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  Method and apparatus for handling emergency callsUSPTO Application #: 20080107243Title: Method and apparatus for handling emergency calls Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining location information for subscribers connected to an IP access network (300), in order to enable supply of such location information in connection with emergency calls directed to a multimedia service network (302). A request is received (3:1) at the multimedia service network from a subscriber (A) containing an IP address currently assigned to the subscriber. In response thereto, the multimedia service network sends a location query (3:2) including said IP address to the IP access network, which then can retrieve (3:3, 3:4) location information for the subscriber based on the IP address, by determining at which point of access in the IP access network the IP address is currently used. The IP access network then submits (3:5) the obtained location information to the multimedia service network in response to the location query. (end of abstract)
Agent: Ericsson Inc. - Plano, TX, US Inventors: Stephen Terrill, Ake Busin, Magnus Olsson USPTO Applicaton #: 20080107243 - Class: 379 45 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080107243. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for handling emergency calls in a multimedia service network. In particular, the invention is concerned with obtaining required location information for a calling subscriber. BACKGROUND [0002]In traditional circuit-switched telephony systems, emergency services are available for subscribers in situations of emergency, such as accidents and diseases. Emergency calls are typically first routed to an emergency centre which then connects the calls further to relevant emergency service stations, depending on the current situation, e.g. a hospital, a fire station or the police. [0003]Details and requirements of emergency services are subject to regulations prevailing in different countries and regions. Typically, it is required that the telephony system can provide relevant location information in order to certify the location of the calling party. Firstly, it may be important to connect an incoming call to an emergency centre or service station being reasonably close to the caller. Secondly, the caller may not for some reason be able to provide crucial information regarding his/her whereabouts to the emergency centre, at least not immediately. [0004]FIG. 1 illustrates a fixed subscriber terminal A connected to a telephony network 100 by means of a local exchange LE 102. An emergency centre 104 is also connected to the network 100, to which an emergency call is directed from subscriber A. Network 100 further comprises a location database 106 holding geographic location information on subscribers connected to the network 100, including subscriber A, e.g. in the form of local street addresses or the like. [0005]It is typically required in fixed public networks that local exchanges therein ensures that a "calling party identifier" is included in emergency calls when routed to an emergency centre. In the present example, local exchange 102 has knowledge of subscriber terminal A being connected to a specific input line in the exchange, which is associated with a specific calling party identifier of subscriber terminal A. The local exchange 102 is thus required to supply the calling party identifier of subscriber terminal A when transmitting the emergency call to emergency centre 104. In location database 106, the geographic location of subscriber terminal A is stored together with its calling party identifier, such that the emergency centre 104 can retrieve that location information from the location database 106 by means of the calling party identifier received with the emergency call. [0006]In a cellular network, a serving Mobile Switching Centre MSC can include location information in emergency calls from mobile terminals, such as a cell identification or even more accurate information in the form of geographic coordinates or the like based on location services employed in the network. Further, the receiving emergency centre may also use specific location services to determine the location of the calling party, if necessary. [0007]Although the examples above are relevant for traditional circuit-switched telephone networks, various communication networks and terminals are used today that are capable of packet-based multimedia communication using IP (Internet Protocol), including fixed or mobile computers and telephones. Multimedia services typically entail IP based transmission of encoded data representing media in different formats and combinations, including audio, video, images, text, documents, animations, etc. [0008]The location of a subscriber terminal is not permanent in the same way as before, since an IP terminal can be connected to multimedia service networks more or less regardless of its current geographic location, while still using the same subscriber identity. This is evidently the case for mobile terminals, but also for fixed portable terminals that can be jacked into different access points at different locations in an IP access network, e.g. for accessing various "broadband" services. [0009]A network architecture called "IP Multimedia Subsystem" (IMS) has been developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as an open standard for handling multimedia services and communication sessions in the packet domain. IMS networks can also be used to provide emergency services, although it is not evident how to provide relevant location information when required, due to the roaming possibilities for IP terminals, and this issue has not yet been solved. IMS is a platform for enabling services based on IP transport more or less independent of the access technology used, and will be briefly outlined here. [0010]The IMS network is thus used for generally controlling multimedia sessions, and a specification called "SIP" (Session Initiation Protocol, according to the standard IETF RFC 3261) is used for handling multimedia sessions in IMS networks. SIP is an application-layer protocol used by IMS networks and terminals to establish and control IP based multimedia communications. When sending SIP messages, an addressing element called "SIP URI" (Uniform Resource Identifier) is