Selective Prioritization of Voice Over Data

• US 20170223721A1
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark, Kosseifi, Mario, Meredith, Sheldon
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/187 combining circuit and packet-switched, e.g. GPRS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/56 based on priority criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are described herein for allowing a user or a service provider to selectively prioritize voice communications over data communications. By selectively prioritizing voice communications over data communications, the number of dropped calls in the mobile telecommunications network can be significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device comprising a processor, a selection of a voice prioritized option;

establishing, by the mobile device over a voice-only radio access bearer, a voice session with another device;

collecting, by the mobile device during at least a portion of the voice session, uplink transmit power statistics associated with maintaining the voice session;

calculating, by the mobile device, a mean uplink transmit power from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a standard deviation from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a value for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation;

receiving, by the mobile device, a data request;

determining, by the mobile device, if the value calculated for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation at least meets a threshold value of uplink transmit power that is insufficient for the mobile device to support a multiple radio access bearer, wherein the multiple radio access bearer simultaneously supports both a voice component of the voice session and a data component of the data request; and

in response to determining that the value does not at least meet the threshold value of uplink transmit power,

allowing, by the mobile device, establishment of the multiple radio access bearer,

transferring, by the mobile device, the voice session to the multiple radio access bearer, and

tearing down, by the mobile device, the voice-only radio access bearer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on a display of the mobile device, the voice prioritized option in context of a first selectable graphical user interface element, and wherein receiving the selection of the voice prioritized option comprises receiving the selection of the voice prioritized option via the first selectable graphical user interface element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the voice prioritized option is identified as a maximize voice coverage option.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, on the display of the mobile device, a voice only option in context of a second selectable graphical user interface element.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying, on the display of the mobile device, a normal option in context of a third selectable graphical user interface element.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying, on the display of the mobile device, a normal option in context of a second selectable graphical user interface element.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first selectable graphical user interface element is part of a settings application, a dialer application, or a software widget.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value of uplink transmit power comprises a percentage of a maximum uplink transmit power.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the threshold value of uplink transmit power depending upon a radio condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the voice prioritized option comprises receiving the selection of the voice prioritized option prior to the voice session being established, during establishment of the voice session, during the voice session, or after the voice session.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, by a mobile device comprising a processor, on a display of the mobile device, a network settings graphical user interface comprising an input portion and a settings control options portion, the settings control options portion comprising a control settings remotely option;

receiving, by the mobile device, a selection of the control settings remotely option;

based upon receiving the selection of the control settings remotely option, receiving, by the mobile device from a server, a threshold value for a voice priority setting, wherein establishment of a multiple radio access bearer to simultaneously support both a voice component of a voice session and a data component of a data request is denied when the voice session is established and a value associated with maintaining the voice session at least meets the threshold value for the voice priority setting;

storing, by the mobile device, the threshold value for the voice priority setting in the input portion of the network settings graphical user interface;

establishing, by the mobile device over a voice-only radio access bearer, the voice session with another device;

collecting, by the mobile device during at least a portion of the voice session, uplink transmit power statistics for the mobile device associated with maintaining the voice session;

calculating, by the mobile device, a mean uplink transmit power from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a standard deviation from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a value for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation;

receiving, by the mobile device, the data request;

determining, by the mobile device, if the value calculated for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation at least meets the threshold value for the voice priority setting; and

in response to determining that the value for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation does not at least meet the threshold value for the voice priority setting,

allowing, by the mobile device, establishment of the multiple radio access bearer,

transferring, by the mobile device, the voice session to the multiple radio access bearer, and

tearing down, by the mobile device, the voice-only radio access bearer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input portion of the network settings graphical user interface comprises a threshold input box and the voice priority setting comprises a threshold setting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold setting is a maximum uplink power threshold setting and the threshold value for the voice priority setting is a particular maximum uplink power that, when at least met, causes the mobile device to deny data requests.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold setting and the threshold value for the voice priority setting are associated with a received signal code power, a ratio of a received energy and an interference level, a carrier-to-noise ratio, or a received signal strength indicator.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the server is operated by a service provider that is capable of providing a data service that supports data access for the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the server, an adjusted threshold value based upon a radio condition known to the server; and

replacing the threshold value for the voice priority setting in the input portion of the network settings graphical user interface with the adjusted threshold value.

17. A method comprising:

presenting, by a mobile device comprising a processor, on a display of the mobile device, a voice prioritized option in context of a first selectable graphical user interface element, wherein the voice prioritized option denies establishment of a multiple radio access bearer to simultaneously support both a voice component of a voice session and a data component of a data request when the voice session is established and a value associated with maintaining the voice session at least meets a threshold value;

presenting, by the mobile device on the display of the mobile device, a voice only option in context of a second selectable graphical user interface element, wherein the voice only option denies the data request when the voice session is established, whether or not the value associated with maintaining the voice session at least meets the threshold value;

presenting, by the mobile device on the display of the mobile device, a normal option in context of a third selectable graphical user interface element, wherein the normal option allows establishment of the multiple radio access bearer to simultaneously support both the voice component of the voice session and the data component of the data request when the voice session is established, whether or not the value associated with maintaining the voice session at least meets the threshold value;

receiving, by the mobile device, a selection of the voice prioritized option via the first selectable graphical user interface element;

establishing, by the mobile device over a voice-only radio access bearer, the voice session with another device;

collecting, by the mobile device during at least a portion of the voice session, uplink transmit power statistics for the mobile device associated with maintaining the voice session;

calculating, by the mobile device, a mean uplink transmit power from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a standard deviation from the uplink transmit power statistics;

calculating, by the mobile device, a value for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation;

receiving, by the mobile device, the data request;

determining, by the mobile device, if the value calculated for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation at least meets the threshold value; and

in response to determining that the value for the mean uplink transmit power plus the standard deviation does not at least meet the threshold value,

allowing, by the mobile device, establishment of the multiple radio access bearer,

transferring, by the mobile device, the voice session to the multiple radio access bearer, and

tearing down, by the mobile device, the voice-only radio access bearer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first selectable graphical user interface element is part of a settings application, a dialer application, or a software widget.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the threshold value comprises a percentage of a maximum uplink transmit power.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising adjusting the threshold value depending upon a radio condition.