NTN Emergency Call Routing via Terrestrial PSAP Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-terrestrial networks face high infrastructure costs and inefficiencies in handling emergency calls due to the need to select and route to thousands of public safety answering points, which is typically required by 3GPP standards.
Innovation Solution
Delegating the responsibility of routing emergency calls, such as E911 or E112, to the user equipment's home network or a designated terrestrial network, rather than the non-terrestrial network, by selecting a packet data network gateway and routing the call through established terrestrial infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the NTN handles routing of emergency calls to PSAPs directly, then compliance with 3GPP standards is achieved, but infrastructure investment and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a terrestrial network as an intermediary between the NTN and PSAPs. The NTN routes emergency calls to a terrestrial network, which then handles the complex task of selecting and routing to the appropriate PSAP. This mediator approach allows the NTN to comply with 3GPP standards while avoiding the need to build its own PSAP routing infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the PSAP routing function from the NTN and delegates it to the terrestrial network. By separating the emergency call reception function (handled by NTN) from the PSAP selection and routing function (handled by terrestrial network), the system reduces the infrastructure burden on the NTN while maintaining standard compliance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the NTN selects and routes to thousands of PSAPs, then emergency call coverage is comprehensive, but operational efficiency decreases due to complex routing decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The terrestrial network serves as an intermediary that handles the complex routing logic to thousands of PSAPs. The NTN simply routes calls to the terrestrial network, which then uses its existing capabilities to determine the appropriate PSAP based on location and other factors. This maintains comprehensive emergency coverage while improving operational efficiency by offloading the routing complexity.
3Reliability
If the NTN invests in duplicate emergency call routing infrastructure, then independent emergency call handling capability is achieved, but cost efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universal capability of terrestrial networks to handle emergency calls for multiple NTN operators. Instead of each NTN building its own PSAP routing infrastructure, the terrestrial network provides a shared, multi-functional service that handles emergency calls from various NTNs, achieving cost efficiency through resource sharing while maintaining independent handling capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Solutions for routing an emergency call made through a non-terrestrial network (NTN) include: receiving, by an NTN, from a user equipment (UE), an emergency call; not selecting, by the NTN, a public safety answering point (PSAP) for routing the emergency call; selecting, by the NTN, a packet data network (PDN) gateway (GW) in a terrestrial network (TN) to which to route the emergency call; and routing the emergency call to the selected PDN GW. Solutions also include: receiving, by the TN, from the NTN, the emergency call placed by the UE that is using the NTN; determining, by the TN, a location of the UE; selecting, by the TN, a PSAP using the location of the UE; and routing the emergency call to the selected PSAP.