System and methods for critical communication

• US 10,257,684 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dao, Ngoc Dung, Senarath, Nimal Gamini
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US15/180,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 4554042, 455 901, 455427, 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/033 in pre-organised networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system and method is provided for mission critical communications. In an aspect, a computer-implemented method may be implemented for a node device on a network to facilitate communication between a sending device and an intended recipient device. The node device may receive from the sending device a mission critical (MC) communication directed to the intended recipient device. The node device may process the received MC communication to produce processed MC data and cache some or all of the processed MC data. The node device may transmit at least a portion of the received MC communication, the processed MC data, and/or the cached MC data to the intended recipient device.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data between a User Equipment (UE) and an intended recipient device over a communication network, the method comprising, at a network node of the communication network:

receiving, from at least one of;

another network node of the communication system, a control center, the intended recipient, and another UE, a mission critical (MC) session request for a MC communication;

in response to receiving the MC session request, establishing a MC session with the UE for the MC communication, wherein establishing comprises;

forwarding the MC session request to the UE and instructing the UE to collect MC data and to carry out at least one of

caching at least some of the collected MC data; and

,

transmitting at least some of the collected MC data to the network node;

receiving, from the UE, MC data associated with the MC session; and

caching at least a portion of the received MC data for transmission to the intended recipient device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the MC session request response to the UE to start transmitting the MC data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forwarding the MC session request to the intended recipient device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein caching comprises caching the at least a portion of the received MC data prior to receiving an MC session request response, from the intended recipient device acknowledging receipt of the MC session request.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing comprises prioritizing network resources for the MC session.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein prioritizing network resources comprises communicating with other network nodes on the network to reduce network data traffic during the MC session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the MC session request, instructing the UE to perform at least one of;

conserving computing resources to prioritize the MC session;

entering a low power state if a battery condition of the UE is below a predetermined threshold; and

activating at least one sensor of the UE to capture data; and

at least one of;

storing the captured data on the UE; and

,

transmitting at least some of the captured data as MC data to the network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the intended recipient device has not received the at least some of the received MC data; and

,

re-transmitting the at least some of the received MC data to at least one of;

the intended recipient device, and

a pre-defined destination in place of the intended recipient device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least some of the at least a portion of the received MC data to the intended recipient device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network node is an access point (AP).

11. A method for transmitting data to an intended recipient device over a communication network, the method comprising, at a user equipment (UE) coupled to the communication network:

receiving a mission critical (MC) session request, the MC session request comprising instructions to active one or more MC sensors;

activating each of the one or more MC sensors and capturing MC data from each of the one or more MC sensors;

establishing an MC session for MC communication with a network node of the communication; and

,

after receiving a MC session request response to start transmission of the MC data, transmitting the MC data to the network node for forwarding to the intended recipient device, wherein the MC session request response is received before receiving an acknowledgment of a MC request from the intended recipient device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising caching the MC data before transmitting the MC data to the network node.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting comprises sending the MC data to a relay UE device for forwarding the MC data to the network node.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving comprises receiving the MC request from the intended recipient.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when the MC session is established, at least one of:

conserving computing resources to prioritize the MC session; and

entering a low power state if a battery condition of the UE is below a predetermined threshold.

16. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to;

receive a mission critical (MC) session request for MC communication, the MC session request comprising instructions to active one or more MC sensors;

activate each of the one or more MC sensors and capture MC data from each of the one or more MC sensors;

establish an MC session for the MC communication with the network node of the communication system; and

after receipt of a session request response to start transmission of the MC data, transmit the MC data to the network node for forwarding to an intended recipient device, wherein the MC session request response is received before receiving an acknowledgment of a MC session request from the intended recipient device.

17. The UE of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to cache the MC data before transmitting the MC data to the network node.

18. The UE of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to at least one of:

conserve computing resources to prioritize the MC session; and

enter a low power state if a battery condition of the UE is below a predetermined threshold.

19. A network node in a communication network comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to;

receive, from at least one of;

another network node of the communication system, the UE, a control center, the intended recipient, and another UE, a mission critical (MC) session request for MC communication;

in response to receipt of the MC session request, establish a MC session with the UE for the MC communication by forwarding the MC request to the UE and instructing the UE to collect MC data and to carry out at least one of

caching at least some of the collected MC data; and

,

transmitting at least some of the collected MC data to the network node;

receive, from the UE, MC data associated with the MC session; and

cache at least a portion of the received MC data for transmission to an intended recipient device.

20. The network node of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to at least one of:

transmit at least some of the at least a portion of the received MC data to the intended recipient device;

send an MC session request response to the UE to start transmitting the MC data;

forward an MC session request to the intended recipient device;

cache at least a portion of the received MC data for transmission to the intended recipient device by caching the at least a portion of the received MC data prior to receiving an MC session request response, from the intended recipient device acknowledging the MC session request; and

establish a MC session with the UE by prioritizing network resources for the MC session by communicating with other network nodes on the network to reduce network data traffic during the MC session.