Network emergency call taking system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A call taking system for providing call taking service for a plurality of communication networks, the call taking system comprising:
- a packet network;
a plurality of answering points; and
at least one data center configured to;
a) receive incoming communications from the plurality of communication networks; and
b) for each incoming communication, select an answering point from the plurality of answering points to handle the incoming communication and send the incoming communication to the answering point selected via the packet network.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for routing voice and non-voice communications to an answering point via a packet network. Incoming communications from a communication network are converted into packet signals suitable for the packet network. An answering point and a workstation in the answering point are selected. The call is routed to the selected answering point and workstation over the packet network.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A call taking system for providing call taking service for a plurality of communication networks, the call taking system comprising:
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a packet network;
a plurality of answering points; and
at least one data center configured to;
a) receive incoming communications from the plurality of communication networks; and
b) for each incoming communication, select an answering point from the plurality of answering points to handle the incoming communication and send the incoming communication to the answering point selected via the packet network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A data center for routing communications from a plurality of communication networks to a plurality on answering points, the data center comprising:
- a gateway for interfacing with the communication networks, the gateway configured to receive incoming communications and to convert non-packet incoming communications to packet signals;
a packet interface for interfacing with a packet network, the packet interface configured to send and receive packet signals to and from a plurality of answering points via the packet network; and
a server configured in such a manner that for each incoming communication the server;
selects one of the plurality of answering points to handle the incoming communication; and
instructs the packet interface to send the incoming communication to the answering point selected. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- a gateway for interfacing with the communication networks, the gateway configured to receive incoming communications and to convert non-packet incoming communications to packet signals;
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23. A method of routing communications from a plurality of communication networks to one of a plurality of answering points, the method comprising:
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receiving an incoming communication from any one of the communication networks;
selecting one of the answering points to handle the incoming communication;
sending the incoming communication to the answering point selected via a packet network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A call-taking system for providing emergency call taking for a plurality of communications networks, the system comprising:
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a plurality of PSAP call centres;
a packet network interconnecting the plurality of communications networks and the plurality of PSAP call centres, the packet network comprising at least one packet network proxy server;
each PSAP call centre comprising a PSAP call center network, a plurality of PSAP workstations and a PSAP proxy server;
wherein each call setup request received by the packet network proxy server from one of the communications networks contains location information;
wherein for each call set up request the packet network proxy server uses the location information to select a PSAP call centre of the plurality of PSAP call centres and forwards the call setup request to the PSAP proxy server of the selected PSAP call centre;
wherein each PSAP proxy server is responsible for selecting a particular one of the PSAP workstations to handle each call setup request received by the PSAP proxy server;
wherein after selection of the particular PSAP workstation to handle the call setup request, a connection is established from between a calling device or an agent of the calling device to the selected PSAP call center via the network. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A call-taking system for providing emergency call taking for a plurality of communications networks, the system comprising:
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a plurality of PSAP call centres;
a wide area packet network having circuit switched connections to the plurality of communications networks and connected to the plurality of PSAP call centres, the packet network comprising a selective router and at least one VoIP gateway;
at least one VoIP PSAP call centre comprising a PSAP call center packet network, a plurality of PSAP workstations and a PSAP proxy server;
wherein each call received at the selective router from one of the communications network contains an Emergency Services Routing Key (ESRK), or in the case of a wireline call, ANI (Automatic Number Identification);
the selective router uses the ESRK or ANI to select a VoIP gateway to handle each call, the selected VoIP gateway sending a call setup request to a proxy server in a PSAP call centre;
wherein each PSAP proxy server is responsible for selecting a particular one of the PSAP workstations to handle each call setup request received by the PSAP proxy server;
wherein after selection of the particular PSAP workstation to handle the call set up request, a VoIP connection is established from between the gateway and the selected PSAP call centre via the network. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification