Emergency call handling in a voice-over-packet environment
First Claim
1. A network element for use in a network that provides voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network element comprising:
- an interface connectable to a trunk group dedicated to emergency calls;
a control entity operable to;
receive an incoming call originated by one of the communication devices;
determine the directory number associated with the communication device having originated the incoming call;
determine whether the incoming call is an emergency call;
responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call;
(i) obtain a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number; and
(ii) direct the incoming call and the routing key obtained at (i) via the interface towards a gateway, the gateway connecting the network element to a dedicated emergency network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network element for use in a network that provides voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number. The network element comprises an interface connectable to a trunk group dedicated to emergency calls and a control entity. The control entity is operable to: receive an incoming call originated by one of the communication devices; determine the directory number associated with the communication device having originated the incoming call; and determine whether the incoming call is an emergency call. Responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call, the control entity obtains a routing key that had been stored in association with the directory number; and directs the incoming call and the obtained routing key via the interface towards a gateway, the gateway connecting the network element to a dedicated emergency network.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A network element for use in a network that provides voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network element comprising:
-
an interface connectable to a trunk group dedicated to emergency calls;
a control entity operable to;
receive an incoming call originated by one of the communication devices;
determine the directory number associated with the communication device having originated the incoming call;
determine whether the incoming call is an emergency call;
responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call;
(i) obtain a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number; and
(ii) direct the incoming call and the routing key obtained at (i) via the interface towards a gateway, the gateway connecting the network element to a dedicated emergency network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of routing an incoming call received at a network element, the incoming call having been originated by a communication device, the method comprising:
-
determining a directory number associated with the communication device;
determining whether the incoming call is an emergency call;
responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call;
(i) obtaining a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number; and
(ii) directing the incoming call and the routing key obtained at (i) towards a gateway over a trunk group dedicated to emergency calls, the gateway connecting the network element to a dedicated emergency network. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A network element for use in a network that provides voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network element comprising:
a control entity operable to;
determine a directory number associated with a communication device having originated an emergency call;
obtain routing information, the routing information having been stored in association with the directory number; and
direct the emergency call, the directory number and the routing information over a path dedicated to emergency calls. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
18. A method of routing an emergency call received at a network element, the emergency call having been originated by a communication device, the method comprising:
-
determining a directory number associated with the communication device having originated the emergency call;
obtaining routing information, the routing information having been stored in association with the directory number; and
directing the emergency call, the directory number and the routing information over a path dedicated to emergency calls. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A network architecture for providing voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network architecture comprising:
-
(a) a packet switch;
(b) a gateway connected to the packet switch and connectable to a circuit-switched emergency network;
(c) wherein the packet switch is operative for;
receiving an emergency call from one of the communication devices;
determining the directory number associated with the communication device having placed the emergency call;
obtaining a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number determined in the previous step;
directing the emergency call, the associated directory number and the associated routing key towards the gateway. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A network architecture for providing voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network architecture comprising:
-
(a) a packet switch;
(b) a gateway connected to the packet switch and connectable to a circuit-switched emergency network;
(c) wherein the packet switch is operative for;
receiving an incoming call originated by one of the communication devices;
determining the directory number associated with the communication device having originated the incoming call;
determining whether the incoming call is an emergency call;
responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call;
(i) obtaining a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number; and
(ii) directing the incoming call, the associated directory number and the routing key obtained at (i) towards the gateway. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A network element for use in a network that provides voice-over-packet services to a plurality of communication devices, each of the communication devices being associated with a respective directory number, the network element comprising:
-
means for receiving an incoming call originated by one of the communication devices;
means for determining the directory number associated with the communication device having originated the incoming call;
means for determining whether the incoming call is an emergency call;
wherein responsive to the incoming call being an emergency call, said means for determining are further operable for;
i. obtaining a routing key, the routing key having been stored in association with the directory number; and
ii. directing the incoming call and the routing key obtained at (i) towards a gateway over a trunk group dedicated to emergency calls, the gateway connecting the network element to a dedicated emergency network.
-
Specification