Method for telephone broadcasting voice messages or the like into defined geographical areas

• US 6,694,132 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lausi, Carmine
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/667,519
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/403, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/412.1, 455/426.1, 455/445, 455/500, 455/521, 455/517, 379/41, 379/48, 379/37, 379/67.1, 379/70, 379/84, 379/209.1, 379/40
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

A method is described for telephone broadcasting warnings, information or the like into defined geographical areas. The method provides for: dividing the interested area into geographic zones; associating with the directory number of each fixed telephone set an information indicating the geographic zone inside which said fixed telephone set is installed; providing each public telephone exchange with geographic zone information related to the directory number controlled by it; where requested, providing the text of a message and the list of the geographic zones to which such message is to be sent; and having all the directory numbers associated with the interested geographic zones automatically called by the telephone exchanges. In particular, the message could concern the announcement of impending natural calamities.

Claims

1. A method for telephone broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area through a telephone system comprising one or more public telephone exchanges related to said target defined geographical area, wherein said telephone system further comprises a plurality of fixed telephone sets, each having a corresponding directory number associated therewith, wherein the method comprises:

dividing said target defined geographical area into geographical zones;

providing text of the announcement to be broadcasted and a list of target geographical zones, wherein a broadcasting service provider provides the announcement and the list to a telephone service provider, which records the announcement locally;

providing said public telephone exchanges with a list of geographical zones to send the recorded announcement, wherein the telephone service provider sends the recorded announcement and a command comprising a list of one or more geographical zones;

associating information indicating a geographical zone with the directory number of each of said fixed telephone sets located in said geographical zone;

causing said public telephone exchanges to automatically call all fixed telephone sets associated with the list of geographical zones in order to broadcast the recorded announcement; and

broadcasting the recorded announcement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises announcing said call by a ring having a different tone and/or a different frequency.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the line of the directory number to be called is engaged, the exchange transmits the call as soon as the line is free again.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the line of the directory number to be called is engaged and the recorded announcement is urgent, the telephone exchange will intrude by announcing the recorded announcement.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when the call to a directory number does not receive an answer, the exchange leaves the recorded announcement in a directory number voice-mail, if possible, or calls that directory number for a number of times at predetenmined time intervals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exchange will keep a list of directory numbers to which it was unable to send the recorded announcement, along with the non-delivery reason.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said recorded announcement comprises at least alarm messages, public utility messages and advertisements.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a field comprising the information inserted in a data base of the telephone exchanges for each directory number comprises data related to the subscriber corresponding to that directory number able to identify the subscribers potentially interested in a certain recorded announcement.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the geographical zones interested in the recorded announcement are controlled by exchanges that do not support broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area, the telephone service provider derives, by means of a data base, the list of directory numbers to be called and the associated exchanges that support broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area, the relevant sublists of directory numbers are sent to the associated SP exchanges, which will provide for calling such directory numbers passing through other non-SP exchanges, and for sending them the recorded announcement.

10. A method for telephone broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area through a telephone system comprising one or more public telephone exchanges related to said target defined geographical area, wherein said telephone system further comprises a plurality of fixed telephone sets, each having a corresponding directory number associated therewith, wherein the method comprises:

dividing said target defined geographical area into geographical zones;

providing text of the announcement to be broadcasted and a list of target geographical zones, wherein a broadcasting service provider provides the announcement and the list to a telephone service provider that records the announcement in a centralized node containing an association of the geographical zones with the exchanges;

providing said public telephone exchanges with a list of geographical zones to send the announcement, wherein the centralized node will send the recorded announcement and a command, comprising a subset of geographical zones to each of the relevant telephone exchanges;

associating information indicating a geographical zone with the directory number of each of said fixed telephone sets located in said geographical zone;

causing said public telephone exchanges to automatically call all telephone sets associated with the list of geographical zones in order to broadcast the recorded announcement; and

broadcasting the recorded announcement.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said centralized node is an Intelligent Network Service Control Point and the commands and the recorded announcement are sent to the telephone exchanges via Intelligent Network.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said centralized node is an Operation &

Maintenance Center that sends remote Operation &

Maintenance commands and downloads the recorded announcement to the exchanges.

13. A method for telephone broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area through a telephone system comprising one or more public telephone exchanges related to said target defined geographical area, wherein said telephone system comprises one or more mobile telephone exchanges comprised in cellular phone networks divided into radio cells, and a plurality of cellular phones, wherein the method comprises:

dividing said target defined geographical area into geographical zones;

providing text of an announcement to be broadcasted and a list of target geographical zones, wherein a broadcasting service provider provides the announcement and the list to a telephone service provider, which records the announcement locally,

providing said mobile telephone exchanges with a list of geographical zones to send the recorded announcement, wherein the telephone service provider sends the recorded announcement and a command comprising a list of one or more geographical zones;

associating information indicating a geographical zone with each of said radio cells;

causing said mobile telephone exchanges to automatically call all cellular phones that are possibly registered in the said radio cells in order to broadcast the recorded announcement; and

broadcasting the recorded announcement.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises announcing said call by a ring having a different tone and/or a different frequency.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, when the line of the directory number to be called is engaged, the exchange transmits the call as soon as the line is free.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the exchange will keep a list of directory numbers to which it was unable to send the recorded announcement, along with the non-delivery reason.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein a field comprising the information inserted in a data base of the telephone exchanges for each directory number comprises data related to the subscriber corresponding to that directory number able to identify the subscribers potentially interested in a certain recorded announcement.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein, if the geographical zones interested in the recorded announcement are controlled also by exchanges that do not support broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area, the telephone service provider derives, by means of a data base, the list of directory numbers to be called and the associated exchanges that support broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area, the relevant sublists of directory numbers are sent to the associated SP exchanges, which will provide for calling such directory numbers passing through other non-SP exchanges, and for sending them the recorded announcement.

19. A method for telephone broadcasting an announcement into a target defined geographical area through a telephone system comprising one or more public telephone exchanges related to said target defined geographical area, wherein said telephone system comprises one or more mobile telephone exchanges comprised in cellular phone networks divided into radio cells, and a plurality of cellular phones, wherein the method comprises:

dividing said target defined geographical area into geographical zones;

providing text of an announcement to be broadcasted and a list of target geographical zones, wherein a broadcasting service provider provides the announcement and the list to a telephone service provider, which records the announcement in a centralized node containing an association of the geographical zones with the mobile telephone exchanges,

providing said public telephone exchanges with a list of geographical zones to send the recorded announcement, wherein the centralized node will send the recorded announcement and a command, comprising a subset of geographical zones to each of the relevant mobile telephone exchanges;

associating information indicating a geographical zone with each of said radio cells;

causing said mobile telephone exchanges to automatically call all cellular phones that are possibly registered in the said radio cells in order to broadcast the recorded announcement; and

broadcasting the recorded announcement.