Patent ID: 8428049

Claim:
A method for setting up an emergency call in a computer local area network, the method comprising: defining a first virtual network including at least one emergency call server coupled with the computer local area network, the first virtual network including no terminals participating in or requesting setup of non-emergency calls and the first virtual network having a priority higher than that of any virtual network to which a second terminal requesting the setting up of a non-emergency call is assigned; if a first terminal requests the setting up of an emergency call: assigning the first terminal to the first virtual network, and routing at least one message from the first terminal to an emergency call center via the first virtual network; and assigning the first terminal to a second virtual network having a priority higher than that of any virtual network to which the second terminal is assigned, and routing at least one message from the emergency call center to the first terminal via the second virtual network, wherein the first virtual network is different from the second virtual network; wherein the first terminal is operative to send packets of data carrying an identifier of the first virtual network and a broadcast mode indicator, and to receive packets of data carrying an identifier of the second virtual network and a unicast mode indicator.