Method and apparatus for routing emergency calls using information obtained from multiple systems

• US 8,731,143 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Keller, Matthew C., Schreiner, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/247,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 379/39, 379/42, 379/45
• US Class Current: 379/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

In an emergency response system, a first set of information is used to determine (i) a first set of operator positions to whom an emergency call can be sent and (ii) an identify of a first operator identifier for each operator position in the first set of operator positions based on a set of rules. The first operator identifier for each operator position in the first set of operator positions is mapped with a second operator identifier known to a second system. A subset of the first set of operator positions is determined based on the set of rules using real-time operator information obtained from the second system associated with each of the second operator identifiers. The real-time operator information is different from the first set of information. The emergency call is routed to at least one operator position in the second set of operator positions.

Claims

1. A method of routing an incoming emergency call to a selected one out of a plurality of call operators at a public safety answering point, the method comprising:

using a first set of information, in an emergency call handling system of the public safety answering point, to determine a first set of available call operators to whom the incoming emergency call can be routed to;

identifying, in the emergency call handling system, a first operator identifier for each call operator in the first set of available call operators;

associating, in the emergency call handling system, each first operator identifier for each call operator in the first set of available call operators with a second operator identifier that identifies each respective call operator, from the first set of available call operators, in a second system comprising one of a radio system for call operators to contact first responders and a dispatch system for call operators to dispatch first responders;

obtaining, by the emergency call handling system, a second set of information comprising real-time operator status information in the second system of each call operator in the first set of available operators using the second operator identifiers;

using the second set of information to determine a second set of available call operators to whom the incoming emergency call can be routed to, as a subset of the first set of available call operators, wherein the second set of information is different from the first set of information; and

routing, by the emergency call handling system, the incoming emergency call to a particular one of the call operators in the second set of available call operators.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of information includes one or both of current call status information and queued call status information associated with each of the plurality of call operators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second system is the dispatch system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the

second system is the radio system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the first set of information from at least one database maintained by the emergency call handling system.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising obtaining the second set of information from at least one database associated with the dispatch system.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising obtaining the

second set of information from at least one database associated with the radio system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of information includes one or both of an operator-initiated busy status and a status of an operator as a backup call taker for a second public safety answering point.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the second set of information includes at least one of an active incident type associated with a call operator, a call operator role in an active incident, a response class of an active incident associated with a call operator, and a priority level of an active incident associated with a call operator.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the second set of information includes a quantity of radio traffic on channels or groups associated with a call operator.

8. An emergency call handling system for routing an incoming emergency call to a selected one out of a plurality of call operators at a public safety answering point, the emergency call handling system comprising:

a processing unit configured to process a first set of information to determine a first set of available call operators to whom the incoming emergency call can be routed to;

an identifying unit configured to identify a first operator identifier for each call operator in the first set of available call operators;

a mapping unit configured to associate each first operator identifier for each call operator in the first set of available call operators with a second operator identifier that identifies each respective call operator, from the first set of available call operators, in a second system comprising one of a radio system for call operators to contact first responders and a dispatch system for call operators to dispatch first responders;

a unit configured to obtain a second set of information comprising real-time operator status information in the second system of each call operator in the first set of available operators using the second operator identifiers, and to use the second set of information to determine a second set of available call operators to whom the incoming emergency call can be routed to, as a subset of the first set of available call operators, wherein the second set of information is different from the first set of information; and

a routing unit configured to route the incoming emergency call to a particular one of the call operators in the second set of available call operators.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of information includes one or both of current call status information and queued call status information associated with each of the plurality of call operators.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second system is the dispatch system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the

second system is the radio system.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising an obtaining unit configured to obtain the first set of information from at least one database maintained by the emergency call handling system.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising an obtaining unit configured to obtain the second set of information from at least one database associated with the dispatch system.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an obtaining unit configured to obtain the second set of information from the radio system.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of information includes one or both of an operator-initiated busy status and a status of an operator as a backup call taker for a second public safety answering point.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the second set of information includes at least one of an active incident type associated with a call operator, a call operator role in an active incident, a response class of an active incident associated with a call operator, and a priority level of an active incident associated with a call operator.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of information includes a quantity of radio traffic on channels or groups associated with a call operator.