Emergency Services in Home Cells System and Method

• US 20110171926A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Young Ae, Faccin, Stefano M., Dwyer, Johanna L., Hole, David Philip, Islam, M. Khaledul, Fong, Mo-Han, Wijayanathan, Maiyuran, Carpenter, Paul Marcus, Wirtanen, Jeffrey William
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) including one or more processors configured to receive an emergency calls supported indicator (ECSI).

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

one or more processors configured to receive an emergency calls supported indicator (ECSI).

2. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to attempt to attach to an available femtocell based on a value of the ECSI.

3. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to attach to an femtocell if the ECSI indicates that the femtocell supports emergency calls.

4. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to attach to a femtocell if the ECSI indicates that the femtocell provides limited support for emergency calls.

5. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to attach to a macro cell if the ECSI indicates that an available femtocell does not support emergency calls.

6. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to attach to a macro cell if the ECSI indicates that an available femtocell provides limited support for emergency calls.

7. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to attach to an available femtocell based on a determination made by the UE.

8. The UE of claim 1 wherein the ECSI is received in broadcast information.

9. The UE of claim 1 wherein the ECSI is received in one of non-access stratum (NAS) signaling or access stratum (AS) signaling.

10. The UE of claim 1 wherein the ECSI is received upon one of initial attachment, a routing area update, and a tracking area update.

11. The UE of claim 1 wherein the ECSI indicates support of limited emergency services by an available femtocell.

12. The UE of claim 11 wherein the ECSI indicates that the limited emergency services comprise non-guaranteed emergency services.

13. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to prompt a user to provide input regarding at least one of whether to attach to an available femtocell and how to attach to the available femtocell.

14. The UE of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to transmit an emergency calls required indicator (ECRI) to a network component responsive to the UE receiving an instruction to place an emergency call, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to transmit the ECRI before receiving the ECSI.

15. The UE of claim 14 wherein the ECSI is received responsive to transmitting the ECRI.

16. The UE of claim 14 wherein the ECRI indicates if limited emergency services are sufficient for the UE to place the emergency call.

17. The UE claim 14 wherein the ECRI indicates if full emergency services are required for the UE to place the emergency call.

18. A network component, comprising:

one or more processors configured to cause the network component to transmit an emergency calls supported indicator (ECSI).

19. The network component of claim 18 wherein the network component comprises a femtocell and wherein the ECSI indicates whether the femtocell supports one of limited emergency services or full emergency services.

20. The network component of claim 19 wherein the network component is further configured to transmit a message to the UE instructing the UE to connect to the femtocell when the UE places an emergency call.

21. The network component of claim 19 wherein the network component is further configured to transmit a message to the UE instructing the UE to avoid connecting to the femtocell when the UE places an emergency call.

22. The network component of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the network to transmit the ECSI responsive to receiving an emergency calls required indicator (ECRI).

23. The network component of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the ECSI to have a value corresponding to one of no emergency services support, limited emergency services support, or full emergency services support.

24. A method, implemented in a user equipment (UE), for indicating support for emergency calls, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency calls supported indicator (ECSI).

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

attempting to attach to an available femtocell based on a value of the ECSI.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

attaching to a femtocell if the ECSI indicates that the femtocell support emergency calls or provide limited support for emergency calls.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

attaching to a macro cell if the ECSI indicates that an available femtocell does not support emergency calls or provide limited support for emergency calls.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the ECSI indicates support of limited emergency services by an available femtocell.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the ECSI indicates that the limited emergency services comprise non-guaranteed emergency services.

30. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

prompting a user to provide input regarding at least one of whether to attach to an available femtocell and how to attach to an available femtocell.

31. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

transmitting an emergency calls required indicator (ECRI) to a network component responsive to the UE receiving an instruction to place an emergency call, and wherein the processor is further configured to cause the UE to transmit the ECRI before receiving the ECSI.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the ECSI is received responsive to transmitting the ECRI.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the ECRI indicates if limited emergency services are sufficient for the UE to place the emergency call.

34. The method of claim 24 the ECRI indicates if full emergency services are required for the UE to place the emergency call.

35. A method, implemented in a network component for indicating emergency call support, the method comprising:

transmitting an emergency calls supported indicator (ECSI).

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the network component comprises a femtocell and wherein the ECSI indicates whether the femtocell supports one of limited emergency services or full emergency services.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

transmitting a message configured to instruct a user equipment (UE) to connect to the femtocell when the UE places an emergency call.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

transmitting a message configured to instruct a user equipment (UE) UE to avoid connecting to the femtocell when the UE places an emergency call.

39. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

transmitting the ECSI responsive to receiving an emergency calls required indicator (ECRI).

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising:

configuring the ECSI to have a value corresponding to one of no emergency services support, limited emergency services support, or full emergency services support.