Voice service in evolved packet system

• US 8,422,457 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dwyer, Johanna Lisa, Burbidge, Richard Charles, Faccin, Stefano, Chin, Chen Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Application Number:
  US12/793,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310.2, 370328-339, 370/349, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455436-444
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0022 for transferring data sessions between adjacent core network technologies

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to manage voice service in evolved packet systems are disclosed. An example in a UE with a first indicator related to voice services in an Evolved Packet System (EPS) includes receiving a first Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol response message with a second indicator and responsive to at least one of the first indicator or the second indicator, cause the UE to select to another radio access technology (RAT).

Claims

1. A method in a user equipment (UE) having a usage setting in an Evolved Packet System (EPS), the method comprising:

receiving, at the UE from a network, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol ATTACH ACCEPT message with a Voice over IP Multimedia (IM) Core Network (CN) Subsystem (VoIMS) indicator; and

responsive to the usage setting of the UE and the VoIMS indicator received from the network, disabling Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) capabilities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the E-UTRAN capabilities includes disabling E-UTRAN cell reselection or disabling E-UTRAN cell selection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-enabling, by the UE, the E-UTRAN capabilities based on a change to the usage setting of the UE.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising wherein the disabling, by the UE, of the E-UTRAN capabilities is further responsive to a Voice Service Indicator (VSI).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the VSI is indicative of:

Circuit switched (CS) Voice Only

IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Packet Switched (PS) Voice Only;

CS Voice Preferred, IMS Voice Secondary;

or

IMS Voice Preferred, CS Voice Secondary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage setting of the UE is indicative of a preference of the UE for voice service or a preference of the UE for data service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the VoIMS indicator is indicative of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Voice over Packet Switched (PS) session supported indication or an IMS Voice over PS session not supported indication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the E-UTRAN capabilities further comprises

allowing the UE to remain in EPS until access to voice services are required and upon requiring access to the voice services, disabling E-UTRAN cell reselection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising attempting to register with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling the E-UTRAN capabilities comprises disabling the E-UTRAN capabilities subsequent to a failure of an attempt to register with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS).

17. The UE of claim 1, wherein the VoIMS indicator is indicative of an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Voice over Packet Switched (PS) session supported indication or an IMS Voice over PS session not supported indication.

11. A user equipment (UE) having a usage setting in an Evolved Packet System (EPS), the UE including a processor configured to:

receive, from a network, a Non Access Stratum (NAS) protocol ATTACH ACCEPT message with a Voice over IP Multimedia (IM) Core Network (CN) Subsystem (VoIMS) indicator; and

responsive to the usage setting of the UE and the VoIMS indicator received from the network, disable Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) capabilities.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to disable the E-UTRAN capabilities by disabling E-UTRAN cell reselection or disabling E-UTRAN cell selection.

13. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to re-enable, by the UE, the E-UTRAN capabilities based on a change to the usage setting of the UE.

14. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to disable the E-UTRAN capabilities responsive also to a Voice Service Indicator (VSI).

15. The UE of claim 14, wherein the VSI is indicative of:

Circuit Switched (CS) Voice Only;

IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) Packet Switched (PS) Voice Only;

CS Voice Preferred, IMS Voice Secondary;

or

IMS Voice Preferred, CS Voice Secondary.

16. The UE of claim 11, wherein the usage setting of the UE is indicative of a preference of the UE for voice service or a preference of the UE for data service.

18. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to disable the E-UTRAN capabilities by further allowing the UE to remain in EPS until access to voice services are required and, upon requiring access to the voice services, disabling E-UTRAN cell reselection.

19. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to attempt to register with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS).

20. The UE of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to disable the E-UTRAN capabilities by disabling the E-UTRAN capabilities subsequent to a failure of an attempt to register with an IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS).