Seamless call switching in a dual mode environment

• US 7,526,313 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer; Temica M.
• Application Number:
  US11/669,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416, 455/432.2, 455/436, 455/553.1, 455/432.1, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a seamless switching of voice calls between different wireless networks are disclosed. In one illustrative example, a mobile communication device has a processor and one or more wireless transceivers coupled to the processor. The one or more wireless transceivers include a first transceiver portion operative in accordance with a first wireless network (e.g. a GSM/GPRS cellular network) and a second transceiver portion operative in accordance with a second wireless network (e.g. an 802.11 wireless network). A voice call is maintained between the mobile device and a communication terminal through call control equipment. The processor of the mobile device is operative to maintain voice communications for the voice call over a traffic channel established between the mobile device and the first wireless network using the first transceiver portion; cause a connecting call to be established with the communication terminal through the call control equipment in response to a predetermined condition, where the connecting call involves a traffic channel established between the second wireless network and the mobile device using the second transceiver portion; and after the connecting call is established, maintain voice communications for the voice call over the traffic channel established between the second wireless network and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for use by call control equipment in switching communication operations for a mobile communication device between first and second wireless networks, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, at the call control equipment, a call request for a call from a calling party to a mobile communication device which operates in one of the first wireless network and the second wireless network, where the call request was initiated with use of a first identification number of the mobile communication device which identifies the mobile communication device in the first wireless network;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the first wireless network;

causing the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the first wireless network with use of the first identification number of the mobile communication device which identifies the mobile communication device in the first wireless network;

after the call is connected, in response to a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network, causing a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the second wireless network via the call control equipment;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the second wireless network;

causing the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the second wireless network with use of a second identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the second wireless network; and

after the call is connected, in response to identifying a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the second wireless network to the first wireless network, causing a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the first wireless network via the call equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and the second wireless networks is operative in accordance with a cellular telecommunications network and the other one of the first and the second wireless networks is operative in accordance with an 802.11 based wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless network is operative in accordance with a first cellular telecommunications network and the second wireless network is operative in accordance with a second cellular telecommunications network different from the first cellular telecommunications network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the connecting call to be established comprises:

initiating the connecting call with the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving a network switching message from the mobile communication device; and

initiating the connecting call with the mobile communication device in response to the network switching message from the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving the connecting call from the mobile communication device; and

causing the connecting call with the mobile communication device to be answered.

7. The method of claim 1, which is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium for executing the acts of the method.

8. Call control equipment, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

computer instructions stored in the memory;

the computer instructions being executable by the one or more processors for;

receiving a call request for a call from a calling party to a mobile communication device which operates in one of a first wireless network and a second wireless network, where the call request was initiated with use of a first identification number of the mobile communication device which identifies the mobile communication device in the first wireless network;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the first wireless network;

causing the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the first wireless network with use of the first identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the first wireless network;

after the call is connected, in response to a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the first wireless network to the second wireless network, causing a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the second wireless network via the call control equipment;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the second wireless network;

causing the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the second wireless network with use of a second identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the second wireless network; and

after the call is connected, in response to identifying a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the second wireless network to the first wireless network, causing a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the first wireless network via the call equipment.

9. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein one of the first and the second wireless networks is operative in accordance with a cellular telecommunications network and the other one of the first and the second wireless networks is operative in accordance with an 802.11 based wireless network.

10. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein the first wireless network is operative in accordance with a first cellular telecommunications network and the second wireless network is operative in accordance with a second cellular telecommunications network different from the first cellular telecommunications network.

11. The call control equipment of claim 8, further comprising:

merging the connecting call with the call.

12. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving a network switching message from the mobile communication device; and

initiating the connecting call with the mobile communication device in response to the network switching message from the mobile communication device.

13. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving the connecting call from the mobile communication device; and

causing the connecting call with the mobile communication device to be answered.

14. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein the step of causing the connecting call to be connected to the voice call comprises establishing a conference call type connection with the voice call.

15. The call control equipment of claim 8, wherein the call control equipment comprises a mobile branch exchange.

16. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN);

a cellular telecommunications network;

a plurality of mobile communication devices operative for communications in the WLAN and the cellular telecommunications network;

call control equipment which is operative to;

receive a call request for a call from a calling party to a mobile communication device operating in one of the WLAN and the cellular telecommunications network, where the call request was initiated with use of a first identification number of the mobile communication device which identifies the mobile communication device in the WLAN;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the WLAN;

cause the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the WLAN with use of the first identification number of the mobile communication device which identifies the mobile communication device in the WLAN;

after the call is connected, in response to a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the WLAN to the cellular telecommunications network, cause a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network via the call control equipment;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the cellular telecommunications network;

cause the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network with use of a second identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network; and

after the call is connected, in response to identifying a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the cellular telecommunications network to the WLAN, cause a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the WLAN via the call equipment.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein causing the connecting call to be established comprises:

initiating the connecting call with the mobile communication device.

18. The communication system of claim 16, wherein causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving a network switching message from the mobile communication device; and

initiating the connecting call with the mobile communication device in response to the network switching message from the mobile communication device.

19. The communication system of claim 16, wherein causing the connecting call to be established further comprises:

receiving the connecting call from the mobile communication device; and

causing the connecting call with the mobile communication device to be answered.

20. A communication system, comprising:

a cellular telecommunications network;

a wireless local area network (WLAN);

a plurality of mobile communication devices operative for communications in the cellular telecommunications network and the WLAN;

call control equipment which is operative to;

receive a call request for a call from a calling party to a mobile communication device operating in one of the cellular telecommunications network and the WLAN, where the call request was initiated with use of a first identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the cellular telecommunications network;

cause the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network with use of the first identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network;

after the call is connected, in response to a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the cellular telecommunications network to the WLAN, cause a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the WLAN via the call control equipment;

in response to receiving the call request when the mobile communication device is operating in the WIAN;

cause the call to be connected through the call control equipment to the mobile communication device in the WLAN with use of a second identification number which identifies the mobile communication device in the WLAN; and

after the call is connected, in response to identifying a predetermined condition indicative of a switching of communication operation of the mobile communication device from the WLAN to the cellular telecommunications network, cause a connecting call to be established with the mobile communication device in the cellular telecommunications network via the call equipment.