System and method for providing a handoff leg associated with a preexisting leg in a network environment

• US 8,000,710 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pearce, Christopher E., Jagadeesan, Ramanathan T., Nguyen, Bich T., Chung, Andrew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi; Joel
• Application Number:
  US12/397,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20090170518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/437, 455/438, 455/448
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/185 using make before break

Abstract

A method for facilitating communications between wireless networks is provided that includes communicating with a mobile station and transferring a communication session from a first wireless link to a second wireless link. The mobile station is operable to negotiate a first wireless link with a first wireless network, to establish a communication session with a device using the first wireless link, and to facilitate a session handoff with a second wireless link with the second wireless network using the second wireless interface. The handoff is enabled by associating the first wireless link to the second wireless link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a call from a mobile station to a remote device through an enterprise network, the call comprising a first call leg and a second call leg, the first call leg between the mobile station and the enterprise network, the second call leg between the enterprise network and the remote device;

determining, by the mobile station, to utilize a cellular network;

invoking a private branch exchange (PBX) park feature to park the call, the park feature hosted by the enterprise network;

initiating creation of a third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network;

determining whether to use a park number or a handoff number for the call, the park number for reconnecting with the parked call, the handoff number for allowing a mobility application to call the park number on behalf of the mobile station, the determination made by;

establishing whether the park number for the park feature is within range;

when the park number is within range, selecting the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

when the park number is not within range, sending the park number to the enterprise network to obtain the handoff number and registering with the cellular network to call the handoff number to initiate calling of the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

using the park number or the handoff number to utilize the park feature to couple the third call leg to the second call leg to allow the mobile station to resume the call with the remote device.

2. The method of claim 1, the determining, by the mobile station, to utilize the cellular network further comprising:

determining to utilize the cellular network in response to detecting a degradation in quality of communication through the first leg.

3. The method of claim 1, the invoking the PBX park feature to park the call further comprising:

invoking the park feature to park the second call leg.

4. The method of claim 1, the invoking the PBX park feature to park the call further comprising:

parking, by the mobile station, the second call leg with a call manager of the enterprise network.

5. The method of claim 1, the invoking the PBX park feature to park the call further comprising:

sending, by the mobile station, a request to a mobility application of the enterprise network, the request requesting that the mobility application park the second call leg.

6. The method of claim 1, the initiating the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network further comprising:

dialing, by the mobile station, a telephone number of a mobility application of the enterprise network.

7. The method of claim 1, the initiating the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network further comprising:

receiving a plurality of tones dialed by a mobility application of the enterprise network, the tones representing a telephone number of the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1, the utilizing the park feature to couple the third call leg to the second call leg further comprising:

receiving from the enterprise network the park number for the park feature; and

using the park number to invoke the park feature to reconnect to the parked call.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store code; and

a processor configured to execute the code to;

establish a call from a mobile station to a remote device through an enterprise network, the call comprising a first call leg and a second call leg, the first call leg between the mobile station and the enterprise network, the second call leg between the enterprise network and the remote device;

determine to utilize a cellular network;

invoke a private branch exchange (PBX) park feature to park the call, the park feature hosted by the enterprise network;

initiate creation of a third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network;

determine whether to use a park number or a handoff number for the call, the park number for reconnecting with the parked call, the handoff number for allowing a mobility application to call the park number on behalf of the mobile station, the determination made by;

establishing whether the park number for the park feature is within range;

when the park number is within range, selecting the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

when the park number is not within range, sending the park number to the enterprise network to obtain the handoff number and registering with the cellular network to call the handoff number to initiate calling of the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

use the park number or the handoff number to utilize the park feature to couple the third call leg to the allow the mobile station to resume the call with the remote device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to determine to utilize the cellular network by:

determining to utilize the cellular network in response to detecting a degradation in quality of communication through the first leg.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

invoking the park feature to park the second call leg.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

parking the second call leg with a call manager of the enterprise network.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

sending a request to a mobility application of the enterprise network, the request requesting that the mobility application park the second call leg.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to initiate the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network by:

dialing a telephone number of a mobility application of the enterprise network.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to execute the code to initiate the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network by:

receiving a plurality of tones dialed by a mobility application of the enterprise network, the tones representing a telephone number of the mobile station.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, the processor further configured to utilize the park feature to couple the third call leg to the second call leg by:

receiving from the enterprise network the park number for the park feature; and

using the park number to invoke the park feature to reconnect to the parked call.

17. An non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to:

establish a call from a mobile station to a remote device through an enterprise network, the call comprising a first call leg and a second call leg, the first call leg between the mobile station and the enterprise network, the second call leg between the enterprise network and the remote device;

determine to utilize a cellular network;

invoke a private branch exchange (PBX) park feature to park the call, the park feature hosted by the enterprise network;

initiate creation of a third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network;

determine whether to use a park number or a handoff number for the call, the park number for reconnecting with the parked call, the handoff number for allowing a mobility application to call the park number on behalf of the mobile station, the determination made by;

establishing whether the park number for the park feature is within range;

when the park number is within range, selecting the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

when the park number is not within range, sending the park number to the enterprise network to obtain the handoff number and registering with the cellular network to call the handoff number to initiate calling of the park number to reconnect to the parked call; and

using the park number or the handoff number to utilize the park feature to couple the third call leg to the second call leg to allow the mobile station to resume the call with the remote device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to determine to utilize the cellular network by:

determining to utilize the cellular network in response to detecting a degradation in quality of communication through the first leg.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

invoking the park feature to park the second call leg.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

parking the second call leg with a call manager of the enterprise network.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to invoke the PBX park feature to park the call by:

sending a request to a mobility application of the enterprise network, the request requesting that the mobility application park the second call leg.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to initiate the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network by:

dialing a telephone number of a mobility application of the enterprise network.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to initiate the creation of the third call leg from the mobile station through the cellular network to the enterprise network by:

receiving a plurality of tones dialed by a mobility application of the enterprise network, the tones representing a telephone number of the mobile station.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further configured to utilize the park feature to couple the third call leg to the second call leg by:

receiving from the enterprise network the park number for the park feature; and

using the park number to invoke the park feature to reconnect to the parked call.