Alarm notification system and method for a telephone switch

• US 5,852,649 A
• Filed: 02/23/1996
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Hodson, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/606,357
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 379/9-10, 379/13, 379/15, 379/27, 379/29, 379/34
• US Class Current: 379/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/10 Providing fault- or trouble-signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/26 for signalling trouble in unoccupied sub-exchanges

Abstract

An alarm notification system 100 and method for automatically reporting an alarm condition related to a telephonic switch 102 to a remote communications device, such as a display unit 104 or a paging unit 106, is provided. The system 100 may communicate with the display unit 104 and/or the paging unit 106 through a modem 115 and a network 114. Alternatively, a paging circuit 128 may provide cellular communications with the paging unit 106 and/or the display unit 104. An alarm sensing circuit 116 senses an alarm condition. Alarm conditions are defined and modified by an alarm setting circuit 118. After an alarm condition is sensed, an alarm notification circuit detects and logs various alarm information relating to the sensed alarm condition. The alarm notification circuit automatically transmits the alarm information to the remote communications device. The alarm notification circuit may comprise an alarm date circuit 120 for detecting a date on which the alarm condition occurs, an alarm time circuit 122 for detecting a time at which the alarm condition occurs, an alarm severity circuit 124 for assigning a severity classification to the alarm condition and an alarm description circuit 126 for indicating a type of the alarm condition.

Claims

1. A method for automatically reporting an alarm condition related to a telephonic switch for routing telephone calls from external telephone units to agent telephone units to a remote communications device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the alarm condition;

detecting alarm information relating to the alarm condition, including detecting switch information relating to the telephonic switch, including a size of the telephonic switch; and

automatically transmitting the alarm information to the remote communications device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting alarm information comprises the step of detecting a date on which the alarm condition occurs.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting alarm information comprises the step of detecting a time at which the alarm condition occurs.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting alarm information comprises the step of assigning a severity classification to the alarm condition.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting alarm information comprises the step of detecting a type of the alarm condition.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting switch information comprises the step of:

detecting a site code identifying the telephonic switch.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of automatically transmitting comprises the step of accessing a display unit over a telephonic network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of automatically transmitting the alarm information comprises the step of transmitting the alarm information to a paging unit.

9. An alarm notification system for automatically reporting an alarm condition related to a telephonic switch for routing telephone calls from external telephone units to agent telephone units to a remote communications device comprising:

a sensing circuit for sensing the alarm condition and switch information relating to the telephonic switch, including a size of the telephonic switch; and

an alarm notification circuit for transmitting alarm information relating to the alarm condition and switch information relating to the telephonic switch to the remote communications device in response to the alarm sensing circuit.

10. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 comprising an alarm setting circuit for selecting the alarm condition.

11. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises a modem for transmitting the alarm information.

12. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises an alarm time circuit for detecting a time at which the alarm condition occurs, the time being included in the alarm information.

13. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises an alarm date circuit for detecting a date in which the alarm condition occurs, the date being included in the alarm information.

14. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises an alarm severity circuit for assigning a severity classification to the alarm condition, the severity classification being included in the alarm information.

15. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises an alarm description circuit for detecting a type of the alarm condition, the type being included in the alarm information.

16. The alarm notification system as recited in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification circuit comprises a paging circuit for transmitting the alarm information to a paging unit.

17. A method for automatically reporting an alarm condition related to a telephonic switch for routing telephone calls from external telephone units to agent telephone units to a remote communications device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the alarm condition;

detecting alarm information relating to the alarm condition, the alarm information comprising a date on which the alarm condition occurs and a time at which the alarm condition occurs;

detecting switch information relating to the telephonic switch, and a size of the telephonic switch; and

automatically transmitting the alarm information and the switch information to the remote communications device.

18. A method for automatically reporting a fault in a telephonic switch to a remote communications device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the fault in the telephonic switch;

detecting fault information relating to the fault in the telephonic switch;

detecting switch information relating to the telephonic switch, including information relating a size of the telephonic switch; and

automatically transmitting the fault information and the switch information to the remote communications device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fault in the telephonic switch comprises a hardware fault.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the fault in the telephonic switch comprises a circuit card fault.