Emergency call handling in accordance with authentication procedure in communication network

1. A method, comprising:

in a communication network wherein a first computing device comprises user equipment and a second computing device comprises an authentication function for authenticating the user equipment;

receiving at the second computing device from the first computing device an authentication rejection message;

receiving at the second computing device from the first computing device an emergency call indicator message; and

making a decision at the second computing device regarding proceeding with or dropping an authentication procedure for the first computing device based on the receipt of the authentication rejection message and the emergency call indicator message.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the second computing device enabling an emergency call to be placed for the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises:

sending in accordance with a first authentication attempt an authentication request from the second computing device to the first computing device;

receiving at the second computing device from the first computing device an authentication failure message, the authentication failure message being sent by the first computing device in response to the authentication request sent by the second computing device; and

initiating at the second computing device a second authentication attempt in response to the authentication failure message;

wherein the second authentication attempt is ceased at the second computing device in response to the emergency call indicator message.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second authentication attempt comprises a re-synchronization procedure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication network comprises an Evolved Packet System (EPS) architecture.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first computing device comprises Mobile Equipment (ME) and a UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second user device comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises an Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocol.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing one or more software programs which when executed by a processor associated with the second computing device perform the steps of the method of claim 1 .

10. An apparatus, comprising:

in a communication network wherein a first computing device comprises user equipment and a second computing device comprises an authentication function for authenticating the user equipment, the second computing device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: receive from the first computing device an authentication rejection message; receive from the first computing device an emergency call indicator message; and make a decision at the second computing device regarding proceeding with or dropping an authentication procedure for the first computing device based on the receipt of the authentication rejection message and the emergency call indicator message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to enable an emergency call to be placed for the first computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the communication network comprises an Evolved Packet System (EPS) architecture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first computing device comprises Mobile Equipment (ME) and a UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM).

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second user device comprises a Mobility Management Entity (MME).

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the authentication procedure comprises an Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocol.

16. A method, comprising:

in a communication network wherein a first computing device comprises user equipment and a second computing device comprises an authentication function for authenticating the user equipment;

sending from the first computing device to the second computing device an authentication rejection message;

sending from the first computing device to the second computing device an emergency call indicator message; and

initiating an emergency call by the first computing device in response to a decision at the second computing device regarding proceeding with or dropping an authentication procedure for the first computing device at the second computing device based on the receipt of the authentication rejection message and the emergency call indicator message.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing one or more software programs which when executed by a processor associated with the second computing device perform the steps of the method of claim 16 .

18. An apparatus, comprising:

in a communication network wherein a first computing device comprises user equipment and a second computing device comprises an authentication function for authenticating the user equipment, the first computing device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: send to the second computing device an authentication rejection message; send from the first computing device to the second computing device an emergency call indicator message; and initiate an emergency call in response to a decision at the second computing device regarding proceeding with or dropping an authentication procedure for the first computing device at the second computing device based on the receipt of the authentication rejection message and the emergency call indicator message.