Emergency call system with call capacity/last chance routing feature

• US 5,323,444 A
• Filed: 08/16/1991
• Issued: 06/21/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: U.S. West Advanced Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, Michael J., Ertz, Douglas J., Neal, Lisa M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/745,662
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/42, 379/45-47, 379/49, 379/92, 379/93, 379/96-98, 379/127, 379/142, 379/212-214, 379/265-267, 340/525
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13092 Scanning of subscriber lines, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13145 Rerouting upon failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13146 Rerouting upon blocking/overload, rearrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13163 Fault alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13504 client/server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13526 resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A community emergency response service system is provided with three types of destinations to which emergency calls may be routed. These include public safety answering points (PSAPs), switch directory numbers and public switching telephone network directory numbers. A last chance routing system is effective upon failure of the system to route an incoming one of such emergency calls to one of such three types of destinations. The last chance routing facility performs a linear search of all PSAPs within such system to determine whether any of such PSAPs has been inspected for availability to handle such emergency call. When such linear search identifies a PSAP which has not previously been inspected with respect to its availability to handle such emergency call, a determination is made as to whether such PSAP is currently available. Such determination includes determining whether such PSAP is currently at its call capacity. That call capacity is determined based upon a call capacity depth established for each workstation at such answering point. The call capacity limit is obtained by multiplying such call capacity depth times the current number of workstations that are active at such PSAP.

Claims

1. A system for routing incoming emergency calls to one of a plurality of answering points, selected ones of said answering points being adapted to place said incoming emergency calls routed thereto in a queue, comprising:

means for setting a limit of the number of said incoming emergency calls which may be placed in each said queue; and

means for routing said incoming emergency calls to a selected one of said answering points until the number of said incoming emergency calls in said queue reaches said limit, said routing means interrupting said routing of further ones of said incoming emergency calls to said queue until the number of said incoming emergency calls in said queue is less than said limit.

2. A system for routing incoming emergency calls according to claim 1, wherein each said answering point has a plurality of terminals each of which may be active or inactive;

said means for setting a limit of the number of said incoming emergency calls further comprising;

first means for determining the number of said terminals which are active at the time that a given one of said incoming emergency calls is to be routed;

second means for setting a maximum queue level of said incoming emergency calls which may be in the queue of a selected one of said answering points; and

third means for obtaining the product of said number of active terminals and said queue level.

3. A system for routing incoming emergency calls according to claim 2, wherein said incoming emergency calls routed to said selected one of said answering points may be out on hold, be in the process of being answered, or be in said queue, further comprising:

said second means also being for setting queue level with respect to all of said incoming emergency calls to be routed to said selected answering point; and

said routing means also being for routing said incoming emergency calls to said selected answering point until the total number of said incoming emergency calls at said selected answering point on hold, or being answered or in said queue reaches said queue limit set with respect to all of said incoming emergency calls routed to said answering point.

4. A system for routing incoming emergency calls to answering points in one of a plurality of different calling areas, each said answering point having means for queuing said incoming emergency calls routed thereto, comprising:

means for designating said incoming emergency calls from a given calling area to be routed to a selected one of said answering points;

means for limiting the number of said incoming emergency calls that may be placed in said queuing means at each said answering point to a selectable call capacity limit number; and

means for adding said incoming emergency calls from said given calling area to said queuing means of said selecting answering point only if the number of said incoming emergency calls in said queuing means has not reach said selectable call capacity limit number selected for said selected answering point.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each of said answering points may have a different number of answering terminals active for answering one of said incoming emergency calls, further comprising:

said limiting means being able to select a different call capacity limit number for each of said answering points, said selection being according to how many of said terminals are active at a particular one of said answering points.

6. A system for routing incoming emergency calls to answering points according to claim 4, said adding means further comprising:

first means for determining the number of said incoming emergency calls in said queuing means at said selected answering point at the time a given one of said incoming emergency calls is to be routed;

second means for determining that the call capacity limit number for said selected answering point minus said number of said incoming emergency calls in said queue of said selected answering point exceeds zero; and

means responsive to said second determining means for permitting another of said incoming emergency calls to be routed to said selected answering point.

7. A system for routing incoming emergency calls to answering points according to claim 4, said adding means further comprising:

first means for determining the number of said incoming emergency calls in said queuing means at said selected answering point at the time a given one of said incoming emergency calls is to be routed;

second means for determining that the call capacity limit number for said selected answering point minus said number of incoming emergency calls in said queuing means of said selected answering point is zero or less than zero; and

means responsive to said second determining means for preventing said adding means from adding said given one of said incoming emergency calls to said queuing means of said selected answering point.

