Apparatus and method of explicit indication of call from emergency call centre

• US 7,050,785 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Willey, William Daniel, Islam, M. Khaledul, Estable, Luis P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US10/730,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/445, 455/457, 455/422.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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

Herein are disclosed an apparatus and method of explicit indication of call from emergency call center. The method includes the steps of forming an emergency signal in relation to the mobile station terminated call; sending the emergency signal to the mobile station on behalf of the emergency call center; and detecting the emergency signal at the mobile station. The apparatus includes emergency signal forming means for forming an emergency signal in relation to the mobile station terminated call; emergency signal sending means for sending said emergency signal to the mobile station on behalf of the emergency call center; and emergency signal detecting means for detecting said emergency signal at the mobile station. A global emergency call information record is disclosed for use in cdma2000 type networks and the like. The apparatus and method may apply to other networks.

Claims

1. A method of explicitly indicating that a mobile station terminated call is from an emergency call centre, the method comprising the steps of:

providing location privacy at the mobile station;

placing a mobile station originated emergency call;

maintaining an emergency callback timer having an emergency callback period during which the mobile station operates in emergency callback mode; and

determining if the mobile terminated emergency call occurs outside of the emergency callback period; and

if so determined then enabling location services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming an emergency signal in relation to the mobile station terminated call;

sending said emergency signal to the mobile station on behalf of the emergency call centre; and

detecting said emergency signal at the mobile station.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving the mobile station terminated emergency call.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of maintaining an apparently continuous emergency call.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the step of automatically transitioning from said mobile station originated emergency call to the mobile terminated emergency call.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the step of blocking a non-emergency mobile station terminated call in favour of one of said mobile station originated emergency call and the mobile terminated emergency call.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the mobile terminated emergency call occurs outside of the emergency callback period, and if so determined resetting the emergency callback timer so as to cause the mobile station to operate in emergency callback mode.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the location of the mobile station.

9. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the apparently continuous emergency call comprises at least one call with a first responder.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the location of the mobile station is communicated to said first responder.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining if the mobile station is configured to allow location services outside the emergency callback period;

and if so determined then preventing location services from being enabled outside the emergency callback period.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, determining if the emergency callback timer has expired;

and if so determined then disabling location services.

13. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of notifying emergency information at the mobile station.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said emergency information is derived from said emergency signal.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the step of adapting said emergency information to be more readily understood by the subscriber of the mobile station.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the step of determining a locale at the mobile station.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said locale is a default locale at the mobile station.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said locale is a preferred locale at the mobile station.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said locale is a function of a preferred ranking of locales at the mobile station.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said emergency signal includes an emergency code.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said emergency information is a function of said emergency code.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said emergency code describes the nature of the emergency in a non-localized fashion.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein said emergency code is determined by the emergency call centre as a function of the nature of the emergency ascertained during the mobile station terminated call.

24. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said emergency signal includes a global emergency call record.

25. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said emergency signal is sent in an alert with info message.

26. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said emergency signal is sent in a flash with info message.

27. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of automatically answering the mobile station terminated emergency call.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of waiting for the subscriber to manually answer the mobile station terminated emergency call for a predetermined amount of time before automatically answering the mobile station terminated emergency call.

29. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of determining if the mobile station has speakerphone capability, and if so determined turning on the speakerphone automatically.