Emergency call handoff between heterogeneous networks

• US 8,886,155 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaikh, Imtiyaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Georgewill, Opiribo
• Application Number:
  US14/153,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/552.1, 370/331, 370/352, 379/45, 379/37
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• 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 4/90 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 system to receive, from a user device, a request to establish a communication session to allow an emergency call to be placed or transferred to a public safety access point (PSAP) server; determine whether the request includes a first indication that the emergency call is being initiated via the user device or a second indication that the emergency call is being handed off from a base station associated with another network device, place the emergency call, to the PSAP server and via a first gateway device associated with the network device, when the request includes the first indication; and transfer the emergency call, to the PSAP server and via a second gateway device associated with the other network device, when the request includes the second indication, where the second gateway device processed the emergency call prior to being handed off from the base station.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network device, the method comprising:

determining that a request received at the network device includes a first indication that an emergency call, initiated by a user device and routed from a source base station in a long term evolution (LTE) network to a public safety access point (PSAP) via a first gateway device serving the source base station, is to be handed off to a target base station associated with a non-LTE network;

transmitting, from the network device to a server device and responsive to the first indication, a request for context information associated with the user device, the source base station, and the first gateway device;

obtaining, at the network device and from a response to the request for context information, information identifying the first gateway device;

transmitting, from the network device to a second gateway device serving the target base station, a bearer request including the information identifying the first gateway device;

receiving, at the network device, a second indication that a connection between the first gateway device and the second gateway device has been established for transfer of the emergency call to the PSAP; and

transmitting, from the network device and responsive to the second indication, an instruction to the source base station to handoff the emergency call to the target base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, responsive to the request received at the network device, a handover session request to the second gateway device; and

receiving, from the second gateway device and responsive to the handover session request, a session response indicating that a handover session is to be established via the second gateway device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting, responsive to the session response, a handover request to the target base station; and

receiving, from the target base station and responsive to the handover request, an acknowledgment that the emergency call is to be handed over to the target base station,

wherein transmitting the request for context information is further responsive to the acknowledgment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request received at the network device corresponds to the user device exiting a cell associated with the source base station and entering another cell associated with the target base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining information identifying the first gateway device comprises:

retrieving at least one of a device identifier for the first gateway device or a network address for the first gateway device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein retrieving at least one of a device identifier or a network address comprises at least one of:

retrieving a mobile director number for the second gateway device, or

retrieving a media access control address or an Internet protocol address for the second gateway device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the source base station comprises an evolved Node B device, and the target base station comprises an evolved high-rate packet data (eHRPD) device or a wireless router device.

8. A network device comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

determine that a request received at the network device includes a first indication that an emergency call, initiated by a user device and routed from a source base station in a long term evolution (LTE) network to a public safety access point (PSAP) via a first gateway device serving the source base station, is to be handed off to a target base station associated with a non-LTE network;

transmit, to a server device and responsive to the first indication, a request for context information associated with the user device, the source base station, and the first gateway device;

obtain, from a response to the request for context information, information identifying the first gateway device;

transmit, to a second gateway device serving the target base station, a bearer request including the information identifying the first gateway device;

receive, responsive to the bearer request, a second indication that a connection between the first gateway device and the second gateway device has been established for transfer of the emergency call to the PSAP; and

transmit, responsive to the second indication, an instruction to the source base station to handoff the emergency call to the target base station.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the request comprises a non-access stratum (NAS) message that identifies the emergency call to be handed over from the source base station.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

transmit, responsive to the request received at the network device, a handover session request to the second gateway device; and

receive, from the second gateway device and responsive to the handover session request, a session response indicating that a handover session is to be established via the second gateway device.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

transmit, responsive to the session response, a handover request to the target base station; and

receive, from the target base station and responsive to the handover request, an acknowledgment that the emergency call is to be handed over to the target base station,

wherein transmitting the request for context information is further responsive to the acknowledgment.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein the request received at the network device corresponds to the user exiting a cell associated with the source base station and entering another cell associated with the target base station.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein when obtaining information identifying the first gateway device, the one or more processors are further configured to:

retrieve at least one of a device identifier for the first gateway device or a network address for the first gateway device.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein when retrieving at least one of a device identifier or a network address, the one or more processors are further configured to:

retrieve a mobile director number for the second gateway device, or

retrieve a media access control address or an Internet protocol address for the second gateway device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine that a request received at the network device includes a first indication that an emergency call, initiated by a user device and routed from a source base station in a long term evolution (LTE) network to a public safety access point (PSAP) via a first gateway device serving the source base station, is to be handed off to a target base station associated with a non-LTE network;

transmit, to a server device and responsive to the first indication, a request for context information associated with the user device, the source base station, and the first gateway device;

obtain, from a response to the request for context information, information identifying the first gateway device;

transmit, to a second gateway device serving the target base station, a bearer request including the information identifying the first gateway device;

receive, responsive to the bearer request, a second indication that a connection between the first gateway device and the second gateway device has been established for transfer of the emergency call to the PSAP; and

transmit, responsive to the second indication, an instruction to the source base station to handoff the emergency call to the target base station.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

transmit, responsive to the request received at the network device, a handover session request to the second gateway device; and

receive, from the second gateway device and responsive to the handover session request, a session response indicating that a handover session is to be established via the second gateway device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

transmit, responsive to the session response, a handover request to the target base station; and

receive, from the target base station and responsive to the handover request, an acknowledgment that the emergency call is to be handed over to the target base station,

wherein transmitting the request for context information is further responsive to the acknowledgment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein when obtaining information identifying the first gateway device, the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve at least one of a device identifier for the first gateway device or a network address for the first gateway device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein retrieving at least one of a device identifier or a network address, the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve a mobile director number for the second gateway device, or

retrieve a media access control address or an Internet protocol address for the second gateway device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the source base station comprises an evolved Node B device, and the target base station comprises an evolved high-rate packet data (eHRPD) device or a wireless router device.