Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/627,321

PRECISION ROUTING FOR EMERGENCY CALL

Final Rejection §102§103
Filed
Apr 04, 2024
Examiner
PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
Art Unit
2694
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Intrado Life & Safety Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
95%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allowance Rate
768 granted / 946 resolved
+19.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+13.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 9m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
964
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
§103
78.9%
+38.9% vs TC avg
§102
4.9%
-35.1% vs TC avg
§112
9.3%
-30.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 946 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
DETAILED ACTION Applicant's submission filed on April 9, 2026 has been entered. Response to Amendment Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-8, 10-15, 17-20 have been considered but are moot in view of new ground of rejection necessitated due to claim amendments. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 1, 8, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Colunga (US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0193446). Regarding claim 1, Colunga teaches a method implemented by a system, the method comprising: receiving a call (Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0033-0034, 0036-0038 “9-1-1” call to operator); transmitting an emergency detail request; determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0026, 0035; 0039 querying caller and receiving type of emergency); and routing the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP), if the determining determines the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0026-0028, 0035, 0039 routing call to identified PSAP). Regarding claim 8, Colunga teaches a system, comprising: at least one network interface (Fig. 2 item 104, Fig. 3 item 304, Fig. 4 items 404, 414); and at least one processor (Fig. 2 items 106, 202, Fig. 3 items 306, 312, Fig. 4 items 406, 410) configured, with the at least one network interface, to cause the system to at least receive a call (Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0033-0034, 0036-0038 “9-1-1” call to operator); transmit an emergency detail request; perform a determination whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0026, 0035; 0039 querying caller and receiving type of emergency); and perform a routing of the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP), if the determining determines the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0026-0028, 0035, 0039 routing call to identified PSAP). Regarding claim 15, Colunga teaches a non-transitory, computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program that, when executed by a system including at least one processor, causes the system to perform operations (Paragraph 0043) comprising: receiving a call (Paragraphs 0024-0025, 0033-0034, 0036-0038 “9-1-1” call to operator); transmitting an emergency detail request; determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0026, 0035; 0039 querying caller and receiving type of emergency); and routing the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP), if the determining determines the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0026-0028, 0035, 0039 routing call to identified PSAP). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. Claims 1, 3-8, 10-15, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goswami (US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0083902), and further in view of Blustein (US Patent Application Publication No. 2025/0047788). Regarding claim 1, Goswami teaches a method implemented by a system, the method comprising: receiving a call (Paragraphs 0039, 0048, 0051); determining whether the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0039, 0043-0044, 0048, 0051 prank call determination); and routing the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP) (Paragraphs 0041, 0043, 0049) (Paragraphs 0022, 0030-0054 for complete details). Goswami does not teach transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call. However, in the similar field of communication, Blustein teaches transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0040-0046 automatic service agent querying the caller and determine valid emergency based on caller responses). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Goswami to include transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call as taught by Blustein in order to “dispatch the appropriate ERU 226, such as a firefighting unit, an ambulance, a law enforcement unit, a coastguard or the like” (Blustein, Paragraph 0044). Regarding claim 3, Goswami teaches wherein the call includes call detail information indicating a location of a cellular tower, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the cellular tower (Paragraph 0015 “a geographic location for an originating communication device may alternatively be determined based upon the location of a base station servicing a corresponding E911 call. A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 4, Goswami teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a location of an emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the emergency (Paragraph 0015 “A geographic location may be determined for an originating communication device via an active location service (e.g. GPS) residing on the calling handset.” and “A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 5, Blustein teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a type of emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the type of emergency (Paragraph 0026 an appropriate PSAP or emergency service provider (ESP) associated with the location and type of emergency may be identified). Regarding claim 6, Goswami teaches releasing the call, if the determining determines that the call is not legitimate (Paragraphs 0022, 0033, 0040, 0046, 0049, 0051 dropping prank calls). Regarding claim 7, Goswami teaches recording in a computer-aided dispatch log a disposition of the call, at least in part based on the determining (Paragraphs 0032-0033, 0036-0037, 0040, 0044-0045, 0048-0049, 0051 logging calls for audit and/or future filtering). Regarding claim 8, Goswami teaches a system (Fig. 1), comprising: at least one network interface (obviously multiple interfaces among server, database and PSAP); and at least one processor configured (obviously server, database and PSAP implemented with processor and memory as was well known in the art), with the at least one network interface, to cause the system (Paragraphs 0030-0037) to at least receive a call (Paragraphs 0039, 0048, 0051); perform a determination whether the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0039, 0043-0044, 0048, 0051 prank call determination); and perform a routing of the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP) (Paragraphs 0041, 0043, 0049) (Paragraphs 0022, 0030-0054 for complete details). Goswami does not explicitly teach network interface and processor configured with the at least one network interface. However, Goswami teaches subscriber wireless device receiving E911 service using network-based service (Paragraphs 0017-0018 i.e. not only well known in the art but also known to a general user of wireless phone as service using wireless network interface) using server, database etc. (Paragraphs 0035-0037 well known in the art implemented with stored program control processors). Goswami further does not teach transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call. However, in the similar field of communication, Blustein teaches transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0040-0046 automatic service agent querying the caller and determine valid emergency based on caller responses). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Goswami to include transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call as taught by Blustein in order to “dispatch the appropriate ERU 226, such as a firefighting unit, an ambulance, a law enforcement unit, a coastguard or the like” (Blustein, Paragraph 0044). Regarding claim 10, Goswami teaches wherein the call includes call detail information indicating a location of a cellular tower, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the cellular tower (Paragraph 0015 “a geographic location for an originating communication device may alternatively be determined based upon the location of a base station servicing a corresponding E911 call. A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 11, Goswami teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a location of an emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the emergency (Paragraph 0015 “A geographic location may be determined for an originating communication device via an active location service (e.g. GPS) residing on the calling handset.” and “A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 12, Blustein teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a type of emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the type of emergency (Paragraph 0026 an appropriate PSAP or emergency service provider (ESP) associated with the location and type of emergency may be identified). Regarding claim 13, Goswami teaches wherein to cause the system to at least release the call, if the determination determines that the call is not legitimate (Paragraphs 0022, 0033, 0040, 0046, 0049, 0051 dropping prank calls). Regarding claim 14, Goswami teaches wherein to cause the system to at least record in a computer-aided dispatch log a disposition of the call, at least in part based on the determination (Paragraphs 0032-0033, 0036-0037, 0040, 0044-0045, 0048-0049, 0051 logging calls for audit and/or future filtering). Regarding claim 15, Goswami teaches a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program that, when executed by a system including at least one processor, causes the system (obviously server, database and PSAP implemented with processor executing program encoded in memory as was well known in the art) (Paragraphs 0030-0037) to perform operations comprising: receiving a call (Paragraphs 0039, 0048, 0051); determining whether the call is legitimate (Paragraphs 0039, 0043-0044, 0048, 0051 prank call determination); and routing the call to a public safety answering point (PSAP) (Paragraphs 0041, 0043, 0049) (Paragraphs 0022, 0030-0054 for complete details). Goswami does not explicitly teach network interface and processor configured with the at least one network interface. However, Goswami teaches subscriber wireless device receiving E911 service using network-based service (Paragraphs 0017-0018 i.e. not only well known in the art but also known to a general user of wireless phone as service using wireless network interface) using server, database etc. (Paragraphs 0035-0037 well known in the art implemented with stored program control processors). Goswami further does not teach transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call. However, in the similar field of communication, Blustein teaches transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call (Paragraphs 0040-0046 automatic service agent querying the caller and determine valid emergency based on caller responses). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Goswami to include transmitting an emergency detail request; and determining whether the call is legitimate, at least in part based on whether an emergency detail response to the emergency detail request is received over the call as taught by Blustein in order to “dispatch the appropriate ERU 226, such as a firefighting unit, an ambulance, a law enforcement unit, a coastguard or the like” (Blustein, Paragraph 0044). Regarding claim 17, Goswami teaches wherein the call includes call detail information indicating a location of a cellular tower, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the cellular tower (Paragraph 0015 “a geographic location for an originating communication device may alternatively be determined based upon the location of a base station servicing a corresponding E911 call. A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 18, Goswami teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a location of an emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the location of the emergency (Paragraph 0015 “A geographic location may be determined for an originating communication device via an active location service (e.g. GPS) residing on the calling handset.” and “A location for an originating communication device is conventionally used to route an E911 call to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (i.e. a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) within closest geographic proximity to an originating communication device)” (emphasis added).). Regarding claim 19, Blustein teaches wherein the emergency detail response indicates a type of emergency, and the routing is performed, at least in part based on the type of emergency (Paragraph 0026 an appropriate PSAP or emergency service provider (ESP) associated with the location and type of emergency may be identified). Regarding claim 20, Goswami teaches releasing the call, if the determining determines that the call is not legitimate (Paragraphs 0022, 0033, 0040, 0046, 0049, 0051 dropping prank calls). Conclusion Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HEMANT PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8620. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fan Tsang can be reached at 571-272-7547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. HEMANT PATEL Primary Examiner Art Unit 2694 /HEMANT S PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 04, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 12, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103
Apr 09, 2026
Response Filed
May 14, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12611995
Holder for a Mobile Device
2y 8m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Patent 12615349
MEETING VIDEO SUBSTITUTES
2y 8m to grant Granted Apr 28, 2026
Patent 12609126
Multi-Channel Signal Encoding and Decoding Method and Apparatus
2y 2m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026
Patent 12610010
Method and a system for silent and non-exposing alerting of previously abandoned calls
2y 4m to grant Granted Apr 21, 2026
Patent 12598254
SYSTEMS AND METHODS RELATING TO GENERATING SIMULATED INTERACTIONS FOR TRAINING CONTACT CENTER AGENTS
3y 0m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
95%
With Interview (+13.5%)
2y 9m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 946 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month