User programmable fail-proof IP hotline/warm-line

• US 6,690,675 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russell, Jesse Eugene, Sankalia, Anish, Kung, Fen-Chung, Wang, Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US09/475,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/353, 370/356, 370/410, 370/522, 370/259, 379/39-45, 379/38, 379/37, 379/47-49, 379/216.01, 340/331, 340/332
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An IP telephony system hotline dials a pre-programmed or predetermined telephone number virtually instantaneously when the phone goes off hook in order to summon help or a public safety agency. In addition to immediately dialing the police or fire, the system can be programmed to call several numbers simultaneously or in some user-specified sequence. In addition to immediately dialing a number when a phone goes off hook, the system contemplates dialing a number in response to certain detectable.

Claims

1. A broadband residential gateway comprised of:

a) a high speed bus,

b) a processor bus,

c) a distributed processing controller connected to said high speed bus and to said processor bus,

d) a plurality of functional units connected to said high speed bus, including

1) a universal remote control receiver module,

2) a display, display driver, touch screen logic module,

3) one or more TV port modules,

4) one or more data port modules,

5) one or more telephony port modules

6) one or more peripheral port modules,

7) one or more intercom modules,

8) one or more wireless interface modules,

9) one or more voice recognition/voice synthesis modules,

10) a set-top box module,

11) a memory for storing information and operating data within the broadband residential gateway,

12) a transceiver for communicating with one or more external broadband networks,

13) an operating program store for storing at least portions of operating programs for the broadband residential gateway and devices connected thereto, and

14) a security processor, smart card and/or credit card interface module,

e) a plurality of distributed processing modules connected to said processor bus, including

1) a telephony processing module,

2) a data processing module,

3) a video processing module,

4) an auxiliary processing module,

5) an IP processing module, and

6) an operations administration maintenance and provisioning processing module,

f) said distributed processing controller being programmed to automatically place a telephone call to a predetermined telephone number in response to the occurrence of a predetermined physical event that causes an electrical signal to be generated at one of said port modules.