8. A system for routing emergency calls to a selected answering point having a plurality of call answering workstations;

said system having a notification line for said answering point and means for placing said emergency calls in a queue to said notification line;

said answering point having means for handling said emergency calls routed to said workstations, comprising;

means for limiting the number of said emergency calls that are simultaneously being handled by said answering point and in said queue, said limiting means setting a call capacity limit number; and

means effective at a current time for adding to said queue another one of said emergency calls to be routed, said adding occurring only if the number of said emergency calls being handled by said answering point and in said queue has at said current time not reached said call capacity limit number.

9. A system for routing emergency calls to a selected answering point according to claim 8, said adding means further comprising:

first means for determining the number of said emergency calls being handled by said answering point at said current time;

second means for determining that said call capacity limit number minus said number of said emergency calls being handled at said current time exceeds zero; and

means responsive to said second determining means for permitting another of said emergency calls to be routed to said selected answering point at said current time.

10. A system for routing emergency calls according to claim 9, further comprising:

said means for adding being effective to add only after determining that said answering point is active and has said handling means in operation.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

said means for adding being ineffective to permit another of said emergency calls to be routed to said selected answering point regardless of the result of operation of said second determining means if said handling means is not in operation.

12. A system for routing emergency calls according to claim 8, wherein each of said workstations of said answering point may be active or inactive at said current time, said means for limiting further comprising:

first means for determining the number of said workstations which are active at said current time at which a given one of said emergency calls is to be routed;

second means for setting a maximum level of emergency calls which at said current time may be handled by said answering point per each one of said active workstation; and

third means for obtaining the product of said number of active workstations and said maximum level.

13. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for rendering said placing means inoperative.

14. A system according to claim 12, further comprising:

said answering point having means responsive to said emergency calls for ringing said notification line and for ringing said workstations, means for placing said emergency calls on hold, and means for answering said emergency calls; and

said emergency calls being handled at said current time by said answering point per active workstation including the number of said emergency calls causing said ringing means to function and the number of said emergency calls being answered by said answering means and the number of said emergency calls being on hold.

15. A system for routing emergency calls to an answering point or to a second destination;

said answering point having a notification line, means for placing in a queue said emergency calls to be routed to said notification line, and call answer terminals which may be active or inactive at a current time at which one of said emergency calls is to be routed, comprising;

first means for determining the number of said terminals that are active at the current time;

second means for setting a call capacity depth as a function of said number of active terminals at any current time;

third means for multiplying said call capacity depth times said number of active terminals to obtain an answering point call capacity limit representing the maximum number of said emergency calls which may be in process of being handled by said answering point at any one of said current times;

fourth means for determining the current number of said emergency calls which are in process of being handled by said answering point at said one current time;

fifth means for determining whether said call capacity limit exceeds, equals or is less than said current number of said emergency calls; and

sixth means for routing one of said emergency calls at said current time to said answering point if said fifth determining means determines that said call capacity limit exceeds said current number, and for routing said one call at said current time to said second destination if said call capacity limit is less than or equal to said current number of calls.

16. A system according to claim 15, said system further comprising:

means responsive to said emergency calls for ringing said notification line and said call answer terminals;

means for placing one of said emergency calls on hold at each of said terminals; and

said fourth means being effective at said one current time to obtain the sum of said emergency calls causing said ringing means to operate, of said calls placed on hold, of said calls in said queue and of all of said calls being answered by said active terminals; and

said queuing limit also being based on the number of said emergency calls which are on hold at said answering point at said current time.

17. A system according to claim 15, said second means further comprising:

said call capacity limit also being based on the number of said emergency calls which are on hold and which are connected to said answering point at said current time.

