Emergency Services Key Pool Recycling via Timestamp Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emergency call systems face inefficiencies and costs due to limited pools of emergency services keys (ESQK and ESRK), leading to potential number exhaustion and increased costs as they rely on timers that may not accurately predict call duration, especially during high call volumes or long emergency calls.
Innovation Solution
A method to recycle emergency services keys by selecting those with older timestamps from a limited pool, resetting their timestamps to ensure availability, and optionally using a guard timer to protect keys after call termination, ensuring keys are always available for incoming emergency calls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a limited pool of emergency services keys is used, then costs are reduced and resource efficiency is improved, but the risk of number exhaustion increases during high call volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The system recycles emergency services keys by selecting keys with older timestamps from the limited pool, resetting their timestamps to ensure availability. This allows keys to be reused after their initial usage period, effectively recovering resources that would otherwise be exhausted
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic timestamp resetting of emergency services keys based on their age in the pool. By periodically selecting and resetting keys with older timestamps, the system creates a cyclical reuse pattern that prevents permanent exhaustion of the key pool while maintaining limited pool size
2Extent of automation
If timers are used to manage key availability, then key recycling is automated, but accuracy in predicting call duration is insufficient during extended emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts key availability based on actual call termination events rather than relying on fixed timer predictions. When calls are terminated, their associated keys are automatically returned to the pool for recycling, allowing the system to adapt to varying call durations without being constrained by inaccurate time estimates
3Reliability
If the pool of emergency services keys is increased, then availability during high call volumes is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the pool size, the system recycles keys from terminated calls back into the available pool. This recovery mechanism ensures continuous key availability without requiring additional keys, thereby avoiding increased costs while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
An emergency services key (e.g., ESQK or ESRK) is guaranteed to be available from a limited size ESQK pool. A plurality of ESQKs are grouped into a pool of emergency service keys “ESQK Pool ID”, each including anywhere from 1 to N number of ESQKs. Each ESQK preferably has a “Timestamp”, information relating to the specific emergency E911 call (“Call Data ID”), a guard timer, and an optional hold timer. The ESQK having a Call Data ID=“NULL”, and having the oldest Timestamp, is chosen for selection. If no such ESQK has both Call Data ID=NULL and the oldest Timestamp is found, then the ESQK with merely the oldest Timestamp is selected. The timestamp is reset to a current time plus a guard timer, or hold timer if desired.