Telephonic communications – Emergency or alarm communications – Responsive to sensed nonsystem condition
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-29
2002-04-02
Woo, Stella (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Emergency or alarm communications
Responsive to sensed nonsystem condition
C379S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06366646
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND-FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to user initiated conference calling on the public switched telecommunications network and to its application to improve the emergency aid response time and accuracy associated with alarm monitoring.
BACKGROUND-DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Local alarm monitoring companies can pretty reliably determine the 7/10-digit (i.e., conventional 7-digit or 10-digit) emergency response telephone numbers of PSAPs within their own local alarm monitoring areas. They can incorporate those 7/10-digit telephone numbers into a local database that is cross referenced to monitored alarm sites. The stored numbers can then be used to contact the appropriate PSAP when the nature of an alarm from a monitored alarm site indicates response by public safety personnel.
PSAP is an acronym for Public Safety Answering Point. A PSAP is an agency or facility designated by a governmental authority to act as an emergency response center. Its function is to expedite: determining the nature of calls for emergency assistance; and connecting the callers with appropriate emergency services.
Unfortunately, using a 7/10-digit telephone number to contact a PSAP to request emergency aid is a badly compromised practice. Most PSAPs assign incoming calls in priority groups within an ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) telephone switch. The priority of incoming calls on 7/10-digit lines is typically, and rightfully, set below that of calls on 9-1-1 lines. As a result of their lower priority, delays can readily occur in answering 7/10-digit calls. During busy periods, such calls can even go unanswered. Even PSAPs that have no ACD switches give 9-1-1 calls manual priority over 7/10-digit calls.
In contrast, compare this badly compromised procedure with contacting a caller local PSAP through the Enhanced 9-1-1 system by dialing 9-1-1 from the caller location. In the United States and in many other countries, dialing 9-1-1 automatically and rapidly places the caller in direct contact with the geographically correct, caller local PSAP, because of an innate characteristic, called selective routing, that is designed and built into Enhanced 9-1-1 systems. Note that, in some areas of the world, numbers other than 9-1-1 are used to similarly access emergency services.
A caller local PSAP is a PSAP having a geographic jurisdiction that includes the caller's location. Typically, a caller local PSAP is the best resource for getting emergency aid to a distressed caller or endangered property. It is also the best source of relevant information for providing emergency aid to a distressed caller or endangered property within its geographic jurisdiction. That information is prepared and compiled by caller local Enhanced 9-1-1 authorities, who are focused on the caller local PSAP's geographic jurisdiction and the accuracy and completeness of information concerning it.
Selective routing is a feature that gives an Enhanced 9-1-1 system the ability to speedily and automatically route a 9-1-1 call to a PSAP based on the location of the caller. The location, typically, is inferred from telephone company records.
In rare cases, a caller local PSAP's geographic jurisdiction may also include the alarm monitoring facility's location. When this fortunate rarity occurs, the alarm monitoring facility can dial 9-1-1, thereby applying the full resources of the Enhanced 9-1-1 system to ensure contacting the jurisdictionally correct, caller local PSAP in the speediest possible way. This highly desirable circumstance completely eliminates the problems associated with trying to get emergency assistance via 7/10-digit calls to the PSAP.
Unfortunately, even a local alarm monitoring facility is rarely in the same PSAP jurisdiction as a monitored alarm system. Typically, if any alarm monitoring facility were to dial 9-1-1, it would get its own local PSAP, which would not be properly equipped to assist in the caller local PSAP's jurisdiction.
Consequently, alarm monitoring facilities are forced into the practice of using 7/10-digit telephone numbers to attempt contacting caller local PSAPS.
To make matters worse, alarm monitoring companies are regionalizing, and covering larger geographic areas in order to increase their commercial operating efficiency. Some even plan to monitor alarms anywhere in the world from a single central alarm monitoring facility.
To give meaning to this growing new service, the alarm monitoring facility must be able to reliably and expeditiously contact the correct caller local PSAP to summon appropriate assistance.
Reliably and expeditiously contacting the correct caller local PSAP is a very definite problem. Intending to combat that problem, alarm monitoring companies are attempting to create a national database of 7/10-digit PSAP telephone numbers, cross referenced to PSAP geographic jurisdictions. It is intended that this database then be used to determine the geographically correct caller local PSAP when an alarm has been received and confirmed to signify a need for emergency assistance.
Creating a complete and currently accurate national database of this scope in a useable format is a very major and very costly undertaking . . . assuming it is possible to do so at all. Aside from the issue of accuracy, it has already been shown that the very use of 7/10-digit numbers to contact PSAPs for emergency assistance is, by its nature, a badly compromised practice.
Typically, the caller telecommunications device linking a monitored alarm site to an alarm monitoring facility is a wireline digital communicator located at the monitored alarm site. Through this device, an activated, monitored alarm and its nature can be communicated to an alarm monitoring facility via the PSTN.
PSTN is an acronym, intended to describe a Public Switched Telecommunications Network, inherently capable of implementing a conference call as described herein, and including wireline and wireless telecommunications. Enhanced 9-1-1 systems, directly or indirectly, are a part of the PSTN.
Wireline is a term intended to describe fixed site telecommunications_equipment and media linked to the PSTN via one or more physical signal_conductors, comprised of such physical materials as metallic wire and fiber optics filaments. Devices popularly referred to as portable telephones, although not linked by physical signal conductors to associated fixed site equipment, are still to be considered wireline devices, since the fixed site equipment is linked to the PSTN via physical signal conductors.
Wireless is a term intended to describe telecommunications devices, equipment, and media not classified as wireline. Generally, the term is intended to describe mobile telecommunications devices, equipment, and media linked to the PSTN via signal transmissions in the electromagnetic spectrum, such as radio transmissions. Examples of such equipment include those devices popularly known as cellular telephones, personal communications devices, and mobile telephones.
Digital communicator is a term intended to describe a data processing means of a type currently known and in common use throughout the alarm monitoring industry. As applicable to this invention, a digital communicator typically comprises a PSTN compatible, microprocessor controlled, telecommunications device, located at a monitored alarm site, and connected to a conventional telephone line, generally a wireline. When triggered, typically by an external sensor, a digital communicator automatically dials one or more predetermined telephone numbers, at least one of which typically contacts a called device (i.e., a called telecommunications device) at an alarm monitoring facility. Via the PSTN telecommunications link that is consequently established, the digital communicator then sends predetermined information to the called device to describe the site location and the type of alarm. A digital communicator incorporates all of the circuitry and devices necessary to make it capable of automatically: connecting to a telephone line; generating hookflashes; dialing tel
Ceglia Michael J.
Lehrer Norman E.
Ramakrishnaiah Melur.
Woo Stella
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