Call handler systems and methods

• US 7,515,693 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Powerphone Incorporated
• Inventors: Turk, Jeremy Edward, Salafia, Christopher Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/913,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 49, 340/505, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/540, 340/5.61, 340/825.09, 340/573.1, 707/10, 600/300, 600/301, 600/486, 600/529
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are presented for handling calls. In one embodiment of the invention, a call handling system is configured for handling a variety of emergency and/or non emergency related calls. For example, the call handling system may allow a call handler to recognize and respond to certain received call information, such as that information relating to fire, police, emergency medical and/or homeland security. The call handling system comprises a call interface configured for receiving the call information. A processor is communicatively coupled to the call interface and configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol. This protocol may, as it progresses, be used to generate data for use in a CAD system. The CAD system may subsequently dispatch responders based on the generated data.

Claims

1. A call handling system, comprising:

a call interface configured for receiving call information, wherein the call information conveys substantially any of an emergency related matter or a non emergency related matter;

a processor communicatively coupled to the call interface and configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol; and

a display unit configured for displaying keys, wherein selected said keys change a course of the protocol by providing at least one of instructions for the call handler to respond to a situation, recommendations of types of responders and recommendations of the priority of the responders.

2. The call handling system of claim 1, further comprising a computer aided dispatch interface configured for transferring data to one or more computer aided dispatch units.

3. The call handling system of claim 1, further comprising an application program interface configured for transferring ANI/ALI data from a telephony system.

4. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the call handling system is configurable with one or more computer aided dispatch units and wherein the computer aided dispatch units are configured for dispatching responders based on one or more decisions of the protocol.

5. The call handling system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configurable for processing data associated with the selected said keys to change the course of the protocol.

6. The call handling system of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured for storing a database of protocol terms, wherein the protocol terms are used to initiate the protocol.

7. The call handling system of claim 6, wherein the storage unit is further configured for storing a data structure and wherein the processor is further configured for transferring data to the data structure based on a course of the protocol.

8. The call handling system of claim 7, wherein the data structure is transferable to a computer aided dispatch for informing a dispatched responder.

9. A call handling network, comprising:

a call interface configured for receiving call information, wherein the call information conveys substantially any of an emergency related matter or a non emergency related matter; and

two or more call handling systems, wherein each call handling system is communicatively coupled to the call interface and comprises a processor configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol, and wherein a first one of the two or more call handling systems is communicatively coupled to a second one of the two or more call handling systems for transferring the call information to the second one of the two or more call handling systems, each call handling system comprises a display unit configured for displaying keys, wherein selected said keys change a course of the protocol by providing at least one of instructions for the call handler to respond to a situation, recommendations of types of responders and recommendations of the priority of the responders.

10. The call handling network of claim 9, further comprising a computer aided dispatch interface configured for transferring data from at least one of the two or more call handling systems to a computer aided dispatch unit, wherein the computer aided dispatch unit is configured for dispatching responders based on one or more decisions of the protocol.

11. The call handling network of claim 9, wherein each processor is further configurable for processing data associated with the selected said keys to change the course of the protocol.

12. The call handling network of claim 9, wherein the call interface is a call handler server.

13. A call handling network, comprising:

a call router; and

a plurality of call handling subnetworks, wherein each call handling subnerwork is communicatively coupled to the call router and configured for receiving call information from the call router, wherein each subnetwork comprises a call interface configured for receiving the call information, wherein the call information conveys substantially any of an emergency related matter or a non emergency related matter; and

at least one call handling system communicatively coupled to the call interface and comprising a processor configured for processing the call information to initiate a protocol, each call handling system comprises a display unit configured for displaying keys, wherein selected said keys change a course of the protocol by providing at least one of instructions for the call handler to respond to a situation, recommendations of types of responders and recommendations of the priority of the responders.

14. A call handling system, comprising:

a call interface configured for receiving call information;

a storage unit configured for storing protocol terms;

a processor communicatively coupled between the call interface and the storage unit and configured for processing the call information, for populating a database with one or more cross-referenced said protocol terms based on processed said call information and for initiating a protocol based on a selection of the one or more crossreferenced said protocol terms; and

a display unit configured for displaying keys, wherein selected said keys change a course of the protocol by providing at least one of instructions for the call handler to respond to a situation, recommendations of types of responders and recommendations of the priority of the responders.

15. The call handling system of claim 14, wherein the call handling system is configurable with a computer aided dispatch unit and wherein the computer aided dispatch unit is configured for dispatching responders based on one or more decisions of the protocol.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving call information conveying substantially any of an emergency related matter or a non emergency related matter;

processing the call information to initiate a protocol in response to receiving the call information;

transferring data to a data structure based on one or more decisions of the protocol; and

displaying keys, wherein selected said keys change a course of the protocol by providing at least one of instructions for the call handler to respond to a situation, recommendations of types of responders and recommendations of the priority of the responders.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transferring at least a portion of the data structure to one or more computer aided dispatch units.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein transferring said at least a portion of the data structure comprises informing a dispatched responder about the call information.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating one or more CAD systems via the data structure for dispatching responders based on the one or more decisions of the protocol.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising processing data associated with the selected said keys to change the course of the protocol.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein processing comprises processing selected protocol terms to initiate the protocol.