Emergency call notification for network services

• US 8,437,732 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hursey, John, Carlson, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US13/160,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20110244824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 4554041-4042, 455415-418, 455/432.3, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455560-561, 455/567, 455 305- 306, 455/403, 455/420, 455423-425, 455/434, 455/445, 455/521, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/565, 379/32.05, 379 37- 38, 379 45- 46, 379 48- 49, 379/70, 379 8822- 8823, 37914202-14203, 379/210.01, 379/211.01, 379/212.01, 379/88.19, 379/88.21
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2005 Temporarily overriding a service configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Enhanced services, such as call restriction, call forwarding, anonymous call rejection, and proprietary services, may interfere with an emergency callback potentially preventing the callback from reaching the intended destination. Systems and methods for processing emergency calls to eliminate emergency callback failure in response to an emergency call being disconnected are provided herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile communication device, a user input relating to an emergency call to a public safety answering point;

determining, by a processor, based on a query of a remote database, whether there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device;

responsive to the determining that there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, generating a request for override of the call-blocking service; and

initiating transmission of the request to a remote device to allow connection of an emergency callback between the public safety answering point and the mobile communication device despite the call-blocking service being activated in association with the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes input for making the emergency call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user input is a first user input; and

the method further comprises receiving, from the mobile communication device, a second user input for making the emergency call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the request, for overriding the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, comprises generating the request, being a request for temporary override of the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device; and

initiating transmission of the request, to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback, comprises initiating transmission of the request to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback during a pre-determined amount of time associated with the temporary override.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device has a characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

being an emergency callback platform;

being associated with an emergency call restriction database;

being associated with a mobile switching center; and

being an intelligent network element.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a mobile communication device, a user input relating to an emergency call to a public safety answering point;

determining, based on a query of a remote database, whether there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device;

responsive to determining that there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, generating a request for override of the call-blocking service; and

initiating transmission of the request to a remote device to allow connection of an emergency callback between the public safety answering point and the mobile communication device despite the call-blocking service being activated in association with the mobile communication device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user input includes input for making the emergency call.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the user input is a first user input; and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising receiving, from the mobile communication device, a second user input for making the emergency call.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the request for overriding the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, cause the processor to generate the request, being a request for temporary override of the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device; and

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to initiate transmission of the request to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback, cause the processor to initiate transmission of the request to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback during a pre-determined amount of time associated with the temporary override.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote device has a characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

being an emergency callback platform;

being associated with an emergency call restriction database;

being associated with a mobile switching center; and

being an intelligent network element.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a mobile communication device, a user input relating to an emergency call to a public safety answering point;

determining, based on a query of a remote database, whether there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device;

responsive to the determining that there is a call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, generating a request for override of the call-blocking service; and

initiating transmission of the request to a remote device to allow connection of an emergency callback between the public safety answering point and the mobile communication device despite the call-blocking service being activated in association with the mobile communication device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user input includes input for making the emergency call.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

the user input is a first user input; and

the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising receiving, from the mobile communication device, a second user input for making the emergency call.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the request for overriding the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device, cause the processor to generate the request, being a request for temporary override of the call-blocking service activated in association with the mobile communication device; and

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to initiate transmission of the request to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback, cause the processor to initiate transmission of the request to the remote device to allow connection of the emergency callback during a pre-determined amount of time associated with the temporary override.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the remote device has a characteristic selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

being an emergency callback platform;

being associated with an emergency call restriction database;

being associated with a mobile switching center; and

being an intelligent network element.