Support in HSS for emergency telecommunication services

• US 8,634,798 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Blanco, Germn, Escribano Bullon, Berta Isabel, Maroto Gil, Beatriz
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US13/383,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20120115432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/432.3, 455/423
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• 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 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• 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

A home subscriber server (HSS) and method are described herein for supporting an emergency telecommunication service (e.g., Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS)). In one embodiment, the HSS and the method are adapted to selectively provide telecommunication access to subscribers of an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) by associating different user priority values with different network condition statuses, where a network condition status may be a congestion level or a disaster relief emergency status.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a serving call session control function for supporting an emergency telecommunications service, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user profile for a registered subscriber, where the user profile includes a plurality of network condition statuses, where a user priority value is associated with each network condition status, and where the one or more user priority values are associated with the emergency telecommunications service;

determining a current network condition; and

deregistering the registered subscriber as a result of using the user profile to determine that the registered subscriber has an insufficient user priority value based on the current network condition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an emergency policy profile applicable for all subscribers, where the emergency policy profile includes the plurality of network condition statuses, and where a minimum priority value is associated with each network condition status;

fetching from the emergency policy profile the minimum priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

fetching from the user table the user priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

comparing the fetched minimum priority value to the fetched user priority value and if the fetched user priority value corresponds to a lower user priority than the fetched minimum priority value then determining there is an insufficient user priority value based on the current network condition.

3. A serving call session control function node for supporting an emergency telecommunications service, said serving call session control function node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to;

receive a user profile for a registered subscriber, where the user profile includes a plurality of network condition statuses, where a user priority value is associated with each network condition status, and where the one or more user priority values are associated with the emergency telecommunications service;

receive an emergency policy profile, where the emergency policy profile includes the plurality of network condition statuses, and where a minimum priority value is associated with each network condition status;

determine a current network condition;

fetch from the emergency policy profile the minimum priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

fetch from the user profile the user priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

compare the fetched minimum priority to the fetched user priority value and if the fetched user priority value corresponds to a lower user priority than the fetched minimum priority value, then determining there is an insufficient user priority value based on the current network condition, otherwise determining there is a sufficient user priority; and

deregister the registered subscriber when the registered subscriber has the insufficient user priority value based on the current network condition.

4. A call session control node for supporting an emergency telecommunications service, the serving call session control node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to;

receive a user profile for a registered subscriber, where the user profile includes a plurality of network condition statuses, where a user priority value is associated with each network condition status, and where the one or more user priority values are associated with the emergency telecommunications service;

determine a current network condition; and

deregister the registered subscriber as a result of using the user profile to determine that the registered subscriber has an insufficient user priority value based on the current network condition.

5. A method implemented by a home subscriber server for supporting an emergency telecommunications service in a telecommunication network, the method comprising the step of:

provisioning a user table to store a plurality of network condition statuses, where each network condition status is associated with a user priority value for the emergency telecommunications service;

provisioning an emergency policy table to store the plurality of network condition statuses, where each network condition status is associated with a minimum priority value for subscribers;

upon receiving a registration request for a subscriber, determining a current network condition;

fetching from the emergency policy table the minimum priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

fetching from the user table the user priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition; and

when the fetched user priority value is equal or higher than the fetched minimum priority value, allowing the registration request for the subscriber, and otherwise, rejecting the registration request for the subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of network condition statuses and associated user priority values stored in the user table are included in a user profile for the subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of responding to a pull query from a serving call session control function by downloading at least the user profile for the subscriber to the serving call session control function.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of responding to a pull query from an application server by downloading at least the user profile for the subscriber to the application server.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user profile further includes a plurality of initial filter criteria, where at least one of the initial filter criteria is associated with one network condition status and its associated user priority value.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining the current network condition further comprises a step of receiving information about the current network status.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of receiving information about the current network condition includes a step of provisioning the received current network condition by overwriting a previously received current network condition.

12. A home subscriber server for supporting an emergency telecommunications service, the home subscriber server comprising:

a user table adapted to store a plurality of network condition statuses, where each network condition status is associated with a user priority value for the emergency telecommunications service;

an emergency policy table adapted to store the plurality of network condition statuses, where each network condition status is associated with a minimum priority value for subscribers;

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to;

provision the user table and the emergency policy table;

receive a registration request for a subscriber;

determine a current network condition;

fetch from the emergency policy table the minimum priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition;

fetch from the user table the user priority value associated with the network condition status that corresponds with the current network condition; and

where the fetched user priority value is equal or higher than the fetched minimum priority value, allow the registration request for the subscriber;

otherwise reject the registration request for the subscriber.

13. The home subscriber server of claim 12, wherein the plurality of network condition statuses and associated user priority values stored in the user table are included in a user profile for the subscriber.

14. The home subscriber server of claim 13, wherein the user profile further includes a plurality of initial filter criteria, where at least one of the initial filter criteria is associated with one network condition status and its associated user priority value.

15. The home subscriber server of claim 12, wherein the plurality of network condition statuses includes at least two of:

a normal network condition;

a slight network congestion;

a medium network congestion;

a high network congestion; and

an emergency condition.

16. The home subscriber server of claim 12, wherein the plurality of priority values includes at least two of:

a highest priority value;

a top priority value;

a medium priority value;

a low priority value;

a bottom priority value; and

a lowest priority value.