VoLTE Quality of Service Enhancement with Preconditions

• US 20160353315A1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lakshman, Deepak Chitlur, Li, Si, Vasudevan, Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 10,098,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0252 per individual bearer or channel dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0263 involving mapping traffic to individual bearers or channels, e.g. traffic flow template [TFT]

Abstract

A wireless voice call may be established between an originating user equipment (UE) and a terminating UE, via a cellular network, using preconditions. The originating UE may transmit an invitation for a packet-switched wireless voice call, beginning a first period of time. The terminating UE may cancel the invitation in response to determining that a first precondition, such as establishment of a dedicated bearer between the originating UE and the cellular network, is not satisfied within the first period of time. The first period of time may be interrupted in response to determining that the first precondition is satisfied, and a second period of time may then begin. The cellular network may cancel the invitation in response to determining that a second precondition, such as establishment of a dedicated bearer between the terminating UE and the cellular network, is not satisfied within the second period of time.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

at least one antenna;

a radio coupled to the at least one antenna for performing wireless cellular communications; and

at least one processing element coupled to the radio;

wherein the UE is configured to;

transmit an invitation for a packet-switched wireless voice call;

monitor, for a first time period, for one or more predefined connection conditions pertaining to a connection between the UE and a cellular network of the packet-switched wireless voice call, wherein the one or more predefined connection conditions comprise the UE determining that the UE has met a desired quality-of-service criterion for the packet-switched wireless voice call;

cancel the packet-switched wireless voice call in response to determining that the one or more predefined connection conditions have not occurred within the first time period; and

interrupt the first time period in response to determining that the one or more predefined connection conditions have occurred within the first time period.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined connection conditions further comprise the UE transmitting an indication that the UE has met the desired quality-of-service criterion for the packet-switched wireless voice call.

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the UE is further configured to:

receive an indication that a terminating UE of the packet-switched wireless voice call has met one or more second predefined connection conditions, wherein establishment of the packet-switched voice call is completed in response to the indication that the terminating UE has met the one or more second predefined connection conditions.

4. The UE of claim 3, wherein the receiving the indication that the terminating UE has met the one or more second predefined connection conditions occurs after the UE transmitting the indication that the UE has met the desired quality-of-service criterion for the packet-switched wireless voice call.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the desired quality-of-service criterion comprises establishing a dedicated bearer between the UE and the cellular network.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE is further configured to:

transmit an invitation for a circuit-switched wireless voice call substantially immediately following the canceling the packet-switched wireless voice call.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE is further configured to:

establish a packet-switched wireless voice session with the cellular network at least partly based on a determination that the one or more predefined connection conditions have occurred within the first time period; and

receive an indication that a terminating UE of the packet-switched wireless voice call has not met one or more second predefined connection conditions, wherein the cellular network establishes a voice call between the UE and the terminating UE by establishing a circuit-switched wireless voice session with the terminating UE, wherein the establishing the circuit-switched wireless voice session is at least partly based on the terminating UE not having met the one or more second predefined connection conditions.

8. A method for establishing a voice call between an originating user equipment (UE) and a terminating UE, via a cellular network, the method comprising:

by the originating UE;

transmitting, to a cellular network, an invitation for a packet-switched wireless voice call;

attempting establishment of a first dedicated bearer between the originating UE and the cellular network for the packet-switched wireless voice call; and

interrupting a first predetermined time period following the transmitting the invitation in response to determining that the first dedicated bearer has been established within the first predetermined time period following the transmitting the invitation, wherein expiration of the first predetermined time period without being interrupted causes the originating UE to cancel the packet-switched wireless voice call.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein cancelation of the packet-switched wireless voice call causes the originating UE to transmit an invitation for a circuit-switched wireless voice call to the terminating UE.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

by the originating UE;

transmitting a first indication, indicating that the first dedicated bearer has been established between the originating UE and the cellular network, wherein the transmitting the first indication is in response to determining that the first dedicated bearer between the originating UE and the cellular network has been established within the first predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

by the originating UE;

receiving a second indication, indicating that a second dedicated bearer has been established between the terminating UE and the cellular network, wherein establishment of the packet-switched voice call is completed in response to the second indication.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein a second predetermined time period begins in response to the first indication;

wherein the second indication is received within the second predetermined time period.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

by the originating UE;

establishing a packet-switched wireless voice session with the cellular network at least partly based on a determination that the first dedicated bearer has been established within the first predetermined time period; and

receiving an indication that the terminating UE has not established a second dedicated bearer between the terminating UE and the cellular network for the packet-switched wireless voice call, wherein the cellular network establishes a voice call between the originating UE and the terminating UE by establishing a circuit-switched wireless voice session with the terminating UE, wherein the establishing a circuit-switched wireless voice session is at least partly based on the terminating UE not having established the second dedicated bearer.

14. A base station, comprising:

at least one antenna;

at least one radio coupled to the at least one antenna for performing wireless cellular communications; and

at least one processing element coupled to the at least one radio;

wherein the base station is configured to;

receive, from a mobile originating UE, an invitation for a packet-switched wireless voice call;

provide the invitation for the packet-switched wireless voice call to a mobile terminating UE;

receive, from the mobile originating UE, a first indication that the mobile originating UE has met a first quality-of-service precondition for the packet-switched wireless voice call; and

cancel establishment of a first leg of the packet-switched voice call between the base station and the mobile terminating UE in response to determining that the mobile terminating UE has not met a second quality-of-service precondition within a predetermined period of time following the receiving the first indication.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the base station is further configured to:

transmit an invitation for a circuit-switched wireless voice call to the mobile terminating UE in response to determining that the mobile terminating UE has not met the second quality-of-service precondition within the predetermined period of time.

16. The base station of claim 15, wherein the base station is further configured to:

complete establishment of a wireless voice call, wherein a second leg of the wireless voice call between the mobile originating UE and the base station is packet-switched, and the first leg of the wireless voice call between the base station and the mobile terminating UE is circuit-switched.

17. The base station of claim 14, wherein the base station is further configured to:

complete establishment of the packet-switched wireless voice call in response to determining that the mobile terminating UE has met the second quality-of-service precondition within the predetermined period of time following the receiving the first indication.

18. The base station of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first or second quality-of-service preconditions comprise establishment of a dedicated bearer for the packet-switched voice call.

19. The base station of claim 14, wherein determining that the mobile terminating UE has not met the second quality-of-service precondition comprises receiving an indication that the mobile terminating UE is providing a user alert of the packet-switched wireless voice call.

20. The base station of claim 14,

wherein the first indication is received within a predefined time period following the invitation.