Computer telephony integration (CTI) systems and methods for enhancing school safety

• US 20040146047A1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wellons, David L., Turcan, Diane Brown
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for enabling a dynamic computer telephony integration campus call center that leverages the assets of a school communications system including internal telecommunications networks, information systems, data networks, and applications, of public telecommunications networks, of public data networks, and/or of various communications devices to facilitate improved access, sharing, notification, and/or management of communications (e.g., external and internal communications) and associated data to enhance school safety services.

Claims

1. A computer telephony integration system having a call management system for connecting at least one agent station with at least one telephone line, the system comprising:

at least one input/output processor to input and to output data associated with a communication;

a memory device for storing the data associated with the communication;

a processor communicating with the memory device, the processor managing a communications profile associated with at least one of the communication and the data, the communications profile providing at least one of (1) calling number source data associated with the communication, (2) location data associated with the communication, (3) communication recording data services, (4) dissemination instructions for at least one of the communication and the data to a communications device of a designated party, (5) data associated with the designated party, (6) data associated with a school call center, and (7) data associated with a communications device; and

a school call center application for managing the communications profile.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a dataserver for storing and retrieving at least one communications profile, the at least one communications profile comprising the data associated with the communication.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one communications interface for communicating with the communications device associated with the designated party, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, and an emergency response party.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

status means for communicating a status of the communications device associated with the designated party, the status comprising at least one of availability data of the designated party, location data of the designated party, availability data of the communications device, location data of the communications device, messaging delivery capability data of the communications device, and messaging delivery confirmation data with the communications device; and

status processing means for providing routing instructions to the communications interface and for routing at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the communications profile further comprises data associated with the status.

6. The system of claim 4, the communications profile further comprising messaging delivery means for confirming communication of at least one of the communication and the data associated with the communication with the communications device.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the communications device is selected from a plurality of communications devices comprising a transmitter, a telephone, an intercom communications device, a personal computer, a wireless communications device, an on-site pager, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a WAP phone, an IP phone, a satellite phone, a computer, a modem, a pager, a digital music device, a digital recording device, a personal digital assistant, an interactive television, a digital signal processor, and a Global Positioning System device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications device transmits signals to determine the location data of the communications device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications device is associated with a registration profile, the registration profile providing at least one of a name of an entity financially responsible for communications by the communications device and an address associated with the communications device.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a personal identifier device communicating with the school call center, the personal identifier device associated with the designated party and communicating at least one of availability data of the designated party and location data of the designated party.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the communications interface comprises a gateway to a data network.

12. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication to a school call center, the school call center connecting at least one agent station with at least one telephone line;

associating a communications profile with the communication, the communications profile comprising at least one of (1) calling number source data associated with the communication, (2) location data associated with the communication, (3) communication recording data services, (4) dissemination instructions for at least one of the communication and the data to a communications device of a designated party, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, (5) data associated with the designated party, (6) data associated with the school call center, and (7) data associated with the communications device;

using the communications profile to initiate at least one of the following (1) communication recording to preserve a portion of the communication from initial receipt to termination, (2) matching the calling number source data with the location data to determine a precise location of an originating communications device communicating the communication, (3) overriding all privacy features activated through the originating communications device, (4) near real-time notification of at least one of the communication and the data to the designated party, and (5) accessing a communications network to communicate at least one of the communication and the data, the communications network comprising at least one of a school'"'"'s communications network, a telecommunications network, and a data network; and

communicating at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device of the designated party.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

accessing a communications system of the school call center to determine a status, the status comprising at least one of (1) availability of the designated party, (2) location of the designated party, (3) availability of the communications device, (4) location of the communications device, (5) messaging delivery capability of the communications device, and (6) messaging delivery confirmation to the communications device, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, and an emergency response party.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

presenting a message that the communication may be recorded; and

presenting a message that the privacy features of the communication may be deactivated.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

using a school call center application for managing the communications profile.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of using the school call center application for managing the communications profile further comprises:

converting at least one of the communication and the data from a first data format compatible with the agent station to a second data format compatible with the communications device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first data format comprises at least one of a printed text format, a voice data format, a video data format, a dual tone multi-frequency data format, and a digital data format and wherein the second data format comprises at least one of a printed text format, a voice data format, a video data format, a dual tone multi-frequency data format, and a digital data format.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via at least one of the following:

an analog line;

a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL);

an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line;

an ATM Sonet;

a SmartRing Service; and

a local loop of a telecommunications network.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via means for optically transmitting data.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via means for wirelessly transmitting data.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the school call center application is provided by a telecommunications facility, the telecommunications facility comprising at least one of a public switched telecommunications network and a mobile switching telecommunication office.

22. A system, comprising:

a network of interconnected communications devices associated with a school call center;

a rule-based application dataserver comprising at least one communications profile, the communications profile comprising the means to enable an exchange of at least one of a communication and of associated data between an agent station of the school call center and a communications device of a designated party affiliated with the school call center, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, and an emergency response party; and

an application program installed in the agent station, the application program allowing an agent to manage the communications profile associated with at least one of (1) calling number source data associated with the communication, (2) location data associated with the communication, (3) communication recording data services, (4) dissemination instructions for at least one of the communication and the data to a communications device of a designated party, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, (5) data associated with the designated party, (6) data associated with the school call center, and (7) data associated with the communications device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the rule-based application dataserver is provided by a telecommunications service provider.

24. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication to a school call management system from a communications device registered with a campus safety/security system, the school call management system connecting at least one agent station with at least one telephone line;

using inputs to the campus safety/security system to initiate at least one of the following (1) communication recording to preserve a portion of the communication from initial receipt to termination, (2) matching the calling number source data with the location data to determine a precise location of an originating communications device communicating the communication, (3) overriding all privacy features activated through the originating communications device, (4) near real-time notification of at least one of the communication and the data to the designated party, and (5) accessing a communications network to communicate at least one of the communication and the data, the communications network comprising at least one of a school'"'"'s communications network, a telecommunications network, and a data network;

associating the inputs to the campus safety/security system with the communication to provide a communications profile, the communications profile comprising at least one of (1) calling number source data associated with the communication, (2) location data associated with the communication, (3) communication recording data services, (4) dissemination instructions for at least one of the communication and the data to a communications device of a designated party, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member, a student, a guest associated with the school call center, (5) data associated with the designated party, (6) data associated with the school call center, and (7) data associated with the communications device; and

communicating at least one of the communication and the data to the communications device of the designated party.