Emergency Call Testing via Test Service URN Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cellular network standards lack flexibility for end-to-end testing of emergency call handling, which is crucial for ensuring devices can perform emergency calls effectively without risking false alarms at Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where user equipment (UE) maps a dialed number to a test service Uniform Resource Name (URN) and transmits it to the wireless network, allowing differentiation from real SOS URNs, thereby establishing an emergency test voice call between the UE and a PSAP emulator, reducing the risk of false alarms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency call testing is performed using standard procedures, then emergency call functionality can be tested, but false alarms may be triggered at PSAPs causing disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency call system is segmented into two distinct pathways: real emergency calls routed to actual PSAPs and test calls routed to a PSAP emulator. This segmentation allows testing without affecting real PSAP operations, resolving the contradiction between testing reliability and preventing false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
A PSAP emulator is introduced as an intermediary component that receives and processes test emergency calls instead of routing them to actual PSAPs. This intermediary absorbs the testing load and prevents false alarms from disrupting real emergency services, while still allowing comprehensive emergency call functionality testing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing emergency number mapping is used for testing, then standard emergency numbers can be dialed, but differentiation from real SOS calls becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The URN mapping system applies different quality rules locally: standard emergency numbers (911, 112) map to conventional SOS URNs for real calls, while test numbers (922, 123) map to specialized test URNs containing identifiers like 'test' or 'emulator'. This local differentiation maintains compatibility for real calls while enabling test call distinction without excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Solutions for testing emergency call handling capability include: receiving, into a user equipment (UE), a dialed number (e.g., “922”); mapping, by the UE, the dialed number to a test service uniform resource name (URN); and transmitting the test service URN to a wireless network. Further solutions include: receiving, by the wireless network, from the UE, the test service URN; differentiating, by the wireless network, the test service URN from an SOS URN; and based on at least receiving the test service URN, establishing an emergency test voice call between the UE and a public safety answering point (PSAP) emulator. In some examples, the test service URN comprises “urn:service” and “test” (e.g., “urn:service:test.sos” or “urn:service:sos.test”), and is flagged by a bit field of an emergency service category value. In some examples, the wireless network transmits to the UE, an indication that the dialed number maps to the test service URN.