Sending urgent messages to multiple recipients via a single call

• US 8,320,529 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Mei-Jong, Lin, Chieh-Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/355,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 41, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 379/48, 379/51, 379/112.01, 379/138, 379/67.1, 379/221.03, 379/69, 379/221.11, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 709/200, 340/533, 340/539.1, 455/414, 455/414.3, 455/466, 455/404.1, 455/414.03
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services

Abstract

A first call is received at a reserved address and is forwarded based on the reserved address. A second call is placed to a designated address, and a message is played to the designated address.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first call at an address reserved for requesting urgent messages, the first call indicating that an urgent message is to be sent to a plurality of designated addresses;

updating an alert flag stored by a service control point based on the first call to indicate the presence of an urgent message;

forwarding the first call to a voice response unit/intelligent peripheral based on the reserved address;

placing calls by the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral to at least two of the plurality of designated addresses;

for each one of the placed calls, playing the urgent message by the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral when the placed call is answered;

receiving an indication from the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral when no further designated addresses remain to be notified; and

updating the alert flag stored by the service control point to no longer indicate that the urgent message is to be sent based on the indication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating a caller placing the first call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second call;

checking the alert flag to determine an alert status; and

processing the second call according to the alert status.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a call identifier with the first call prior to the forwarding step.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising checking the call identifier, and playing the message only if the call identifier is validated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reserved address and the designated address are telephone numbers.

18. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the alert status indicates that the request is pending and if the second call is not addressed to an address reserved for requesting urgent messages, playing a second message informing a source of the second call to terminate the second call to conserve network resources; and

otherwise, processing the second call.

7. A system, comprising:

a central office configured to receive a first call to an address reserved for requesting urgent messages and to forward the first call based on the reserved address;

a voice response unit/intelligent peripheral connected to the central office and configured to receive the first call, the first call indicating that an urgent message is to be sent to a plurality of designated addresses, (b) place calls to at least two of the plurality of designated addresses, and (c) for each one of the placed calls, play the urgent message when the call is answered; and

a service control point connected to the central office and configured to receive the first call from the central office and to cause the first call to be forwarded to the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral,

wherein the service control point stores an alert flag indicating a pending request to transmit the urgent message to the plurality of designated addresses, such that (a) when the first call is received the service control point updates the alert flag to indicate the presence of the urgent message and (b) when the service control point receives an indication from the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral that no further designated addresses of the plurality of designated addresses remain to be notified, the service control point updates the alert flag to no longer indicate that the urgent message is to be sent.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the service control point is configured to check the alert flag upon receiving a second call.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a call identifier, wherein the service control point is configured to associate the call identifier with the first call before the first call is forwarded.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral is configured to check the call identifier, and further wherein the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral is configured to play the urgent message only if the call identifier is validated.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral is further configured to validate a caller placing the first call.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the reserved address and the designated address are telephone numbers.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the service control point is further configured to:

if the alert status indicates that the request is pending and if the second call is not addressed to an address reserved for requesting urgent messages, play a second message configured to inform a source of the second call that the second call should be terminated to conserve network resources; and

otherwise, process the second call.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of computer-executable instructions, the instructions being executable by a processor to provide instructions comprising:

receiving a first call indicating that an urgent message is to be sent to a plurality of designated addresses;

determining that the first call was to an address reserved for requesting urgent messages;

updating an alert flag stored by a service control point based on the first call to indicate the presence of an urgent message;

forwarding the first call to a voice response unit/intelligent peripheral;

placing calls by the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral to at least two of the plurality of designated addresses;

for each one of the placed calls, playing the urgent message by the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral when the placed call is answered;

receiving an indication from the voice response unit/intelligent peripheral when no further designated addresses remain to be notified; and

updating the alert flag stored by the service control point to no longer indicate that the urgent message is to be sent based on the indication.

14. The medium of claim 13, the instructions being further executable to provide operations comprising validating a caller placing the first call.

15. The medium of claim 13, the instructions being further executable to provide operations comprising:

receiving a second call;

checking the alert flag to determine an alert status; and

processing the second call according to the alert status.

16. The medium of claim 13, further the instructions being further executable to provide operations comprising checking a call identifier associated with the first call, and for playing the message only if the call identifier is validated.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein the reserved address and the designated address are telephone numbers.

20. The medium of claim 15, the instructions being further executable to provide operations comprising:

if the alert status indicates that the request is pending and if the second call is not addressed to an address reserved for requesting urgent messages, playing a second message informing a source of the second call to terminate the second call to conserve network resources; and

otherwise, processing the second call.