SUPL Fallback Mechanism for Emergency Location Sessions
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) SUPL protocol lacks a clear fallback mechanism for authentication failures during emergency situations, leading to potential delays in locating mobile devices in emergency scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a fallback mechanism where a SUPL Enabled Terminal (SET) attempts to connect with alternative Emergency SUPL Location Platforms (E-SLPs) using generated information based on mobile country code (MCC) and mobile network code (MNC), ensuring a secure Transport Layer Security (TLS) connection is established.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the SET uses the FQDN of the first E-SLP provided in the SUPL INIT message to establish a SUPL session, then the session establishment follows the standard protocol flow, but authentication failures can occur without a defined fallback mechanism causing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The SET pre-generates fallback contact information (FQDN or IP address) for alternative E-SLPs before authentication failure occurs. This prepared fallback mechanism allows immediate connection attempts to alternative platforms without waiting for protocol-defined error handling, thereby reducing time delay while maintaining reliable session establishment through multiple predefined options
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares multiple E-SLP contact options in advance as a cushion against authentication failures. By having pre-configured alternative E-SLPs with their contact information generated based on MCC and MNC, the system creates a safety buffer that prevents complete session establishment failure and minimizes time loss when the primary E-SLP authentication fails
2Reliability
If the SET attempts to connect with alternative E-SLPs using generated information based on MCC and MNC, then the likelihood of successful SUPL session completion increases, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The SET changes the parameter of E-SLP identification from a single fixed FQDN to multiple alternative identifiers generated by combining MCC and MNC parameters with E-SLP domain patterns. This parameter-based generation approach systematically creates fallback options without requiring complex hard-coded configurations, balancing increased reliability with manageable device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The SET autonomously generates its own fallback E-SLP contact information using its already-known MCC and MNC values. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external configuration or complex lookup tables, allowing the device to independently create multiple connection options and thereby increase session completion success rate without proportionally increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques disclosed herein are generally directed toward providing a fallback mechanism to use when the authentication session between the SET and E-SLP fails. In particular, the techniques provided herein allow the SET to attempt to connect with SLPs using given and/or generated information. As such, the techniques provided herein increase the likelihood that the SET will be able to complete a successful SUPL session, and a location of the SET will be provided to an emergency response service.