18. A system for routing emergency calls to one or the other of first and second types of destinations, comprising:

first means for determining whether said first type of destination is available to handle a given on of said emergency calls; and

second means rendered effective upon said determining means not identifying said first type of destination as being available to handle said given call for determining whether said second type of designation is available to answer said given call.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said first type of destination has a plurality of separate destinations therein, further comprising:

said first determining means being effective to sequentially search said destinations of said first type in an attempt to identify one of said destinations to which no prior attempt has been made to route one of said emergency calls thereof;

upon identifying one of said destinations, said first means then determining whether said one destination is available to handle said emergency call; and

said second means being effective, upon said first determining means determining that there is no destination of said first type to which no attempt has been made to route one of said emergency calls.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said destinations of said first type of destination are public safety answering points, further comprising:

means for queuing said emergency calls that are routed to any of said public safety answering point destinations, said queuing means being administered for limiting the number of said emergency calls which are routed to a given public safety answering point and in process of being handled by said given answering point, or said queuing means not being administered for allowing the routing to said public safety answering point of unlimited numbers of said emergency calls;

said public safety answering point destinations being an active state or being busy;

third means effective, upon said first determining means identifying one of said destinations to which no attempt had been made to route said emergency call thereto, for determining whether said one destination is in said active state;

fourth means effective in the event that said one destination is in said active state for determining whether said one destination has said emergency call queuing means administered for operation; and

means effective if said emergency call queuing means has not been administered for routing said emergency call to said one destination.

21. A system according to claim 20, further comprising:

said queuing means being provided for each said destination of said first type, said queuing means having a queue for said emergency calls routed to it, and having a call capacity limit which restricts the number of said emergency calls which may be routed to said given public safety answering point and in process of being handled by said given answering point;

sixth means effective if said queuing means is administered, for determining whether the number of said emergency calls in process of being handled at said one destination is less than said call capacity limit thereof; and

means for routing said emergency call to said one destination if said number is less than said call capacity limit.

22. A system according to claim 21, further comprising:

said first determining means being effective in response to said one public safety answering point being at said call capacity limit for continuing said sequential search of said destinations of said first type; and

said second determining means being effective if no attempt had been made to route said emergency calls.

23. A system for routing emergency calls to a selected one of many destinations at which said emergency calls are to be answered, wherein there is at least one preferred type of destination and more than one destination of that type, wherein there is at least one second type of destination and more than one destination of that second type, comprising:

first means for determining whether any of said destinations of said first type of destination is available at a current time to handle a given one of said emergency calls, said first determining means not necessarily making said determination as to all of the destinations of said preferred type such that at said current time there may be unchecked destinations of said preferred type;

second means rendered effective upon said determining means not identifying any destination of said preferred type of destination as being available to handle said given emergency call for linearly searching said destinations of said first type to identify one or more of said unchecked destinations;

for each said unchecked destination of said preferred type as may exist, third means effective for determining whether said unchecked destination is available to handle said given emergency call;

said second means searching to identify another unchecked destination if said unchecked destination is not available to handle said given emergency call; and

fourth means responsive to said second means not identifying any of said destinations of said preferred type as being available to handle said given emergency call for causing said second searching means to repeat said linear searching with respect to said destinations of said second type, said repeated linear searching determining whether there was any prior attempt made to route said given emergency call to any of said destination of said second type.

24. A system according to claim 23, further comprising:

means effective upon said second searching means repeating said linear searching and not identifying any of said second type of destinations to which not attempt had been made to route said emergency calls, for routing said emergency calls to busy.

25. A system according to claim 23, further comprising:

each said destination of said first type having a queue which may be administered to limit the number of said emergency calls routed thereto and which when not administered does not limit the number of said emergency calls routed to it;

fourth means effective, in response to said second means identifying a given unchecked one of said first type of destinations to which no attempt was made to route said given emergency call, for determining whether said given destination is active;

fifth means for determining whether said given destination has the queue thereof administered; and

means effective to route said given emergency call to said given destination which did not have the queue thereof administered.

26. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

said given destination having a call capacity limit of emergency calls routed to it and in process of being handled;

sixth means effective if said queue is administered, for determining whether the aggregate number of said emergency calls routed to and still in process of being handled at said given destination at said current time is less than said call capacity limit of said given destination.

27. A system according to claim 26, further comprising:

said sixth means comprising;

seventh means for determining the number of said emergency calls in process of being handled at said given destination at said current time;

eighth means for determining that said call capacity limit for said given destination minus said number of said emergency calls exceeds zero; and

ninth means responsive to said eighth determining means for permitting another of said emergency calls to be routed to said given destination.

28. A system according to claim 26, further comprising:

each of said destinations of said first type of having plurality of workstations each of which may be active or inactive; and

limit means for setting said call capacity limit of emergency calls comprising;

first workstation means for determining the number of said workstations which are active at the time a given one of said emergency calls is to be routed;

second capacity means for setting a maximum call capacity depth of said emergency calls which may be routed to a selected one of said destinations of said first type; and

third product means for obtaining a call capacity limit represented by the product of said number of active workstations and said maximum call capacity depth.

