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EP-4432640-B1 - TECHNIQUES TO PREVENT SPOOFING AND IMPROVEMENTS OF ECALLS PERMITTING A RELIABLE CALL-BACK

EP4432640B1EP 4432640 B1EP4432640 B1EP 4432640B1EP-4432640-B1

Inventors

  • BÜCHTER, Martin

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230313

Claims (13)

  1. A method for reliably performing eCalls, the method comprising the steps of: • Providing a CLI-analysis-module (325) for eCalls (310); • Obtaining an eCall (310) by the CLI-analysis-module (325), the eCall (310) having a first part (311) with voice or media connection and a second part (312) with additional data associated with a User Equipment UE, wherein the additional data has a unique identifier that is linked to a Calling Line Identification CLI; • Analyzing of the additional data by the CLI-analysis-module (325), the CLI-analysis-module (325) using the information from the additional data to determine the CLI, confirm the CLI and/or establish as incorrect the CLI assigned to the eCall (310) by means of a database query with regard to the additional data; • Forwarding the eCall to the Original Equipment Manufacturer OEM and/or the PSAP with the CLI upon determination and/or confirmation.
  2. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the CLI-analysis-module (325) is associated with an OEM, a PSAP, a network operator or another trusted party.
  3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a database (330) is provided for the database query at the OEM and/or in a central register.
  4. The method of claim 3, wherein the CLI-analysis-module (325) communicates with the database (330) in an encrypted manner.
  5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the additional data comprises an IMEI, a VIN, an IMSI, a MSISDN and/or GNSS data.
  6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the additional data comprises at least a MSD data set.
  7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the additional data is at least partially dynamically generated by the UE (305a, 305b).
  8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the case of determination or confirmation of the CLI a validation of the CLI is performed.
  9. The method of claim 8, wherein validation of the CLI is performed by making the additional data and/or the CLI available to a home network operator and the home network operator verifies the CLI with existing HLR and/or HSS entries.
  10. The method according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the validation requests a new encrypted transmission of the eCall, in particular of the additional data, from the UE.
  11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the eCall is rejected if the CLI is determined to be incorrect
  12. An Analysis module for eCalls, in particular a CLI-analysis-module, wherein the analysis module comprises: • Means for receiving an eCall, the eCall having a first part with voice or media call and a second part with additional data associated with the a User Equipment UE, wherein the additional data has a unique identifier that is linked to a Calling Line Identification CLI; • Means for analyzing the additional data, wherein the CLI-analysis-module uses the information from the additional data to determine, confirm and/or establish as incorrect the CLI assigned to the eCall by means of a database query with regard to the additional data; • Means for forwarding the eCall to the Original Equipment Manufacturer OEM and/or the PSAP with the CLI upon determination and/or confirmation.
  13. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method of claim 1.

Description

The invention relates to a method, an analysis-module, an UE, and a computer product for reliably performing eCalls. So-called emergency calls (also known as the 112 number or 911) are well known (and have been used for some time) to directly connect rescue services specifically to accident scenes or other emergencies. For some time now, regulated eCalls have been established in addition to these conventional emergency calls. Emergency calls and so mandated eCall are assigned certain privileges so that they can be given preferential and targeted treatment. The regulated eCall can also be referred to as a so-called 112-eCall service, which in principle has the same privileges as the conventional emergency calls. Such privileges include assigning a higher priority to these calls, providing the CLI (Calling Line Identity) of the person who made the call to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and maintain handling of such calls local, i.e., not leaving the regulatory scope of the callers. Recently, however, third-party eCall services, also referred to as "third-party eCalls" or TSP eCalls, have become established for this purpose. These TSP eCalls are private services that are eligible offered in addition to and complementary to the 112 eCall services. For example, for car manufacturers, TSP eCalls are the clearly preferred approach, as they offer the possibility to also enable commercial services, such as concierge service or infotainment, which are not feasible with 112 or 911 services. The vast majority of car manufacturers have therefore configured and implemented TSP eCalls at a large scale. As well in areas of the world where eCall is not mandatory, a large number of car manufacturers offer TSP eCalls. TSP eCalls are not connected directly to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), but as a rule to the call center (CC) or the service center of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) - this can therefore quite specifically be the call center of a car manufacturer. In regions where eCalls are not obligatory, only if no connection can be established with the call center, a real 112 eCall is initiated by the vehicle's telecommunication module, which connects people in distress directly with the PSAP. Since these TSP eCalls are not based on the emergency numbers such as 112 or 911, they do not come with the same privileges as the real emergency calls. For such emergency calls, it is important that a voice connection can be established between the caller and the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). For this purpose, it is essential to know the "Calling Line Identity" (CLI) of the caller. Unlike 112 or 911, however, there is no guarantee that the CLI will be transmitted and/or made known in the case of TSP eCalls. Possible causes may be that the user equipment (UE) is configured accordingly, that the CLI is suppressed or lost in one of the participating networks. In addition, there are still calls where the CLI transmitted and displayed to the recipient has been manipulated. This is referred to as call ID spoofing and means that the actual CLI of the caller is replaced by another spoofed CLI. In this case, it is not 100% obvious for the receiving CC who is calling and there is a possibility that the callback is specifically redirected to a fraudster. Another possibility is that the CC's callback is excluded by this if the displayed CLI is either not available, suppressed or manipulated. US 1018/0152817 A1 discloses: A call is received by a device without, or with limited, information about the calling party. The call is then forwarded to another device where more calling party information is determined (such as by using the automated number information (ANI) protocol) or a database of information associated with phone numbers). These additional data are sent to the device of the called party and are used to populate a contact list on the device with these additional data. Then the call is forwarded to the called party again, and the device of the called party now reports the data stored in the contact list in response to receiving the call. Accordingly, it is the task of the invention to provide techniques for reliably performing eCalls, in particular the so-called TSP eCalls and/or EU eCalls. This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. The features of the various aspects of the invention described below or the various examples of implementation may be combined with each other unless this is explicitly excluded or is technically impossible. Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated