Adaptive VoLTE handover mode based on network capability

• US 10,104,583 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Shu, Niranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US15/249,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455436, 455437, 455438, 455439, 455440, 4555501, 4555521, 4555531
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0079 in case of hand-off failure or rejection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment

Abstract

A method of operating user equipment (UE) for detecting network capability. The method comprises identifying a preferred mode for a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) call handover operation from an LTE network to a non-LTE network in a first communication network. The preferred mode is associated with the first communication network. The method further comprises initiating a VoLTE call in a second communication network different than the first communication network, determining whether the second communication network is capable of supporting the preferred mode associated with the first communication network, and one of changing and maintaining the preferred mode based on a result of the determination.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for detecting network capability, the UE comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor operably connected to the memory, the at least one processor configured to;

identify a preferred mode for a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) call handover operation from an LTE network to a non-LTE network;

initiate a VoLTE call on the LTE network;

before the VoLTE call handover operation on the VoLTE call, perform a check to determine whether the LTE network and the non-LTE network are capable of supporting the preferred mode;

change or maintain the preferred mode based on a result of the determination wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

change the preferred mode to another mode in advance of needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that the network capability of the LTE network does not support the preferred mode; and

maintain the preferred mode in advance when needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that the network capability of the LTE network supports the preferred mode; and

initiate the VoLTE call handover operation to handover the VoLTE call to the non-LTE network based on the preferred mode.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein:

the preferred mode is a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a circuit switched (CS) network;

the at least one processor is further configured to measure a signal strength of the LTE network and the CS network; and

the UE further comprises a transceiver configured to;

transmit, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the CS network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the CS network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receive, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and CS networks are capable of supporting the SRVCC preferred mode.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein:

the preferred mode is an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a WiFi network;

the at least one processor is further configured to measure a signal strength of the LTE network and the WiFi network; and

the UE further comprises a transceiver configured to;

transmit, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the WiFi network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the WiFi network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receive, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and WiFi networks are capable of supporting the ePDG preferred mode.

4. The UE of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to change the SRVCC preferred mode to an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) preferred mode that is different than the SRVCC preferred mode based on the network capability of LTE network when the network capability of the LTE network does not support the SRVCC preferred mode for the VoLTE call handover operation.

5. The UE of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to change the ePDG preferred mode to a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) preferred mode that is different than the ePDG preferred mode based on the network capability of the LTE network when the network capability of the LTE network does not support the ePDG preferred mode for the VoLTE call handover operation.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

configure at least one threshold for the VoLTE call handover operation from the LTE network to the non-LTE network; and

adaptively adjust the at least one threshold in response to a response message indicating the network capability of the LTE network.

7. A method of operating user equipment (UE) for detecting network capability, the method comprising:

identifying a preferred mode for a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) call handover operation from an LTE network to a non-LTE network;

initiating a VoLTE call on the LTE network;

before the VoLTE call handover operation on the VoLTE call, performing a check to determine whether the LTE network and the non-LTE network are capable of supporting the preferred mode;

one of changing and maintaining the preferred mode based on a result of the determination, wherein one of changing and maintaining the preferred mode based on a result of the determination comprises;

changing the preferred mode to another mode in advance of needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that the network capability of the LTE network does not support the preferred mode; and

maintaining the preferred mode in advance when needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that the network capability of the LTE network supports the preferred mode; and

initiating the VoLTE call handover operation to handover the VoLTE call to the non-LTE network based on the preferred mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the preferred mode is a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a circuit switched (CS) network; and

performing the check to determine whether the LTE network is capable of supporting the preferred mode comprises;

measuring a signal strength of the LTE network and the CS network;

transmitting, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the CS network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the CS network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receiving, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and CS networks are capable of supporting the SRVCC preferred mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the preferred mode is an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a WiFi network; and

performing the check to determine whether the LTE network is capable of supporting the preferred mode comprises;

measuring a signal strength of the LTE network and WiFi network;

transmitting, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the WiFi network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the WiFi network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receiving, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and WiFi networks are capable of supporting the ePDG preferred mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein one of changing and maintaining the preferred mode based on the result of the determination comprises changing the SRVCC preferred mode to an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) mode based on the network capability of the LTE network when the network capability of the LTE network does not support the SRVCC preferred mode for the VoLTE call handover operation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one of changing and maintaining the preferred mode based on the result of the determination comprises changing the ePDG preferred mode to a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) preferred mode based on the network capability of the LTE network when the network capability of the LTE network does not support the ePDG preferred mode for the VoLTE call handover operation.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the check to determine whether the LTE network is capable of supporting the preferred mode further comprises:

configuring at least one threshold for the VoLTE call handover operation from the LTE network to the non-LTE network; and

adaptively adjusting the at least one threshold in response to a response message indicating the network capability of the LTE network.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code, that when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

identify a preferred mode for a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) call handover operation from an LTE network to a non-LTE network;

initiate a VoLTE call on the LTE network;

before the VoLTE call handover operation on the VoLTE call, performing a check to determine whether the LTE network and the non-LTE network are capable of supporting the preferred mode;

change or maintain the preferred mode based on a result of the determination, wherein the program code to change or maintain the preferred mode further comprises program code, that when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to;

change the preferred mode to another mode in advance of needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that a network capability of the LTE network does not support the preferred mode; and

maintain the preferred mode in advance when needing to perform the VoLTE call handover operation in response to a response message for the check indicating that the network capability of the LTE network supports the preferred mode; and

initiate the VoLTE call handover operation to handover the VoLTE call to the non-LTE network based on the preferred mode.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the preferred mode is a single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a circuit switched (CS) network; and

the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program code, that when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to;

measure a signal strength of the LTE network and CS network; and

transmit, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the CS network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the CS network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receive, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and CS networks are capable of supporting the SRVCC preferred mode.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the preferred mode is an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) preferred mode;

the non-LTE network is a WiFi network; and

the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program code, that when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to;

measure a signal strength of the LTE network and WiFi network; and

transmit, to the LTE network, a predicted measurement report based on the measured signal strength of the LTE network and the WiFi network for triggering the VoLTE call handover operation to the WiFi network, wherein the predicted measurement report is transmitted when the signal strength of the LTE network is equal to threshold plus a delta; and

receive, from the LTE network, a response message corresponding to the predicted measurement report, wherein the response message indicates whether the LTE and WiFi networks are capable of supporting the ePDG preferred mode.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising program code, that when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to change the SRVCC preferred mode to an enhanced packet data gateway (ePDG) mode based on a network capability of the LTE network when the network capability of the LTE network does not support the SRVCC preferred mode for the VoLTE call handover operation.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising program code, that when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:

configure at least one threshold for the VoLTE call handover operation from the LTE network to the non-LTE network; and

adaptively adjust the at least one threshold in response to a response message indicating a network capability of the LTE network.