Routing of special emergency calls

• US 5,444,760 A
• Filed: 12/28/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russ, Lila N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Application Number:
  US08/178,724
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/40, 379/41, 379/45, 379/48, 379/49, 379/51, 379/88, 379/89, 379/67, 379/212, 379/213, 379/214, 379/93, 379/97
• 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 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 Arrangements providing connection between exchanges

Abstract

A call is routed from a calling station on the one hand, by directing the call, in response to dialing by the calling station of an assigned emergency number, to an emergency answering service. On the other hand, in response to a command such as dialing by the calling station of a predetermined exigency code, the call is routed by accessing from a data base one of a number of a given exigency stations associated with the command, the calling number, the calling address, and/or the exigency station address; and directing the call from the calling station to the accessed exigency station.

Claims

1. A method of routing a call from a calling station, comprising:

directing the call, in response to dialing by the calling station of an assigned emergency number, to an emergency answering service;

diverting predetermined calls from the emergency answering service, said diverting step including;

in response to dialing by the calling station of a predetermined exigency command, accessing from a data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command; and

directing the call from the calling station to the given exigency station.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of accessing includes acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command and with the address of the caller.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of accessing includes acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command and with health condition of the caller.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of accessing includes acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command, with the address of the caller, and with the health condition of the caller.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined command is a mnemonic associated with the given exigency station.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined command is a code dialed by the caller.

6. A system for routing telephone calls from a calling station having a number, comprising:

emergency answering service means responsive to dialing by the calling station of an assigned emergency number, for directing a call and the number of the call to said emergency answering service mean;

a plurality of exigency stations;

means for diverting predetermined calls from said emergency answering service mean, including;

a data base listing exigency ANIs and a code associated with each exigency ANI;

means responsive to dialing by the calling station of a predetermined exigency command for accessing from said data base an ANI of a given exigency station associated with the command; and

means for directing the call from the calling station ANI, of the calling station to the exigency station.

7. A system as in claim 6, wherein the means for accessing includes means for acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command and with the address of the caller.

8. A system as in claim 6, wherein the means for accessing includes means for acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command and with health condition of the caller.

9. A system as in claim 6, wherein the means for accessing includes means for acquiring from the data base a number and address of a given exigency station associated with the command, with the address of the caller, and with the health condition of the caller.

10. A system as in claim 6, wherein the predetermined command is a mnemonic associated with one of the exigency stations.

11. A system as in claim 6, wherein the predetermined command is a dialed code associated with one of the exigency stations.