A METHOD FOR ALLOWING A MOBILE PHONE TO RECEIVE A CALL THROUGH A WIRELESS NETWORK FOR WHICH IT IS NOT REGISTERED, FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES

摘要

A method for operating a wireless telephone system (110) to provide emergency service for a wireless telephone (101) operating in the wireless telephone system (110). In the present invention, the wireless telephone system (110) receives a request to connect the wireless phone (101) to a predetermined telephone number from the wireless telephone (101). The telephone system (110) then queries the wireless telephone (101) for a unique identifying number identifying the wireless telephone (101). The unique identifying number enables the wireless telephone system (110) to connect the wireless telephone (101) to the wireless telephone system (110). The wireless telephone system (110) maintains a set of direct inward dialing numbers (112) (DIDs) that are used exclusively for emergency calls. Each of the DID allows a caller outside of the wireless telephone system (110) to direct a call to a telephone within the wireless telephone system (110). The emergency call is assigned one of these DIDs and that DID is linked to the unique identifying number of the telephone placing the emergency call. The wireless telephone (101) is then connected to an emergency operator and the emergency operator (120) is given the assigned DID. The DID enables a call from the emergency operator to the wireless telephone (101) through the wireless telephone system (110). In one embodiment of the present invention, the DID assigned to the wireless telephone (101) also identifies the antenna (102-104) closest to the wireless telephone (101). The assignment between the DID and the unique identifying number is terminated after a predetermined period of time which may be altered by the caller or those servicing the emergency call.