Systems for dialing an emergency telephone number from a teleworking client remotely coupled to a PBX

• US 6,678,356 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Stumer, Peggy M., Ozery, Nissim, Swartz, David J., Vander Meiden, David A., Goodman, Charles, Budziak, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/815,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/39, 379/40, 379/45, 379/46, 379/47, 379/49, 379/50, 379/51, 379/162-165, 379/268-269, 379/265.02, 379/265.01
• US Class Current: 379/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX

Abstract

Systems for dialing an emergency telephone number from a teleworking client according to the invention include apparatus that implement the steps of detecting at a teleworking client when an emergency number is dialed, disconnecting the teleworking client from the PBX/MLTS, connecting the teleworking client to the PSTN, and dialing an associated stored number. Though the invention is described with reference to a teleworking client, it may also be applied to any other dialup network connection.

Claims

1. A teleworking system utilizing the PSTN for a teleworking session, said system comprising:

a) a teleworking server coupled to a PBX/MLTS, said PBX/MLTS being coupled to the PSTN; and

b) a remote teleworking client coupled to said teleworking server via the PSTN, said teleworking client including;

i) monitoring means for monitoring the teleworking session for the presence of dialed digits;

ii) comparison means coupled to said monitoring means for comparing the dialed digits to a predefined sequence of digits corresponding to the emergency number;

iii) session terminating means coupled to said comparison means for terminating the teleworking session;

iv) connection means coupled to said session terminating means for disconnecting the teleworking client from the PSTN and for reconnecting the client to the PSTN; and

v) a dialer coupled to said connection means for dialing the emergency number.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the emergency number dialed is different from the number represented by the dialed digits detected.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said dialer includes means for dialing an access number prior to dialing the emergency number.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said teleworking client further includes database means coupled to said comparison means for maintaining a database of emergency numbers of dialed digits.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said connection means includes means for sending an on-hook signal.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said connection means includes means for sending an off-hook signal.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said comparison means includes means for individually comparing each dialed digit to a sequence of digits corresponding to the emergency number.