Terminal Device Emergency Number Mapping for Roaming Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users traveling abroad or on business trips may struggle to accurately dial emergency numbers in unfamiliar regions, posing a risk to their safety due to differing emergency numbers across countries or regions.

Innovation Solution

A terminal device method that, upon roaming to a new public land mobile network, retrieves and compares local and home emergency number lists, adaptively converting entered emergency numbers to ensure the user can initiate an emergency call using the appropriate local number, and optionally displays service types for user selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the terminal device uses fixed emergency numbers from the home network, then the user can quickly dial emergency numbers when familiar with local numbers, but the user cannot accurately dial emergency numbers in unfamiliar regions or countries

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of dialing emergency numberVSAvoidease of dialing emergency number

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal device pre-obtains and stores emergency number lists from both the home network and visited network before the user needs to dial. When roaming, the device has the visited network's emergency numbers ready in advance, eliminating the need for users to manually search or remember local emergency numbers during emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an emergency number mapping mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the user's familiar home network numbers and the local visited network numbers. The device automatically translates the dialed number through this mapping system, allowing users to dial familiar numbers while connecting to local emergency services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the terminal device automatically converts emergency numbers, then the user can initiate emergency calls using home network numbers while roaming, but the device complexity increases due to number list management and conversion logic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different regionsVSAvoidcomplexity of number list management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal device implements a universal emergency number mapping mechanism that works across different networks and regions. The same core functionality handles both home network and visited network emergency numbers, as well as automatic conversion between different number formats, reducing the need for separate specialized systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The device obtains and stores copies of emergency number lists from visited networks, maintaining local copies that can be quickly accessed and matched against dialed numbers. This copying approach allows the device to have multiple emergency number lists available without needing to query networks in real-time during emergencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If the terminal device displays multiple emergency service types for user selection, then the user can determine the required emergency service type accurately, but the time required to initiate the emergency call increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of emergency service type selectionVSAvoidtime to initiate emergency call

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The device displays emergency service types selectively based on the dialed number and detected situation, showing only the most relevant options rather than all possible emergency services. This partial display approach reduces the number of options the user must evaluate while still providing accurate service type identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the user by displaying the identified emergency service type associated with the dialed number, allowing the user to verify correctness quickly. This feedback mechanism enables rapid confirmation without requiring users to manually search through all available emergency services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11985581B2Call method and terminal device

Publication Date: 2024.05.14 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

This application provides a call method and a terminal device. The method includes: when roaming from a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) to a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN), a terminal device obtains a first emergency number list of the VPLMN, and the emergency number corresponds to at least one emergency service type; the terminal device obtains a first number, and when the first number is an emergency number in a second emergency number list of the HPLMN and the first number is not an emergency number in the first emergency number list, determines a second number based on the first number, where the second number is the emergency number in the first emergency number list, and the second number and the first number correspond to a same emergency service type; and the terminal device initiates an emergency call based on the second number.