Methods and apparatus for increasing voice call performance through controlled interruption of data transfer in a relay network

• US 8,825,018 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Slack, Phillip Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/791,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20110294485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/445, 455/3.06, 455/426.1, 379 70- 84, 379259-271, 379157-158, 370/395.72
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use by a mobile communication device (MCD) operating in a wireless communication network for increasing call performance through controlled temporary interruption of data transfer by the relay network outside of the wireless network. One illustrative method involves identifying a voice call request at the MCD operating in the wireless network and, in response to identifying the voice call request, performing the following actions of sending a pause data indicator to the relay network over the wireless communication network; sending a call confirm or setup voice call message to the wireless communication network for establishing the voice call; and maintaining the voice call at the mobile communication device. The pause data indicator is defined to pause data transfer for the MCD at the relay network. The method may further involve identifying a voice call termination request during the voice call and, in response to identifying the voice termination request, performing the following actions of sending a disconnect voice call message to the wireless communication network; and sending a resume data indicator to the relay network over the wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication device operating in a wireless communication network for receiving data, the method comprising:

receiving, via the wireless communication network, data communications from a host server of a host network, the data communications routed via a relay network which is external to the wireless communication network and the host network, the data communications from the host server associated with a data session established between the mobile communication device and the wireless communication network;

identifying a voice call request at the mobile communication device;

in response to the voice call request;

sending via the wireless communication network a pause data indicator in a message which is directed to the relay network, the pause data indicator defined to cause the data communications to be paused and the data of the data communications to be buffered at the relay network while the data session is maintained;

sending a call confirm or setup voice call message to the wireless communication network for establishing the voice call; and

maintaining the voice call at the mobile communication device;

identifying that mobile-originated data is sent from the mobile communication device at the time the voice call request is identified; and

completing transmission of the mobile-originated data when a remainder of the mobile-originated data is less than a predetermined threshold at the time the voice call request is identified.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a voice call termination request;

in response to the voice call termination request;

sending or receiving a disconnect voice call message to or from the wireless communication network for terminating the voice call; and

sending via the wireless communication network a resume data indicator in a message which is directed to the relay network, the resume data indicator defined to cause the data communications from the host server to be resumed at the relay network for communicating the buffered data to the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing transmission of the mobile-originated data when the remainder of the mobile-originated data is greater than the predetermined threshold at the time the voice call request is identified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user of the mobile communication device may manually configure the mobile communication device to send the pause data indicator upon establishing the voice call.

6. A mobile communication device operating in a wireless communication network, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and being operative for communications in a wireless communication network;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to;

receive, via the wireless transceiver, data in a data communications from a host server of a host network, the data communications via a relay network which is external to the wireless communication network and the host network, the data transfer communications the host server associated with a data session established between the mobile communication device and the wireless communication network;

identify via the user interface a voice call request;

in response to the voice call request;

send via the wireless communication network a pause data indicator in a message directed to the relay network, the pause data indicator defined to cause the data transfer communications to be paused and the data of the data communications to be buffered at the relay network while the data session is maintained;

send via the wireless transceiver a call confirm or setup voice call message to the wireless communication network for establishing the voice call; and

maintain the voice call at the mobile communication device;

identify mobile-originated data sent during the identifying of the voice call request at the mobile communication device; and

complete transmission of the mobile-originated data when a remainder of the mobile-originated data is less than a predetermined threshold at the time of the voice call request.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, the one or more processors being further operative to:

identify a voice call termination request;

in response to the voice call termination request;

send or receive a disconnect voice call message to or from the wireless communication network; and

send via the wireless communication network a resume data indicator in a message directed to the relay network, the resume data indicator defined to cause the data transfer communications to be resumed at the relay network for communicating the buffered data to the mobile communication device.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 6, which comprises a cellular telephone.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 6, the one or more processors being further operative to:

cease transmission of the mobile-originated data when the remainder of the mobile-originated data is less than the predetermined threshold at the time of the voice call request.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 6, which can be configured manually to send the pause data upon establishing the voice call request is identified.

11. A method in a relay network for use in communicating data from a host server of a host network to a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

forwarding, by the relay network, data of data communications from the host server of the host network to the mobile communication device which operates in a wireless communication network, the relay network being external to the wireless communication network and the host network and serving a plurality of host servers for data communications;

receiving, at the relay network, a pause data indicator from the mobile communication device responsive to a voice call request for a voice call;

in response to receiving the pause data indicator;

updating, in a database of the relay network, the mobile communication device status to a pause data state;

pausing, at the relay network, the data transfer communications to the mobile communication device during the voice call of the mobile communication device; and

buffering the data of the data communications in the relay network during the voice call for subsequent transmission to the mobile communication device; and

permitting transmission of service-essential data to the mobile communication device during the pause data state, wherein the service-essential data comprises at least one of a remote data wipe command to the mobile communication device and an IT policy update to the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a resume data indicator from the mobile communication device responsive to a voice call termination request for the voice call of the mobile communication device;

in response to receiving the resume data indicator;

updating the mobile communication device status in the database to a resume data state; and

scheduling a transmission of the buffered data of the data communications to the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

scheduling a transmission of outstanding messages to the mobile communication device in the order of descending importance.

14. A server of a relay network, the server configured to:

allow data in data communications from a host server of a host network to be forwarded to a mobile communication device which operates in a wireless communication network, the relay network being external to the wireless communication network and the host network and serving a plurality of host servers for data communications;

receive a pause data indicator from the mobile communication device responsive to a voice call request for a voice call, the pause data indicator included in a message which is directed to the server;

in response to receiving the pause data indicator;

update, in a database of the relay network, a mobile communication device status to a pause data state;

pause the data communications to the mobile communication device during the voice call of the mobile communication device; and

buffer the data of the data communications during the voice call for subsequent transmission to the mobile communication device; and

permit transmission of service-essential data to the mobile communication device during the pause data state, wherein the service-essential data comprises at least one of a remote data wipe command to the mobile communication device and an IT policy update to the mobile communication device.

15. The server of claim 14, which is further configured to:

receive a resume data indicator from the mobile communication device in a message which is directed to the server;

in response to receiving the resume data indicator;

update, in the database, the mobile communication device status to a resume data state; and

resume transmission of the buffered data to the mobile communication device.