EMERGENCY CIRCUIT-MODE CALL SUPPORT

• US 20070135089A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Stephen, Burroughs, Kirk, Wachter, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

Techniques to support emergency circuit-mode calls are described. The techniques may be used for various 3GPP and 3GPP2 networks, various location architectures, and various types of User Equipment (UE). A UE establishes a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services. The UE interacts with a location server indicated by the wireless network. The UE performs user plane location with the location server during the circuit-mode call to obtain a position estimate for the UE. The UE communicates with a PSAP, which may be selected based on the position estimate, for the emergency circuit-mode call. The UE may perform positioning with the location server to obtain an updated position estimate for the UE, e.g., whenever requested by the PSAP.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) operative to establish a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services, to interact with a location server indicated by the wireless network, and to perform user plane location with the location server during the circuit-mode call to obtain a position estimate for the UE.

2. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to perform user plane location with the location server prior to performing call setup with a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the PSAP is selected based on the position estimate.

4. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to perform user plane location with the location server after performing call setup with a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

5. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to perform user plane location with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) in accordance with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) to obtain the position estimate, the SLP being the location server indicated by the wireless network.

6. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to perform user plane location with a Position Server (PS) in accordance with X.S0024 to obtain the position estimate, the Position Server being the location server indicated by the wireless network.

7. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to receive from the location server a message to initiate user plane location and including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the location server, and to communicate with the location server using the IP address.

8. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to send location information to the wireless network during establishment of the circuit-mode call, and wherein the position estimate for the UE is obtained based on the location information.

9. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to receive a request for an updated position estimate for the UE and to perform user plane location with the location server to obtain the updated position estimate.

10. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to authenticate the location server, or be authenticated by the location server, or both prior to performing user plane location.

11. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to send location capabilities of the UE to the wireless network, and wherein the location server is selected based on the location capabilities of the UE.

12. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to send location information to the wireless network, and wherein the location server is selected based on the location information.

13. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to communicate with the wireless network for the circuit-mode call and to exchange messages with the wireless network via packet-mode communication for user plane location.

14. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to exchange messages for user plane location using Short Message Service (SMS).

15. The UE of claim 1, and further operative to exchange messages for user plane location using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or both TCP and Internet Protocol (IP).

16. The UE of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a 3GPP network, and wherein the UE is operative to establish the circuit-mode call with the 3GPP network for the emergency services.

17. The UE of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a 3GPP2 network, and wherein the UE is operative to establish the circuit-mode call with the 3GPP2 network for the emergency services.

18. A method comprising:

establishing a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services;

interacting with a location server indicated by the wireless network; and

performing user plane location with the location server during the circuit-mode call to obtain a position estimate for the UE.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the performing user plane location comprises

performing user plane location with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) in accordance with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) to obtain the position estimate, the SLP being the location server indicated by the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the performing user plane location comprises

receiving from the location server a message to initiate user plane location and including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the location server, and

communicating with the location server using the IP address.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

communicating with the wireless network for the circuit-mode call; and

exchanging messages with the wireless network via packet-mode communication for user plane location.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services;

means for interacting with a location server indicated by the wireless network; and

means for performing user plane location with the location server during the circuit-mode call to obtain a position estimate for the UE.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for performing user plane location comprises

means for performing user plane location with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) in accordance with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) to obtain the position estimate, the SLP being the location server indicated by the wireless network.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for performing user plane location comprises

means for receiving from the location server a message to initiate user plane location and including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the location server, and

means for communicating with the location server using the IP address.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for communicating with the wireless network for the circuit-mode call; and

means for exchanging messages with the wireless network via packet-mode communication for user plane location.

26. A location center operative to receive from a first entity a request for information to route a circuit-mode call from a user equipment (UE) for emergency services, to provide the information to the first entity, to receive from a second entity a request for a position estimate for the UE, to obtain the position estimate from a location server supporting user plane location, and to provide the position estimate to the second entity.

27. The location center of claim 26, wherein the first entity is a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and the second entity is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

28. The location center of claim 26, and further operative to use the position estimate to provide the information to the first entity.

29. The location center of claim 26, wherein the information provided to the first entity comprises a Emergency Services Routing Key (ESRK) or an Emergency Services Routing Digit (ESRD) for a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

30. The location center of claim 26, and operative to obtain the position estimate from a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) supporting Secure User Plane Location (SUPL), the SLP being the location server supporting user plane location.

31. The location center of claim 26, and operative to obtain the position estimate from a Requesting SUPL Location Platform (R-SLP), the R-SLP obtaining the position estimate from a Home SLP (H-SLP) acting as the location server supporting user plane location.

32. The location center of claim 26, and operative to obtain the position estimate from a Position Server (PS) supporting X.S0024, the PS being the location server supporting user plane location.

33. The location center of claim 26, and operative to obtain the position estimate from a Requesting Position Server (R-PS), the R-PS obtaining the position estimate from a Home PS (H-PS) acting as the location server supporting user plane location.

34. The location center of claim 26, and corresponding to a Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) in a 3GPP network.

35. The location center of claim 26, and corresponding to a Mobile Positioning Center (MPC) in a 3GPP2 network.

36. A method comprising:

receiving from a first entity a request for information to route a circuit-mode call from a user equipment (UE) for emergency services;

providing the information to the first entity;

receiving from a second entity a request for a position estimate for the UE;

communicating with a location server supporting user plane location to obtain the position estimate; and

providing the position estimate to the second entity.

37. A location server operative to receive a request for a position estimate of a user equipment (UE) having a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services, to perform user plane location with the UE to obtain the position estimate, and to return the position estimate.

38. The location server of claim 37, and operative to perform user plane location with the UE in accordance with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) to obtain the position estimate.

39. The location server of claim 37, and operative to perform user plane location with the UE in accordance with X.S0024 to obtain the position estimate.

40. The location server of claim 37, and operative to send a message to initiate user plane location with the UE, the message including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the location server and used by the UE to communicate with the location server for user plane location.

41. The location server of claim 37, and operative to substitute for a home location server of the UE during the circuit-mode call for emergency services.

42. The location server of claim 37, and operative to select a visited location server to support positioning for the UE and to transfer messages exchanged between the visited location server and the UE.

43. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a position estimate of a user equipment (UE) having a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services;

performing user plane location with the UE to obtain the position estimate; and

returning the position estimate.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the performing user plane location comprises sending a message to initiate user plane location with the UE, the message including an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the location server and used by the UE to communicate with the location server for user plane location.

45. A user equipment (UE) operative to establish a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services, to perform authentication of a location server selected by the wireless network for the emergency circuit-mode call, and to interact with the location server to obtain at least one position estimate for the UE for the emergency circuit-mode call.

46. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to perform mutual authentication with the location server.

47. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to receive from the location server a message to initiate location processing and to authenticate the location server if the message indicates location processing for an emergency call and the UE is engaged in the emergency circuit-mode call.

48. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to perform Transport Layer Security (TLS) public key authentication using a root public key certificate stored at the UE to verify a public key of the location server.

49. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to generate a pre-share key (PSK) based on common information available at the UE and the wireless network, and

to perform authentication using the pre-shared key.

50. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to perform authentication based on Generic Bootstrap Architecture (GBA).

51. The UE of claim 45, and further operative to perform authentication in accordance with Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) or X.S0024.

52. A method comprising:

establishing a circuit-mode call with a wireless network for emergency services;

performing authentication of a location server selected by the wireless network for the emergency circuit-mode call; and

interacting with the location server to obtain at least one position estimate for the UE for the emergency circuit-mode call.