D.
Fong Jerry
Rozsa Thomas I.
Woo Stella
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