Emergency communications in areas without cellular coverage

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to emergency communications within non-cellular coverage. The present invention relates to devices, systems and methods for emergency communications (e.g., voice calls and / or SMS messages) for UEs without cellular coverage (e.g., within non-cellular coverage). The UE may establish a peer-to-peer communication session with a relay UE using a channel in an unlicensed band when outside the cellular service range. The UE may use the peer-to-peer communication session to transmit an emergency notification to the relay UE. The emergency notification may include an approximate location of the UE. In addition, the UE may communicate with a public safety answering point (PSAP), wherein the communication may be relayed between the UE and the PSAP by the relay UE. The approximate location of the UE may be based at least in part on the location of the relay UE, and determining the approximate location of the UE may include performing a ranging process using the relay UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus, systems and methods for emergency communications (eg, voice calls and / or SMS messages) for UEs without cellular coverage (eg, within non-cellular coverage). Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functions.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is currently the technology of choice for most wireless network operators around the world, providing mobile broadband data and high-speed Internet access to their user base. LTE was first proposed in 2004 and first standardized in 2008. Since then, as the use of wireless communication systems has grown exponentially, the demand on wireless network operators has risen to support higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users. As a result, research on new radio access technologies began in 2015, and in 2017, the first version of the fifth generation new radio (5G NR) was standardized.

[0004] 5G-NR (also referred to as NR) provides higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users compared to LTE, while also supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communications from device to device, as well as lower latency and / or lower battery consumption. In addition, NR may allow for more flexible UE scheduling compared to current LTE. Therefore, efforts are being made to take advantage of the higher throughput possible at higher frequencies in the ongoing development of 5G-NR. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus, systems, and methods for emergency communications (eg, voice calls and / or SMS messages) for UEs without cellular coverage (eg, within non-cellular coverage).

[0006] For example, in some embodiments, a user equipment device (UE) (such as UE 106) may be configured to establish a peer-to-peer communication session with a relay UE using a channel in an unlicensed band when outside the cellular service range. The UE may be configured to transmit an emergency notification to the relay UE using the peer-to-peer communication session. The emergency notification may include the approximate location of the UE. In addition, the UE may be configured to communicate with a public safety answering point (PSAP), wherein the communication may be relayed between the UE and the PSAP by the relay UE. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the UE may be based at least in part on the location of the relay UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the UE may include performing a ranging process using the relay UE.

[0007] As another example, in some embodiments, a UE (such as UE 106) may be configured to receive an emergency notification from a remote (or host) UE using a peer-to-peer communication session established between the UE and the remote UE. In some embodiments, the emergency notification may include the approximate location of the remote UE, and the remote UE may be outside the scope of a cellular service. The UE may be configured to establish a SOSAPN with a network (e.g., with a function of the network) based at least in part on the approximate location of the remote UE on behalf of the remote UE. The UE may be configured to relay the communication between the remote UE and the PSAP, wherein the PSAP may be selected by the network at least in part based on the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, a request to establish a peer-to-peer communication session using an unlicensed band may be received from the remote UE on an unlicensed band. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of the UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the remote UE may include performing a ranging process using the UE.

[0008] As another example, the functionality of the core network may be configured to receive a request from the relay UE to establish a SOSAPN for a remote UE, wherein the request may include at least an approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may be outside the range of the cellular service. After establishing the SOS APN for the remote UE, the functionality of the core network may be configured to route traffic from the remote UE to a public safety answering point (PSAP) having a coverage area including the approximate location of the remote UE based at least in part on the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of the relay UE.

[0009] As another example, the PSAP may be configured to receive a request from a function of the core network to establish an IMS session based at least in part on an SOS APN for a remote UE. The request may include at least an approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may be outside the range of cellular service. The PSAP may be configured to perform emergency communications with the remote UE via a relay UE served by the core network. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may be determined at least in part based on the location of the relay UE.

[0010] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a plurality of different types of devices, including, but not limited to, any of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aerial controllers (UACs), UTM servers, base stations, access points, cellular telephones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and a variety of other computing devices.

[0011] This disclosure is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the topics described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are only examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the topics described herein in any way. Other features, aspects and advantages of the topics described herein will become apparent through the following detailed description, drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A better understanding of the present subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1B Examples of base stations and access points in communication with user equipment (UE) devices are shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of a base station according to some embodiments is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a server according to some embodiments is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 An example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry is shown according to some embodiments.

[0019] Fig. 6A An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to the 5G CN.

[0020] Figure 6B An example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access in the 5G CN.

[0021] Figure 7 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0022] Figure 8 An example of signaling for emergency communications is shown.

[0023] Fig. 9 An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE is shown according to some embodiments.

[0024] Fig. 10A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE using a Layer 3 (L3) relay in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0025] Fig. 10B An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE using a Layer 2 (L2) relay in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0026] Fig.11A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE is shown according to some embodiments.

[0027] Fig. 11B An example of signaling for enabling an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0028] Fig. 12A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete an emergency text via an in-service UE is shown according to some embodiments.

[0029] Fig. 12B An example of signaling for enabling a service-disrupted UE to complete an emergency text, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0030] Fig.13A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to receive an emergency callback via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0031] Fig. 13B An example of signaling for enabling a service interrupted UE to receive an emergency callback, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0032] Fig.14 A block diagram is shown of an example of a method for establishing emergency communications according to some embodiments.

[0033] Fig.15 A block diagram of another example of a method for establishing emergency communications according to some embodiments is shown.

[0034] Fig.16 A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for establishing emergency communications to a remote UE according to some embodiments.

[0035] Fig.17 A block diagram of another example of a method for establishing emergency communications to a remote UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0036] Although the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, their purpose is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Acronyms

[0038] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms used that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows:

[0039] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0040] UE: User Equipment

[0041] RF: Radio Frequency

[0042] BS: Base Station

[0043] DL: Downlink

[0044] UL: Uplink

[0045] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0046] NR: New Radio

[0047] 5GS: 5G system

[0048] 5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0049] 5GC / 5GCN: 5G core network

[0050] IE: Information Element

[0051] CE: Control Element

[0052] MAC: Media Access Control

[0053] SSB: Synchronous Signal Block

[0054] CSI-RS: Channel State Information Reference Signal

[0055] PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0056] PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0057] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0058] RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0059] CORESET: Control resource set

[0060] TCI: Transmission Configuration Indicator

[0061] DCI: Downlink Control Indicator

[0062] the term

[0063] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0064] Memory medium - any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media, such as CD-ROM, floppy disk or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, for example, hard disk drive or optical storage device; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or their combination. In addition, the memory medium may be located in the first computer system executing the program, or may be located in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system through a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations in different computer systems connected, for example, through a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., expressed as a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0065] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, and physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that transport signals such as electrical, electromagnetic or digital signals.

[0066] Programmable hardware element - includes various hardware devices that include multiple programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGA (field programmable gate array), PLD (programmable logic device), FPOA (field programmable object array), and CPLD (complex PLD). Programmable function blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinational logic unit or lookup table) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic unit or processor core). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units".

[0067] Computer system (or computer)—any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a television system, a grid computing system, or other devices or combinations of devices. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0068] User Equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and that perform wireless communications. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone TM , based on Android TM phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM 、Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. In general, the term "UE" or "UE device" may be broadly defined to cover any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that is easily transportable by a user and capable of wireless communication.

[0069] Base Station—The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0070] Processing element (or processor) - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing functions in a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. Processing elements may include, for example, processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any of the above various combinations.

[0071] Channel - a medium used to transmit information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" may vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" used in the present invention may be considered to be used in a manner that conforms to the standards of the type of device to which the term is used. In some standards, the channel width may be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths of 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, a WLAN channel may be 22 MHz wide, while a Bluetooth channel may be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0072] Band—The term “band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (eg, radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.

[0073] Wi-Fi—The term "Wi-Fi" (or WiFi) has the full scope of its usual meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks or RATs that are served by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provide connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi". Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are distinct from cellular networks.

[0074] 3GPP access—refers to access (e.g., radio access technology) specified by the 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, GSM / GPRS, LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G NR. In general, 3GPP access refers to various types of cellular access technologies.

[0075] Non-3GPP access - refers to any access (e.g., radio access technology) not specified by the 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, WiMAX, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, WLAN, and / or fixed networks. Non-3GPP accesses can be divided into two categories, "trusted" and "untrusted": trusted non-3GPP accesses can interact directly with the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and / or 5G Core (5GC), while untrusted non-3GPP interoperates with the EPC / 5GC via network entities (such as Evolved Packet Data Gateways and / or 5G NR Gateways). In general, non-3GPP access refers to various types of non-cellular access technologies.