used, such that one SIP URI indicates the source and another one indicates the destination in each message. [0011]FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic illustration of a basic scenario when multimedia services are provided for a terminal A by means of an IMS service network. Terminal A is connected to an IP access network 200 and communicates media with a remote party B, such as another terminal or server, in a communication session S. An IMS network 202A is connected to the IP access network 200 and handles the session with respect to terminal A, where networks 200 and 202 are typically owned by the same operator. Moreover, if a terminal is connected to a visited access network, multimedia services are handled by the terminal's "home" IMS network, i.e. where it is registered as a subscriber. The remote party B may be connected to another corresponding IMS network 202B. [0012]The illustrated session S is basically managed by a node called S-CSCF (Serving Call Session Control Function) 204 assigned to terminal A in the IMS network 202A, and the used multimedia service is enabled and executed by an application server 206 connected to the IMS network 202. Basically, the S-CSCF node 204 serves as a proxy for the application server 206 towards terminal A, and sends SIP messages coming from terminal A towards the remote party B, as indicated by a dashed arrow. Further, a main database element HSS (Home Subscriber Server) 208 stores subscriber and authentication data as well as service information, among other things, that the SIP application server 206 can fetch for executing services for subscribers. [0013]A node called I-CSCF (Interrogating Call Session Control Function) 210 in IMS network 202 is connected to other IMS networks, including network 202B, and acts as a gateway for SIP messages arriving from such IMS networks. I-CSCF 210 receives SIP messages concerning the remote party B, as indicated by another dashed arrow. Another node in IMS network 202 called P-CSCF (Proxy Call Session Control Function) 212 acts as an entry point towards the IMS network 204 from any access network, such as IP network 200, and all signalling flows between subscribers of the IMS network 204 are routed through the P-CSCF 212. Of course, the IMS network 202 contains numerous other nodes and functions, such as further S-CSCF nodes and SIP application servers, which are not shown here for the sake of simplicity. [0014]As indicated above, it has not been solved how to satisfy prevailing emergency requirements for providing location information in emergency calls from IP terminals in a safe and reliable manner, when an IP based multimedia service network is used. In particular, it is desirable to supply location information when an emergency call, coming from an IP terminal that can be moved between different locations, is routed to an emergency centre. It is also desirable to select a suitable emergency centre to which the emergency call is to be routed, depending on the location of the calling subscriber. SUMMARY [0015]The object of the present invention is to address at least some of the problems outlined above, and to provide a solution for enabling the supply of location information for a subscriber to an emergency centre in connection with an emergency call, when connected to an IP access network. This object and others may be obtained by providing a method and apparatus according to the attached independent claims. [0016]According to one aspect, the present invention provides a method, executed in a multimedia service network, of obtaining location information for subscribers connected to an IP access network. When a request is received from a subscriber containing an IP address currently assigned to the subscriber, a location query including said IP address is sent to the IP access network. Location information for the subscriber is then received therefrom in response to the location query, thereby enabling supply of the received location information in connection with an emergency call from said subscriber. [0017]If it is determined that the received request relates to an emergency call, the obtained location information is added to the request before sending it to an emergency centre. The emergency centre may be selected for the request based on the obtained location information. The multimedia service network may be an IMS network using SIP signalling, and the request relating to an emergency call is then typically an SIP INVITE message. [0018]On the other hand, if it is determined that the received request is a registration request, the obtained location information may be saved for later retrieval in the case of a subsequent emergency call from the subscriber. If the multimedia service network is an IMS network using SIP signalling, the registration request is typically an SIP REGISTER message. [0019]When the multimedia service network is an IMS network, the method can be executed in an IMS core entity such as a P-CSCF node in the IMS network. The location query above may be sent to a location retrieval unit in the IP access network, which may also be referred to as a Location Query Function. [0020]According to another aspect, the present invention provides an arrangement in a multimedia service network, for obtaining location information for subscribers connected to an IP access network. The inventive arrangement comprises means for receiving a request from a subscriber containing an IP address currently assigned to the subscriber, means for sending a location query including said IP address to the IP access network, and means for receiving location information for the subscriber in response to the location query. Thereby, the received location information can be supplied in connection with an emergency call from said subscriber. [0021]The multimedia service network arrangement may further comprise logic means for determining whether the received request relates to an emergency call, and means for adding the obtained location information to the request before sending it to an emergency centre. The logic means may be configured to select the emergency centre for the request based on the obtained location information. If the multimedia service network is an IMS network using SIP signalling, the request relating to an emergency call may be an SIP INVITE message. 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