Telephonic communications – Emergency or alarm communications – Central office responsive to emergency call or alarm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-09-18
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Emergency or alarm communications
Central office responsive to emergency call or alarm
C379S037000, C379S201010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292542
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to accessing emergency services in a communications environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Emergency services, such as 911 services, can usually be obtained by taking a telephone receiver “off-hook”, and dialing an alphanumeric code, such as “911”, into the telephone. A local exchange carrier receives the request, determines the appropriate emergency service provider, and connects the caller with the emergency service provider. As another example of how a caller can access emergency services, a caller could dial a telephone number for a local police station and be connected with an emergency dispatch operator who determines the nature of the emergency and dispatches appropriate emergency response units.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a method and apparatus for providing emergency services during an ongoing call, such as a local or long distance telephone call, conference call, etc. For example, a person engaged in a long distance telephone call with a friend or friends could request and receive emergency services without discontinuing the call with the friend. The request for emergency services can be made in different ways, including pressing a key or series of keys on a telephone or other communication device, speaking a word or series of words into the communication device, etc. In response, a long distance or local exchange carrier can recognize the key sequence or words and connect the requesting party with appropriate emergency services, such as a 911 dispatch operator. The ongoing call need not be terminated when the requesting party is connected with emergency services. Instead, the requesting party and other parties involved in the call can be bridged with an emergency services operator or other emergency service. Alternately, only the requesting party could be connected with the emergency services, and the original call terminated.
Bridging of the requesting party and another party involved in a call with an emergency services operator can be useful, especially in circumstances where the requesting party becomes incapacitated, e.g., has a heart attack, or when the requesting party is actually requesting emergency services for the other party involved in the original call. For example, the other party could tell the requesting party that something is happening, such as an intruder is entering the party's home, and yet not have the presence of mind to request emergency services. In this case, the requesting party could request emergency services for the other party and instruct an emergency services operator to provide emergency services at the other party's home and/or provide other useful information. As another example, the other party could determine that a nearby person was involved in a medical emergency, tell this to the requesting party during a call and ask the requesting party to request emergency services. Thus, the requesting party could request emergency services and provide information, such as the address or medical history for the person requiring emergency medical services, while the other party attends to the emergency. An individual at the actual scene of the medical emergency could also be bridged with the emergency services operator to provide more current information or receive instructions regarding how to treat the medical emergency.
As discussed above, emergency services can be requested during either a local or a long distance telephone call. If the emergency services are requested during a long distance telephone call, a long distance, or interexchange, carrier could recognize the request and access an appropriate emergency services database to determine the address, e.g., routing information, for the appropriate emergency services provider. The emergency services database could be maintained by the interexchange carrier, or the interexchange carrier could access an emergency service database maintained by an exchange carrier local to the party needing emergency services. Once the routing information or other address for the appropriate emergency service provider is identified, the requesting party and/or the other party involved in the ongoing telephone call can be connected to the emergency service. The emergency services database maintained by the interexchange carrier can be a mirror database or very similar to a database maintained by local exchange carriers.
Alternately, the interexchange carrier could connect the requesting party to an emergency service that is maintained by the interexchange carrier or that is a more regional emergency service than that to which a local exchange carrier would have connected the requesting party. For example, a national emergency operator could be connected to the requesting party, determine the nature and/or location of the emergency and provide necessary information, such as poison control or directory assistance information, directly dispatch emergency service providers to the appropriate location or connect the requesting party to a more local emergency service, such as a police station.
For example, a party in New York could request poison control information from the interexchange carrier during a call with a party in Florida and be simultaneously connected with the party in Florida and a national poison control operator. The poison control operator could instruct the party in Florida how to deal with a specific problem, e.g., if a child has eaten a poisonous substance, while being connected to the New York party. This service may be useful, for example, when the party in Florida does not speak English and the party in New York can translate instructions from the poison control operator. Of course, both parties need not be bridged with the emergency service.
As another example, a party involved in an interstate long distance telephone call could request and receive emergency services information, such as a telephone number for a police station local to the other party involved in the telephone call. For example, the party in New York calling the party in Florida could receive an indication from the party in Florida that an emergency situation is occurring. The party in New York could request emergency services, and obtain a telephone number for a police station, fire station, or other emergency service provider local to the party in Florida. The interexchange carrier could also connect the parties in New York and Florida to the local emergency services provider without terminating the original telephone call.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent and/or obvious from the description provided below.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5249223 (1993-09-01), Vanacore
patent: 5444760 (1995-08-01), Russ
patent: 6028915 (2000-02-01), McNevin
patent: 6031836 (2000-02-01), Haserodt
AT&T Corp.
Kuntz Curtis
Ramakrishnaiah Melur
LandOfFree
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