Method and system for allowing incoming emergency communications on a disabled device

• US 9,345,052 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Moodbidri, Neeta, Ranjan, Nilesh, Chapman, Simon, Dunn, Timothy N., Hall, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/887,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/60 based on actual use of network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6081 Service authorization mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system and method to allow a disabled device to receive an incoming communication after the termination of an emergency communication session with a service provider. A disabled device is a device having a portion of its service plan that allows the device to send or receive communications either temporarily or permanently disabled. In some embodiments, the system allows the disabled device to receive all incoming communications during a defined period of time after the emergency communication session. In some embodiments, the system allows the disabled device to receive all incoming communications from numbers or URIs contained in a repository of allowed numbers. In some embodiments, the system allows the disabled device to receive all incoming communications if the service provider initiating the communication enters an authenticated routing key or passcode.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory signals, and carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor, perform a method for establishing a communication session between a disabled telecommunications device and a destination after a communication session between the disabled telecommunications device and a service provider has ended, the method comprising:

detecting an establishment of a communication session between a disabled telecommunications device and a service provider, the communication session being initiated by the disabled telecommunications device;

receiving a request from a destination to establish a second communication session between the destination and the disabled telecommunications device,

wherein the request to establish the second communication session occurs after the communication session between the service provider and the disabled telecommunications device has ended;

determining whether an identifier corresponding to the destination belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers;

in response to determining that the identifier belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers, authorizing the establishment of the second communication session; and

in response to determining that the identifier does not belong to a group of one or more authorized service providers, denying the establishment of the second communication session.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, wherein the elapsed time is measured from the end of the emergency communication session, and wherein the end of the emergency communication session is a result of at least one of:

the disabled telecommunications device terminating the communication session, the service provider terminating the communication session, or network difficulties terminating the communication session.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is measured from the start of the communication session.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is measured from the end of the emergency communication session.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communication session is a voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM), Short Message Service (SMS), or multimedia session.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second communication session is a voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM), Short Message Service (SMS), or multimedia session.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is determined by a timer.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is determined by comparing a time stamp associated with the communication session and a time of the request to establish a second communication session.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein authorizing the establishment of the second communication session includes enabling charging for communication resources consumed during the second communication session.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communication session is an emergency communication session, including a 911 call and the service provider is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method involves an emergency responder and the service provider being the same parties.

12. A method for establishing a communication session between a disabled telecommunications device and a destination after a communication session between the disabled telecommunications device and a service provider has terminated, the method comprising:

detecting an establishment of a communication session between a disabled telecommunications device and a service provider,

wherein the communication session was previously initiated by the disabled telecommunications device;

receiving a request from a destination to establish a second communication session between the destination and the disabled telecommunications device,

wherein the request to establish the second communication session occurs after the communication session between the service provider and the disabled telecommunications device has terminated;

determining whether an identifier corresponding to the destination belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers;

in response to determining that the identifier belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers, authorizing the establishment of the second communication session; and

in response to determining that the identifier does not belong to a group of one or more authorized service providers, denying the establishment of the second communication session.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is measured from the start of the communication session.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is measured from the end of the emergency communication session.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication session is a voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM), Short Message Service (SMS), or multimedia session.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the second communication session is a voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM), Short Message Service (SMS), or multimedia session.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is determined by a timer.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining an elapsed time between the communication session and the request to establish the second communication session, and wherein the elapsed time is determined by comparing a time stamp associated with the communication session and a time of the request to establish a second communication session.

19. A system for establishing a communication session in a network between a disabled telecommunications device and a destination after a communication session between the disabled telecommunications device and a service provider has terminated, comprising:

at least one processor coupled to the network;

at least one memory, coupled to the at least one processor, and storing instructions to be performed by the at least one processor to;

detect an establishment of a communication session between a disabled telecommunications device and a service provider,

wherein the communication session was previously initiated by the disabled telecommunications device;

receive a request from a destination to establish a second communication session between the destination and the disabled telecommunications device,

wherein the request to establish the second communication session occurs after the communication session between the service provider and the disabled telecommunications device has terminated;

determine whether an identifier corresponding to the destination belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers;

in response to determining that the identifier belongs to a group of one or more authorized service providers, authorize the establishment of the second communication session; and

in response to determining that the identifier does not belong to a group of one or more authorized service providers, deny the establishment of the second communication session.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication session is selected from the group consisting of a voice session, a video session, an Instant Messaging (IM) session, a Short Message Service (SMS) session, and a multimedia session, and wherein the second communication session is selected from the group comprising is selected from the group consisting of a voice session, a video session, an Instant Messaging (IM) session, a Short Message Service (SMS) session, and a multimedia session.