Mechanism to allow use of typed emergency calls

• US 7,340,239 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Laatu, Juho
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desir; Pierre-Louis
• Application Number:
  US10/751,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/458, 455/521, 455/436, 455/556.2
• 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

Abstract

A method and device are disclosed for accessing an emergency call number in a terminal. A signal sends a first identity to a smart card in the terminal, if access is sought to an emergency number readable by terminals that support calls for types of emergencies. If access is instead or additionally sought to at least one emergency number readable by substantially any terminal compatible with third generation specifications, then a second identity is sent to the smart card. Subsequently, the emergency number or numbers are received from the smart card. This smart card functions in a terminal configured to only send the second identity, and it also functions in a terminal configured to send both identities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

signaling a first identity to a smart card in a terminal, if access is sought by the terminal to a first list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general only if the terminal supports calls for non-general types of emergencies,

sending to the smart card a second identity if access is sought by the terminal to a second list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as general if the terminal is compatible with third generation specifications, even if the terminal only supports general emergency calls, and

receiving the first list or the second list from the smart card, in response to the first identity or the second identity respectively,

wherein the smart card includes both the first list and the second list, and

wherein the terminal is programmed to perform the signaling and the sending, or instead is programmed to perform the sending only, said signaling or sending being responsive to user input indicative of an emergency or instead responsive to booting the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of emergency include emergencies requiring police, requiring firemen, and requiring ambulance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one emergency number for a type of emergency further includes a general emergency number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is programmable to perform the sending only, if the terminal operates according to a release of third generation partnership project-specifications that handles untyped emergency calls only.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is programmable to perform the sending and the signaling, if the terminal operates according to a release of third generation partnership project-specifications that handles both typed and untyped emergency calls.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein only the first identity or the second identity is sent, but the set of the emergency call numbers from the smart card include both the at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general as well as the at least one emergency number that is treatable as general.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general is not understood by the terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identity or the second identity is a generic identity for emergencies, and wherein only the generic identity is sent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generic identity is sent in response to an emergency or in response to booting the terminal.

10. A smart card comprising:

an emergency call code file that further includes

a first list having at least one emergency number of a first kind, that is available in response to receipt of a first identity from a terminal in which the smart card is placed, and that is treatable as non-general only if the terminal supports calls for non-general types of emergencies; and

a second list having at least one emergency number of a second kind, that is available in response to receipt of a second identity and that is treatable as general if the terminal is compatible with third generation specifications, even if the terminal only supports general emergency calls.

11. The smart card of claim 10, wherein the first identity or the second identity is a generic emergency identity.

12. A terminal comprising:

at least one identification unit, responsive to emergency user input or to booting the terminal, said identification unit being configured to signal a first identity if access is sought to a first list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general only if the terminal supports calls for non-general types of emergencies, and said identification unit also being configured to send a second identity if access is sought to a second list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as general if the terminal is compatible with third generation specifications, even if the terminal only supports general emergency calls; and

a smart card, responsive to the first identity and the second identity, or to the second identity only, or to the first identity only, configured to provide a set of the at least one emergency number,

wherein the smart card includes both the first list and the second list, and

wherein the terminal is programmed to perform the signaling and the sending, or

instead is programmed to perform the sending only, said signaling or sending being responsive to user input indicative of an emergency or instead responsive to booting the terminal.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the types of emergency include emergencies requiring police, requiring firemen, and requiring ambulance.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the at least one emergency number for a type of emergency further includes a general emergency number.

15. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the terminal is programmable to perform the sending only, if the terminal operates according to a release of third generation partnership project specifications that handles untyped emergency calls only.

16. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the terminal is programmable to perform the sending and the signaling, if the terminal operates according to a release of third generation partnership project specifications that handles both typed and untyped emergency calls.

17. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the set of the emergency call numbers from the smart card include both the at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general only by terminals supporting calls for types of emergencies, as well as the at least one emergency number that is treatable as general by substantially any terminal compatible with third generation specifications, if only the first identity or the second identity is sent.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general is not understandable by the terminal.

19. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the first identity or the second identity is a generic identity for emergencies.

20. Terminal comprising:

means for signaling a first identity, if access is sought to a first list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as non-general only if the terminal supports calls for non-general types of emergencies,

means for sending a second identity if access is sought to a second list having at least one emergency number that is treatable as general if the terminal is compatible with third generation specifications, even if the terminal only supports general emergency calls; and

means for providing a set of the at least one emergency number, responsive to the first identity and the second identity, or to the second identity only, or to the first identity only,

wherein the means for providing includes both the first list and the second list, and

wherein the terminal is programmed to perform the signaling and the sending, or

instead is programmed to perform the sending only, said signaling or sending being responsive to user input indicative of an emergency or instead responsive to booting.

21. The terminal of claim 20, wherein the types of emergency include emergencies requiring police, requiring firemen, and requiring ambulance.