Emergency calling via a cable modem

• US 20050141675A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Byeong-Woo
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

An emergency calling system and method via a cable modem includes a cable modem connected to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) backup line in a cable modem-based Internet telephone service to transmit the emergency telephone number inputted by a subscriber telephone to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line. This enables an emergency calling function via a PSTN backup circuit and stable PSTN in a cable modem-based Internet telephone service. This also allows a cable modem-based Internet telephone service to promptly provide urgent emergency calling via the PSTN line in case of an emergency.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory adapted to store a number of emergency telephone numbers;

a controller adapted to generate a control signal in response to first digits of a telephone number generated by a subscriber telephone connected to a cable modem upon the first digits containing a telephone number corresponding to one of the emergency telephone numbers stored in the memory; and

a signal transmitter adapted to generate second digits corresponding to the first digits in response to the control signal from the controller and to transmit the second digits for the emergency telephone number to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via a PSTN backup line connected to the cable modem.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a digit recognition unit adapted to generate a telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the first digits generated by the subscriber telephone connected to the cable modem; and

a control unit adapted to compare the telephone number generated by the digit recognition unit with the emergency telephone numbers stored in the memory, and to transmit a control signal to the signal transmiter to generate second digits corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the user according to the type of subscriber telephone upon the telephone number selected by the subscriber corresponding to one of the telephone numbers stored in the memory.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises:

a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal-generator adapted to generate a DTMF signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the control signal from the controller upon the subscriber telephone being a digital telephone; and

a DTMF signal transmitter adapted to transmit the DTMF signal from the DTMF signal-generator to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line connected to the cable modem.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the signal transmitter further comprises an impedance-matching unit adapted to match impedances between a PSTN switching station and the cable modem and to transmit the DTMF signal for the emergency telephone number to a switching station via the DTMF signal transmitter.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the impedance matching unit comprises a transformer.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter comprises:

a relay adapted to generate a pulse signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the control signal and to transmit the pulse to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line; and

a relay controller adapted to generate and transmit a drive control signal to the relay to generate the pulse corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the digit generation control signal from the controller.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first digits generated by the subscriber telephone are identical to the second digits transmitted to the PSTN.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the signal transmitter comprises:

a relay adapted to generate a pulse signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the control signal and to transmit the pulse signal to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line; and

a relay controller adapted to generate and transmit a drive control signal to the relay to generate the pulse signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the digit generation control signal from the controller.

8. A system comprising:

a memory adapted to store a number of emergency telephone numbers;

a digit recognition unit adapted to generate a telephone number selected by a subscriber in response to first digits generated by a subscriber telephone connected to a cable modem;

a controller adapted to compare the telephone number generated by the digit recognition unit with the emergency telephone numbers stored in the memory and to output a control signal to generate second digits corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the user according to the type of the subscriber telephone upon the telephone number selected by the subscriber corresponding to one of the telephone numbers stored in the memory;

a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal-generator adapted to generate a DTMF signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber in response to the control signal from the controller upon the subscriber telephone being a digital telephone;

a DTMF signal transmitter adapted to transmit the DTMF signal generated by the DTMF signal-generator; and

an impedance matching unit adapted to match impedances between a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the cable modem and to transmit the DTMF signal for the emergency telephone number from the DTMF signal transmitter to the PSTN via a PSTN backup line.

10. A method comprising:

generating a telephone number selected by a subscriber in response to digits generated by a subscriber telephone connected to a cable modem;

comparing the telephone number selected by the subscriber with a number of pre-stored emergency telephone numbers;

generating a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signal corresponding to the telephone number selected by the subscriber upon the telephone number selected by the subscriber corresponding to one of the pre-stored emergency telephone numbers; and

transmitting the DTMF signal to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via a PSTN backup line.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising matching impedances between the PSTN and the cable modem.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein generating the DTMF signal comprises:

operating a relay to generate a pulse signal for a telephone number corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber upon the subscriber telephone being an analog telephone; and

transmitting the pulse signal for the emergency telephone number to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line connected to the cable modem.

13. A method comprising:

generating a telephone number selected by a subscriber in response to digits generated by a subscriber telephone connected to a cable modem;

comparing the telephone number selected by the subscriber with a number of pre-stored emergency telephone numbers;

generating a pulse signal corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber; and

transmitting the pulse signal to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via a PSTN backup line.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising matching impedances between the PSTN and the cable modem.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein generating the DTMF signal comprises:

operating a relay to generate a pulse signal for a telephone number corresponding to the emergency telephone number selected by the subscriber upon the subscriber telephone being an analog telephone; and

transmitting the pulse signal for the emergency telephone number to the PSTN via the PSTN backup line connected to the cable modem.