Thomas A Franza

US Patent:

6035187, Mar 7, 2000

Filed:

Oct 30, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/743952

Inventors:

Thomas Alfred Franza - Mission Viejo CA

Assignee:

Comarco Wireless Technologies, Inc. - Irvine CA

International Classification:

H04Q 720
H04M 1104

US Classification:

455404

Abstract:

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an emergency call box that has a cellular transceiver, a controller for controlling the cellular transceiver, and a memory for storing preprogrammed telephone numbers. Additionally, a display and push button selection switches are provided to allow bidirectional communication between the controller and a call box user. The controller presents the user with preprogrammed questions through the display, determines which one of the preprogrammed telephone numbers should be called based on the response received through the selection switches, and places a call to the determined telephone number using the cellular transceiver. In one embodiment, the controller determines whether there is an emergency or non-emergency situation based on the user's response, calls one of the preprogrammed telephone numbers if there is an emergency situation, and calls another of the preprogrammed telephone numbers if there is a non-emergency situation. In this way, the emergency call box can screen non-emergency calls and automatically route such calls to a location other than an emergency dispatch center. This removes the non-emergency calls from the call traffic received at the emergency dispatch center so that the emergency dispatch operator need only respond to true emergency situations.