Method of and system for altering incoming call controls after a call has been placed to an emergency number

Abstract

According to the various embodiments of the present invention, an outbound call to a number on an emergency call list may change the incoming call controls to a telephone. In particular, methods of altering incoming call controls after a call has been placed to an emergency number comprises steps of performing a first modification of a first call control related to a first incoming calling number, and performing a second modification of the first call control related to the first incoming calling number after a predetermined period of time. Systems for altering incoming call controls after a call has been placed to an emergency number are also disclosed.

1 . A computer-implemented method of processing incoming calls, the method comprising the steps of:
 processing, with a processor, an incoming call to a first telephone number based on whether incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number have been set to an emergency call state in response to a call from a telephone associated with the first telephone number to a second telephone number that is an emergency call number, wherein processing the incoming call to the first telephone number comprises:
 determining whether an emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; 
 determining whether a timer is active in response to determining the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; and 
 processing the incoming call based on whether the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set and whether the timer is active. 
   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying, with a processor, the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency call processing state based on a detection of a call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency call number.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein modifying the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency all processing state comprises:
 setting the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   starting the timer associated with the emergency flag.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 detecting, with a processor, the call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency call number.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 modifying, with a processor, the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency call processing state, wherein the incoming call processing state is removed a predetermined time period after the detection of the call to the second telephone number that is an emergency all number.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein modifying the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency all processing state comprises:
 removing the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   setting a value of the timer to null.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing an incoming call to the first telephone number based on whether incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number have been set to an emergency call state comprises:
 determining not to block the incoming call to the first telephone number in response to determining the incoming call controls are at an emergency all processing state.   
   
   
       8 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for processing incoming call, the set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:
 processing an incoming call to a first telephone number based on whether incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number have been set to an emergency call state in response to a call from a telephone associated with the first telephone number to a second telephone number that is an emergency call number, wherein processing the incoming call to the first telephone number comprises:
 determining whether an emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; 
 determining whether a timer is active in response to determining the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; and 
 processing the incoming call based on whether the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set and whether the timer is active. 
   
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , further comprising a st of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:
 modifying the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency call processing state based on a detection of a call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency call number.   
   
   
       10 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein modifying the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency all processing state comprises:
 setting the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   starting the timer associated with the emergency flag.   
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:
 detecting, with a processor, the call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency all number.   
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , further comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:
 modifying, with a processor, the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency call processing state, wherein the incoming call processing state is removed a predetermined time period after the detection of the call to the second telephone number that is an emergency all number.   
   
   
       13 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein modifying the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency all processing state comprises:
 removing the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   setting a value of the timer to null.   
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 8 , wherein processing an incoming call to the first telephone number based on whether incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number have been set to an emergency call state comprises:
 determining not to block the incoming call to the first telephone number in response to determining the incoming call controls are at an emergency all processing state.   
   
   
       15 . A system for processing an incoming call, the system comprising:
 a call processing module coupled to a subscriber device by way of a telecommunications network, the call processing module configured to process an incoming call to a first telephone number based on whether incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number have been set to an emergency call state in response to a call from a telephone associated with the first telephone number to a second telephone number that is an emergency call number, wherein to process the incoming call to the first telephone number, the call processing module is configured to:
 determine whether an emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; 
 determine whether a timer is active in response to determining the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set; and 
 process the incoming call based on whether the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number is set and whether the timer is active. 
   
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the call processing module is further configured to modify the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency call processing state based on a detection of a call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency call number. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein to modify the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to an emergency all processing state the call processing module is configured to:
 set the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   start the timer associated with the emergency flag.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the call processing module is further configured to detect the call from the telephone associated with the first telephone number to the second telephone number that is an emergency all number. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the call processing module is further configured to modify the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency call processing state, wherein the incoming call processing state is removed a predetermined time period after the detection of the call to the second telephone number that is an emergency all number. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein to modify the incoming call controls associated with the first telephone number to remove the emergency call processing state, the call processing module is configured to:
 remove the emergency flag associated with the first telephone number; and   set a value of the timer to null.