SUPPORTING EMERGENCY CALLS ON A WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORK

• US 20160157077A1
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rudolf, Marian, Zuniga, Juan Carlos, Rahman, Shamim Akbar, Kwak, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/73 Access point logical identity
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Several methods are provided for communicating emergency call capability information between a station and an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network. The methods include advertising by the AP of its emergency call capabilities and announcing by the station of its emergency call capabilities. The AP can advertise its emergency call capabilities in a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a reassociation response frame, or a reauthentication response frame. The station can announce its emergency call capabilities in an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, an authentication request frame, or a reauthentication request frame.

Claims

1. A station (STA) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of basic service set identifiers (BSSID)s, wherein at least one of the plurality of BSSIDs is an emergency BSSID associated with an emergency call security credential; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an access request indicating the emergency BSSID to an access point (AP);

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive, from the AP, a grant for only emergency call access based on the emergency call security credential.

2. The STA of claim 1, wherein the plurality of BSSIDs are received in a beacon frame.

3. The STA of claim 1, wherein the emergency BSSID is received in a response frame.

4. The STA of claim 3, wherein the response frame is a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame.

5. The STA of claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication regarding an emergency call capability of the AP.

6. The STA of claim 5, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication regarding the emergency call capability of the AP being active.

7. The STA of claim 5, wherein the indication regarding the emergency call capability of the AP is received in an AP capability information element (IE).

8. The STA of claim 7, wherein the AP capability IE is greater than two bits in length.

9. A method for use in a station (STA), the method comprising:

receiving a first frame that contains a first security credential for associating with a network;

receiving a second frame that contains an emergency call security credential;

transmitting, from the STA, an association message that includes the first security credential or the emergency call security credential; and

receiving access to the network on a condition that the association message includes the first security credential, and receiving emergency access to the network on a condition that the association message includes the emergency call security credential, wherein the emergency access to the network is for an emergency call only.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an indication regarding an emergency call capability of the AP.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication regarding the emergency call capability of the AP is received in an AP capability information element (IE).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the AP capability IE is greater than two bits in length.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an indication regarding an emergency call capability of the AP being active.

14. A station (STA) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive;

a first frame that contains a security credential for associating with a network,

a second frame that contains an emergency call security credential,

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the STA, an association message that includes the first security credential or the emergency call security credential; and

wherein the receiver is further configured to;

receive access to the network on a condition that the association message includes the first security credential, and

receive emergency access to the network on a condition that the association message includes the emergency call security credential, wherein access to the network is for an emergency call only.

15. The STA of claim 14, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication regarding an emergency call capability of the AP.

16. The STA of claim 15, wherein the indication regarding the emergency call capability of the AP is received in an AP capability information element (IE).

17. The STA of claim 16, wherein the AP capability IE is greater than two bits in length.

18. The STA of claim 14, wherein the receiver is further configured to transmit an indication regarding an emergency call capability of the AP being active.