Conferencing PSTN gateway methods and apparatus to facilitate heterogeneous wireless network handovers for mobile communication devices

• US 8,265,038 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited, Mcmaster University
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited), Mcmaster University
• Inventors: Kezys, Vytautas Robertas, Todd, Terence D., Smadi, Mohammed, Zhao, Dongmei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US13/163,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20110243118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/331, 37920701-20707, 455/414.1, 455/416, 455/466, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1446 wherein at least one of the networks is unlicensed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for use in a network processing component is for initially establishing, via a gateway, a voice call between a mobile device which operates in a wireless network and a destination device. A first connection leg of the voice call is to be established between the mobile device and a conference room of the gateway. The technique involves sending to the gateway a request message for establishing a second connection leg between the network processing component and the destination device, and then subsequently sending to the gateway a re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg from the network processing component to the conference room. This causes a voice call having the first and the second connection legs to be initially established between the mobile device and the destination device via the gateway.

Claims

1. A method for use in a network processing component for initially establishing, via a gateway, a voice call between a mobile device which operates in a wireless network and a destination device, wherein a first connection leg of the voice call is to be established between the mobile device and a conference room of the gateway, the method comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device and at the network processing component, a request message for establishing the voice call which is directed to a selected telephone number of the destination device;

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call;

sending, from the network processing component to the gateway, a request message for establishing a second connection leg between the network processing component and the destination device; and

sending, from the network processing component to the gateway, a re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg from the network processing component to the conference room, for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device via the gateway, the voice call including the first and the second connection legs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device operates in a wireless network comprising a first wireless network and, in response to a handover indication, a third connection leg is established between the mobile device which operates in a second wireless network and the conference room of the conferencing gateway.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call, sending a request message for establishing the first connection leg.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call, sending to the mobile device a call redirection message which includes an address of the conference room of the gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call, sending to the mobile device a Moved Temporarily message which includes an address of the conference room of the gateway, for redirecting the voice call so that the first connection leg may be established between the mobile device and the conference room of the gateway.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message for establishing the second connection leg comprises a SIP INVITE message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request message for establishing the second connection leg comprises a SIP INVITE message, the SIP INVITE message including an address of the gateway and call party information corresponding to the destination device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg comprises a SIP REFER message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg comprises a SIP REFER message, the SIP REFER message including a REFER-TO header which includes a source identifier corresponding to the conference room of the gateway.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network processing component is co-located with the gateway.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device is connected in a telephone network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device is connected in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the destination device is a PSTN telephone device.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium; and

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a network processing component for performing a method for establishing via a gateway a voice call between a mobile device which operates in a wireless network and a destination device, wherein a first connection leg of the voice call is to be established between the mobile device and a conference room of the gateway, the computer instructions being further executable for;

receiving from the mobile device a request message for establishing the voice call which is directed to a selected telephone number of the destination device;

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call;

sending to the gateway a request message for establishing a second connection leg between the network processing component and the destination device; and

sending to the gateway a re-routing message for re-routing the second connection lea from the network processing component to the conference room, for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device via the gateway, the voice call including the first and the second connection legs.

14. A network processing component for use in establishing, via a gateway, a voice call between a mobile device which operates in a wireless network and a destination device, wherein a first connection leg of the voice call is to be established between the mobile device and a conference room of the gateway, the network processing component being configured to receive from the mobile device a request message for establishing the voice call which is directed to a selected telephone number of the destination device;

in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call;

send from the network processing component to the gateway a request message for establishing a second connection leg between the network processing component and the destination device; and

send from the network processing component to the gateway a re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg from the network processing component to the conference room, for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device via the gateway, the voice call including the first and the second connection legs.

15. The network processing component of claim 14, which is further configured to send to the mobile device a call redirection message which includes an address of the conference room of the gateway in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call.

16. The network processing component of claim 14, which is further configured to, in response to receiving the request message for establishing the voice call, send to the mobile device a Moved Temporarily message which includes an address of the conference room of the gateway, for redirecting the voice call so that the first connection leg may be established between the mobile device and the conference room of the gateway.

17. The network processing component of claim 14, wherein the request message for establishing the second connection leg comprises a SIP INVITE message, the SIP INVITE message including an address of the gateway and call party information corresponding to the destination device.

18. The network processing component of claim 14, wherein the re-routing message for re-routing the second connection leg comprises a SIP REFER message, the SIP REFER message including a REFER-TO header which includes a source identifier corresponding to the conference room of the gateway.

19. The network processing component of claim 14, which is co-located with the gateway.

20. A method for use in a mobile device for initially establishing a voice call between the mobile device operating in a wireless network and a destination device via a conferencing gateway which is configured to combine media streams of connection legs of the voice call, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of the mobile device, a request for establishing the voice call with the destination device, the request including a direct inward dialing number of the destination device;

in response to receiving the request for establishing the voice call;

sending, to the conferencing gateway, a message which includes the direct inward dialing number of the destination device;

placing a call to a direct inward dialing number of a telephone network interface of the conferencing gateway, the call being connected to the destination device identified by the direct inward dialing number from the message for initially establishing the voice call between the mobile device and the destination device.

21. The method of claim 20, where the message sent to the gateway causes the conferencing gateway to match the message from the mobile device with the call from the mobile device for connecting the call to the destination device identified by the direct inward dialing number thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the message comprises a short message service (SMS) message.