Gateway Apparatus Emergency Call Identification in Mobile Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

In mobile communication systems, unauthorized mobile stations can access femto base stations by misrepresenting calls as emergency calls, leading to unauthorized use and billing issues, as the core network and gateway cannot accurately determine the type of call originated by the mobile station.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves modifying the RANAP protocol messages to include an Emergency Cause parameter, allowing the core network and gateway to identify emergency calls and perform appropriate access regulation, thereby preventing unauthorized access and ensuring accurate billing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If access regulation is skipped for emergency calls, then emergency services can access the network, but unauthorized mobile stations can misrepresent calls as emergency calls to gain unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemergency call accessVSAvoidaccess regulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the mobile station and the core network. This gateway device specifically checks whether the call is actually an emergency call before allowing access regulation to be skipped, thereby preventing unauthorized stations from misrepresenting calls as emergency calls while still allowing legitimate emergency services to access the network

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway device performs preliminary verification of the call type before the access regulation decision is made. By checking in advance whether the call is genuinely an emergency call, the system can appropriately apply access regulation or exemption, preventing fraud while maintaining emergency service accessibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the core network checks call type, then accurate billing and access control can be achieved, but the signaling overhead and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall type identificationVSAvoidnetwork processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the call type verification function from the core network and places it in the gateway device. This separation reduces the processing complexity and signaling overhead in the core network, while still achieving accurate call type identification and billing control at the gateway level

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2330840B1Mobile communication system
Publication Date: 2015.12.23 NEC CORP
  • EP2330840B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2330840B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2330840B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mobile communication system of the present invention includes: a mobile station; a base station wirelessly communicating with the mobile station; and a gateway apparatus connected to the base station and a core network. The base station includes: first transmission means for transmitting a registration message for registering the mobile station in the gateway apparatus; and second transmission means for transmitting a message pertaining to establishment of an emergency call originated by the mobile station. The gateway apparatus includes: first reception means for receiving the registration message from the base station; second reception means for receiving an establishment message pertaining to establishment of the emergency call from the base station; and check means for checking consistency between the registration message and the establishment message.