[0076] Automatic—refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without the need for user input to directly specify or perform the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatically" is in contrast to an operation being manually performed or specified by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process may be initiated by input provided by a user, but subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing in information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. The form may be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user may invoke automatic filling out of a form, but not participate in the actual filling out of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but rather they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0077] Approximately - refers to a value that is close to a correct or exact value. For example, approximately can refer to a value that is within 1% to 10% of an exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold value (or tolerance) may depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "approximately" may mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, the threshold value may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0078] Concurrency - refers to parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in an at least partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computing elements, or using "weak parallelism", where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0079] Various components may be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such environments, "configured to" is a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when the component is not currently performing the task, the component can be configured to perform the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" can be a broad statement that generally means "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when the component is not currently turned on, the component can be configured to perform the task. Typically, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include hardware circuitry.

[0080] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". The description of a component being configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) interpretation of that component.

[0081] Figure 1A and Figure 1B :Communication System

[0082] Figure 1A A simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 1A The system is merely one example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems, as desired.

[0083] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipment 106A, user equipment 106B to user equipment 106N, etc. through a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE) in this article. Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as UE or UE device.

[0084] The base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station") and may include hardware that enables wireless communications with the UEs 106A through 106N.

[0085] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". The base station 102A and the UE 106 may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), which are also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), and the like. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0086] As shown, base station 102A may also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., a cellular service provider's core network, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, among other possibilities). Thus, base station 102A may facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A may provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0087] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0088] Thus, while base station 102A may act as a "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in FIG. 1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals from (and possibly be within communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also be able to facilitate communications between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or cells of any various other granularity that provide service area sizes. For example, base stations 102A-B shown in FIG. 1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0089] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB". In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a New Radio Communications Core (NRC) network. In addition, a gNB cell may include one or more Transition and Reception Points (TRPs). In addition, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0090] It should be noted that UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0091] Figure 1B A user equipment 106 (e.g., one of device 106A through device 106N) is shown in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112 according to some embodiments. The UE 106 may be a device having cellular communication capabilities and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0092] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0093] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced LTE, or 5G Nr using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna, or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, an analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuit (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or a digital processing circuit (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more parts of a receive chain and / or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0094] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include a separate transmit chain and / or receive chain (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate with it. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5GNR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and a separate radio component for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0095] Figure 2 :Block diagram of base station

[0096] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3 The base station of is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 204 that may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 204 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuit or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and convert those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0097] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 270. Network port 270 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the network as described above in FIG. Figure 2 Multiple devices (such as UE device 106) of the telephone network described in.

[0098] The network port 270 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, such as a core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as the UE device 106. In some cases, the network port 270 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0099] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs). Furthermore, a UE capable of operating in accordance with 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0100] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 234 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 234 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE device 106 via the radio 230. The antenna 234 communicates with the radio 230 via a communication chain 232. The communication chain 232 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. The radio 230 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0101] Base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communications using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communications according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communications according to 5GNR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communications according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5GNR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0102] As further described later herein, the base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 204 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support a portion or all of the implementation of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 204 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 230, 232, 234, 240, 250, 260, 270, the processor 204 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support a portion or all of the implementation of the features described herein.

[0103] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 204 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 204. Thus, processor 204 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 204. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 204.

[0104] Additionally, as described herein, radio 230 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio 230. Thus, radio 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio 230. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio 230.

[0105] Figure 3 :Block diagram of the server

[0106] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a server 104 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3 The server 104 is just one example of a possible server. As shown, the server 104 may include a processor 344 that can execute program instructions for the server 104. The processor 344 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 344 and convert these addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read-only memory (ROM) 354) or to other circuits or devices.

[0107] Server 104 may be configured to provide access network functionality to a plurality of devices, such as base station 102, UE device 106, and / or UTM 108, for example, as further described herein.

[0108] In some embodiments, server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) access network. In some embodiments, server 104 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or to a NR Core (NRC) network.

[0109] As further described later herein, the server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the features described herein. The processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementing part or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, the processor 344 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition thereto), in combination with one or more of the other components 354, 364, and / or 374, the processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementing part or all of the features described herein.

[0110] In addition, as described herein, processor 344 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 344. Therefore, processor 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 344. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 344.

[0111] Figure 4 :UE block diagram

[0112] Figure 41 shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 4 The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. According to the embodiment, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or a mobile station, a wireless device or a wireless station, a desktop computer or a computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, a notebook or a portable computing device), a tablet computer, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC) and / or a combination of devices and other devices. As shown in the figure, the communication device 106 may include a group of components 400 configured to perform core functions. For example, the group of components may be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which may include parts for various purposes. Alternatively, the group of components 400 may be implemented as a separate component or a group of components for various purposes. This group of components 400 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0113] For example, the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 410), input / output interfaces such as a connector I / F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; an input device such as a microphone, a camera, a keyboard; an output device such as a speaker; etc.), a display 460 that may be integrated with the communication device 106 or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuits 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuits 429 (e.g., Bluetooth TM In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0114] Cellular communication circuitry 430 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436 as shown. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438 as shown. Alternatively, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 435 and 436 in addition to or in lieu of being (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 437 and 438. Short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 and / or cellular communication circuitry 430 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0115] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). In addition, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include a single transmit chain that can switch between radio components dedicated to specific RATs. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio component, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.

[0116] The communication device 106 may also include and / or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 460 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to a user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0117] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 445 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 445. Note that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functions, such as one or more UICC cards 445, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or implement SIM functions in other ways. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, for example, soldered to a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM 410 may be implemented as a removable smart card. Thus, the SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as a UICC card, sometimes referred to as a "SIM card"), and / or the SIM 410 may be one or more embedded cards (such as an embedded UICC (eUICC), sometimes referred to as an "eSIM" or "eSIM card"). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more of the SIMs may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such embodiments, a single SIM of the SIM may execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM may include components such as a processor and / or a memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards that implement eSIM functionality) as needed. For example, the UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0118] As described above, in some embodiments, UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. Including two or more SIMs in UE 106 may allow UE 106 to support two different phone numbers, and may allow UE 106 to communicate on corresponding two or more corresponding networks. For example, the first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and the second SIM 410 may support a second RAT such as 5G NR. Of course, other implementations and RATs are also possible. In some embodiments, when UE 106 includes two SIMs, UE 106 may support dual card dual communication (DSDA) functionality. The DSDA functionality may allow UE 106 to be connected to two networks (and use two different RATs) at the same time, or allow two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs to be maintained on the same or different networks at the same time. The DSDA functionality may also allow UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic on any phone number at the same time. In some embodiments, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls may be received using voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may support dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) functionality. The DSDS functionality may allow either of the two SIMs in the UE 106 to standby for a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some embodiments, the DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) may be implemented using a single SIM (e.g., eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0119] As shown, SOC 400 may include a processor 402 that may execute program instructions for communication device 106 and a display circuit 404 that may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to display 460. Processor 402 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 (which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 402 and convert those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410)) and / or to other circuits or devices (such as display circuit 404, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429, cellular communication circuit 430, connector I / F 420, and / or display 460). MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 440 may be included as part of processor 402.

[0120] As described above, the communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. The communication device 106 can be configured to perform methods of emergency communications (e.g., voice calls and / or SMS messages) for UEs without cellular coverage (e.g., within non-cellular coverage), as further described herein.

[0121] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power saving to the network. The processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, 460, the processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0122] In addition, as described in the present invention, processor 402 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 402. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 402.

[0123] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 430 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 430, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429. In addition, each integrated circuit may include a circuit (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 429.

[0124] Figure 5 : Block diagram of a cellular communication circuit

[0125] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit of is only one example of one possible cellular communication circuit. According to an embodiment, the cellular communication circuit 530 (which may be the cellular communication circuit 430) may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices, among other devices.

[0126] Cellular communication circuitry 530 may be (eg, communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 4 In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). For example, Figure 5 As shown, cellular communication circuitry 530 may include modem 510 and modem 520. Modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as, for example, LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as, for example, 5G NR.

[0127] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with the processor 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receiving circuit (RX) 532 and a transmitting circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0128] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with the processor 522. The modem 520 may communicate with the RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuits for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receiving circuit 542 and a transmitting circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuit 542 may communicate with the DL front end 560, which may include circuits for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0129] In some embodiments, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. In addition, the switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via the antenna 336. Thus, when the cellular communication circuit 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 510, the switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows the modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 534 and the UL front end 572). Similarly, when the cellular communication circuit 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572) supported by the modem 520, the switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows the modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including the transmit circuit 544 and the UL front end 572).

[0130] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 530 may be configured to perform methods for emergency communications (e.g., voice calls and / or SMS messages) for a UE without cellular coverage (e.g., within a non-cellular coverage area), as further described herein.

[0131] As described herein, the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0132] In addition, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0133] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components intended to implement the above-described features for transmitting a power-saving scheduling profile to a network, as well as various other techniques described herein. The processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the feature parts described herein.

[0134] In addition, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0135] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 7 : 5G core network architecture—interworking with Wi-Fi

[0136] In some embodiments, the 5G core network (CN) can be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection / interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and a non-cellular connection / interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture / protocol such as a Wi-Fi connection). Fig. 6AAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE 106) can access 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, such as gNB 604, which can be a base station 102) and an access point (such as AP 612). AP 612 may include a connection to the Internet 600 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 603 network entity. N3IWF may include a connection to a core access and mobility management function (AMF) 605 of the 5G CN. AMF 605 may include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5GMM) function associated with UE 106. In addition, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to AMF 605. Thus, the 5G CN may support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 access to be registered simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 612. As shown, the AMF 605 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., a network slice selection function (NSSF) 620, a short message service function (SMSF) 622, an application function (AF) 624, a unified data management (UDM) 626, a policy control function (PCF) 628, and / or an authentication server function (AUSF) 630). Note that these functional entities may also be supported by the session management function (SMF) 606a and SMF 606b of the 5G CN. The AMF 605 may be connected to (or communicate with) the SMF 606a. In addition, the gNB 604 may communicate with (or be connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 608a, which may also communicate with the SMF 606a. Similarly, N3IWF 603 can communicate with UPF 608b, which can also communicate with SMF 606b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 610a and 610b) and / or the Internet 600 and Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem / IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Core Network 610.

[0137] Figure 6BAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access to 5GCN and non-3GPP access. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE 106) can access 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, such as gNB 604 or eNB 602, which can be a base station 102) and an access point (such as AP 612). AP 612 may include a connection to the Internet 600 and a connection to the N3IWF 603 network entity. N3IWF may include a connection to AMF 605 of 5G CN. AMF 605 may include an instance of a 5G MM function associated with UE 106. In addition, RAN (e.g., gNB 604) may also have a connection to AMF 605. Therefore, 5G CN may support unified authentication on two connections and allow UE 106 access to be registered simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 612. In addition, the 5G CN may support dual registration of UEs on both the legacy network (e.g., LTE via eNB 602) and the 5G network (e.g., via gNB 604). As shown, the eNB 602 may have connections to a mobility management entity (MME) 642 and a serving gateway (SGW) 644. The MME 642 may have connections to both the SGW 644 and the AMF 605. In addition, the SGW 644 may have connections to both the SMF 606a and the UPF 608a. As shown, the AMF 605 may include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 620, SMSF 622, AF 624, UDM 626, PCF 628, and / or AUSF 630). It should be noted that the UDM 626 may also include a home subscriber server (HSS) function, and the PCF may also include a policy and charging rules function (PCRF). It should also be noted that these functional entities can also be supported by SMF 606a and SMF 606b of 5G CN. AMF 606 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 606a. In addition, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) UPF 608a, which can also communicate with SMF 606a. Similarly, N3IWF 603 can communicate with UPF 608b, which can also communicate with SMF 606b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 610a and 610b) and / or the Internet 600 and the IMS core network 610.

[0138] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-described network entities may be configured to perform methods for improving security checks in 5G NR networks, including, for example, mechanisms for emergency communications (e.g., voice calls and / or SMS messages) for UEs without cellular coverage (e.g., within non-cellular coverage areas) as further described herein.

[0139] Figure 7 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (eg, such as UE 106) is shown in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 7 The baseband processor architecture 700 described in the figure may be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., the radio components 429 and / or 430 described above) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown, the non-access layer (NAS) 710 may include a 5G NAS 720 and a traditional NAS 750. The traditional NAS 750 may include a communication connection with a traditional access layer (AS) 770. The 5G NAS 720 may include a communication connection with a 5G AS 740 and a non-3GPP AS 730 and a Wi-Fi AS 732. The 5G NAS 720 may include functional entities associated with two access layers. Therefore, the 5G NAS 720 may include multiple 5G MM entities 726 and 728 and 5G session management (SM) entities 722 and 724. The traditional NAS 750 may include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 752, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 754, a session management (SM) entity 756, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 758, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 760. In addition, the traditional AS 770 may include functional entities such as an LTE AS 772, a UMTS AS 774, and / or a GSM / GPRS AS 776.

[0140] Thus, the baseband processor architecture 700 allows for a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that, as shown, the 5G MM can maintain a separate connection management and registration management state machine for each connection. In addition, a device (e.g., UE 106) can register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using 5G cellular access as well as non-cellular access. In addition, a device can be in a connected state in one access and in an idle state in another access, or vice versa. Finally, there may be common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.) for both accesses.

[0141] It should be noted that in various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned functional entities of the 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform, for example, methods for performing emergency communications (e.g., voice calls and / or SMS messages) for a UE without cellular coverage (e.g., within non-cellular coverage) as further described herein.

[0142] Emergency communications in areas without cellular coverage

[0143] In current cellular communication systems, when in an out-of-coverage scenario (e.g., no cellular service and / or in non-cellular coverage), a user equipment device (UE) may not be able to conduct emergency communications with 911 (e.g., calls and / or texts, such as short message service (SMS) messages) and / or receive wireless emergency alerts. However, since all 3GPP-authorized handheld users have the opportunity to obtain emergency services and / or receive emergency alert messages. Therefore, in the current implementation, 3GPP ProSe (e.g., peer-to-peer communications such as D2D and / or V2X) allows emergency broadcasts to achieve public safety (e.g., allowing out-of-coverage UEs to receive emergency alerts from peer devices within coverage). However, out-of-coverage UEs are currently unable to use 3GPP ProSe for emergency communications.

[0144] In the current implementation, if Figure 8 As shown, a UE (e.g., UE 810) may determine its location (e.g., location processing 820) and initiate emergency communications (e.g., emergency call 911). Once the UE dials an emergency number (e.g., 911) detected by the radio access network 812, an emergency attach procedure is initiated. The emergency attach procedure creates a default bearer and / or assigns a default bearer to an SOS access point name (APN) (e.g., such as SOS APN 822) for emergency session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling. The core network 814 may determine an appropriate public safety answering point / public safety access point (PSAP) based on the location of the UE, such as PSAP 816 at PSAP routing 824. The core network 814 may, for example, establish an IMS session 826 with PSAP 816 based on the SOS APN. The UE may complete a SIP emergency registration with a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) of the core network 814 dedicated to emergency operations. The P-CSCF (among other tasks) establishes an RTP path to the PSAP 816 and establishes an emergency SIP session. Once the UE or PSAP ends the emergency SIP session, the PSAP may optionally initiate a callback session to the UE through the non-emergency P-CSCF.

[0145] The embodiments described herein provide systems, methods and mechanisms for enabling out-of-coverage UEs to establish emergency communications with PSAPs. In some embodiments, an emergency channel may be introduced to allow the transmission of location and emergency information between peer UEs, for example, when the first UE service is interrupted (e.g., client, remote and / or host UE) and the second UE (e.g., relay UE) is in service. In some embodiments, the emergency channel may be used for emergency message forwarding (e.g., the in-service UE may be used as a relay (e.g., relay UE) that enables the in-service UE to forward emergency messages from the in-service UE to the network) and / or for emergency notification forwarding (e.g., the in-service UE may be used as a relay that enables the in-service UE to forward emergency notifications from the network to the in-service UE). In some embodiments, an existing side link (e.g., based on 3GPP PC5) communication channel may be used to allow the transmission of location and emergency information between peer UEs, for example, when the first UE service is interrupted and the second UE is in service. In some embodiments, the in-service UE may perform a discovery process before selecting the in-service UE for relaying emergency messages. In some embodiments, a location enhancement process between the in-service UE and the in-service UE may be performed to improve the location accuracy of the in-service UE. In some embodiments, when transmitting an emergency message on behalf of the out-of-service UE, the in-service UE may provide a location confidence factor to the PSAP. In some embodiments, the third-party cloud server may establish a data path with the out-of-service UE via the in-service UE (e.g., via a relay UE). In some embodiments, the data path may allow the out-of-service UE to transmit information associated with user health and user location and information from UE sensors (e.g., such as fall detection information, location information, etc.) via the relay UE.

[0146] In some embodiments, as described above, an emergency channel may be introduced to allow for the transmission of location and emergency information between peer UEs, for example, when a first UE (e.g., client, remote and / or host UE) service is interrupted and a second UE (e.g., relay UE) is in service. In such embodiments, all UEs may periodically monitor and / or access emergency channels based on current battery consumption and / or current power levels, for example, at least once every two to three seconds. In some embodiments, when in a battery and / or power saving state, UEs may monitor and / or access emergency channels less frequently, for example, once every five to ten seconds and / or every longer interval. In some embodiments, emergency channels may be enabled on unlicensed bands of spectrum. In some embodiments, emergency channels may support any of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: dedicated peer-to-peer protocols, cellular-based communications, Wi-Fi-based communications, communications based on Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth low power consumption, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, emergency channels may be region-specific. In some embodiments, emergency channels may be standardized worldwide. In some embodiments, the emergency channel may carry an emergency message that includes at least location information and / or an indication of the type of emergency. In some embodiments, the emergency channel may be implemented as part of the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol as a separate physical channel and / or embedded in a broadcast channel (e.g., such as a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH)). In some embodiments, the emergency channel may be implemented as a proprietary solution that works only between devices of a specific manufacturer, a specific set of manufacturers, a specific operator, and / or a specific set of operators. In some embodiments, the emergency channel may include a region-specific resource configuration.

[0147] In some embodiments, emergency message forwarding can be performed in two directions, for example, from a remote (e.g., client and / or host) UE to a network via a relay UE and / or from a network to a remote UE via a relay UE. For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may seek help, and an emergency message may be forwarded to an emergency service via a relay UE. As another example, a relay UE may receive an emergency notification (e.g., such as a commercial activity alert system (CMAS) notification and / or a wireless emergency alert (WEA) notification) from a network and forward the emergency notification to a remote UE. In some embodiments, a remote UE may broadcast an emergency message via an emergency channel requesting emergency message forwarding, and a relay UE close to the remote UE may respond to the request and forward the emergency message to an emergency service. In such embodiments, no further communication may occur between the remote UE and the relay UE. In other words, unicast communication may not be established between the remote UE and the relay UE. In some embodiments, a remote UE may find a potential relay UE by sending an emergency beacon. Upon reception, the relay UE may respond to the emergency beacon, and the remote UE and the relay UE may synchronize and establish unicast communication.

[0148] In some embodiments, emergency channel forwarding may occur as a background function at the relay UE, for example, the relay UE may autonomously forward emergency channel data without user intervention. In some embodiments, emergency notification forwarding on the emergency channel may be a background function at the relay UE, however, emergency message forwarding on the emergency channel may require user intervention. In some embodiments, emergency channel forwarding at the relay UE may require user intervention, for example, such as the user selecting to enter emergency channel forwarding and / or the user determining whether to allow emergency channel forwarding based on the specific circumstances.

[0149] Fig. 9 An example of signaling for enabling an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig. 9 The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0150] As shown, a remote (client and / or host) UE (e.g., UE 106a) may be out of service, and a user of the remote UE may experience an emergency. At 910, the remote UE may, for example, determine an approximate location based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. At 912, the remote UE may establish a device-to-device (D2D) communication with a relay UE (e.g., UE 106b). During D2D communication, the remote UE may provide information associated with an emergency to the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, an approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency. In some embodiments, D2D communication may be established on an unlicensed band of a spectrum. In some embodiments, D2D communication may be established based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, a cellular-based communication, a Wi-Fi-based communication, a communication based on Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth low power consumption, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, D2D communications may be established based on and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communications protocol. In some embodiments, D2D communications may be established using an emergency channel, for example as described herein.

[0151] At 914, the relay UE may determine whether to use the approximate location provided by the remote UE and / or whether to determine a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE. In other words, the relay may determine whether to perform a process to enhance the remote UE's location estimate, for example, as further described herein. In some embodiments, the relay UE and the remote UE may perform a ranging process to help determine the location of the remote UE. In addition, the relay UE may determine client location information to be shared with the network, such as, for example, the approximate location of the remote UE, a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or the results of a ranging process using the remote UE.

[0152] For example, in some embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b) may perform location enhancement and / or calculate a confidence measure of a location provided by a remote (e.g., client, host, and / or target) UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b). For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may request a serving cell and location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude (e.g., relative to sea level)) of a relay UE with uncertainty. The remote UE may then calculate the range between the UEs using a bilateral round trip time (RTT). The remote UE may then calculate the approximate location of the remote UE using the range between the location data of the UE and the location data of the relay UE. In some embodiments, the range and location data may be periodically updated as the UEs move relative to each other to help send updates to a PSAP, send alerts to a third-party cloud server, and / or detect proximity and edge conditions for call and packet data link quality. In some embodiments, once the data path is established in parallel with the voice path, for example, as described herein, the user of the UE can use an over-the-top (OTT) service to exchange and / or share their location, health information, sensor data. In some embodiments, the remote UE can use the location of the relay UE to assist other positioning sources (such as GNSS) and reduce search and location calculation time, thereby saving critical battery resources in a service interruption situation. In some embodiments, the remote UE can send location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, uncertainty and / or confidence level) to the relay UE. In some embodiments, the relay UE can then, for example, pass the location information of the remote UE to the core network by acting as a layer 2 (L2) bridge between the remote UE and the core network. The core network can then pass the location information of the remote UE to the PSAP, and the PSAP can rely on the location from the remote UE.

[0153] The relay UE may then initiate an emergency attachment process with the network (e.g., with the base station 102) on behalf of the remote UE. The emergency attachment process may create a default bearer and / or assign a default bearer to an SOS APN (e.g., such as an SOS APN 916) for emergency session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling. The core network 610 may determine an appropriate public safety answering point / public safety access point (PSAP) based on the location information of the remote UE (e.g., the location information provided by the relay UE), such as the PSAP 904 at the PSAP routing 918. The core network 610 may, for example, establish an IMS session 922 with the PSAP 904 based on the SOS APN. In addition, the core network 610 may route the IMS emergency to the PSAP 904. The relay UE may complete a SIP emergency registration to a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) / emergency call session control function (E-CSCF) of the core network 610 dedicated to emergency operations. The P-CSCF / E-CSCF (among other tasks) may facilitate the establishment of an RTP path to the PSAP 904 and establish an emergency SIP session. The relay UE may then relay the communication with the PSAP 904 to the remote UE via D2D communication 920, for example, using the same communication technology used to establish the D2D communication at 912.

[0154] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B Another example of signaling for enabling an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, Fig. 10A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE using a layer 3 (L3) relay according to some embodiments is shown, and Fig. 10B An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE using a Layer 2 (L2) relay in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0155] Go to Fig. 10A , among other equipment, Fig. 10A The signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0156] As shown, a remote (e.g., client and / or host) UE (e.g., UE 106a) may be out of service, and a user of the remote UE may experience an emergency situation. Therefore, the remote UE may initiate an emergency call at 1010. In some embodiments, upon experiencing an emergency situation, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. At 1012, the remote UE may initiate a device-to-device (D2D) relay discovery. The remote UE may discover one or more potential relay UEs, such as UE 106b.

[0157] At 1014, the remote UE may select a relay UE based on the potential relay UE found. In some embodiments, the selection of the relay UE may be based on one or more factors, such as signal strength, an indication from the relay UE indicating support (and / or not support) capability indication of the emergency relay function. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low-power communication, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed based on 3GPP PC5 communication protocol and / or in conjunction with 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein. In some embodiments, during D2D relay discovery, the remote UE may provide information associated with an emergency to the potential relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency situation, an approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency situation.

[0158] At 1016, when selecting UE 106b as a relay UE, the remote UE may send a D2D request message. In some embodiments, the D2D request message may be transmitted on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the D2D request message may be transmitted based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, communication based on Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth low power consumption, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, the D2D request message may be transmitted based on the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, the D2D request message may be transmitted using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein. In some embodiments, the D2D request message may include information associated with an emergency condition of a potential relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency.

[0159] At 1018, the remote UE may then initiate an emergency attach procedure with the network (e.g., with base station 102) on behalf of the remote UE. The emergency attach procedure may create a default bearer and / or assign a default bearer to an SOS APN (e.g., such as SOS APN 1018) for emergency session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling. The core network 610 may determine an appropriate public safety answering point / public safety access point (PSAP), such as PSAP 904, based on the location information of the remote UE (e.g., location information provided by the relay UE). The relay UE may complete a SIP emergency registration with a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) of the core network 610. The P-CSCF (among other tasks) may facilitate the establishment of an RTP path to PSAP 904 and establish an emergency SIP session.

[0160] At 1020, the relay UE may accept the D2D request and notify the remote UE of the acceptance of the D2D request. In addition, the relay UE may provide the remote UE with information associated with the remote UE registered with the core network 610. At 1022, the remote UE may send an IMS registration request message to the relay UE, which may then be forwarded to the core network 610. At 1024, the relay UE may perform an IMS registration with the core network 610 on behalf of the remote UE. In addition, at 1026, the remote UE may send a keep alive timer D2D message to the relay UE, for example, to avoid a timeout of an emergency call.

[0161] Go to Fig. 10B , among other equipment, Fig. 10BThe signaling shown in the figure can also be used with any of the systems, methods or devices shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the signaling shown can be executed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional signaling can also be performed as needed. As shown in the figure, the signaling can adopt the following process.

[0162] As shown, a remote (e.g., client and / or host) UE (e.g., UE 106a) may be out of service, and a user of the remote UE may experience an emergency situation. Therefore, the remote UE may initiate an emergency call at 1030. In some embodiments, upon experiencing an emergency situation, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. At 1032, the remote UE may initiate a device-to-device (D2D) relay discovery. The remote UE may discover one or more potential relay UEs, such as UE 106b.

[0163] At 1034, the remote UE may select a relay UE based on the discovered potential relay UEs.

[0164] In some embodiments, the selection of the relay UE may be based on one or more factors, such as signal strength, capability indication from the relay UE indicating support (and / or non-support) of emergency relay functionality.

[0165] In some embodiments, the remote UE may select a relay UE, ignoring the check of the public land mobile network (PLMN) (and / or PLMN) that the relay UE may be announcing. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low-power communication, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed based on and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, D2D relay discovery may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein. In some embodiments, during D2D relay discovery, the remote UE may provide information associated with an emergency to potential relay UEs. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency.

[0166] At 1036, upon selecting UE 106b as the relay UE, the remote UE and the relay UE may establish a D2D communication session based on the 3GPP PC5 protocol. Thus, the relay UE and the remote UE may establish a PC5 link. At 1038, the relay UE may perform a radio resource connection establishment (RRC) with a base station (such as base station 102). In some embodiments, the establishment of the D2D communication session may include the remote UE sharing information associated with the emergency with the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, an approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency.

[0167] At 1040, the remote UE may then initiate an emergency attach procedure (e.g., including registration of the remote UE on the network) with the network (e.g., with one or more functions of the core network 610) via the relay UE. The emergency attach procedure may create a default bearer and / or assign a default bearer to the SOS APN for emergency session initiation protocol (SIP) signaling. The core network 610 may determine an appropriate public safety answering point / public safety access point (PSAP), such as PSAP 904, based on the location information of the remote UE (e.g., location information provided by the relay UE). The remote UE may complete a SIP emergency registration with a proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) of the core network 610. The P-CSCF (among other tasks) may facilitate the establishment of an RTP path to the PSAP 904 and establish an emergency SIP session.

[0168] At 1042, the remote UE, via the relay UE, may perform an IMS registration with the core network 610. Additionally, at 1044, the remote UE may send a keep-alive timer D2D message to the relay UE, for example, to avoid a timeout of an emergency call.

[0169] Fig.11A and Fig. 11B Another example of signaling for enabling an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, Fig.11A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete emergency communications via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown, and Fig. 11B An example of signaling for enabling a service-disrupted UE to complete emergency communications, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0170] Go to Fig.11AOnce a remote UE (such as UE 106a) establishes a D2D emergency communication session with a relay UE (such as UE 106b), for example, as described herein, the remote UE may send a cell identification (ID) announcement request message 1110 to the relay UE. The relay UE may respond with a cell ID announcement response message 1112. The cell ID announcement response message 1112 may include a cell ID associated with a cell camped on by the relay UE. At 1114, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. At 1116, the remote UE may establish device-to-device (D2D) communication with the relay UE (e.g., UE 106b), for example, via an IMS invitation and registration process 1116. During the IMS invitation and registration process, the remote UE may provide information associated with the emergency situation to the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, an approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communications, Wi-Fi-based communications, Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low energy communications, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communications technologies. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed based on and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communications protocol. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein.

[0171] At 1118, the relay UE may determine whether to use the approximate location provided by the remote UE and / or whether to determine a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE. In other words, the relay may determine whether to perform a process to enhance the remote UE's location estimate, for example, as further described herein. In some embodiments, the relay UE and the remote UE may perform a ranging process to help determine the location of the remote UE. In addition, the relay UE may determine client location information to be shared with the network, such as, for example, the approximate location of the remote UE, a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or the results of a ranging process using the remote UE.

[0172] For example, in some embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b) may perform location enhancement and / or calculate a confidence measure of a location provided by a client (and / or target) UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b). For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may request a serving cell and location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude (e.g., relative to sea level)) of a relay UE with uncertainty. Then, the remote UE may use a bilateral round trip time (RTT) to calculate the range between the UEs. Then, the remote UE may use the range between the location data of the UE and the location data of the relay UE to calculate the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, as the UEs move relative to each other, the range and location data may be periodically updated to help send updates to the PSAP, send alarms to third-party cloud servers, and / or detect proximity and edge conditions of call and packet data link quality. In some embodiments, for example, as described herein, once a data path is established in parallel with a voice path, users of the UE may use over-the-top (OTT) to exchange and / or share their location, health information, sensor data. In some embodiments, the remote UE can use the location of the relay UE to assist other positioning sources (such as GNSS) and reduce search and location calculation time, thereby saving critical battery resources in service interruption conditions. In some embodiments, the remote UE can send location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, uncertainty and / or confidence level) to the relay UE. In some embodiments, the relay UE can then, for example, pass the location information of the remote UE to the core network by acting as a layer 2 (L2) bridge between the remote UE and the core network. The core network can then pass the location information of the remote UE to the PSAP, and the PSAP can rely on the location from the remote UE.

[0173] At 1122, the relay UE can perform IMS registration to the core network 610 on behalf of the remote UE. In addition, at 1124, the core network can perform PSAP routing and select PSAP, such as PSAP 904. It should be noted that in some embodiments, PSAP can, for example, continue to communicate with the third part cloud server 1104 via an application program interface (such as API1120). It should be noted that, via API1120, the third party cloud server 1104 can be configured to provide information associated with the remote UE and / or relay UE. In some embodiments, the information provided can help locate and / or assist the remote UE. In addition, at 1126, PSAP 904 can establish a voice and / or data path for communicating with the remote UE via the relay UE.

[0174] Go to Fig. 11B, once a remote UE (such as UE 106a) establishes a D2D emergency communication session with a relay UE (such as UE 106b), for example, as described herein, the remote UE may send a cell identification (ID) announcement request message 1130 to the relay UE. The relay UE may respond with a cell ID announcement response message 1132. The cell ID announcement response message 1132 may include a cell ID associated with a cell camped by the relay UE. At 1134, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. At 1136, the remote UE may establish device-to-device (D2D) communication with the relay UE (e.g., UE 106b), for example, via an IMS invitation and registration process 1136. During the IMS invitation and registration process, the remote UE may provide information associated with the emergency situation to the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, an approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communications, Wi-Fi-based communications, Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low energy communications, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communications technologies. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed based on and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communications protocol. In some embodiments, the IMS invitation and registration process may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein.

[0175] At 1138, the relay UE may determine whether to use the approximate location provided by the remote UE and / or whether to determine a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE. In other words, the relay may determine whether to perform a process to enhance the remote UE's location estimate, for example, as further described herein. In some embodiments, the relay UE and the remote UE may perform a ranging process to help determine the location of the remote UE. In addition, the relay UE may determine client location information to be shared with the network, such as, for example, the approximate location of the remote UE, a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or the results of a ranging process using the remote UE.

[0176] For example, in some embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b) may perform location enhancement and / or calculate a confidence measure of a location provided by a client (and / or target) UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b). For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may request a serving cell and location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude (e.g., relative to sea level)) of a relay UE with uncertainty. Then, the remote UE may use a bilateral round trip time (RTT) to calculate the range between the UEs. Then, the remote UE may use the range between the location data of the UE and the location data of the relay UE to calculate the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, as the UEs move relative to each other, the range and location data may be periodically updated to help send updates to the PSAP, send alarms to third-party cloud servers, and / or detect proximity and edge conditions of call and packet data link quality. In some embodiments, for example, as described herein, once a data path is established in parallel with a voice path, users of the UE may use over-the-top (OTT) to exchange and / or share their location, health information, sensor data. In some embodiments, the remote UE can use the location of the relay UE to assist other positioning sources (such as GNSS) and reduce search and location calculation time, thereby saving critical battery resources in service interruption conditions. In some embodiments, the remote UE can send location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, uncertainty and / or confidence level) to the relay UE. In some embodiments, the relay UE can then, for example, pass the location information of the remote UE to the core network by acting as a layer 2 (L2) bridge between the remote UE and the core network. The core network can then pass the location information of the remote UE to the PSAP, and the PSAP can rely on the location from the remote UE.

[0177] At 1142, the relay UE can perform IMS registration to the core network 610 on behalf of the remote UE. In addition, at 1144, the core network can perform PSAP routing and select PSAP, such as PSAP 904. It should be noted that in some embodiments, PSAP can, for example, continue to communicate with the third part cloud server 1104 via an application program interface (such as API1140). It should be noted that, via API1140, the third party cloud server 1104 can be configured to provide information associated with the remote UE and / or relay UE. In some embodiments, the information provided can help locate and / or assist the remote UE. In addition, at 1146, PSAP 904 can establish a voice and / or data path for communicating with the remote UE via relay UE. In addition, at 1148, the third party cloud server 1104 can establish a data path via relay UE and the remote UE. In some embodiments, the data path can be established based on the information received and / or obtained from PSAP 904 via API 1140. In some embodiments, remote UEs may exchange information via the data path, such as user health, remote UE location, and / or UE sensor information.

[0178] Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B Another example of signaling for enabling an out-of-service UE to complete an emergency text via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, Fig. 12A shows an example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to complete an emergency text via an in-service UE according to some embodiments, and Fig. 12B An example of signaling for enabling a service-disrupted UE to complete an emergency text, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0179] Go to Fig. 12A, once a remote UE (such as UE 106a) establishes a D2D emergency communication session with a relay UE (such as UE 106b), for example as described herein, the remote UE may initiate transmission of an emergency text 1210. In some embodiments, the emergency text 1210 may be an SMS message. In some embodiments, the emergency text 1210 may be another type of instant message, such as a proprietary type of instant message. Based on the initiation of the transmission of the emergency text 1210, the remote UE may transmit a cell identification (ID) announcement request message 1212 to the relay UE. The relay UE may respond with a cell ID announcement response message 1214. The cell ID announcement response message 1214 may include a cell ID associated with a cell camped on by the relay UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. In some embodiments, the remote UE may share the approximate location information as part of the cell ID announcement request 1212.

[0180] At 1216, the relay UE may determine whether to use the approximate location provided by the remote UE and / or whether to determine a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE. In other words, the relay may determine whether to perform a process to enhance the remote UE's location estimate, for example, as further described herein. In some embodiments, the relay UE and the remote UE may perform a ranging process to help determine the location of the remote UE. In addition, the relay UE may determine client location information to be shared with the network, such as, for example, the approximate location of the remote UE, a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or the results of a ranging process using the remote UE.

[0181] For example, in some embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b) may perform location enhancement and / or calculate a confidence measure of a location provided by a client (and / or target) UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b). For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may request a serving cell and location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude (e.g., relative to sea level)) of a relay UE with uncertainty. Then, the remote UE may use a bilateral round trip time (RTT) to calculate the range between the UEs. Then, the remote UE may use the range between the location data of the UE and the location data of the relay UE to calculate the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, as the UEs move relative to each other, the range and location data may be periodically updated to help send updates to the PSAP, send alarms to third-party cloud servers, and / or detect proximity and edge conditions of call and packet data link quality. In some embodiments, for example, as described herein, once a data path is established in parallel with a voice path, users of the UE may use over-the-top (OTT) to exchange and / or share their location, health information, sensor data. In some embodiments, the remote UE can use the location of the relay UE to assist other positioning sources (such as GNSS) and reduce search and location calculation time, thereby saving critical battery resources in service interruption conditions. In some embodiments, the remote UE can send location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, uncertainty and / or confidence level) to the relay UE. In some embodiments, the relay UE can then, for example, pass the location information of the remote UE to the core network by acting as a layer 2 (L2) bridge between the remote UE and the core network. The core network can then pass the location information of the remote UE to the PSAP, and the PSAP can rely on the location from the remote UE.

[0182] At 1218, the remote UE may establish device-to-device communication with the relay UE (e.g., UE 106b), for example, via the SMS / SIP process 1218. During the SMS / SIP process, the remote UE may provide information associated with the emergency to the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low-power communication, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed based on the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein.

[0183] At 1222, the relay UE may perform SMS / SIP procedures with the core network 610 on behalf of the remote UE. In addition, at 1224, the core network may perform PSAP routing and select a PSAP, such as PSAP 904. Note that in some embodiments, the PSAP may, for example, communicate continuously with the third part cloud server 1204 via an application program interface (such as API 1220). Note that, via API 1220, the third party cloud server 1204 may be configured to provide information associated with the remote UE and / or the relay UE. In some embodiments, the information provided may help locate and / or assist the remote UE.

[0184] Go to Fig. 12B, once a remote UE (such as UE 106a) establishes a D2D emergency communication session with a relay UE (such as UE 106b), for example as described herein, the remote UE may initiate transmission of an emergency text 1230. In some embodiments, the emergency text 1230 may be an SMS message. In some embodiments, the emergency text 1230 may be another type of instant message, such as a proprietary type of instant message. Based on the initiation of the transmission of the emergency text 1230, the remote UE may transmit a cell identification (ID) announcement request message 1234 to the relay UE. The relay UE may respond with a cell ID announcement response message 1234. The cell ID announcement response message 1234 may include a cell ID associated with a cell camped on by the relay UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may determine an approximate location, for example, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data and / or other available location information. In some embodiments, the remote UE may share the approximate location information as part of the cell ID announcement request 1234.

[0185] At 1236, the relay UE may determine whether to use the approximate location provided by the remote UE and / or whether to determine a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE. In other words, the relay may determine whether to perform a process to enhance the remote UE's location estimate, for example, as further described herein. In some embodiments, the relay UE and the remote UE may perform a ranging process to help determine the location of the remote UE. In addition, the relay UE may determine client location information to be shared with the network, such as, for example, the approximate location of the remote UE, a confidence metric associated with the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or the results of a ranging process using the remote UE.

[0186] For example, in some embodiments, a relay UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b) may perform location enhancement and / or calculate a confidence measure of a location provided by a client (and / or target) UE (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or UE 106b). For example, in some embodiments, a remote UE may request a serving cell and location (e.g., latitude, longitude, and / or altitude (e.g., relative to sea level)) of a relay UE with uncertainty. Then, the remote UE may use a bilateral round trip time (RTT) to calculate the range between the UEs. Then, the remote UE may use the range between the location data of the UE and the location data of the relay UE to calculate the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, as the UEs move relative to each other, the range and location data may be periodically updated to help send updates to the PSAP, send alarms to third-party cloud servers, and / or detect proximity and edge conditions of call and packet data link quality. In some embodiments, for example, as described herein, once a data path is established in parallel with a voice path, users of the UE may use over-the-top (OTT) to exchange and / or share their location, health information, sensor data. In some embodiments, the remote UE can use the location of the relay UE to assist other positioning sources (such as GNSS) and reduce search and location calculation time, thereby saving critical battery resources in service interruption conditions. In some embodiments, the remote UE can send location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, uncertainty and / or confidence level) to the relay UE. In some embodiments, the relay UE can then, for example, pass the location information of the remote UE to the core network by acting as a layer 2 (L2) bridge between the remote UE and the core network. The core network can then pass the location information of the remote UE to the PSAP, and the PSAP can rely on the location from the remote UE.

