Method for Obtaining Location Information for Emergency Services in Wireless Multimedia Networks

• US 20150016346A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bharatia, Jayshree, Garapaty, Sonia, Deol, Amarjit
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for obtaining end-user location information for emergency services within a multimedia network is presented. The multimedia network may include a network implementing the Session Initiation Protocol, H.323, etc. In one embodiment, a Location Application Server (LAS) in the multimedia network and an interface between the LAS and a gateway mobile location center (GMC) is defined.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring location information of a user equipment (UE) for emergency services, the method comprising:

by a first server in a communication network;

receiving a first request message from a call session server, wherein the first request message is in response to an emergency request message from the UE;

sending a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request message received from a call session control function to a location server, wherein the SIP INVITE request message is configured to cause the location sever to send a request for routing information to a pre-configured Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in the communication network, wherein the request for routing information includes a current location of the UE, a public identity of the UE, and required QoS parameters established by the network operator for emergency services;

causing initiation of a Mobile Terminating Location Request (MT-LR) procedure by the GMLC upon receipt of the location request to obtain the UE'"'"'s location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed at SIP session initiation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed after SIP session initiation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the required QoS parameters comprise at least one of a required accuracy and a required response time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the call session server comprises a Call Session Control Function (CSCF).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server is a component of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) network.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium comprising software instructions executable by a processor of a first server in a communication network to cause the first server to:

receive a first request message from a call session server, wherein the first request message is in response to an emergency request message from the UE;

send a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request message received from a call session control function to a location server, wherein the SIP INVITE request message is configured to cause the location sever to send a request for routing information to a pre-configured Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in the communication network, wherein the request for routing information includes a current location of the UE, a public identity of the UE, and required QoS parameters established by the network operator for emergency services;

cause initiation of a Mobile Terminating Location Request (MT-LR) procedure by the GMLC upon receipt of the location request to obtain the UE'"'"'s location.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7, wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed at SIP session initiation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7, wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed after SIP session initiation.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7, wherein the required QoS parameters comprise at least one of a required accuracy and a required response time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7, wherein the call session server comprises a Call Session Control Function (CSCF).

12. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium of claim 7, wherein the first server is a component of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) network.

13. A first server in a communication network, the first server comprising:

a processor configured to execute software instructions to cause the first server to;

receive a first request message from a call session server, wherein the first request message is in response to an emergency request message from the UE;

send a Session initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE request message received from a call session control function to a location server, wherein the SIP INVITE request message is configured to cause the location sever to send a request for routing information to a pre-configured Gateway Mobile Location Centre (GMLC) in the communication network, wherein the request for routing information includes a current location of the UE, a public identity of the UE, and required QoS parameters established by the network operator for emergency services;

cause initiation of a Mobile Terminating Location Request (MT-LR) procedure by the GMLC upon receipt of the location request to obtain the location.

15. The first server of claim 13, wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed after SIP session initiation.

16. The first server of claim 13, wherein the required QoS parameters comprise at least one of a required accuracy and a required response time.

17. The first server of claim 13, wherein the call session server comprises a Call Session Control Function (CSCF).

18. The first server of claim 13, wherein the first server is a component of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) network.

14. The first server of claim wherein the receiving the first request message, the sending the SIP INVITE request message, and the causing initiation of the MT-LR procedure are performed at SIP session initiation.