Methods, systems and computer program products for suspending packet-switched sessions to a wireless terminal

• US 20050220079A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asokan, Ram
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/25 Maintenance of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided through which a wireless terminal participating in a packet-switched communications session may temporarily suspend the session, for example, upon receipt of an incoming circuit-switched call. The wireless terminal may notify a server associated with the packet-switched session of receipt of the incoming circuit-switched call, and may also notify the server when the packet-switched session may be resumed. In embodiments of the present invention implemented in GSM networks, one or more of the notification messages may be transmitted to the server over the SMS data bearer.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless terminal participating in a packet-switched communications session to provide notice of receipt of an incoming circuit-switched call, the method comprising:

receiving a paging request associated with the incoming circuit-switched call; and

notifying a server associated with the packet-switched communications session that the wireless terminal has received the incoming circuit switched call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message includes an identification associated with the wireless terminal and/or an estimate of the length of the incoming circuit-switched call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the server comprises forwarding a message from the wireless terminal to the server associated with the packet-switched communications session.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the server associated with the packet-switched communications session upon termination of the incoming circuit-switched call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification forwarded upon termination of the incoming circuit-switched call is forwarded over a circuit-switched channel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification forwarded upon termination of the incoming circuit-switched call is forwarded over a packet-switched channel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a remote terminal that the wireless terminal has temporarily suspended participation in the packet-switched communications session.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying the server associated with the packet-switched communications session that the wireless terminal has received the incoming circuit switched call comprises forwarding a notification message from the wireless terminal to the server over a packet-switched channel prior to answering the incoming circuit-switched call.

2. The method of Claim I, wherein notifying the server associated with the packet-switched communications session that the wireless terminal has received the incoming circuit switched call comprises forwarding a notification message from the wireless terminal to the server over a circuit-switched channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the incoming circuit-switched call comprises a circuit-switched call transmitted over a GSM network, and wherein the circuit-switched channel is the SMS data bearer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification message comprises a text message or an e-mail message transmitted over the SMS data bearer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification message is forwarded via an IP level connection over the SMS data bearer.

13. A method of temporarily suspending a push-to-talk session established by a communications server between a first wireless terminal and a second wireless terminal, the method comprising:

suspending the push-to-talk session at the first wireless terminal;

notifying the communications server that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session; and

then

reestablishing the push-to-talk session.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein suspending the push-to-talk session at the first wireless terminal comprises suspending the push-to-talk session in response to receiving a circuit-switched call at the first wireless terminal over a GSM network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein notifying the communications server that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session comprises forwarding a notification message from the first wireless terminal to the communications server over a circuit-switched channel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the circuit-switched channel is the SMS data bearer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification message comprises a text message or an e-mail message transmitted over the SMS data bearer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification message is forwarded via an IP level connection over the SMS data bearer.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the notification message includes an identification of a reason for suspending the push-to-talk session at the first wireless terminal.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein reestablishing the push-to-talk session includes the first wireless terminal notifying the communications server that the push-to-talk session should be resumed.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising notifying the second wireless terminal that the first wireless terminal has temporarily suspended participation in the packet-switched communications session.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein notifying the communications server that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session comprises forwarding a notification message from the first wireless terminal to the communications server over a packet-switched channel before the push-to-talk session is suspended.

23. A method of temporarily suspending a push-to-talk session established by a communications server between a first wireless terminal and a second wireless terminal, the method comprising:

receiving notification that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session;

notifying the second wireless terminal that the first terminal has suspended participation in the push-to-talk session; and

reestablishing the push-to-talk session with the first wireless terminal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving notification that the first wireless terminal seeks to resume participation in the push-to-talk session.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing at least one push-to-talk message received at the communications server that was destined for the first wireless terminal that are received after receiving notification that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session and then forwarding the at least one stored push-to-talk message after the push-to-talk session is reestablished.

26. A wireless terminal, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a packet-switched suspension notification circuit coupled to the transceiver that is configured to generate a notification message to a server controlling a packet-switched communications session when the wireless terminal temporarily suspends participation in the packet-switched communications session.

27. The wireless terminal of claim 26, further comprising a circuit-switched communications circuit, wherein the packet-switched suspension notification circuit generates the notification message in response to receipt of a circuit-switched page by the circuit-switched communications circuit.

28. A system for a wireless terminal participating in a packet-switched communications session to provide notice of receipt of an incoming circuit-switched call, comprising:

means for receiving a paging request associated with the incoming circuit-switched call; and

means for notifying a server associated with the packet-switched communications session that the wireless terminal has received the incoming circuit switched call.

29. A computer program product implemented in a wireless terminal that is participating in a packet-switched communications session that provides notice of receipt of an incoming circuit-switched call, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a paging request associated with the incoming circuit-switched call; and

computer readable program code configured to notify a server associated with the packet-switched communications session that the wireless terminal has received the incoming circuit switched call.

30. A system for temporarily suspending a push-to-talk session established by a communications server between a first wireless terminal and a second wireless terminal, the method comprising:

means for receiving notification that the first wireless terminal has suspended the push-to-talk session;

means for notifying the second wireless terminal that the first terminal has suspended participation in the push-to-talk session; and

means for reestablishing the push-to-talk session with the first wireless terminal.