Emergency Call Number Routing Using Region-Level Telephone Pools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extension-only operators traveling outside their configured geographic region face challenges in making emergency calls due to site-level telephone number pools, which are not accessible when their location is unknown to the system.
Innovation Solution
A telephony system determines the region-level location of a calling device and distributes a telephone number from a corresponding pool for emergency calls, enabling connectivity to a public safety answering point (PSAP) regardless of the device's physical location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If site-level telephone number pools are used for emergency calls, then operators can make emergency calls at known locations, but operators traveling outside their configured region cannot make emergency calls when their location is unknown to the system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the telephone number distribution system into region-level pools rather than site-level pools. Each region has its own pool of telephone numbers, and the system segments the location determination process into network-based detection (which can identify region-level locations) and pool selection (which assigns appropriate numbers). This segmentation allows operators to access emergency calling services based on region-level location information even when precise site-level location is unknown.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network information as an intermediary mechanism to determine location. Instead of relying on direct site-level location data, the system uses network-based location detection (such as cell tower triangulation or Wi-Fi positioning) as an intermediary to infer region-level location. This intermediary approach enables the system to allocate telephone numbers from the appropriate region-level pool without requiring precise knowledge of the operator's specific site location.
2Adaptability or versatility
If region-level location determination is implemented, then operators can access emergency calling from any location, but the system complexity increases due to network information processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the location determination system universal by using network information processing that can operate across multiple contexts. The same network-based detection mechanism serves both known location scenarios and unknown location scenarios, as well as both site-level and region-level needs. This multi-functional approach allows the system to handle diverse location situations through a single unified mechanism, reducing the need for separate specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of location determination precision from site-level to region-level. By accepting region-level precision instead of requiring site-level precision, the system can use coarser network-based location data to determine appropriate telephone number pools. This parameter change allows the system to function with less precise location information, thereby reducing the complexity requirements for location determination while still achieving the goal of location-independent emergency calling access.
Data Source
AI summary
Location determination and telephone number distribution for emergency calls is enabled by a telephony system which maintains multiple pools of telephone numbers. Each pool corresponds to a different region such that the pools of telephone numbers are defined at the region-level rather than at the site-level. The telephony system determines the location of a calling device initiating an emergency call regardless of whether the calling device is at a known site. Based on the determined location of the calling device, one of the pools of telephone numbers which corresponds to that location is selected. The telephony system thereafter distributes a telephone number for the calling device to use for the emergency call from that selected pool of telephone numbers to facilitate an emergency call between the calling device and a local public safety answering point.