Emergency session request handling in a network

• US 7,860,976 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Hurtta, Tuija
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fearer; Mark D
• Application Number:
  US10/502,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,259 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• 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

The invention provides a method and system for handling a session request of a user equipment in a network comprising at least one supporting entity, in particular in a case where the user equipment is not allowed to initiate other session apart from specific session type. At least one of the supporting entities or another control entity is adapted to check whether or not the initiated session is actually continued as a session of the specific type. The session is forcibly terminated when detecting that it is not continued as such a session. A timer may be started when the user equipment attaches to the network for requesting a session, and the user equipment is detached from the network when not continuing with a session of the specific type within a defined time after attach.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a session request from a user equipment, wherein the user equipment is permitted to initiate sessions of a first type or types, but not permitted to initiate sessions of a second type or types, the first type or types corresponding to an emergency session, and the second type or types not corresponding to the emergency session;

starting a timer, set to a time interval, upon receiving the session request from the user equipment for a session of the first type or types;

checking whether a bearer is active for the session of the first type or types within said time interval after receiving the session request, the bearer comprising a packet data protocol context; and

detaching the user equipment from a network when detecting that there is no bearer active for the session of the first type or types within said time interval after the attachment, wherein the detaching the user equipment is requested via a server when detecting that the requested session is a session of the second type or types.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

checking, via a supporting entity, whether one or more bearers are activated, and/or the session of the first type or types is confirmed, within a time interval after the attachment, wherein the supporting entity is configured to detach the user equipment when no activation or confirmation has taken place within the time interval.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the supporting entity comprises a timer set to the time interval and configured to start timing when the user equipment attaches to the network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the server is a home subscriber server.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a serving function indicates to the server that the user equipment has to be deregistered/detached from the network, the server initiating a detach procedure by sending a message to the supporting entity.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory provide at least the following;

a timer configured to start a time check of a time interval when a user equipment is attached to a network when requesting a session of a first type or types, the first type or types corresponding to an emergency session, and the second type or types not corresponding to the emergency session; and

a controller configured to detach the user equipment from the network when there is no bearer active during the session within the time interval after the attachment of the user equipment, the bearer comprising a packet data protocol context, wherein the apparatus is configured to request detaching the user equipment via a server when detecting that the requested session is a session of the second type or types.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to check whether one or more bearers are activated, and/or the session of the first type or types is confirmed, within the time interval after attachment, and wherein the controller is further configured to detach the user equipment when no activation or confirmation has taken place within the time interval.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller comprises a timer set to the time interval and configured to start timing when the user equipment attaches to the network.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bearer is a packet data protocol context.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the server is a home subscriber server.

11. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a serving function configured to indicate to the server that the user equipment has to be deregistered/detached from the network, the server being configured to detach the user equipment by sending a message to the controller.