Allocating emergency speech items in a mobile communication system

• US 6,188,882 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EADS Secure Networks
• Original Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Paavonen, Tapio, Tarkiainen, Janne, Talarmo, Reino
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US08/945,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/527, 455/518, 455/519, 455/34.1, 455/58.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/58.2, 455/33.1
• 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

A method for allocating emergency speech items in a mobile communication system comprising a network infrastructure (BS), a first subscriber station (MS1) connected to it, and at least one other subscriber station (MS2, MS3), the method comprising maintaining a group call consisting of speech items between the first subscriber station (MS1) and at least one other subscriber station (MS2), transmitting an emergency speech item demand (101) from the first subscriber station (MS1), which is in an emergency, to the network infrastructure (BS), and transmitting an emergency speech item grant message (102) from the network infrastructure to the first subscriber station. The method further comprises transmitting, to the at least one other subscriber station (MS2, MS3), emergency speech item information (103) containing the identifier of the first subscriber station (MS1) and indicating that an emergency speech item has been allocated (102) to the first subscriber station. In response to the emergency speech item information (103), the user of the at least one other subscriber station (MS2, MS3) is informed that an emergency speech item has been allocated (102) to the first subscriber station.

Claims

1. A method for allocating emergency speech items in a mobile communication system comprising a network infrastructure, a first subscriber station connected to it and having an identifier, and at least one other subscriber station, said method comprising the following steps:

maintaining a group call consisting of speech items between the first subscriber station and at least one other subscriber station,

transmitting an emergency speech item demand from the first subscriber station, which is in an emergency, to the network infrastructure,

transmitting an emergency speech item grant message from the network infrastructure to the first subscriber station,

transmitting, to said at least one other subscriber station, emergency speech item information containing the identifier of the first subscriber station and indicating that an emergency speech item has been allocated to the first subscriber station,

in response to said emergency speech item information, informing the user of said at least one other subscriber station that said emergency speech item has been allocated to the first subscriber station.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier of the first subscriber station is a subscriber number.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier of the first subscriber station is a character sequence indicating the subscriber'"'"'s name or position.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein information on the quality of the emergency of the first subscriber station is transmitted with said emergency speech item information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein information on the location of the first subscriber station is transmitted with said emergency speech item information.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency speech item information containing the identifier of the first subscriber station is transmitted in such a way that the network infrastructure steals one speech frame from the emergency speech item of the first subscriber station.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in response to an emergency speech item demand sent by a third subscriber station, an emergency notification message is sent to the first subscriber station to indicate that the third subscriber station has requested an emergency speech item.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein, in response to said emergency notification message, it is indicated to the user of the first subscriber station that a third subscriber station, which is in an emergency, has requested an emergency speech item.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein, in response to said emergency notification message, the first subscriber station ends its emergency speech item.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said emergency speech item information is sent in a notification element of the emergency speech item grant message.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said emergency speech item information is sent in a facility field of the emergency speech item grant message, said field containing information on the subscriber.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said emergency speech item information is sent in a supplementary service element informing of a priority call in the facility field of the emergency speech item grant message.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said emergency speech item information is sent in a supplementary service element informing of a pre-emptive priority call in the facility field of the emergency speech item grant message.

14. A method according to claim 7, wherein said emergency notification message is also sent to said at least one other subscriber station, which is thus informed that the third subscriber station has requested an emergency speech item.

15. A method according to claim 7, wherein an emergency list containing the identifiers of the subscriber stations that are in an emergency at that moment is sent to said at least one other subscriber station.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said emergency notification message and said emergency list are sent in such a manner that the network infrastructure steals one or more speech frames from the emergency speech item of the first subscribe station.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said emergency list is sent to said at least one other subscriber station with said emergency speech item information.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said emergency list is also sent to the first subscriber station.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network infrastructure assumes that the emergency of the first or the third subscriber station continues until the first or the third subscriber station requests a speech item without emergency notification.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network infrastructure assumes that the emergency of the first or the third subscriber station continues until predetermined time supervision expires.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network infrastructure assumes that the emergency of the first or the third subscriber station continues until the first or the third subscriber station sends a speech item end message informing that the first or the third subscriber station is no longer in an emergency.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network infrastructure assumes that the emergency of the first or the third subscriber station continues until the dispatcher of the mobile communication system indicates that the emergency of the first or the third subscriber station has ended.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency speech item information, which contains the identifier of the first subscriber station and which indicates that an emergency speech item has been allocated to the first subscriber station, is sent to said at least one other subscriber station from the network infrastructure in a message informing of the grant of the speech item.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein said subscriber stations are line stations connected to the network infrastructure by radio link or wired connections.

25. A mobile communication system comprising:

a network infrastructure, and

a first and at least one other subscriber station, each having an identifier, which are connected to the network infrastructure and which are capable of communicating in a group call divided into speech items,

the network infrastructure comprising

means responsive to an emergency speech item demand sent by the first subscriber station for transmitting, to at least one other subscriber station, emergency speech item information containing the identifier of the first subscriber station and indicating that an emergency speech item has been allocated to the first subscriber station.

26. A mobile communication system according to claim 25, wherein the network infrastructure further comprises

means responsive to an emergency speech item demand sent by a third subscriber station for transmitting an emergency notification message indicating that the third subscriber station has requested an emergency speech item to the subscriber stations participating in the group call.

27. A mobile communication system according to claim 26, wherein the network infrastructure further comprises

means for transmitting an emergency list containing the identifiers of the subscriber stations that are in an emergency at that moment to subscriber stations.

28. A subscriber station of a mobile communication system, comprising

a transceiver for participating in a call divided into speech items,

a control unit for controlling the operation of the subscriber station,

a user interface for indicating information to the user of the subscriber station,

first indication means responsive to emergency speech item information which is received by the subscriber station and which indicates that an emergency speech item has been allocated to another subscriber station for indicating the situation in question to the user of said subscriber station.

29. A subscriber station of a mobile communication system, comprising

a transceiver for participating in a call divided into speech items,

a control unit for controlling the operation of the subscriber station,

a user interface for indicating information to the user of the subscriber station,

second indication means responsive to an emergency notification message which is received by the subscriber and which indicates that another subscriber station participating in the call has requested an emergency speech item for indicating, to the user of said subscriber station, that another subscriber station participating in the call has requested an emergency speech item.

30. A subscriber station according to claim 29, comprising

force control means responsive to the emergency notification message received by the subscriber station for force controlling the subscriber station (MS1) to end its emergency speech item.