Disaster alert by telephone system
First Claim
1. A method for alerting telephone subscribers in a geographical area of a threat to the area, the method comprising:
- (a) storing in a central computer a plurality of local telephone exchange instances for each of a plurality of local telephone exchanges, each exchange being connected to telephone subscribers physically located in a geographical service area, each stored exchange instance having associated stored attributes including an electronic communication address for the exchange, authentication data for data communication access to the exchange and location of the geographical service area of the exchange;
(b) communicating to the central computer an electronic digital data signal having threat information representing an existing threat instance having attributes of a type of threat and a geographical location of the existing threat, and storing the threat information in the central computer;
(c) retrieving the electronic communication address for at least one threatened exchange at the geographical location of the existing threat and connecting the central computer in communication with the threatened exchange;
(d) communicating computer-readable connecting instructions from the central computer to the threatened local exchange to connect selected telephone subscribers and executing said connecting instructions at the threatened local exchange; and
(e) transmitting a recorded warning message to those of said selected subscribers whose telephones go off hook.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Local telephone exchanges in a threatened geographical area connect to their subscribers and transmit a recorded warning message. This is done in response to transmission of threat data communicated from one of several remote computer terminals to a central computer. The central computer has a data storage device upon which is stored a local exchange database and preferably recorded warning messages. Upon receipt of the threat data from the remote computer terminal, the central computer is connected in communication with the local exchanges in the threatened geographical area and instructs the local exchanges to connect to its subscribers and provides instructions or a warning message to be played to the subscribers who go off-hook.
107 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for alerting telephone subscribers in a geographical area of a threat to the area, the method comprising:
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(a) storing in a central computer a plurality of local telephone exchange instances for each of a plurality of local telephone exchanges, each exchange being connected to telephone subscribers physically located in a geographical service area, each stored exchange instance having associated stored attributes including an electronic communication address for the exchange, authentication data for data communication access to the exchange and location of the geographical service area of the exchange; (b) communicating to the central computer an electronic digital data signal having threat information representing an existing threat instance having attributes of a type of threat and a geographical location of the existing threat, and storing the threat information in the central computer; (c) retrieving the electronic communication address for at least one threatened exchange at the geographical location of the existing threat and connecting the central computer in communication with the threatened exchange; (d) communicating computer-readable connecting instructions from the central computer to the threatened local exchange to connect selected telephone subscribers and executing said connecting instructions at the threatened local exchange; and (e) transmitting a recorded warning message to those of said selected subscribers whose telephones go off hook. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer and associated communication link apparatus for connection to a telephone local exchange switching apparatus and alerting people in a geographical area of a threat to their area, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) at least one remote computer terminal at a threat detection location for inputting threat information representing a type of threat and a geographical location of the threat; and (b) a central computer connectable by a communication link to a remote computer terminal for receiving the threat information from the remote computer terminal, the central computer having a memory area for storing data instances and associated attributes for each of a plurality of local telephone exchanges, each exchange being connected to telephone subscribers physically located at a geographical service area, each stored exchange instance having associated stored attributes including an electronic communication address, authentication data and location of the exchange'"'"'s geographical service area, the central computer also having a memory area for storing a threat instance and associated attributes of threat type and the geographical location communicated from the remote computer terminal, the central computer being connectable by a communication link to the local exchanges for communicating computer readable connecting instructions from the central computer to the local exchange to connect selected telephone subscribers and transmit a recorded warning message to those of said selected subscribers whose telephones go off hook. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification