Privacy-related requests for an IMS emergency session

• US 8,442,479 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Bakker, Jan Hendrik Lucas, Buckley, Adrian, Allen, Andrew, Barnes, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENSEN, NICHOLAS A
• Application Number:
  US12/994,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20120028598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 370/352, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14

Abstract

A network component is provided that includes a processor configured, upon the network component receiving an IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) emergency call from a user equipment (UE) 110, to detect in the emergency call an indicator requesting the network component to restrict presentation of private information related to the UE 110. The processor is further configured, when the indicator is present, to transmit the emergency call without at least some of the private information to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) 130.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a network component configured to;

receive from a user equipment (UE) an emergency request with a request for privacy, in relation to at least one item of information associated with the UE and included in the emergency request, the at least one item comprising UE location information;

remove the location information from the emergency request; and

forward the emergency request to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP);

send a response to the UE containing an indicator comprising a P-Asserted-Identity header field indicating that the UE had made the emergency request; and

receive from the UE a second emergency request if the UE is unaware that the previous emergency request was related to an emergency.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is an emergency call session control function (E-CSCF).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one item of information associated with the UE comprises a UE identity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one item of information associated with the UE comprises UE access network information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to, prior to forwarding the emergency request to the PSAP, select the PSAP based on the location information associated with the UE.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to, prior to forwarding the emergency request to the PSAP, modify the emergency request to include only privacy-related information associated with the UE sufficient for the PSAP to make an anonymous callback to the UE.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to:

store an operator policy indicating whether to allow suppression of public user identifiers and location information received from and relating to a user equipment (UE); and

if the operator policy does not allow suppression of the at least one item of information relative to the request for privacy, send an override token to the UE indicating the operator policy.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to remove a geolocation header field from the emergency request.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to remove from the emergency request a Globally Routable UA (User Agent) (URI) Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network component is further configured to:

store an operator policy indicating whether to allow suppression of public user identifiers and location information received from and relating to a user equipment (UE); and

remove the at least one item of information in relation to the request for privacy only if permitted by the operator policy.

11. A method comprising:

receiving from a user equipment (UE) an emergency request with a request for privacy, in relation to at least one item of information associated with the UE and included in the emergency request, the at least one item comprising UE location information;

removing the location information from the emergency request; and

forwarding the emergency request to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP);

sending a response to the UE containing an indicator comprising a P-Asserted-Identity header field indicating that the UE had made the emergency request; and

receiving from the UE a second emergency request if the UE is unaware that the previous emergency request was related to an emergency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is implemented by a network component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network component is an emergency call session control function (E-CSCF).

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one item of information associated with the UE comprises a UE identity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one item of information associated with the UE comprises UE access network information.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to forwarding the emergency request to the PSAP, selecting the PSAP based on the location information associated with the UE.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to forwarding the emergency request to the PSAP, modifying the emergency request to include only privacy-related information associated with the UE sufficient for the PSAP to make an anonymous callback to the UE.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing an operator policy indicating whether to allow suppression of public user identifiers and location information received from and relating to a user equipment (UE); and

if the operator policy does not allow suppression of the at least one item of information relative to the request for privacy, sending an override token to the UE indicating the operator policy.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing a geolocation header field from the emergency request.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing from the emergency request a Globally Routable UA (User Agent) (URI) Uniform Resource Identifier (GRUU).

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing an operator policy indicating whether to allow suppression of public user identifiers and location information received from and relating to a user equipment (UE); and

removing the at least one item of information in relation to the request for privacy only if permitted by the operator policy.