COMMUNICATION METHOD USING PLURALITY OF NETWORKS AND DEVICE SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20160066220A1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BAE, Yun Gyu, KIM, Hye Jeong
• Granted Patent: US 10,142,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• 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

A communication method of an electronic device is provided. The method includes receiving, by a first communication module supporting a first network, a measurement message for a second network, providing the received measurement message to a second communication module supporting the second network, providing, by the second communication module, information on the second network to the first communication module in response to the measurement message, and reporting, by the first communication module, the information to the first network in order for a handover to the second network.

Claims

1. A communication method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first communication module supporting a first network, a measurement message for a second network;

providing the received measurement message to a second communication module supporting the second network;

providing, by the second communication module, information on the second network to the first communication module in response to the measurement message; and

reporting, by the first communication module, the information to the first network in order for a handover to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a packet-switched (PS) network and the second network is a circuit-switched (CS) network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the information on the second network comprises:

providing, when the second communication module has the information on the second network, the information to the first communication module; and

measuring, by the second communication module, when the second communication module does not have the information on the second network, the information on the second network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising measuring, by the first communication module, when the second communication module does not have the information on the second network, the information on the second network through a gap measurement method.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the handover to the second communication module is completed, at least one of:

transmitting, by the first communication module, a data service request to the first network;

receiving a response for the request;

or

resuming the data service on the basis of the received response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the data service request is performed when the electronic device is in an area supporting long-term evolution (LTE) but not supporting voice over LTE (VoLTE).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the data service request message is performed when the electronic device is in an area where VoLTE is supported but VoLTE is currently unavailable.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting of the data service request message is performed, when the electronic device enters from a CS area to an LTE area, when the electronic device confirms that single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) is completed in the first network, or when a specified time elapses after the electronic device confirms that the SRVCC is completed.

9. An electronic device supporting a plurality of networks, the electronic device comprising:

a first communication module configured to receive a measurement message for a second network from a first network; and

a second communication module configured to provide information on the second network to the first communication module in response to the measurement message provided from the first communication module,

wherein the first communication module reports the information to the first network.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the information on the second network comprises information on a serving cell and a neighbor cell that the second communication module retains.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the information on the second network comprises information on a frequency band of the second network.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the second communication module is further configured to:

provide, when having the information on the second network, the information to the first communication module, and

measure, when having no information on the second network, the information on the second network.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein, when the second communication module does not obtain the information on the second network according to the measurement result, the first communication module is further configured to measure the information on the second network through a gap measurement method.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the second communication module is further configured to provide only information reportable to the first network to the first communication module by comparing the measurement message provided from the first communication module and the information on the second network.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein, if there is no information reportable to the first network according to the comparison result, the second communication module is further configured to measure the information on the second network.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein, when a handover to the second communication module is completed, the first communication module is further configured to:

transmit a data service request to the first network, and

resume the data service on the basis of a response for the data service request.

17. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first communication module and the second communication module are respectively connected to a first radio frequency (RF) module and a second RF module connected to at least one antenna.

18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the information on the second network the second stack retains comprises network information satisfying a frequency band and signal intensity condition of inter-radio access technologies included in a request message.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the providing of the network information comprises:

providing, when the second stack has information on the 2G or 3G network in advance, the information to the first stack; and

measuring, by the second stack, when the second stack does not have information on the 2G or 3G network, the information on the 2G or 3G network.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first stack, a data service request message to the LTE network; and

resuming the data service on the basis of a response for the request message.

19. A communication method of an electronic device using a call service through a call session formed in a first stack, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first stack, a second generation (2G) or third generation (3G) network information request message from a long-term evolution (LTE) network;

delivering the request message to a second stack;

providing, by the second stack, the 2G or 3G network information to the first stack;

handing over the LTE network to the 2G or 3G network; and

moving the call session from the first stack to the second stack.