29. A system according to claim 26, further comprising:

means effective if said aggregate number of said emergency calls equals or is greater than said call capacity limit for a given destination for causing said second determining means to repeat said linear searching again in an endeavor to identify and additional unchecked destination of said first type.

30. A system for routing emergency calls to one of many destinations at which the emergency calls are handled, wherein public safety answering points are a preferred type of destination, wherein switch directory numbers are a second type of destination and public switched telephone network directory numbers are a third type of destination, comprising:

first means for determining whether there is any said public safety answering point to which no attempt was made to route a given one of said emergency calls, said first determining means not necessarily making said determination as to all of said public safety answering points such that there may be unattempted public safety answering points to which not attempt was made to route said given emergency call;

second means rendered effective upon said first determining means not identifying one of said unattempted public safety answering points for sequentially searching all of said public safety answering points, said searching including all of said unattempted public safety answering points as may exist and determining whether any of said public safety answering points was unattempted;

third means responsive to said searching means not identifying any of said public safety answering points as being unattempted for repeating said sequential searching with respect to said switch directory numbers, said repeated sequential search determining whether there is any said switch directory number to which no attempt was made to route said given emergency call; and

fourth means responsive to said third means not identifying any of said switch directory numbers as being unattempted for repeating said sequential searching with respect to said public switched telephone network directory numbers, said last-mentioned repeated searching determining whether there is a public switched telephone network directory number to which no attempt was made to route said given emergency call.

31. A system for routing emergency calls according to claim 30, wherein said second means identifies one of said unattempted public safety answering points, said unattempted public safety answering point having possible active and inactive states, and said unattempted public safety answering point having means for queuing emergency calls routed to it, said queuing means being administrable to render said queuing means effective or not effective to limit the number of said emergency calls which are routed to it and which are in process of being handled at a current time at which said given one of said emergency calls is to be routed, said limit being a call capacity limit number, further comprising:

state check means for determining whether said unattempted public safety answering point is in said active or said inactive state at said current time;

administration check means for determining whether said active public safety answering point has said queuing means administered; and

redirect means responsive to said administration check means determining that said queuing means of said active public safety answering point is not administered for redirecting said given emergency call to said active public safety answering point.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein said administration check means determines that said queuing means is administered, further comprising;

call capacity means effective when said queuing means is administered, said call capacity means being for determining if the number of said emergency calls routed to said unattempted public safety answering point and currently in process of being handled is less than said call capacity limit number; and

means effective when said call capacity means makes a true determination for redirecting said given emergency call to said unattempted public safety answering point.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein said if determination by said call capacity means may be false, further comprising:

means effective in response to said if determination being false for causing said second means to continue said sequential searching to identify another unattempted public safety answering point.

34. A system according to claim 32, further comprising:

means for recording attempts to route said given emergency call to any of said destination; and

said redirecting means further comprising;

update means for noting in said recording means the attempt to route said given emergency call to said unattempted destination; and

means for printing a message in a log file that said given emergency call is to be redirected to said unchecked destination.

35. A system for routing an emergency call according to claim 30, further comprising:

said second means identifying one of said unattempted public safety answering points, said unattempted public safety answering point having a possible active state and possible night service and abandoned inactive states, and said unattempted public safety answering point having means for queuing emergency calls routed to it, said queuing means being administrable to render said queuing means effective or not effective to limit the number of said emergency calls routed to it and which are in process of being handled at a current time at which said given one of said emergency calls is to be routed, said limit being a call capacity limit number, further comprising;

state check means for determining whether said unattempted public safety answering point is in said active or one of said inactive states at said current time;

administration check means for determining whether said active public safety answering point has said queuing means administered; and

redirect means responsive to said administration check means determining that said queuing means is administered for determining if the number of said emergency calls routed to said one unattempted public safety answering point and currently in process of being handled is less than said call capacity limit number.

36. A system according to claim 35, further comprising:

means responsive to said if determination of said redirect means being true for routing said given call to said one public safety answering point.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein said if determination by said redirect means may be false, further comprising:

means effective in response to said if determination being false for causing said second means to continue said sequential searching in an attempt to identify another unattempted public safety answering point.

38. In a system for routing an emergency call to one of many possible destinations;

said possible destinations being in a preferred priority and including at least one public safety answering point, an alternate destination for said public safety answering point in the form of a routing switch directory number, or a third destination in the form of a public switching telephone network directory number;

said system comprising means for routing said emergency call and means for sending commands to control said routing means;

the improvement in said sending means comprising;

last chance means for searching said destinations in a selected order in an attempt to identify one of said destinations that is available to handle said emergency call, said last chance means being effective after said routing means has failed to route said emergency call to one said destination that is first in said priority;

first means responsive to said routing means failing to route said emergency call in response to one of said commands for determining if said routing means was attempting to route said emergency call to one of said public safety answering points; and

second means effective whether or not said routing means was attempting to route said emergency call to one of said public safety answering points for determining if said last chance means was being used by said routing means to route said call.

39. In the system of claim 38, the further improvement comprising:

third means effective if said last chance means was being used for causing said last chance means to attempt to route said emergency call to one of said possible destinations which had not previously been inspected.

40. In a system according to claim 38, the improvement further comprising:

third means effective if said last chance means was not being used, for determining whether said alternate destination, is available to handle said emergency call.

41. In a system according to claim 40, wherein said emergency call may be received by said system on one of a plurality of incoming trunks, the improvement further comprising:

selective routing means for causing said routing means to route said emergency call to a destination according to the telephone number of said emergency call;

default routing means for causing said routing means to route said emergency call to a destination according to which of said trunks carried said emergency call to said system;

fourth means effective if said alternate destination is not available to handle said emergency call for determining if said selective routing means was not used to select the destination to which said routing means failed to route said emergency call, or if said default routing means was used, that said default routing means had not selected another destination to which said emergency call is to be routed; and

fifth means responsive to a yes determination made by said fourth means for causing said last chance means to search said destinations.

42. In a system for routing said emergency call to one of said many destinations according to claim 41, wherein said destinations of said preferred priority including more than one destination of that type, and wherein said alternate and third destinations each include more than one destination of that alternate and third types, said sensing means being effective to determine whether any of said destinations of said preferred priority is available to handle said emergency call, said sending means not necessarily making said determination as to all of the destinations of said preferred priority such that there may be unchecked destinations of said preferred priority, said improvement further comprising:

said last chance means being rendered effective by said fourth means for linearly searching said destinations of said first priority to identify one or more of said unchecked destinations;

for each said unchecked destination of said preferred priority as may exist, said third means being effective for determining whether said unchecked destination is available to handle said emergency call;

said last chance means searching to identify another unchecked destination if said unchecked destination is not available to handle said emergency call;

means responsive to said last chance means not identifying any of said destinations of said preferred priority as being available to handle said emergency call for causing said last chance means to repeat said linear searching with respect to said destinations of said alternate type, said repeated linear searching determining whether there was any destination of said alternate type of destination to which not attempt was made to route said emergency call.

43. In a system according to claim 42, the improvement further comprising:

means effective upon said last chance means repeating said linear searching said not identifying any of said alternate type of destination to which no attempt had been made to route said emergency calls, for causing said last chance means to repeat said linear searching with respect to said third destinations.

44. In a system according to claim 42, the improvement further comprising:

each said destination of said preferred priority having a queue which may be administered to limit the number of said emergency calls routed thereto and which when not administered does not limit the number of said emergency calls routed to it;

sixth means effective in response to said last chance means identifying a given one of said preferred priority of destinations to which no attempt was made to route said emergency call, for determining whether said given destination is active;

seventh means for determining whether said given destination has the queue thereof administered; and

eighth means effective to route said emergency call to said given destination which did not have the queue thereof administered.

45. In a system according to claim 44, the improvement further comprising:

said given destination having a call capacity limit of emergency calls routed to it and still in process of being handled at a current time;

ninth means effective if said queue is administered, for determining whether the aggregate number of said emergency calls routed to and still in process of being handled at said given destination at said current time is less than said call capacity limit of said unchecked destination.

46. In a system according to claim 45, the improvement further comprising:

said ninth means comprising;

tenth means for determining the number of said emergency calls in process of being handled at said given destination at said current time;

eleventh means for determining that said call capacity limit for said given destination minus said number of said emergency calls exceeds zero; and

twelfth means responsive to said eleventh determining means for permitting another of said emergency calls to be routed to said given destination.