VOICE CALL RESUMPTION ON A LEGACY NETWORK

• US 20140269624A1
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Khay-Ibbat, Samy, Vangala, Sarma V., Vallath, Sreevalsan, Tabet, Tarik
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/332
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 by measured or perceived connection quality data

Abstract

A method for resuming a voice call on a legacy network is provided. The method can include a wireless communication device establishing a voice call with a remote device over a first cellular network; determining that a connection quality of the first cellular network has dropped below a threshold connection quality; sending a notification that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to a legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network; releasing the voice call on the first cellular network; transitioning to the legacy cellular network; establishing a second voice call with the remote device on the legacy cellular network; and using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device.

Claims

1. A method for resuming a voice call on a legacy cellular network, the method comprising a wireless communication device:

establishing a voice call with a remote device over a connection between the wireless communication device and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the voice call being serviced as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on the LTE network;

determining that a connection quality of the LTE network has dropped below a threshold connection quality;

sending a notification that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to a legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network;

releasing the voice call on the LTE network;

providing an indication via a user interface of the wireless communication device that the voice call is ongoing during a period between releasing the voice call on the LTE network and establishing a second voice call with the remote device on the legacy cellular network;

transitioning to the legacy cellular network in response to the connection quality of the LTE network dropping below the threshold connection quality, the legacy cellular network having a circuit switched domain for supporting voice calls;

establishing the second voice call with the remote device on the legacy cellular network, the second voice call being serviced via the circuit switched domain of the legacy cellular network; and

using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the second voice call and using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device are performed automatically after transitioning to the legacy cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performance of establishing the second voice call and using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device is transparent to the user interface of the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the notification comprises sending the notification to the remote device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the notification comprises sending the notification to a network entity, the network entity being configured to provide notification to the remote device that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to the legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless communication device confirming that the remote device supports a background call resumption feature when establishing the voice call via the LTE network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the wireless communication device:

performing a measurement of the legacy cellular network while engaged in the voice call on the LTE network; and

selecting to transition to the legacy cellular network based at least in part on the measurement of the legacy cellular network.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

at least one transceiver, the at least one transceiver configured to transmit data and receive data via a first cellular network and a legacy cellular network; and

processing circuitry coupled to the transceiver, the processing circuitry configured to control the wireless communication device to at least;

establish a voice call with a remote device over a connection between the wireless communication device and the first cellular network, the voice call being serviced via a packet switched domain of the first cellular network;

determine that a connection quality of the first cellular network has dropped below a threshold connection quality;

send a notification that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to the legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network;

release the voice call on the first cellular network;

transition to the legacy cellular network in response to the connection quality of the first cellular network dropping below the threshold connection quality, the legacy cellular network having a circuit switched domain for supporting voice calls;

establish a second voice call with the remote device on the legacy cellular network, the second voice call being serviced via the circuit switched domain of the legacy cellular network; and

use the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the wireless communication device to establish the second voice call and use the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device automatically after transitioning to the legacy cellular network.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein establishment of the second voice call and usage of the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device is transparent to a user interface of the wireless communication device.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the wireless communication device to provide an indication via a user interface of the wireless communication device that the voice call is ongoing during a period between releasing the voice call on the first cellular network and establishing the second voice call on the legacy cellular network.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the wireless communication device to send the notification to the remote device.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the wireless communication device to send the notification to a network entity, the network entity being configured to provide notification to the remote device that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to the legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the wireless communication device to confirm that the remote device supports a background call resumption feature when establishing the voice call via the first cellular network.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the first cellular network utilizes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology, the voice call being serviced as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on the first cellular network.

16. A computer program product for resuming a voice call on a legacy cellular network, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program code stored thereon, the computer program code comprising:

program code for establishing a voice call with a remote device over a connection between the wireless communication device and a first cellular network, the voice call being serviced via a packet switched domain of the first cellular network;

program code for determining that a connection quality of the first cellular network has dropped below a threshold connection quality;

program code for sending a notification that the wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition to a legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network;

program code for releasing the voice call on the first cellular network;

program code for transitioning to the legacy cellular network in response to the connection quality of the first cellular network dropping below the threshold connection quality, the legacy cellular network having a circuit switched domain for supporting voice calls;

program code for establishing a second voice call with the remote device on the legacy cellular network, the second voice call being serviced via the circuit switched domain of the legacy cellular network; and

program code for using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein performance of establishing the second voice call and using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote device is transparent to a user interface of the wireless communication device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for providing an indication via a user interface of the wireless communication device that the voice call is ongoing during a period between releasing the voice call on the first cellular network and establishing the second voice call on the legacy cellular network.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program code for confirming that the remote device supports a background call resumption feature when establishing the voice call via the first cellular network.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first cellular network utilizes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology, the voice call being serviced as a voice over LTE (VoLTE) call on the first cellular network.

21. A method for resuming a voice call following transition of a remote wireless communication device from a first cellular network to a legacy cellular network, the method comprising a communication device:

establishing a voice call with the remote wireless communication device;

receiving a notification that the remote wireless communication device is releasing the voice call to transition from a first cellular network to a legacy cellular network and will resume the voice call on the legacy cellular network;

releasing the voice call in response to receipt of the notification;

providing an indication via a user interface of the communication device that the voice call is ongoing during a period between releasing the voice call and receiving a second voice call from the remote wireless communication device after the remote wireless communication device has transitioned to the legacy cellular network;

receiving the second voice call from the remote wireless communication device after the remote wireless communication device has transitioned to the legacy cellular network; and

using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote wireless communication device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the communication device:

automatically accepting the second voice call and using the second voice call to resume the voice call with the remote wireless communication device such that receipt of the second voice call is transparent to the user interface of the communication device.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the communication device:

confirming that the remote wireless communication device supports a background call resumption feature when establishing the voice call.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving a notification sent by the remote wireless communication device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving a notification provided by a network entity.