Method and system for notifying a multi-mode mobile station of an incoming call

• US 7,395,085 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mauer, Brian D., Sankaranaraynan, Pallavur
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/078,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/458, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/567, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• 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 multi-mode mobile station includes a first interface for wireless communication with a first wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), and a second interface for wireless communication with a second wireless network, such as a wireless wide area network (WWAN). When a call is placed to the multi-mode mobile station, a softswitch or other controller attempts to establish the call with the multi-mode mobile station via the first wireless network. If this attempt is unsuccessful because the multi-mode mobile station is inaccessible via the first wireless network, the controller then attempts to establish the call via the second wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of attempting to notify a multi-mode mobile station of a requested communication session, said multi-mode mobile station having a first interface for wireless communication with a first wireless network and a second interface for wireless communication with a second wireless network, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a requester to establish a communication session with said multi-mode mobile station;

transmitting a first notification message to try to reach said multi-mode mobile station via said first wireless network, said first notification message providing notification of said request;

waiting to receive a predetermined response from said multi-mode mobile station;

if said predetermined response is not received within a predetermined period of time, transmitting a second notification message to try to reach said multi-mode mobile station via said second wireless network, said second notification message providing notification of said requests and

if said predetermined response is received within said predetermined period of time but said multi-mode mobile station does not accept said communication session, providing said requestor with at least one alternate communication option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said second wireless network is a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said communication session is a voice call.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first notification message is a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Invite message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said predetermined response is a SIP 100 Trying message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said second notification message is an alert message.

8. A method for attempting to communicate with a multi-mode mobile station, said multi-mode mobile station having a first interface for wireless communication via a first a first wireless network and a second interface for wireless communication via a second wireless network, said method comprising:

receiving a request from a requester to establish a communication session with said multi-mode mobile station;

in response to said request, making a first-network attempt to establish said communication session with said multi-mode mobile station via said first wireless network;

if said first-network attempt is unsuccessful because said multi-mode mobile station is found to be inaccessible via said first wireless network, making a second-network attempt to establish said communication session with said multi-mobile station via said second wireless network; and

if said predetermined response is unsuccessful because said multi-mode mobile station is found to be accessible via said first wireless network available but does not accept the communication session, providing said requester with at least one alternate communication option.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one alternate communication option is referring said requestor to a voicemail system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said second wireless network is a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein making a first-network attempt comprises:

transmitting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Invite message to a last known address of said multi-mode mobile station; and

waiting to receive from said multi-mode mobile station a predetermined response to said SIP Invite message, wherein said multi-mode mobile station is found to be inaccessible via said first wireless network if said predetermined response is not received within a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first predetermined response is a SIP 100 Trying message.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein making a first-network attempt comprises:

transmitting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Invite message to a last known address of said multi-mode mobile station;

receiving a SIP 100 Trying message from said multi-mode mobile station, in response to said SIP Invite message;

receiving a SIP 180 Ringing message from said multi-mode mobile station, in response to said SIP Invite; and

waiting to receive a SIP 200 OK message from said multi-mode mobile station.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

if said SIP 200 OK message is not received within a predetermined period of time, referring said requestor to a voicemail system.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein making a second-network attempt comprises:

transmitting a page message for said multi-mode mobile station via said second wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein making a second-network attempt further comprises:

transmitting an alert message for said multi-mode mobile station via said second wireless network.

18. A system for communicating with a multi-mode mobile station, said mobile station having a first interface for wireless communication with a first wireless network and a second interface for wireless communication with a second wireless network, system comprising:

a controller, communicatively coupled to said first wireless network and said second wireless network,

wherein in response to receiving a request from a requestor to establish a communication session with said multi-mode mobile station, said controller males a first-network attempt to establish said communication session with said multi-mode mobile station via said first wireless network and, if said multi-mode mobile station is found to be inaccessible via said first wireless network, said controller then makes a second-network attempt to establish said communication session with said multi-mobile station via said second wireless network, and if said multi-mode mobile station is found to be accessible via said first wireless network but does not accept said communication session, said controller then provides said requestor with at least one alternate communication option.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said first wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN) and said second wireless network is a wireless wide area network (WWAN).

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said controller includes a softswitch.