PSAP Outage Callback Using Missed Call Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) experience communication outages due to various reasons, leading to missed emergency calls and messages, which existing systems struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for detecting communication outages at PSAPs, identifying missed calls, determining responsible calltakers, and initiating callback processes using databases and processors to reconnect with callers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a PSAP experiences a communication outage, then emergency calls and messages are missed, but implementing a callback system requires additional system complexity and resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting outages through periodic test calls before they impact emergency communications, and by pre-identifying missed calls using call detail records. This allows the callback mechanism to be activated only when necessary, reducing unnecessary system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary callback management component that mediates between the PSAP communication system and the telephony network. This intermediary handles outage detection, missed call identification, and callback initiation, isolating the complexity from core emergency dispatch operations while ensuring response continuity.
2Reliability
If the system implements comprehensive outage detection and callback mechanisms, then missed emergency communications are reduced, but the time and resources required for system operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic test calls at predetermined intervals to detect outages, rather than continuously monitoring all communication channels. This periodic approach provides timely outage detection while minimizing the time and resources consumed compared to continuous monitoring, balancing reliability with operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses existing call detail records and telephony network data as copies of communication metadata to identify missed calls, rather than implementing complex real-time analysis of all communication streams. This copying approach enables comprehensive missed call detection while reducing processing time and computational resources.
3Productivity
If the system automatically initiates callbacks to missed callers, then emergency response continuity is improved, but the quantity of communications and system workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by monitoring whether callback attempts are successful and whether the caller responds. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust its behavior, such as stopping further callback attempts after a certain number of failures or prioritizing callbacks based on the severity of the missed communication, thereby improving response efficiency while controlling communication volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by initiating callbacks selectively for high-priority missed emergency communications rather than attempting to callback every missed call. This approach focuses resources on the most critical cases, improving overall emergency response efficiency while avoiding the excessive communication volume that would result from universal callbacks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes performing a first determination that a first communication was placed from a telephone number but was not received by a public safety answering point (PSAP); identifying the telephone number; and performing a second determination whether a response to a second communication to the telephone number was received.