Procedure and system for ensuring emergency communication

• US 6,370,232 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1998
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Networks (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Yrjana, Martti
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Stella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/208,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 379/32, 379/27, 379/37, 379/45, 379/207, 379/232, 370/522, 370/410, 370/216
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/04 for time-division multiplexing H04Q11/0001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13031 Pulse code modulation, PCM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13167 Redundant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 Operator, emergency services

Abstract

The present invention relates to data communication networks. In particular, the present invention relates to a procedure and a system for ensuring emergency communication in a data communication network in which the terminal devices (4a, 4a, 4c) are connected to a telephone exchange (1) via an access node (3) consistent with the V5 standard. In the procedure of the invention, emergency communication by a subscriber in the event of a failure of the V5 interface used by the subscriber is ensured by using an emergency V5 interface (6) created in the access node and a reange of addresses created for this purpose in the telephone exchange.

Claims

1. Procedure for ensuring emergency communication in a data communication network comprising a number of telephone exchanges interconnected via trunk cables and an access node which is connected to at least one of the exchanges and to which are connected a number of terminal devices used by subscribers to set up connections via the data communication network, in which procedure signalling according to the V5 standard is used in the connection between the access node and the telephone exchange, which connection is an access node V5 interface consistent with the V5 standard, wherein

in the event of a failure of the V5 interface used by the subscriber, a new V5 subscriber address is allocated for the subscriber from a set of V5 subscriber addresses created beforehand in the access node for a separate V5 interface with no subscribers connected to it;

this new V5 subscriber address is used for connection setup; and

the V5 subscriber address is released after disconnection of the connection.

2. Procedure as defined in claim 1, wherein the separate V5 interface without subscribers is connected to a different telephone exchange than the other V5 interfaces of the access node.

3. Procedure as defined in claim 1, wherein a connection setup request given by a subscriber is monitored in the telephone exchange and, based on this monitoring, connection setup using a V5 subscriber address of the separate V5 interface is prevented if it is detected that the connection is intended for communication other than emergency communication.

4. Procedure as defined in claim 1, wherein a first free V5 subscriber address in the set of V5 subscriber addresses of the separate V5 interface is allocated to the subscriber.

5. Procedure as defined in claim 4, wherein the connection set up is a call set up between two terminal devices;

and that the emergency communication is an emergency call.

6. Procedure as defined in claim 4, wherein the emergency communication is an automatic alarm message, an alarm call or the like.

7. System for ensuring emergency communication in a data communication network comprising a number of telephone exchanges interconnected via trunk cables and an access node which is connected to at least one of the exchanges and to which are connected a number of terminal devices used by subscribers to set up connections via the data communication network, in which system the connection between the access node and the telephone exchange is implemented using signalling according to the V5 standard, said connection being an access node V5 interface consistent with the V5 standard, wherein the access node comprises

a separate V5 interface with no subscribers connected to it, which comprises a set of V5 subscriber addresses;

and

means for allocating a new V5 subscriber address for the subscriber from the set of V5 subscriber addresses of the separate V5 interface if a connection from the subscriber to the telephone exchange fails to be set up.

8. System as defined in claim 7, the separate V5 interface is connected to a different telephone exchange than the other V5 interfaces of the access node.

9. System as defined in claim 7, wherein the system comprises means permitting a connection setup request given by a subscriber to be monitored in the telephone exchange, and that, based on this monitoring, connection setup using a V5 subscriber address of the separate V5 interface is prevented in the system if it is detected that the connection relates to communication other than emergency communication.