Communication apparatuses for handling apparatus terminated or originated communication requests with increased communication capability and methods thereof

• US 8,064,957 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsiao, Shun-Wen, Tang, Ding-Chiang, Huang, Li-Chi
• Primary Examiner(s): LAUTURE, JOSEPH J
• Application Number:
  US12/416,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20100255880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/436, 455/67.11, 455/416, 455/553.1, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/422.1, 455/444, 455/551, 455/41.2, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• 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 communication apparatus is provided. A first subscriber identity card is with a first address and camps on a first cell. A second subscriber identity card is with a second address and camps on a second cell. After receiving a communication request requesting for establishing wireless communication between the first subscriber identity card and a peer communication entity, a processor activates a service instructing the second wireless network to transfer a future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card with a first address camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card with a second address camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the radio transceiver module, the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card, after receiving a communication request requesting for establishing wireless communication between the first subscriber identity card and a peer communication entity, activating a service instructing the second wireless network to transfer a future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell.

2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication request is an apparatus originated communication request, the processor transmits a transfer request to the second cell to request the second wireless network to transfer the future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell.

3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor transmits the transfer request before transmitting a channel request message requesting a communication channel for the apparatus originated communication request to the first wireless network.

4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor deactivates or erases the service after terminating the wireless communication for the received apparatus originated communication request.

5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the communication request is an apparatus terminated communication request, the processor transmits a transfer request to the second cell to request the second wireless network to transfer the future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell.

6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processor transmits the transfer request before transmitting a paging response message acknowledging the received communication request to the first wireless network.

7. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the processor deactivates or erases the service after terminating the wireless communication for the received apparatus terminated communication request.

8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service is activated by transmitting a transfer request to request to the second wireless network to activate a call forwarding related supplementary service so as to forward the future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card.

9. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the call forwarding related supplementary service is one of a call forwarding unconditional (CFU) service and a call forwarding on mobile subscriber not reachable (CFNRc) service.

10. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card is the subscriber identity module (SIM) card corresponding to the global system for mobile communications (GSM) communication system, the universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card corresponding to the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) communication system, or the removable user identity module (RUIM) card or the CDMA subscriber identity module (CSIM) card corresponding to the code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 communication system.

11. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card with a first address camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card with a second address camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the radio transceiver module, the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card, monitoring a first signal quality of the first wireless network for the first subscriber identity card and a second signal quality of the second wireless network for the second subscriber identity card, and activating a service instructing the second wireless network to transfer a future apparatus terminated communication request of the corresponding second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell when determining that the second subscriber identity card is going to out of service according to the second signal quality.

12. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor further transmits a transfer request to the second cell to request the second wireless network to transfer the future apparatus terminated communication requests of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell when the processor determines that the second subscriber identity card is going to be out of the coverage range of the second wireless network according to the second signal quality.

13. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor determines that the second subscriber identity card is going to be out of the coverage range of the second wireless network when the second signal quality is worse than a predetermined threshold.

14. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor determines that the second subscriber identity card is going to be out of the coverage range of the second wireless network when the second signal quality drops dramatically during a predetermined short time interval.

15. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the processor deactivates or erases the service after determining that the second subscriber identity card regains service.

16. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a first radio transceiver module;

a second radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card with a first address camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the first radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card with a second address camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the second radio transceiver module;

a battery providing power to the first radio transceiver module and the second radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the battery, the first radio transceiver module, the second radio transceiver module, the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card, monitoring an amount of remaining power of the battery, activating a service instructing the second wireless networks to transfer a future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell and turning off the second radio transceiver module after determining a power low condition according to the amount of remaining power.

17. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the processor further transmits a transfer request to the second cell to request the second wireless network to transfer the future apparatus terminated communication requests of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell after determining the amount of remaining power is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processor further turns off the second radio transceiver module after receiving a response message from the second wireless network indicating acceptance of the transfer request.

19. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the processor deactivates or erases the service after determining the low battery condition has subsided.

20. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a radio transceiver module;

a first subscriber identity card with a first address camping on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a second subscriber identity card with a second address camping on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module;

a battery providing power to the radio transceiver module; and

a processor coupled to the battery, the radio transceiver module, the first subscriber identity card and the second subscriber identity card, monitoring an amount of remaining power of the battery, and activating a service instructing the second wireless networks to transfer a future apparatus terminated communication request of the second subscriber identity card to the first subscriber identity card via the first cell and instructing the radio transceiver module not to listen to the second cell after determining a power low condition according to the amount of remaining power.

21. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processor further instructs the radio transceiver module not to listen to the second cell after receiving a response message from the second wireless network indicating acceptance of the transfer request.