Retaining a data communication while responding to a paging notification

• US 6,560,239 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bäckström, Martin, Frid, Lars Anders, Andersson, Göran Leif, Olsson, Ulf Ingemar, Kannas, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/111,175
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 370/426, 370/341, 370/338, 370/352, 370/252, 370/280, 370/294, 370/389, 370/216, 370/254, 370/228, 370/229, 455/557, 455/63, 455/68, 455/426, 455/422, 455/435, 455/437, 379/59, 379/93, 379/215, 379/215.01, 714/751, 375/240.12, 709/201, 709/200, 709/203, 709/248, 709/227, 709/228, 345/98
• US Class Current: 370/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A method and system enables a packet-switched data communication in a wireless communications system to be quickly and easily reestablished after interruption. The computer communications protocol that has been negotiated during the establishment of the packet-switched data communication may be saved upon interruption and later restored. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless subscriber activates a call-waiting-type service along with an option to retain a packet-switched data communication. Thereafter, the subscriber may be engaged in a data communication on a packet data channel of the wireless communications system. Acceptance of a subsequent incoming, circuit-switched voice call causes the data packet session to be suspended, but the negotiated parameters of the computer communications protocol are saved. After the subscriber terminates the voice call, another data packet session is established with the saved parameters without needing to renegotiate the computer communications protocol parameters. Packet data applications that, have not timed-out may resume execution without reinitialization.

Claims

1. A method for restoring an interrupted packet communication in a wireless communications system, comprising the steps of:

receiving notification of an incoming call;

suspending at least a portion of a packet communication at a point of suspension;

storing information that pertains to said packet communication between a mobile terminal and a wireless network, said information comprising computer communications point-to-point (PPP) protocol, said information being stored by said mobile terminal;

receiving said incoming call at said mobile terminal; and

restoring, from said point of suspension, said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network based, at least in part, on said information that pertains to said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network, said restoring performed without renegotiation of said computer communications point-to-point protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of suspending at least a portion of said packet communication further comprises the step of ceasing transceiving via said packet communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said packet communication further comprises a link between said mobile terminal and a packet mobile services switching center of said wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said information further comprises at least one parameter negotiated according to a computer communications protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one parameter comprises a data communication number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

establishing said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of establishing said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network further comprises the step of negotiating, between said mobile terminal and said wireless network, a computer communications protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

reserving, by said wireless network and for said mobile terminal, a dynamically-allocated Internet Protocol address.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

activating a packet communication retention feature prior to said step of establishing said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of activating a packet communication retention feature further comprises the step of activating on a permanent basis said packet communication retention feature in said mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said incoming call comprises an incoming circuit call.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

initiating at least one packet application at said mobile terminal prior to said step of storing information that pertains to said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network; and

continuing said at least one packet application after said step of restoring said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network without either reinitiating said at least one packet application or renegotiating a computer communications protocol.

13. In a wireless communications system, a mobile terminal for restoring an interrupted packet communication, said mobile terminal comprising:

a memory;

packet communication establishing circuitry, said packet communication establishing circuitry capable of establishing a packet communication between said mobile terminal and a wireless network;

paging circuitry, said paging circuitry adapted to process an incoming call paging signal from said wireless network;

parameter storing circuitry, said parameter storing circuitry adapted to store at least a point-to-point protocol parameter of said packet communication in said memory;

packet communication suspending circuitry, said packet communication suspending circuitry engaging, at a point of suspension, said parameter storing circuitry in response to said paging circuitry; and

packet communication restoring circuitry, said packet communication restoring circuitry capable of restoring, from said point of suspension, said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network based, at least in part, on said at least one parameter of said packet communication, said restoring performed without renegotiation of said point-to-point protocol of said packet communication.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein said packet communication suspending circuitry ceases transceiving via said packet communication in response to said paging circuitry.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein said packet communication establishing circuitry further comprises link negotiation circuitry that negotiates a link according to a computer communications protocol.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein said at least one parameter of said packet communication comprises an Internet Protocol address.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

activation circuitry, said activation circuitry configured so as to activate a packet communication restoration feature by transmitting at least one signal to said wireless network.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein said packet communication suspending circuitry engages said parameter storing circuitry in response to said paging circuitry when said paging circuitry processes an incoming call paging signal for an incoming circuit call.

19. In a wireless communications system, a wireless network for restoring an interrupted packet communication, said wireless network comprising:

a memory;

packet communication establishing circuitry, said packet communication establishing circuitry capable of establishing a packet communication between a mobile terminal and said wireless network;

parameter storing circuitry in said mobile terminal, said parameter storing circuitry adapted to store at least point-to-point protocol parameters of said packet communication in said memory;

packet communication suspending circuitry, said packet communication suspending circuitry engaging, at a point of suspension, said parameter storing circuitry in response to a paging acceptance signal from said mobile terminal; and

packet communication restoring circuitry, said packet communication restoring circuitry capable of restoring, at said point of suspension, said packet communication between said mobile terminal and said wireless network based, at least in part, on said at least one parameter of said packet communication, said restoring performed without renegotiation of said point-to-point protocol of said packet communication.

20. The wireless network of claim 19, wherein said packet communication suspending circuitry ceases transceiving on said packet communication in response to said paging acceptance signal from said mobile terminal.

21. The wireless network of claim 19, wherein said packet communication establishing circuitry further comprises link negotiation circuitry that negotiates a link according to a computer communications protocol.

22. The wireless network of claim 19, wherein said at least one parameter of said packet communication comprises a data communication number.

23. The wireless network of claim 19, further comprising:

activation circuitry that is configured to activate a packet communication restoration feature after receiving at least one activation signal from said mobile terminal.

24. The wireless network of claim 19, wherein said packet communication suspending circuitry reserves an Internet Protocol address for said mobile terminal.