[0187] At 1238, the remote UE may establish device-to-device communication with the relay UE (e.g., UE 106b), for example, via the SMS / SIP process 1238. During the SMS / SIP process, the remote UE may provide information associated with the emergency to the relay UE. For example, the remote UE may provide an indication of the type of emergency, the approximate location of the remote UE, and / or other information associated with the emergency. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed on an unlicensed band of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed based on any one of the following, any combination thereof, and / or all of them: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, a cellular-based communication, a Wi-Fi-based communication, a Bluetooth-based and / or Bluetooth low-power communication, and other longer-range and / or shorter-range communication technologies. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed based on the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, the SMS / SIP process may be performed using an emergency channel, for example, as described herein.

[0188] At 1242, the relay UE can perform SMS / SIP process on behalf of the remote UE and the core network 610. In addition, at 1244, the core network can perform PSAP routing and select PSAP, such as PSAP 904. It should be noted that in some embodiments, PSAP can, for example, continue to communicate with the third part cloud server 1204 via an application program interface (such as API 1240). It should be noted that, via API 1240, the third party cloud server 1204 can be configured to provide information associated with the remote UE and / or relay UE. In some embodiments, the information provided can help locate and / or assist the remote UE. In addition, at 1248, the third party cloud server 1204 can establish a data path with the remote UE via the relay UE. In some embodiments, the data path can be established based on the information received and / or obtained from the PSAP 904 via API 1240. In some embodiments, the remote UE can exchange information via the data path, such as user health, remote UE location and / or UE sensor information.

[0189] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B An example of signaling for causing an out-of-service UE to receive an emergency callback via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, Fig.13A An example of signaling for an out-of-service UE to receive an emergency callback via an in-service UE according to some embodiments is shown, and Fig. 13B An example of signaling for enabling a service interrupted UE to receive an emergency callback, including establishing a connection with a cloud server, is shown according to some embodiments.

[0190] Go to Fig.13A , once remote UE (such as UE 106a) for example sets up D2D emergency communication session 1310 with relay UE (such as UE 106b) as described herein, then relay UE can perform emergency call 1312, for example, as described herein.As shown in the figure, after completing emergency call 1312, timer can be initiated, wherein timer is associated with emergency callback from PSAP 904.For example, before timer expires, PSAP 904 can send IMS invitation 1314 to relay UE.As shown in the figure, relay UE can for example forward IMS invitation 1314 to remote UE via emergency callback 1316.However, after timer expires, IMS invitation 1318 from PSAP 904 may fail, and relay UE may not forward IMS invitation 1318 to remote UE.

[0191] Go to Fig. 13B , once remote UE (such as UE 106a) for example as described herein with relay UE (such as UE 106b) establishes D2D emergency communication session 1320, then relay UE can perform emergency call 1322, for example, as described herein.As shown in the figure, after completing emergency call 1322, a timer can be initiated, wherein the timer is associated with an emergency callback from PSAP 904 and / or third-party cloud server 1104.For example, before the timer expires, PSAP 904 can send IMS invitation 1314 to relay UE.As shown in the figure, relay UE can, for example, forward IMS invitation 1314 to remote UE via emergency callback 1316.Similarly, third-party cloud server 1104 can initiate callback 1330 via the data path (for example, as described herein) supported by relay UE. However, after the timer expires, the IMS Invite 1332 from the PSAP 904 and / or the callback 1332 from the third-party cloud server 1104 may fail, and the relay UE may not forward the IMS Invite 1332 or the callback to the remote UE via the third-party cloud server 1104 .

[0192] Fig.14 A block diagram of an example of a method for establishing emergency communications according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.14 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0193] At 1402, a peer-to-peer (P2P) communication session (e.g., a device-to-device (D2D) communication session) may be established between a host (e.g., client) UE (such as UE 106a) and a cooperating (e.g., relay and / or relaying) UE (such as UE 106b). In some embodiments, the remote UE may be out of range of a cellular service. In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer communication session may be established using a channel in an unlicensed band. In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer communication session may be established based on at least one of: cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, and / or Bluetooth / Bluetooth low energy-based communication. In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer communication session may be established based on and / or in conjunction with a 3GPP PC5 communication protocol.

[0194] In some embodiments, the peer communication session can be established using an emergency channel. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be region-specific. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be designated as a part of the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be a dedicated physical channel. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be embedded in a broadcast channel.

[0195] In some embodiments, the broadcast channel may be a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0196] At 1404, the remote UE may transmit an emergency notification to the cooperating UE via the P2P communication session.

[0197] In some embodiments, the emergency notification may include at least the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of the cooperating UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the remote UE may include performing a ranging process using the cooperating UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the UE may include receiving the location of the cooperating UE via a peer-to-peer communication session. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the UE may include the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the UE. In some embodiments, the emergency notification may also include an indication of the type of emergency.

[0198] At 1406, the remote UE may communicate with the PSAP via the cooperating UE. In other words, the communication may be relayed between the remote UE and the PSAP by the cooperating UE. In some embodiments, the emergency communication may be a data message and / or a voice call.

[0199] In some embodiments, the remote UE may communicate with a third-party cloud server, such as third-party cloud server 1104. In such embodiments, the communication may be relayed between the remote UE and the third-party cloud server by the cooperating UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may send at least one of the approximate location of the UE, health information associated with the user of the UE, and / or UE sensor data to the third-party cloud server via the cooperating UE.

[0200] In some embodiments, the remote UE may transmit a cell identity announcement request message to the cooperative UE. In such embodiments, the remote UE may receive a cell identity announcement response message from the cooperative UE. In some embodiments, the cell identity announcement response message may include a cell identity of a cell camped on by the cooperative UE.

[0201] Fig.15 A block diagram of another example of a method for establishing emergency communications according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.15 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0202] At 1502, a relay (e.g., collaborative UE) UE (e.g., such as UE 106b) may receive an emergency notification from a host (e.g., client) UE (such as UE 106a). In some embodiments, the emergency notification may include an approximate location of a remote UE, and the remote UE may be outside the range of a cellular service. In some embodiments, a peer-to-peer communication session established between a relay UE and a remote UE may be used to receive the emergency notification. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of the collaborative UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the remote UE may include performing a ranging process using the collaborative UE. In some embodiments, determining the approximate location of the UE may include receiving the location of the collaborative UE via a peer-to-peer communication session. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the UE may include the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the UE. In some embodiments, the emergency notification may also include an indication of the type of emergency.

[0203] In some embodiments, the request to establish a peer-to-peer communication session may be received using an unlicensed frequency band. In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer communication session may be established based on at least one of: a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol, cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, and / or Bluetooth / Bluetooth low energy-based communication. In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer communication session may be established based on and / or in conjunction with the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol.

[0204] In some embodiments, the peer communication session can be established using an emergency channel. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be region-specific. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be designated as a part of the 3GPP PC5 communication protocol. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be a dedicated physical channel. In some embodiments, the emergency channel can be embedded in a broadcast channel. In some embodiments, the broadcast channel can be a physical side link broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0205] At 1504, the relay UE may establish an SOS APN for functionality with the core network on behalf of the remote UE. In some implementations, the SOS APN may be established based at least in part on the approximate location of the remote UE.

[0206] At 1506, the relaying UE may relay communications between the remote UE and a PSAP (eg, such as PSAP 904) based on the established SOS APN. In some embodiments, the emergency communications may be data messages and / or voice calls.

[0207] In some embodiments, the relay UE may communicate with a third-party cloud server (such as third-party cloud server 1104) on behalf of the remote UE. In such embodiments, the relay UE may relay communications between the remote UE and the third-party cloud server. In some embodiments, the relay UE may receive at least one of the approximate location of the UE, health information associated with the user of the UE, and / or UE sensor data from the remote UE. The relay UE may send at least one of the approximate location of the UE, health information associated with the user of the UE, and / or UE sensor data received from the remote UE to the third-party cloud server.

[0208] In some embodiments, the relay UE may receive a cell identity announcement request message from the remote UE. In such embodiments, the relay UE may transmit a cell identity announcement response message to the remote UE. In some embodiments, the cell identity announcement response message may include a cell identity of a cell that the relay UE is camping on.

[0209] Fig.16 A block diagram of an example of a method for establishing emergency communications for a remote UE according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.16 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0210] At 1602, a function of the core network may receive a request to establish an SOS APN for a host (e.g., client) UE (such as UE 106a) from a relay (e.g., collaborative UE) UE (e.g., such as UE 106b). In some embodiments, the request may include at least an approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may be outside the range of cellular service. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of the relay UE. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may include the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the request may also include an indication of the type of emergency. In some embodiments, the request may also include an indication of confidence in the approximate location of the remote UE.

