Method of providing 911 service to a private branch exchange

• US 9,571,648 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Savaglio, John Joseph, Fowler, Richard Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US14/950,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/009 in systems involving PBX or KTS networks

Abstract

A method of providing 911 service to a private branch exchange, includes grouping a plurality of private telephone numbers into a set. An outgoing telephone line for a 911 call is assigned to the set. Location information for the outgoing telephone line is input into a location database.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for grouping a plurality of internal telephones coupled to the private branch exchange into groups based on respective geographic locations of the internal telephones;

means for assigning outgoing telephone lines to the groups, the outgoing telephone lines to be used for emergency calls, the means for assigning to arrange respective ones of the outgoing telephone lines to respective ones of the groups based on the geographic location of the respective group; and

means for determining the geographic location of a first one of the internal telephones when an emergency call is received from the first one of the internal telephones.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for determining the geographic location of a first one of the internal telephones includes a public safety answering point.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the means for determining the geographic location of a first one of the internal telephones includes a location database.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for assigning the outgoing telephone lines to the groups is to input the geographic location of each group into a location database.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for assigning the outgoing telephone lines to the groups includes a private branch exchange.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including means for routing the emergency call to a public safety answering point.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the public safety answering point includes a location database containing information associated with the location of the respective internal telephones.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including means for communicating the location of the first one of the internal telephones from the location database to an operator at the public safety answering point.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including means for placing the emergency call over the outgoing telephone assigned to the first one of the internal telephones making the emergency call.