Emergency Call Interruption via Network Switch Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency alert systems, such as PA systems, often fail to reach individuals engaged in phone calls or using headphones, especially in noisy environments, and are limited by the need for wired transmitters, making it difficult for people to react to emergencies effectively.
Innovation Solution
An emergency notification system that identifies participants' locations and interrupts their calls to deliver notifications directly over their communication devices, allowing for targeted and immediate alerts without relying on traditional PA systems, enabling notifications to be sent to multiple recipients across different calls and switches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional PA systems are used to provide emergency announcements, then coverage can be provided in rooms with speakers, but individuals engaged in phone calls or using headphones may still fail to receive the announcement
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing communication network infrastructure to serve dual purposes: both regular communication and emergency notification delivery. The notification system can reach users regardless of whether they are on calls, using headphones, or in noisy environments, making the notification mechanism universal across different communication scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The communication network acts as an intermediary to deliver emergency notifications directly to users' devices. Instead of relying on passive PA speakers, the system uses the active communication channel (the same network used for calls) to push notifications, ensuring delivery even when users are engaged in communication activities
2Area of stationary object
If PA speakers are strategically placed in each room to ensure coverage, then room coverage is improved, but the system requires extensive wiring and infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical PA speaker infrastructure with an electronic notification delivery mechanism using the existing communication network. Instead of physically installing speakers in every room, the system uses digital notification routing through the network switch, eliminating the need for extensive wiring while maintaining broad coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The existing communication network infrastructure is utilized for dual purposes: regular communication and emergency notification delivery. This eliminates the need for separate PA system wiring, as the same network that connects phones and devices is used to deliver notifications organization-wide
3Reliability
If emergency notifications are sent one communication device at a time, then individual delivery is possible, but transmitting to many devices in short time is not feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual notification requests into a single bulk transmission operation. By identifying all target devices through the network switch and sending notifications simultaneously to multiple devices, the system achieves both individualized delivery and high-speed transmission, overcoming the limitation of sequential sending
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a system and method for providing an announcement to a plurality of communication devices when a subset of those communication devices are currently engaged in a call. More specifically, an announcement may be provided to different communication devices depending upon the location of the communication device.