[0211] At 1604, the core network function may route the communication to a PSAP, such as PSAP 904, using the SOS APN (e.g., traffic). In some embodiments, the routing may be based at least in part on the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the PSAP may have a coverage area that includes the approximate location of the remote UE.

[0212] In some embodiments, the function of the core network may receive a radio resource control connection (RRC) connection request for the remote UE from the relay UE. In such embodiments, the function of the core network may perform a layer 3 IP multimedia core network subsystem (IMS) registration procedure to the remote UE via the relay UE. In some embodiments, the function of the core network may perform an IP multimedia core network subsystem (IMS) registration procedure with the relay UE to register the remote UE.

[0213] Fig.17 A block diagram of another example of a method for establishing emergency communications for a remote UE according to some embodiments is shown. Among other devices, Fig.17 The method shown in can also be used together with any one of the system, method or device shown in the figure. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown can be performed concurrently in an order different from the order shown, or can be omitted. Additional method elements can also be performed as required. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0214] At 1702, a PSAP such as PSAP 1002 may receive a request to establish an IMS session for a host (e.g., client) UE such as UE 106a from a function of a core network. In some embodiments, the request may include at least an approximate location of a remote UE. In some embodiments, the remote UE may be outside the scope of a cellular service. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may be based at least in part on the location of a relay UE. In some embodiments, the approximate location of the remote UE may include the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the request may also include an indication of the type of emergency. In some embodiments, the request may also include an indication of the confidence in the approximate location of the remote UE. In some embodiments, the request may be based at least in part on a remote UE request to establish a SOSAPN on behalf of a remote UE with a function of a core network by a relay UE.

[0215] At 1704, the PSAP may perform emergency communications with the remote UE via a relay UE, such as UE 106b. In some embodiments, the emergency communications may be data messages and / or voice calls.

[0216] In some embodiments, the PSAP may receive at least one of an approximate location of the remote UE, health information associated with a user of the remote UE, or remote UE sensor data from a third-party cloud server (such as third-party cloud server 1104) via an application protocol interface.

[0217] In some embodiments, after the emergency communication with the remote UE is terminated via the relay UE, the PSAP may initiate a subsequent emergency communication with the remote UE via the relay UE. In some embodiments, initiating the subsequent emergency communication may include sending an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) invitation to the relay UE.

[0218] As described above, one aspect of the present technology is the collection and use of data from specific and legitimate sources. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some instances, the collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a specific person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records related to a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information.

[0219] The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present invention technology can be used to benefit users. For example, personal information data can be used to deliver and / or help targeted emergency support. Therefore, the use of such personal information can provide and / or enhance emergency response.

[0220] The present disclosure envisions that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities will be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding the requirements of the industry or government that maintain user privacy. Such information about the use of personal data should be highlighted and easily accessible to users, and should be updated as the collection and / or use of data changes. The user's personal information should be collected only for legal use. In addition, such collection / sharing should only occur after receiving user consent or other legal basis specified in applicable law. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to defend and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that others who have access to personal information data comply with their privacy policies and processes. In addition, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to demonstrate that they comply with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adjusted for specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and applied to applicable laws and standards, including considerations that are exclusive to jurisdictions that can be used to impose higher standards. For example, in the United States, collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly.

[0221] Regardless of the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates implementations in which users selectively block the use or access of personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware elements and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data.

[0222] In addition, it is an object of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risks can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect the privacy of users. De-identification can be facilitated by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at a city level rather than at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or other methods such as differential privacy, where appropriate.

[0223] Thus, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may also be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology will not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. For example, content may be selected and delivered to a user based on aggregated non-personal information data or an absolute minimum amount of personal information, such as content processed only on the user's device or other non-personal information that may be used for content delivery services.

[0224] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0225] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system is caused to perform a method, such as any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein or any combination of such subsets.

[0226] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0227] By interpreting each message / signal X received by a user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any of the methods for operating a UE described herein may become the basis for the corresponding method for operating a base station.

[0228] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A user equipment device UE, comprising: at least one antenna; at least one radio component, wherein the at least one radio component is configured to perform cellular communications using at least one radio access technology, RAT; one or more processors coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio are configured to perform voice and / or data communications; The one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to: When out of range of cellular service, establishing a peer-to-peer communication session with a cooperating UE using a channel in an unlicensed band; transmitting an emergency notification to the cooperating UE using the peer-to-peer communication session, wherein the emergency notification includes an approximate location of the UE; communicating with a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), wherein the communication is relayed between the UE and the PSAP by the cooperating UE via a function of a core network; as well as Communicate with a third-party cloud server, wherein the communication is relayed by the cooperating UE between the UE and the third-party cloud server.

2. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: The approximate location of the UE is determined based at least in part on the location of the cooperating UE, wherein determining the approximate location of the UE includes performing a ranging procedure with the cooperating UE and receiving the location of the cooperating UE via the peer communication session.

3. The UE according to claim 1, The approximate location of the UE includes the latitude, longitude and altitude of the UE.

4. The UE according to claim 1, The peer-to-peer communication session is established using a dedicated peer-to-peer protocol in combination with a 3GPP PC5 communication protocol.

5. The UE according to claim 1, The peer-to-peer communication session is established using an emergency channel.

6. The UE according to claim 5, Wherein the emergency channel is a dedicated physical channel, wherein the emergency channel is embedded in a broadcast channel, and wherein the broadcast channel is a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

7. The UE according to claim 1, The emergency notification also includes an indication of the type of emergency situation.

8. The UE according to claim 1, The emergency notification is a data message or a voice call.

9. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: At least one of the approximate location of the UE, health information associated with a user of the UE, or UE sensor data is sent to the third-party cloud server via the cooperating UE.

10. The UE according to claim 1, The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: transmitting a cell identity announcement request message to the cooperative UE; and A cell identity announcement response message is received from the cooperative UE, wherein the cell identity announcement response message includes a cell identity of a cell camped by the cooperative UE.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions, the program instructions being executable by a processing circuit to cause a user equipment device UE to: receiving an emergency notification from a remote UE using a peer-to-peer communication session established between the UE and the remote UE, wherein the emergency notification includes an approximate location of the remote UE, and wherein the remote UE is out of range of cellular service; an SOS Access Point Name (APN) for establishing functionality with a core network on behalf of the remote UE based at least in part on the approximate location of the remote UE; relaying, via said function of said core network, communications between said remote UE and a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP); as well as Relay communications between the remote UE and a third-party cloud server.

12. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 11, The program instructions can also be executed by the processing circuit to cause the UE to: A request is received from the remote UE to establish the peer to peer communication session using an unlicensed band.

13. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 11, The approximate location of the remote UE is determined based at least in part on the location of the UE, wherein determining the approximate location of the remote UE includes performing a ranging process using the remote UE, and wherein the approximate location of the remote UE includes a latitude, longitude, and altitude of the remote UE.

14. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 11, The peer-to-peer communication session is established using the emergency channel based on at least one of: cellular-based communication, Wi-Fi-based communication, or Bluetooth / Bluetooth low energy-based communication.

15. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 11, Wherein relaying communication between the remote UE and the third-party cloud server includes: forwarding communications received from the remote UE to the third-party cloud server; forwarding communications received from the third-party cloud server to the remote UE; and At least one of the approximate location of the remote UE, health information associated with a user of the remote UE, or remote UE sensor data is forwarded from the remote UE to the third party cloud server.

16. An electronic device, comprising: Memory; and at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: When out of range of a cellular service, establishing a peer-to-peer communication session with a cooperating user equipment device UE using a channel in an unlicensed frequency band; transmitting an emergency notification to the cooperating UE using the peer-to-peer communication session, wherein the emergency notification includes an approximate location of the UE; communicating with a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), wherein the communication is relayed between the UE and the PSAP by the cooperating UE via a function of a core network; as well as Communicate with a third-party cloud server, wherein the communication is relayed by the cooperating UE between the UE and the third-party cloud server.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, A dedicated peer-to-peer protocol is used to establish the peer-to-peer communication session.

18. The electronic device according to claim 16, Wherein the peer to peer communications session is established using an emergency channel, wherein the emergency channel is region specific, and wherein the emergency channel is specified as part of a 3GPP PC5 communications protocol.

19. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: At least one of the approximate location of the electronic device, health information or sensor data associated with a user of the electronic device is sent to the third-party cloud server via the cooperating UE.

20. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: Transmitting a cell identity announcement request message to the cooperative UE; and A cell identity announcement response message is received from the cooperative UE, wherein the cell identity announcement response message includes a cell identity of a cell camped by the cooperative UE.

Images