Temporary Mobile Directory Number for Emergency Call Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In situations where a device within a group sharing a telephone number places an emergency call, the shared number is often undesirably associated with the call, potentially restricting the caller's ability to answer and interfering with location validation services, as other devices in the group may pick up the call or incorrect location information is used.

Innovation Solution

A temporary mobile directory number (TMDN) server assigns a unique temporary telephone number to the device making the emergency call, allowing it to be routed directly to the emergency call center and enabling accurate location validation without involving the shared number, ensuring the call is not diverted to other devices in the group.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a shared telephone number is used for a group of devices, then call routing flexibility and device group functionality are improved, but emergency call reliability and location validation accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecall routing flexibilityVSAvoidemergency call reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the shared telephone number functionality by introducing a temporary mobile directory number (TMDN) that is specifically assigned to the device placing the emergency call. This segmentation separates the emergency call path from the shared number path, ensuring that emergency calls are routed independently and reliably to the correct device without being diverted to other devices in the group.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The TMDN server acts as an intermediary between the device placing the emergency call and the emergency call center. It assigns a unique TMDN to the calling device, which serves as a mediator to ensure proper call routing and location validation without involving the shared telephone number, thus resolving the conflict between shared number functionality and emergency call reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a shared telephone number is used for a group of devices, then device group functionality is improved, but call identification precision and location validation accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice group functionalityVSAvoidlocation validation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the identification system by assigning a unique TMDN to each device placing an emergency call, rather than using the shared telephone number. This segmentation enables precise identification of the calling device for location validation purposes, while preserving the shared number functionality for non-emergency calls and group messaging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If the shared telephone number is used for emergency calls, then device group accessibility is improved, but caller isolation and call security deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice group accessibilityVSAvoidcall diversion interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the emergency call functionality from the shared telephone number system by assigning a dedicated TMDN to the device placing the emergency call. This extraction removes the harmful effect of call diversion to other devices in the group, while preserving the shared number's accessibility benefits for non-emergency communications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9819783B2Emergency call service for groups of devices with a shared number

Publication Date: 2017.11.14 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

Distinct user devices may sometimes share a telephone number. Techniques described herein may provide for the assigning of a temporary telephone number for a user device, which shares a telephone number with other user devices, in certain situations, such as when the user device places a call to an emergency call center. The temporary telephone number may allow the user device to be reached and/or located by the emergency call center.