Systems and methods for increasing emergency call access speed in radiocommunication systems

• US 6,633,754 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1997
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Raith, Alex K.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/843,752
• Time in Patent Office: 2,366 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/527, 455/434, 455/515, 455/450, 455/62
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The handling of emergency calls, e.g., 911 calls, should be performed on an expedited basis. Various techniques are described herein to expedite system access to radiocommunication systems when processing an emergency call. For example, control channel locking, origination message content, and retransmission rules are modified to reduce access time.

Claims

1. A method for locking to a control channel in a radiocommunication system comprising the steps of:

storing a set of preferences for evaluating candidate control channels in a remote station;

identifying, in said remote station, a call to be placed as an emergency call;

ignoring said set of preferences when evaluating a control channel for said emergency call; and

locking to said control channel if said control channel is received by said remote station at a predetermined signal strength.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying the call to be placed as an emergency call comprises the step of:

comparing a telephone number associated with the call to be placed with a database of possible emergency call numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying the call to be placed as an emergency call comprises the steps of:

broadcasting a number associated with emergency calls to the remote station; and

comparing a number associated with the call to be placed with the broadcasted number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying the call to be placed as an emergency call comprises the step of:

determining whether a key or key sequence associated with emergency calls has been actuated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of preferences includes whether a cell associated with the control channel is barred with respect to the remote station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of preferences includes whether a cellular operator associated with the control channel is not a preferred operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of preferences includes whether a cell associated with said control channel provides services desired by the remote station.

8. A remote station comprising:

a receiver for receiving data over an air interface;

a memory for storing preferences associated with control channel selection; and

a processor for determining if a call is an emergency call and, based on a result of said determination, selectively ignoring said stored preferences and commanding said receiver to listen to a control channel which is received at a predetermined received signal strength.

9. The remote station of claim 8, further comprising:

a database of possible emergency call numbers, wherein said processor compares a telephone number associated with the call with said database to determine whether the call is an emergency call.

10. The remote station of claim 8, wherein said determination is based upon a comparison between a number associated with the call and a number broadcast to the remote station.

11. The remote station of claim 8, further comprising:

a key, wherein said call is determined to be an emergency call by said processor if said key is actuated.

12. The remote station of claim 8, wherein said set of preferences includes whether a cell associated with the control channel is barred with respect to the remote station.

13. The remote station of claim 8, wherein said set of preferences includes whether a cellular operator associated with the control channel is not a preferred operator.

14. The remote station of claim 8, wherein the set of preferences includes whether a cell associated with said control channel provides services desired by the remote station.

15. The remote station of claim 8, further comprising:

a table which lists messages to be sent when the remote station places the emergency call.

16. The remote station of claim 15, wherein the messages to be sent when the remote station places the emergency call are random access channel (RACH) messages.

17. The remote station of claim 15, wherein the table of messages to be sent when the remote station places the emergency call is a message selected from the group consisting of:

audit confirmation, authentication, base station challenge order, BSMC message delivery, capability report, MACA report, origination, page response, queue disconnect, R-DATA, R-DATA ACCEPT, R-DATA REJECT, registration, serial number, system operator code message delivery, SPACH confirmation, SSD update order confirmation, test registration, unique challenge order confirmation.

18. The remote station of claim 8, further comprising:

a table which lists messages which are not to be sent when the remote station places the emergency call.

19. The remote station of claim 18, wherein said messages which are not to be sent include an Authentication message and a Capability Report message.

20. A system for locking to a control channel in a radiocommunication system comprising:

means for storing a set of preferences for evaluating candidate control channels in a remote station;

means for identifying, in said remote station, a call to be placed as an emergency call;

means for ignoring said set of preferences when evaluating a control channel for said emergency call; and

means for locking to said control channel if said control channel is received by said remote station at a predetermined signal strength.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for identifying the call to be placed as an emergency call comprises:

means for comparing a telephone number associated with the call to be placed with a database of possible emergency call numbers.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for identifying the call to be placed as an emergency call comprises:

means for broadcasting a number associated with emergency calls to the remote station; and

means for comparing a number associated with the call to be placed with the broadcasted number.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said means for identifying a call to be placed as an emergency call comprises:

means for determining whether a key or key sequence associated with emergency calls has been actuated.