Method for transmitting emergecy messages in a radio communications system

• US 20030176180A1
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Deinzer, Arnulf
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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

At least one of voice and data information is transmitted in connection mode via a radio interface in first radio zones. In second radio zones, voice or data information is transmitted exclusively in packet mode via a radio interface. When an emergency call is issued by a subscriber station from one of the first radio zones, a voice and/or data connection is established between the subscriber station and an emergency control center. When an emergency call is issued by a subscriber station from one of the second radio zones, at least one piece of emergency information which identifies the second radio zone is transmitted to an emergency control center.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting emergency call messages in a radio communications system, in which

speech and/or data information are/is transmitted on a connection-oriented basis via a radio interface in first radio cells (C1),

speech and/or data information are/is transmitted exclusively in a packet-oriented manner via a radio interface in second radio cells (C2),

in the event of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS1) in a first radio cell (C1), a speech and/or data connection is set up between the subscriber station and an emergency call center (EC), and

in the event of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS2) in a second radio cell (C2), at least one emergency call information item which identifies this radio cell is transmitted to an emergency call center (EC)

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized

in that the emergency call information which identifies a second radio cell (C2) is transmitted at least in sections in a packet-oriented manner to the emergency call center (EC).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized

in that the emergency call information which identifies a second radio cell (C2) is transmitted to the emergency call center (EC) via a network (PDN) for packet-oriented data transmission.

4. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized

in that the emergency call information identifies the position of a subscriber station (TS2) from which an emergency call is signaled within a second radio cell (C2).

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized

in that, at the network end, an information item relating to the position of a subscriber station (TS2) from which an emergency call is being signaled is generated and is added to the emergency call information.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized

in that, at the subscriber station end, an information item relating to the position of a subscriber station (TS2) from which an emergency call is being signaled is generated and is added to the emergency call information.

7. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, characterized

in that the emergency call information contains details for identification of a subscriber station (TS2) from which an emergency call is being signaled.

8. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized

in that, in the event of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS2) in a second radio cell (C2), speech information which has been detected at the transmitter end is transmitted in a packet-data-oriented manner via a radio interface, in that the speech information is transmitted via an interface (GMSC) for conversion of data based on a packet-oriented protocol to data based on a connection-oriented protocol, and is transmitted from there to an emergency cell center (EC).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized

in that, in the case of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS2) in a second radio cell (C2), speech information which is detected at the receiver end is transmitted from the emergency call center to an interface (GMSC) for conversion of data based on a connection-oriented protocol to data based on a packet-oriented protocol, and is transmitted from there via a radio interface for reproduction to the subscriber station (TS2).

10. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, characterized

in that, in the case of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS2) in a second radio cell (C2), speech information which is detected at the transmitter end is converted to a sequence of data packets, and in that the sequence of data packets is sent via a unidirectional connection to an emergency call center.

11. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized

in that, in the case of an emergency call originating from a subscriber station (TS2) in a second radio cell (C2), the subscriber station (TS2) is signaled that only packet-oriented services are available.

12. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterized

in that emergency call data packets which contain emergency call information identifying a second radio cell (C2) and/or contain speech information detected at the subscriber station end are assigned an increased transmission priority.