Apparatus, and associated method, for placing an emergency call in a radio communication system

• US 6,801,762 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Huilgol, Sharad
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US09/672,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/552, 455/553, 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/435.1, 455/445, 455/450, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• 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

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating placement of an emergency call utilizing a mobile station operable selectably in more than one communication system. If the emergency call cannot be completed by way of a first of the communication systems, selection is made to attempt to complete the call by way of an alternate communication system. Thereby, the likelihood that an emergency call might not be able to be completed is reduced.

Claims

1. Apparatus for facilitating completion of an emergency call placed at a mobile station by a user, the mobile station being operable in a first radio communication system in which a first set of channels are utilized in placement of the emergency call and the mobile station being operable in at least a second radio communication system in which at least a second set of channels are utilized in placement of the emergency call, a preferred list of channels selected from at least one of the first set and the second set, utilized by the mobile station first to attempt the completion of the emergency call, said apparatus comprising:

a determiner coupled to receive indications of attempts to complete the emergency call, said determiner for determining whether a prior attempt to complete the emergency call was successful;

a selector coupled to said determiner at least to receive indications of determinations made by said determiner of non-successful completion of the emergency call through utilization of the preferred list of channels, said selector operable responsive thereto to select at least one additional channel to be utilized by the mobile station to attempt the completion of the emergency call, the at least one additional channel selected from the first set and the second set and which is not contained in the preferred list of channels; and

a call attemptor coupled to said selector, said call attemptor being operable responsive to selection made by said selector, said call attemptor for initiating placement of the emergency call responsive to the selection made by said selector and, subsequent to a user-caused, call-attempt termination, for attempting to acquire a most-recently utilized communication system of the first and at least second radio communication systems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selected one of the first radio communication system and the second radio communication system comprises a presently-acquired communication system with respect to the mobile station, wherein the preferred list of channels comprises the set of channels associated with the presently-acquired communication system, and wherein said selector is suitable for selecting the at least one additional channel associated with an other-than presently-acquired communication system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said determining is further operable to determine whether the attempt to complete the emergency call through utilization of the at least one additional channel is successful.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said call attemptor is operable to re-attempt placement of the emergency call a selected number of times responsive to determination by said determiner of unsuccessful completion of the emergency call.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said call attemptor is suitable for initiating placement of the emergency call upon a selected one of the at least one additional channel selected by said selector for the selected number of times responsive to the determination by said determiner of the unsuccessful completion of the emergency call.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said determiner is suitable for making a determination subsequent to each call attempt attempted by said call attemptor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the selected number of times at which said call attemptor is suitable for initiating placement of the emergency call in selected responsive to an allowable time period within which the emergency call must be placed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least the second radio communication system having the at least the second set of channels in which the mobile station is operable comprises the second communication system and at least a third communication system, the third communication system having a third set of channels utilizable in the placement of the emergency call, one of the first communication system and the second communication system forming a more-preferred system, and wherein said selector is suitable for first selecting the at least one additional channel from the set of the more-preferred system to be utilized by the mobile station to attempt the completion of the emergency call.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said selector is suitable for subsequently selecting the at least one additional channel selected from the set of an other-than-the-more-preferred system to be utilized by the mobile station to attempt the completion of the emergency call subsequent to failure earlier to complete the emergency call.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first radio communication system is operated by a first operator with which the mobile station is operable pursuant to a service subscription, wherein the second radio communication system is operated by a second operator, wherein the preferred list of channels are associated with the first radio communication system, and wherein the at least one additional channel selected by said selector is associated with the second radio communication system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a memory device having a memory table stored thereat, the memory table containing the preferred list of channels from which said selector is suitable for selecting the at least one additional channel.

12. A method for facilitating completion of an emergency call placed at a mobile station, the mobile station being operable in a first radio communication system in which a first set of channels are utilized in placement of the emergency call and the mobile station operable in at least a second radio communication system in which at least a second set of channels is utilized in placement of the emergency call, a preferred list of channels selected from at least one of the first set and the second set, utilized by the mobile station first to attempt the completion of the emergency call, said method comprising:

determining whether a prior attempt to complete the emergency call was successful through utilization of the preferred list of channels;

selecting, responsive to determination during said operation of determining, of non-success of the prior attempt to complete the emergency call through utilization of the preferred list of channels, at least one additional channel to be utilized by the mobile station to attempt the completion of the emergency call, the at least one additional channel selected from the first set and the second set and which is not contained in the preferred list of channels; and

attempting, responsive to selection made during said operation of selecting, initiation of placement of the emergency call, and attempting, subsequent to a user-caused, call-attempt termination, to acquire a most-recently utilized communication system of the first and at least second radio communication systems.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a selected one of the first radio communication system and the second radio communication system comprises a presently-acquired communication system with respect to the mobile station wherein the preferred list of channels comprises the set of channels associated with the presently-acquired communication system, and wherein the at least one additional channel selected during said operation of selecting is associated with an other-than-presently-acquired communication system.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said operation of attempting further comprises the operation of re-attempting to complete the emergency call if a determination is made during said operation of determining of non-successful completion of the emergency call.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said operations of determining and attempting are repeated a selected number of times.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selected number of times at which said operations of determining and re-attempting are repeated is dependent upon time periods required to perform said operations of determining and attempting.