MANAGING A PACKET SERVICE CALL WITHIN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20140220944A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Sanjeevi
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• 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

While a circuit service, CS, call is in progress, a request for a packet service, PS, call is received from a background task that is running in the mobile communications user equipment. In response to receiving the request, several air interface parameters that relate to the in-progress CS call are evaluated, in order to decide whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for managing, within mobile communications user equipment, a packet service, PS, call, the method comprising:

while a circuit service, CS, call is in progress, receiving a request for a PS call from a background task running in the mobile communications user equipment;

in response to receiving the request from the background task, evaluating a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call; and

deciding whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the background task has a lower priority for establishing a PS call than that of one other background task which is also running in the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of air interface parameters comprise received signal strength from a serving base station and user equipment transmit power to the serving base station.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request from the background task, accessing a stored history of PS call blocks by the mobile communications user equipment, and wherein the decision whether or not to block the PS call is further based on the stored history.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the decision is to block the PS call when a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is less than a predetermined threshold and EcNo is less than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the decision is to block the PS call when a) user equipment transmit power is greater than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

starting a timer in response to the decision to block the PS call; and

upon expiry of the timer, and the CS call being still in progress, evaluating a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call and then deciding whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

starting a timer in response to the decision to block the PS call; and

upon expiry of the timer, and the CS call being still in progress, evaluating a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call and then deciding whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the decision is to allow the PS call when one of a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is greater than a predetermined threshold and b) EcNo is greater than a predetermined threshold, and user equipment transmit power is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the decision is to allow the PS call when the stored history indicates that a maximum number of PS call blocks have been reached.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising resetting the stored history to indicate there have been zero PS call blocks.

12. A mobile telephony device, comprising:

a processor; and

data storage having stored therein a telephony module that, when executed by the processor, manages a circuit service, CS, call that is in progress;

the data storage further having stored therein a packet service, PS, call manager that, when executed by the processor, receives a request for a PS call from a background task running in the mobile device, and in response evaluates a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call, and then decides whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the data storage has stored therein further instructions that, when executed by the processor, respond to the PS call request from the background task by accessing a stored history of PS call blocks which have been made by the device, and wherein the decision whether or not to block the PS call is further based on the stored history.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the decision is to block the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is less than a predetermined threshold and EcNo is less than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the decision is to block the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that a) user equipment transmit power is greater than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the data storage has stored therein further instructions that, when executed by the processor, start a timer in response to the decision to block the PS call, and upon expiry of the timer, and the CS call being still in progress, evaluate a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call and then decide again whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the decision is to allow the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that one of a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is greater a predetermined threshold and b) EcNo is greater than a predetermined threshold, and user equipment transmit power is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the decision is to allow the PS call when the stored history indicates that a maximum number of PS call blocks have been reached.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the data storage has stored therein further instructions that, when executed by the processor, reset the stored history to indicate there have been zero PS call blocks.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor in mobile telephony user equipment, control when a packet service, PS, call that is requested by a task running in the user equipment is allowed to be established during an in progress circuit service, CS, call, wherein the instructions program the processor to respond to the PS call request by evaluating a) a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call and b) a stored history of PS call blocks which have been made by the user equipment, and then decide whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions are such that the decision is to block the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is less than a predetermined threshold and EcNo is less than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions are such that the decision is to block the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that a) user equipment transmit power is greater than a predetermined threshold, and b) the stored history indicates that there have been fewer than a maximum number of PS call blocks.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the medium has stored therein further instructions that, when executed by the processor, start a timer in response to the decision to block the PS call, and upon expiry of the timer, and the CS call being still in progress, evaluate a plurality of air interface parameters relating to the in progress CS call and then decide again whether or not to block the PS call based on the evaluation.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored instructions are such that the decision is to allow the PS call when the processor evaluates the parameters and thereby determines that one of a) received signal code power, RSCP, from the serving base station is greater than a predetermined threshold and b) EcNo is greater than a predetermined threshold, and c) user equipment transmit power is less than a predetermined threshold.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the decision is to allow the PS call when the stored history indicates that a maximum number of PS call blocks have been reached.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the medium has stored therein further instructions that, when executed by the processor, reset the stored history to indicate there have been zero PS call blocks.