Voice service in evolved packet system

• US 10,736,026 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: 3G Licensing S.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Inventors: Dwyer, Johanna Lisa, Burbidge, Richard Charles, Faccin, Stefano, Chin, Chen Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harley, Jason A
• Application Number:
  US12/793,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,715 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to manage voice service in evolved packet systems are disclosed. An example method in a User Equipment (UE) with a first indicator related to voice services in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) comprises receiving a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol response message with a second indicator and responsive to at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator, determining availability of voice services over IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) in at least one of long term evolution (LTE) or global system for mobile communications edge radio access network (GERAN)/universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN).

Claims

1. A method in a User Equipment (UE) with a first indicator related to voice services in an Evolved Packet System (EPS), the method, performed by at least one processor, comprising:

receiving, by a receiver of the UE, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol Accept message from a network, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message comprises a second indicator that indicates that the network supports an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Voice over Packet Switched (PS) session;

responsive to the first indicator and the second indicator, determining availability of voice services over IMS wherein determining availability of voice services over IMS further comprises performing an attempt to register with an IMS; and

based on a failure of the attempt to register with the IMS, performing, by the UE, a combined Tracking Area Update (TAU), wherein the combined TAU comprises a combined Tracking Area/Location Area (TA/LA) update as a single NAS registration procedure used to attempt to register for both Packet Switched (PS) and Circuit Switched (CS) services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining availability of voice services over IMS comprises determining availability of voice services over IMS in at least one of Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Global system for mobile communications Edge Radio Access Network (GERAN)/Universal mobile telecommunications system Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message comprises a NAS registration response message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol Accept message further comprises at least one of a cause value or a failure indication.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the cause value or the failure indication is set to:

Failure to register UE for Circuit Switched (CS) or Packet Switched (PS) services;

or

CS domain not available.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the NAS registration response message is received by lower layers of the UE.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining voice services over IMS in at least one of LTE or GERAN/UTRAN are unavailable and subsequently performing:

receiving a second NAS registration response message with a third indicator; and

initiating an IMS registration if the UE is not already IMS registered as determined by the third indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the second NAS registration response message with the third indicator is preceded by detecting at least one of a cell with a different Tracking Area (TA) or a cell with a TA outside the UE Tracking Area Identity (TAI) list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message is an ATTACH accept message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message is a TRACKING AREA UPDATE ACCEPT message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indicator is set to “

IMS Voice Preferred, Circuit Switched (CS) Voice Secondary”

.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second indicator is a Voice over IP Multimedia Subsystem (VoIMS) indicator.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a UE usage setting is set to Voice Centric or Data Centric.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an alternative Radio Access Technology (RAT) based on the failure of said combined TAU.

15. A User Equipment (UE) with a first indicator related to voice services in an Evolved Packet System (EPS), comprising a processor configured for:

receiving a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol Accept message from a network, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message comprises a second indicator that indicates that the network supports an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Voice over Packet Switched (PS) session;

responsive to the first indicator and the second indicator, determining availability of voice services over IMS wherein determining availability of voice services over IMS further comprises perform an attempt to register with an IMS; and

based on a failure of the attempt to register with the IMS, performing a combined Tracking Area Update (TAU), wherein the combined TAU comprises a combined Tracking Area/Location Area (TA/LA) update as a single NAS registration procedure used to attempt to register for both Packet Switched (PS) and Circuit Switched (CS) services.

16. The UE of claim 15, wherein determining availability of voice services over IMS comprises determining availability of voice services over IMS in at least one of Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Global system for mobile communications Edge Radio Access Network (GERAN)/Universal mobile telecommunications system Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN).

17. The UE of claim 15, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message comprises a NAS registration response message.

18. The UE of claim 15, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message is an ATTACH accept message.

19. The UE of claim 15, wherein the NAS protocol Accept message is a TRACKING AREA UPDATE ACCEPT message.

20. The UE of claim 15, wherein the first indicator is set to “

IMS Voice Preferred, Circuit Switched (CS) Voice Secondary”

.

21. The UE of claim 15, wherein the second indicator is a Voice over IP Multimedia Subsystem (VoIMS) indicator.

22. The UE of claim 15, wherein a UE usage setting is set to Voice Centric or Data Centric.

23. The UE of claim 15, wherein the Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol Accept message further comprises at least one of a cause value or a failure indication.

24. The UE of claim 23, wherein at least one of the cause value or the failure indication is set to:

Failure to register UE for Circuit Switched (CS) or Packet Switched (PS) services;

or

CS domain not available.

25. The UE of claim 17, wherein the NAS registration response message is received by lower layers of the UE.

26. The UE of claim 16, further comprising determining voice services over IMS in at least one of LTE or GERAN/UTRAN are unavailable and subsequently performing:

receiving a second NAS registration response message with a third indicator; and

initiating an IMS registration if the UE is not already IMS registered as determined by the third indicator.

27. The UE of claim 26, wherein receiving the second NAS registration response message with the third indicator is preceded by detecting at least one of a cell with a different tracking area (TA) or a cell with a TA outside the UE Tracking Area Identity (TAI) list.

28. The UE of claim 16, further configured for selecting an alternative Radio Access Technology (RAT) based on the failure of said combined TAU.